We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Pedone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.

Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

From a young age I always knew I wanted to be a visual artist. I got my first camera when I was eight and naturally proceeded to direct my friends how to pose for my lens. I studied art throughout middle school and high school experimenting with painting, paper mache and collage. My love for photography was rekindled during my foundation year at the Corcoran School of Art, in Washington DC. The magic of watching my images come to life in the dark room sparked my love for the medium. I was hooked and knew I wanted to pursue a career in photography. My first job was photographing Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys with the Tibetan monks at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery, as they created a sand mandala, that they then swept up and placed in an urn. We then traveled to the Tidal Basin, situated near the Lincoln Memorial, where they emptied the urn into the “sacred place”. Afterwards, we boarded a bus headed for Wust Music Hall, which is now the home of the 9:30 Club, where the Tibetan monks performed traditional music followed by the energetic set by the Beastie Boys. I moved to New York City in the mid-nineties with little money and big dreams to launch a career shooting for magazines and record companies. I landed an internship at Paper Magazine, where I met several photographers I began to assist. Including Jill Greenberg, who hired me to be her studio manager. Being a photographer’s assistant was an invaluable experience for learning the business. It taught me how to approach running my own business as a photographer. I began shooting editorials for Seventeen, Vibe and Men’s Health magazines, as well as album packages for Sony Music. And eventually went on to shooting advertising for clients like Old Navy and The Learning Channel.

Michelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a freelance photographer based in New York City. My work intersects both commercial and fine art photography. I’ve always shot a lot of personal projects that have often helped me land commercial assignments. I’m drawn to color, texture and clean light that really makes an image pop. I keep a dream journal and sketch ideas. I’ve always been inspired by music, films and pop culture. My father was in the Air Force, so we moved around a lot. We lived in Okinawa, Japan when I was little. Ultraman and Japanese pop music sunk in deep into my psyche. From an early age I knew I wanted to be an artist. I was originally into painting then fell in love with photography and never looked back. There’s a fine line between shooting personal work versus commercial assignments. I’ve been fortunate to work with some creative art directors that have allowed for a true collaboration between art and commerce. Being a photographer is about more than creating images, you’re also a psychologist, meteorologist and DJ. Music is an important component on any of my shoots as it provides the people, I’m photographing a means of escape, allowing them to let go in front of the camera. My motivation at the end of the day is to create an atmosphere on set that inspires everyone involved to put their best creative foot forward.

Most recently I shot a music video for the song Lobo Solitario, a collaboration between Venezuelan artists, Alvaro Segura, a founding member of Zapato 3 and Luis Accorsi of NYC based Toxic Tito. We shot on location in New York City’s Central Park and Times Square. It’s always an adventure shooting in the more touristy areas of the city, it definitely keeps you on your toes! Alvaro is also an accomplished FX artist, working on notable blockbuster films like the Lion King, Terminator and Pirates of The Caribbean. We worked as a team on the video’s postproduction. I created the initial edit and he’s currently working his magic with color grading and putting his finesse on the final edit. The video will be released soon.

I’ve just returned from London and Paris. I had a photograph in Art Icon’s Sex and Politics exhibition, held in the Bastille Design Center during Paris Photo week. It was an honor to have my work in an exhibition alongside Joel-Peter Witkin, Roger Ballen, Mark Seliger and Lydia Lunch. It was also made extra special, being asked by curator Slavica Veselinovic to introduce punk legend and poet Cynthia Ross, for her poetry reading during the exhibition opening. And to top it all off my photograph sold. My work was also included in Art Icon’s Static Cinema exhibition at Crea Cantieri Del Contemporaneo in Venice, Italy, this past August, during the Venice Film Festival.

I feel very fortunate to have made so many lasting connections with clients and other artists. After all, staying connected and inspired keeps you vital for creating new work.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In the summer of 2011, I had been traveling a lot, shooting mostly advertising campaigns. It all came to an unexpected halt, as I went in for an exploratory abdominal surgery. What was supposed to be a 45 minute surgery, turned into 6 hours. I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis. My health grew more complicated, requiring additional surgeries and treatments. I was forced to pivot and had to take a medical leave of absence from my agency and assignment work. To say that it was devastating is an understatement. Though I didn’t let it steal my creativity. I set up a home studio that I could shoot at my own pace and started photographing portraits of dogs. It was really interesting because although dogs can possess humanistic expressions, unlike humans they are easily distracted on set. The room had to be completely still and quite, as to keep the dog’s attention. Of course having some cheese on hand helped as well!

As luck would have it, during this time period I was invited to have my work included in United Photo Industries, Thin Line Between Love and Hate exhibition in Brooklyn. United Photo Industries founders, Sam Barzilay, Laura Roumanos and Dave Shelley went on to create Photoville, a nonprofit organization that works to promote a wider understanding and increased access to the art of photography for all. Photoville produces an annual photography festival in New York City. It began in Dumbo, Brooklyn with curated shows in shipping containers and educational panel talks. I was invited to create a pop up doggie photo booth, creating my dog portraits on the spot. I enlisted fashion designer, Lynne Correia, of Lil Pup Shop to create circus themed accessories and props, to create an Under The Big Top theme for the pups. It was a day of chaos and fun! Some of my dog portraits were also included in a Photoville show.

Despite a tremendously difficult period in my life, I’m thankful for all I’ve learned as it’s made me stronger and more focused. Nothing could steal my spirit!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is allowing yourself to dream, create and be an individual. Traveling and meeting other creatives is also inspiring. I feel blessed to be able to do what I love for a living.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.michellepedone.com
• Instagram: @michellepedone
• Facebook: @michellepedone
• Linkedin: @michellepedone
• Twitter: none
• Youtube: none
• Yelp: none
• Soundcloud: none

Image Credits

Photographs by Michelle Pedone