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We are pleased to feature Jeff Compasso photography and art for show Dec. 1, 2004 through Dec. 31, 2004
ARTIST'S
BIO: JEFF COMPASSO
Who am I? I am a recovering
attorney who has left behind the rigors of practicing law to enjoy my waking
hours. What better way to do that than to surround myself with beauty, play
with that beauty, and create something new to share with the world?!
I have always been enamored
of the human form. Having been a gymnast from the age of 8 up through college,
I was constantly surrounded by beautiful, muscular male and female bodies. In
addition to practicing a supremely challenging sport, participating in the world
of gymnastics allowed me to witness the splendor of the human form as it performed
feats of strength, balance, flexibility and grace on a near daily basis. In
my book, inspiration doesn't get much better than that!
Although practicing law
did give me some very valuable skills and life experience, it didn’t nurture
my artistic side. Photography is a wonderful creative outlet for my artistic
expression. It allows me to capture the beauty I see in the world around me
everyday and make it my own.
In 2000,
I took my darkroom equipment out of the attic and set it up for the first time
since high school. I set up a studio and started looking for nude models. A
couple of weeks later, I was in the darkroom printing up 8x10’s from my
first nude shoot when it hit me -- this is what I was meant to do! Since then
I have not looked back.
What’s my vision?
I find that my work has been influenced by the work of many photographers. The
three most influential being Herb Ritts, Tom Bianchi and Jeff Palmer. The genius
of their work is a source of continual inspiration to me.
In my photography I attempt
to use just enough light to capture the beauty of a model’s form, and
just enough shadow to leave some mystery. I don’t succeed with every shot,
but I sure enjoy trying.
Working with nude models
can be both challenging and rewarding. For some, shedding one’s clothing
for the camera is a proposition fraught with inner conflict. For others, it
is a thoroughly liberating and even arousing experience. I take a very relaxed
approach to my shoots and try to make my models feel as comfortable and confident
as possible. I have had some of my best results from first time models who are
as excited about making beautiful photos as I am. It is very rewarding to me
to be able to capture a beautiful shot of someone and see their elated reaction
to the print.
When I am not shooting the
human form, I enjoy shooting other wonders of nature. Plants and flowers are endless
sources of inspiration for me, as are animals. In the last year, I have also discovered
a very rewarding and inspirational new subject matter - pets and their people!
It can be very challenging, but it is always very rewarding to capture the special
bond between pets and their people.
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