Mikie Venitelli’s laid back demeanor is spirited as soon as the camera clicks. He is cool as fan, but his photographs project images spirited by a keen and compassionate eye.

Venitelli’s most obvious dynamic is that he shoots character. That is the personality of a place, individual, a group and certainly the character of an event. He fell into sports photography shooting one of the most aggressive sports, boxing. “Sports photography is normally dry. There is rarely any self-expression in the work,” says Venitelli. He gives it a quality of beauty unmatched in that realm exaggerating light and dark elements with notes of color.

Venitelli’s first attraction to photography formed observing his father’s interest, “My dad always had a nice camera,” he says. After high school, he attended the Art Institute of Charleston in South Carolina. Majoring in Graphic Design, he had to work with other people’s photos to complete assignments. Sure of his own potential, he left school to pursue photography and graphic design full-time and by his own rules.

Since then, he has photographed musicians, athletes, products and beautiful quiet spaces.
He admits however that he loves shooting weddings. “I love shooting people. All the beauty and expression you get can capture is exciting to me.

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