ABOUT
JIM GUCCIARDO A.I.C
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
Born and raised in New York City, my passion for cinema and photography started at a young age. I pursued this dream by running away and joining the circus-life of a film technician and assistant cameraman. Eventually I worked my way through the ranks and became a professional cinematographer shooting feature films, dramatic TV shows, and documentaries. My professional career has been an adventure and has taken me all over this pale blue dot we share. Whether shooting moving images or a still frame, my primary purpose is telling stories. And be it professionally or personal, I am rarely without a camera. Perhaps it's due to growing up in an ultra urban environment that I am drawn to far and remote places. Being amongst the free and the wild is where I feel closest to myself.
Free from the constraints of hired work and the pressure and expectations of professional filmmaking, my still photography is the place I can explore my thoughts, experiment with techniques and refine my process. This gallery represents the fruits of this passion over my years of travel and adventure.
My work as a professional cinematographer includes: the underwater documentary program “The Aquanauts” for Discovery Channel/Animal Planet. "The Solitude of Blood”, which ran in competition at the 2002 Moscow International Film Festival and was nominated for the "Golden St.George" award, and box office success “Five Minarets in New York” ( Sony Pictures US release name “Act of Vengeance”) Recently, I provided additional and 2nd unit photography for the highly acclaimed "Tick, Tick...Boom" for Lin Manuel-Miranda and Netflix, Season 3 of "STAR" for legendary producer Lee Daniels and Fox TV and the 4th season of “F.B.I” for Dick Wolf Productions.
I am a member of the International Cinematographers Guild (L600), “The Society of Operating Cameramen" or "S.O.C", and the prestigious “Associazione Italiana Autori della Fotografia Cinematografica” or "A.I.C" - the Association of Italian Cinematographers. I reside in NYC with my wife and daughter.
"As you set out for Ithaka, hope your road is a long one. Full of adventure, Full of discovery...." - Ithaka, C.P Cavafy
Who
I got my first camera when I was 8 yrs old. It "fell off the back of a truck" as they say where I was young. The camera capitvated me. A perfect combination of science, art and poetry. Since then I have been trying to find and refine my voice as a photographer and artist. Inspriation can come from anywhere if you listen carefully. Poets, painters, writers, mad ones and misfits all find a way into my sub-concious.
What
As a professional cinematographer millions of images pass by my eyes regularly. In my personal work, although I do use modern digital cameras, I also use traditional analog methods. The images in "Exhibition Series" were all captured using either 35mm or 120 Medium Format old school film with the intention of large sized prints. I still do shoot on film. I find that analog makes me slow down and pay more attention. To watch and listen more closely as I look for the most emotion in each single frame. I believe in a constent state of refinement. Simplicity is often very difficult to achieve.
Where
I have been fortunate to have worked and travelled all over the globe and to six of the seven continents. From Papua New Guinea to the Galapagos, from the plains of the Serengeti to 2000 feet below the surface of the sea, I hear the call of far and remote places. Where I am off to next I do not know, and it might not be drawn on any map. True places seldom are.
If you have an adventure or commission in mind and would like to collaborate, or for any special custom prints please contact me directly at: jgucciardo@mac.com
Professional Associations
