Today we’d like to introduce you to Piero F. Giunti.
Piero, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was always the kid that was different; different in the sense of what I was into. I grew up with an Italian hippie father and a Mexican disco queen mother. I was musically and culturally diverse.
My parents always let me explore, they encouraged me to try new things, and they never said no. When I was a kid I used to bounce the family camera off of my parent’s bed, little did I know it would be the very first camera I’d ever use. I started shooting in 9th grade, I decided to take a photography class, and it came so naturally. It felt right in my hands. The next thing that came was that all my friends were in bands, so I started shooting them and everything I was exposed to in that scene.
My life changed when I was handed a Rage Against the Machine album, and I became politicized, which influenced my style. 9/11 happened during my 10th-grade year, and so did the Anti-War movement. During that movement, I was a youth organizer; I led one of the first walkouts in California in protest against the Iraq war, in addition to organizing a protest for other schools around Los Angeles. Going to the protest, I started meeting people such as Jackson Brown, Slash of Guns and Roses, Sirj of System of a Down, Ozomatli, and Tom Morello. While meeting all these people, my camera was always at hand. It was through these relationships that I had built; I was able to get passes and shoot all these amazing artists. By my senior year in high school, I was already shooting live concerts for bands such as Pennywise and System of a Down. I was determined to make it happen for myself, and before I turned 18, I had photographed most of my heroes.
A few years later, I was given the opportunity to move into the Film & TV industry and moved up the ranks from PA, Producer, to camera / 3D camera operator. Throughout my years in production, I still kept up my photography chops by going to concerts, events, and networking outside of the industry. Through networking, I was invited by a friend to photograph an event where the headliner happened to be Public Enemy. The concert was held in LA’s Skid Row, and I had an all-access pass to shoot for the event. Right before Public Enemy hit the stage, I noticed Chuck D and his wife Dr. Gaye Terresa Johnson had their baby with them, and I offered to take a quick photo of them. Chuck loved that photograph so much that I was asked to be P.E’s photographer for Grammy weekend.
Photographing Public Enemy opened the doors to the artist that I work with today. After quitting my job in the film industry, I focused on my career as a photographer. For the past seven years, I’ve immersed in LA’s music scene, shooting bands such as Chicano Batman to Los Lobos.
The more I became involved and built my credibility; I started meeting legendary artists. I realized the significance of the musical culture of Los Angeles, especially East LA’s vibrant music scene. This led me to creating the project called “ A Great Day in East LA,” which as of now is the largest music, film, and photography archival project to ever be done in Los Angeles. Through this project, I was led to starting a nonprofit by the name of Los Angeles Music and Media Art Center, which brings the arts to the community. Also, this will be my 7th year as the director of film and photography at Hollywood Forever’s Dia De Los Muertos.
Through my connections I’ve had the opportunity to travel. I’ve directed music videos and photoshoots in Italy. I have traveled to Mexico to direct and film a documentary project. I’ve also had photoshoots for a few fashion companies in Mexico as well.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a filmmaker and photographer; or as I like to think a visual storyteller. I’m well rounded in the sense that I work in music, fashion, and commercial photography. But what best describes my style as a photographer is when I’m shooting bands. I like diving into who they are. I want to know as much as if I was part of the band. The photographs I take when I’m shooting musicians are supposed to continue to portray the myth and image that their fans know them for. I take this same storytelling approach when working with fashion, sports, and commercial clients. My client’s photographs are always in color, but personally, I prefer black and white images for my own work. I think it’s because they are a lot more dramatic and when photographs are in black and white, you are able to cut through all the BS that distracts you. Through my images, I hope to take you on a journey that allows you to see, feel, and imagine that moment in time.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Success for me is having the ability to awaken passions in others such as my heroes did for me, as well as having a continuous stream of projects to select from. In order to be successful, you have to be as genuine as possible. Always remain true to yourself. Everyone says that in business, you have to be ruthless, and that’s not true. You have to prove yourself, show the will and the hunger that you have for it. Be genuine with people, and they will see it.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Solo exhibitions in LA and in Mexico are currently in the works, but you can always find and follow my work at PieroFGiunti.com, IG: VisionaryRebel2, East LA Project AGreatDayInEastLA.com. Additionally, my work can be seen at Hollywood Forever’s “Dia Del Los Muertos” event. Also, I am open to people reaching out to me just to say hi or to ask any questions. I am always looking to expand my horizons and connect with an agent and agencies.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.PieroFGiunti.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: IG: VisionaryRebel2
- Twitter: @VisionaryRebel
Image Credit:
Photo of me by Lana Mack.
All other photos by Piero F Giunti
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