Meet Jessica Mangia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Mangia.

Jessica, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Italy, is the city of Milan surrounded by art and history my whole life and while my path to photography, and especially wedding photography was unexpected, in retrospect, it seems meant to be. I dreamed of telling beautiful stories, that people would care about since I was old enough to understand the power of storytelling and my passion for it brought me to NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti – National University of Fine Arts) in Milan where I obtained a Master Degree in Photography and aesthetic philosophy.

After graduation I started working for a national movie production company, assuming various roles: Assistant Director, Director, Assistant Producer, Actor Coach, etc. but it was only two years later that I realized I wasn’t following my dream. I was, most definitely, very fortunate to be working in such an exciting and creative environment, but I always wanted to be able to tell my own stories, free of commercial and political ties. I have always been a romantic at heart, and even during those years, I can safely state that I always leaned towards love stories.

It was one night, about 11 years ago, that surfing the Internet and social media (after an exhausting day of work), I bumped into some photographer’s wedding photos, and my heart skipped a beat. I began to think about it more and more often, and the idea of being able to tell gorgeous love stories, with my own eye and artistry sunk in. I quit my job at the time in movie production and opened my own Photography Business. It was the best choice of my life. I worked really hard to build a strong and reputable business, and for seven years I grew my aesthetic and my skills, working mostly locally on Italian ground.

At the 6th year mark, I took a solo vacation to Los Angeles for about three weeks, and I fell in love. Los Angeles was all I could dream for, the perfect environment to grow more and bring more inspiration to my thirsty artistic soul, so once back in Italy I started the long and complicated process to move to the US. Once the paperwork was done and everything in place, I packed luggage of fear and excitement, alongside with courage and faith and jumped on an airplane to Los Angeles.

My English wasn’t very strong, and I knew I needed to cultivate that knowledge so I went to NYFA (New York Film Academy) for two years so that I could learn English along with all the photography terms. Once graduated from there, I began to build my portfolio in this new country and worked really hard again to establish my own business in a foreign place knowing literally no one and with zero contacts. I kept repeating to my self: “You did it once, you can do it again.”

Surely I did. After five years in Los Angeles, of which almost three of being a business owner I can happily say I run a successful business, pursuing my dream of telling the most beautiful and unique love stories through my lens. I am a fine art photographer, who shoots with film and with digital, I travel back and forth from Europe to the US to photograph weddings, fashion and events and I couldn’t be happier.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The journey to this ongoing adventure hasn’t been always easy and to be really honest it was quite bumpy. Moving from a country to another, and to be specific, from a continent to another, is no joke. Not getting into all the nitty gritty of preparing the paperwork, visas, permits, etc.. it is important to notice that the biggest struggle is getting adjust to a new culture, with little to zero friends and definitely no family around.

Life happens while you are working towards your goals and your dreams and balancing real life with work has probably been my biggest struggle. How did I make it? I reminded myself every day of where I was yesterday and what I accomplished today. Every small (or even the smallest), step forward was a victory, and I allowed myself to celebrate those small moments, rather than focusing on the failures.

Failures have never been a reason to quit, and if anything they were a reason to try again. I experienced high and low and sometimes both at the same time, not just emotionally but financially and in life-business but the goal, the aim at the end of the journey is always a bigger reason for me to push forward. Ultimately, I don’t believe this journey will ever end.

I am firmly convinced, especially in this artistic world of mine, this career that I pursue, that we never stop being students of life and I seek to learn and improve and grow. I don’t think I will ever consider myself “arrived” but the journey is worth the while.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a boutique photography studio, only taking on a limited number of clients each year. This allows me to be a part of each step of the creative process and not outsource. I do all my own editing, retouching, and design, to provide my clients with the best quality possible and authentically tell the story of their day, offering also an amazing and unforgettable experience. I am a hybrid shooter which means I shoot both film and digital. I love the soft painterly quality of film, but also love the speed and agility of digital to capture wonderful candid moments.

Our clients can always expect to receive a personal and professional experience, but my mission goes beyond delivering exceptional photographs, I want to offer an excellent experience. I collaborate only with the best industry partners, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in the industry and all of our services are meant to meet the uniqueness of our client’s events.

I don’t fall in any one particular aesthetic genre of wedding photography, I’m not a strict fine art photographer, and I’m not a strict photojournalist. I find luminous light, and beautiful settings and art direct the scene while letting the magic unfold in front of my lens. I may tweak the way my clients are standing with the intention of always making them look at their best, but always subtly without taking them out of the moment.

If it is necessary I do clean up the working space, I do scout the locations, and I will always move an object or a subject in the best light to shoot them from the best angles. I do not copy poses off Pinterest, and I will never take photos that do not feel authentic to the spirit of the day. I do not “pose” clients in a way they feel uncomfortable or fake.

When I create an image, I always ask myself: how is the light, how is the composition, is it flattering or does it feel static and stiff. It is my job to create compositions with the same intention of a painter that allow the eye to travel through the photo, while also finding the most flattering light. Because at the end of the day that’s all I’m doing, painting with light.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I truly think that luck has really nothing to do with it. If anything fate and being able to understand its signs could possibly have played a small role. I know that everything I achieved has come from hard work, insane amount of hours hustling and learning out to become smarter about work.

I am a very old school thinker in this sense. I have a very academic, and I firmly believe that if you study and apply yourself into mastering your skills, then everything will comes consequentially.

Pricing:

• Wedding Packages begin at $5000

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.jessica-grazia-mangia.it
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicamangia_photography/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/jgmphoto/

Image Credit:
Jessica Grazia Mangia Photography

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