Member Spotlight: Michael Trimboli
Can you share a bit about your background and what sparked your passion for photography?
A high school classmate that I had a crush on also happened to be an excellent photographer, which inspired me to sign up for photography class for my senior year. While I enjoyed learning how to develop film and make prints in the darkroom, it was the idea of creating compelling images that made me want to continue the practice. Eventually I received a digital point-and-shoot camera, which opened up many more possibilities for my photography.
I grew up in New York, and when I moved back to the area in my early 20s, it provided a natural background for my photography. Learning about great photographers like Diane Arbus, Weegee, and Gordon Parks, among others, fueled by inspiration and creativity, and made me want to bring my camera with me any time I went into the city.
How did you first come across CMC, and what drew you to become a part of this collective?
When my wife and I were looking for wedding photographers for our ceremony, we came across Erica, who also happened to live in the same neighborhood at the time. The three of us met for drinks and she mentioned how she started CMC as a way to connect with other photographers in the area. Right after the wedding, I decided to attend a meeting, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Photography can be a very solitary artform, and it’s difficult to get real feedback on your work. The members of the club have been a fantastic resource for knowledge, empathy, and honesty. In addition to getting feedback on photos I’ve taken, the club has also helped me reshape the way I think about photography. I’ve been able to see patterns and themes in my work, and think about photography in terms of projects and not just a random assortment of snapshots. I can go out on the street having an idea of what I want to shoot, instead of simply reacting to whatever’s in front of me.
Is there a particular theme or subject that captivates you the most in your photography? If so, what is it, and what draws you to it? If not, what do you typically focus on in your work, and why?
I believe people create artwork that represents how they see and feel about the reality they live in. I’ve found that my strongest images tend to have themes of isolation and loneliness, especially when they’re located in public or even crowded places. Lately I’ve also been fascinated by capturing the passage of time in photography. Photography has a reputation of being an accurate representation of the world we live in, but in practice, I feel it subverts that expectation more often than not.
I love how photography can capture movement anywhere between a thousandth of a second to several minutes. This may sound paradoxical, but I love calculating exposure times when I use neutral density filters. But everyone knows math is awesome, so I guess it’s not that surprising.
Could you share 3-5 images from your most recent project or photo series? We'd love to hear the story behind these works and what inspired the project.
As I alluded to before, I’m exploring using long exposure in street photography. My results so far have both blurred people and rendered them invisible in the photos. I feel like the world can sometimes feel like it’s moving at dizzying speed sometimes, and I’d like to try and capture this feeling somehow.
