Award Winning NH Based Photographer

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in photography but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michael Cirelli, owner of Michael Cirelli Photography, located in Manchester, NH, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I'm a New Hampshire/New England-based photographer that photographs people, skateboarding, landscapes/travel, and weddings/events. My clients are individuals and local and national companies/brands that are looking for creative images for their needs.

Tell us about yourself

I'm a New Hampshire-based Photographer, Filmmaker, and Photography Educator that has documented the culture of skateboarding and other topics for the last 20-plus years. My passion for photography and the arts started back when I was a high school student, working in a small darkroom and developing and printing my photos at Suffield Academy in CT. I enrolled at the Cleveland Institute of Art for my BFA and had every intention of majoring in painting, but I quickly changed my path to photography. In my third year at Cleveland, I took advantage of the school's Mobility program, which allowed me to study at Parsons School of Design in New York City.

It was during that time that I found a job at the Polaroid 20×24 Studio, home to a famously large camera that weighs 225 pounds and measures five feet tall. There are only five such cameras in the world, and the chance to work with such a large photographic canvas attracts photographers from across the country. I got to assist photographers like William Wegam, Chuck Close, and Mary Ellen Mark. To this day, I owe a lot of my success and knowledge in Photography to my experiences with the Polaroid studio. It was really inspiring to see how so many different photographers used the same camera to showcase their personal vision.

In 2002, I moved to New Hampshire to open my Photography business and also started teaching Photography to High School students. I am currently teaching Photography full-time at Windham High School and freelancing. I graduated from the Visual Arts MFA program at Lesley University and have continued to create photographs, and short web-based films with companies such as Matix Clothing, Red Bull, Nike SB, Venture Trucks, UXA NYC, self-published three photography books and started a clothing brand with a friend called New Hampshire Apparel.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Some of my biggest accomplishments have been being a working professional photographer/artist for the last 21 years. Being an artist has always been a childhood dream of mine, and getting to do this every day is so fun and amazing. Over the years, I have had my work in several magazines, books, and websites and met some amazing people.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

One of the hardest and also the most fun part about my business is staying up on all the new technological advances with photography, new gear, and software and how that changes and evolves my approach to photography.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Remember to have fun with what you are doing, create a circle of friends/ colleagues to talk about ideas with, and be patient with your business. It takes time to build and grow.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website (Cirelli Works): http://www.cirelliworks.com/
Website (Michael Cirelli): http://www.michaelcirelli.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cirelliworksweddings/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cirelliworks/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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