Alexander Palumbo
Alexander Palumbo
Photographer / Cinematographer / Editor
San Diego, CA
www.alexpalumbo.com
instagram @alxpalumbo
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“My name is Alex Palumbo and I’m a storyteller.”
Whether it is through photo, video, writing - or a combination of all 3 - telling stories is my passion. As a kid, I was a huge bookworm. I spent hours each day fully engrossed in different fantasy and fiction novels, and feeling like these characters were part of my life was such an exhilarating feeling. I'd feel a sense of loss when I finished one book, only to replace it with the next one soon after. This love of story and characters is still with me today, except now I want to be the ones telling stories - especially those with a moral or environmental impact (more non fiction these days than fiction).
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I was never really serious about photography until a few years ago while living in California. I was still in the corporate world and had just gotten my first "real" camera (Sony a6000) thus began my favorite hobby of exploring national parks with camera in hand. Soon after, I got news that my father back home had gotten diagnosed with brain cancer and only had months to live. I quit my corporate job and moved back to New York. Unfortunately the cancer took my father's life but I was left with this simple thought echoing in my head: "life is too short to work a job you hate". I decided to refocus my efforts to creating with my camera, and soon realized creating video was another part that I really could express myself in. Youtube became my university, and I spent a couple years teaching myself everything I know today. Now, I can shoot, edit, grade, and add sound to any project I want to shoot - whether they are personal or client projects. In a few short years, I was able to shoot projects for companies like Spotify, Men's Journal, and Biolite.
How do you stand out in your field?
I don't shoot any specific project "the way it should be shot". I approach everything with a clear head and try to tell that story as organically as it presents itself to me, in my own way.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
I just wrapped my first original narrative short film. Collaborated with a super talented buddy of mine who is a writer - he's written up a great script about loss and the fallout that happens after that. We co-directing the film, we both handled lighting and audio, while I DP'd it. A full on 2 man skeleton production crew. This was such a learning experience for me, everything that goes into pre-production: casting talent, location scouting, lens tests, color tests, set design. It's a revelation that any movie in Hollywood ever gets made, and I can fully appreciate that now. It's been edited and submitted to a few film festivals in the shorts category. I have a feeling this will be the first of many for me in the narrative film space.
I've also recently completed the launch of a print magazine called Slack Tide. Volume 1 was focused on the sea, and it included photos and artwork from 14 artists including myself. Part magazine, part photo book, part art show - I edited, curated, and designed the entire magazine myself. To preface, I have been focusing more and more on print work this year. The more I print my photos, the more I realize I’ve been missing out on a crucial aspect of the art form. Legendary photojournalist Dan Milnor said it best “The idea of not printing a project or solid individual image was and is entirely foreign to me. It’s like competing for a triathlon, hammering the swim and the bike, and then deciding, on a whim, not to do the run. Why bother?”
With this in mind, I started to do some thinking. Social media is a great tool, there is no debating that, but there are also some nuanced aspects to the art that we are losing. This print piece is my homage to the old ways, the ways photography and artwork were meant to be viewed. While printing my own smaller zines the last few months has been a fun experience, this magazine is what I’ve been preparing for. I hope I can show you some truly talented artists in this magazine -and just maybe, show this generation that there is still worthwhile magic found in print. Slack Tide - VOL. 1.
And currently, I'm working on a photo project based on the revival of the great American roadtrip - a byproduct of a 2020 dominated by covid and a new perspective on domestic travel.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
I recently worked with a portrait photographer, Matthew Neal - from the US originally but based in Thailand, and I directed and shot a short doc style video about him. I was honored to be able to tell his story and help shed light on his creative process. As artists, we all need to support each other. The way I see it, if one of us is elevated, the rest of us are. The success of one artist should never feel like a missed opportunity to others. My goal was to show this in Matt's video.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
Sound design. I have been focusing on that a lot for my own videos, but I'd like to really become an expert in that field and even move to composing my own music.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
The business side of things. Thinking it may be time to hire myself an agent or explore other avenues of marketing myself (which brings me here!).
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Set up my daily calendar, and email/contact potential clients on my behalf.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
To my 23 year old self - titles in business don't really matter and stop trying to scramble up that corporate ladder
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
Music and its impact on cinema. I'm realizing more and more that music and sound is just as important - if not more important - than the visuals themselves.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I want to work with individuals or brands who are more than just a name. I want to inspire people to create and follow their passions. Let's say you're an outdoor brand that makes boots. Let's find a farmer in Montana who has been running his family's farm for years with those boots - and make the boots just a background item. Let's tell his story, his struggles, and what drives him to wake up every morning. That way, even if the viewer doesn't even buy that product, they still walk away feeling motivated and inspired.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
My ideal client would be a story driven centered company, with an ethical ethos, who is looking to tell human stories that often go overlooked.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Email, or slide into my DMs on Instagram - please include a rough idea of what you want plus budget limitations, and then I can run with that idea!
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
I go outside! Forest therapy is a real thing.
This member profile was originally published in December 2019, Updated January 2021.