bio

JEFF COMPASSO
PHOTOGRAPHY

ARTIST'S BIO: JEFF COMPASSO

Who am I? I am a recovering attorney who has left behind the rigors of practicing law to enjoy my waking hours. What better way to do that than to surround myself with beauty, play with that beauty, and create something new to share with the world?!

I have always been enamored of the human form. Having been a gymnast from the age of 8 up through college, I was constantly surrounded by beautiful, muscular male and female bodies. In addition to practicing a supremely challenging sport, participating in the world of gymnastics allowed me to witness the splendor of the human form as it performed feats of strength, balance, flexibility and grace on a near daily basis. In my book, inspiration doesn't get much better than that!

Although practicing law did give me some very valuable skills and life experience, it didn’t nurture my artistic side. Photography is a wonderful creative outlet for my artistic expression. It allows me to capture the beauty I see in the world around me everyday and make it my own.

In 2000, I took my darkroom equipment out of the attic and set it up for the first time since high school. I set up a studio and started looking for nude models. A couple of weeks later, I was in the darkroom printing up 8x10’s from my first nude shoot when it hit me -- this is what I was meant to do! Since then I have not looked back.

What’s my vision? I find that my work has been influenced by the work of many photographers. The three most influential being Herb Ritts, Tom Bianchi and Jeff Palmer. The genius of their work is a source of continual inspiration to me.

In my photography I attempt to use just enough light to capture the beauty of a model’s form, and just enough shadow to leave some mystery. I don’t succeed with every shot, but I sure enjoy trying.

Working with nude models can be both challenging and rewarding. For some, shedding one’s clothing for the camera is a proposition fraught with inner conflict. For others, it is a thoroughly liberating and even arousing experience. I take a very relaxed approach to my shoots and try to make my models feel as comfortable and confident as possible. I have had some my best results from first time models who are as excited about making beautiful photos as I am. It is very rewarding to me to be able to capture a beautiful shot of someone and see their elated reaction to the print.

When I am not shooting the human form, I enjoy shooting other wonders of nature. Plants and flowers are endless sources of inspiration for me, as are animals. In the last year, I have also discovered a very rewarding and inspirational new subject matter - pets and their people! It can be very challenging, but it is always very rewarding to capture the special bond between pets and their people.

EXHIBITIONS

-Los Angeles Pride Festival, West Hollywood, CA - June 2002
-Sunset Junction Street Fair, Hollywood, CA - August 2002
-Folsom Street Fair, San Francisco, CA - September 2002
-Tom of Finland Foundation Erotic Art Fair, Hollywood, CA October 2002
-Desert Palms Inn, Palm Springs, CA - November 2002
-Home Gallery Show, West Hollywood, CA - November/December 2002
-www.GayArtGallery.com - December 2002 to present
-Icaro Gallery, Long Beach, CA - January 2003 to present
-Tom's Bar 2003, Hollywood, CA - May 2003
-Spring Home Gallery Show, West Hollywood, CA - May 2003
-"Uncovered: The Male Nude", Icaro Gallery, Long Beach, CA June-July 2003
-Los Angeles Pride Festival, West Hollywood, CA - June 2003
-www.Icaro.us - August 2003 to present
-Gay Erotic Expo Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA - September 2003
-CMEN West Coast Gathering 2003, Malibu, CA - September 2003
-Folsom Street Fair, San Francisco, CA - September 2003
-Sisters for Celibacy Meeting, Hollywood, CA - October 2003
-Tom of Finland Foundation Erotic Art Fair, West Hollywood, CA - October 2003
-"Express Pride", The Jerry Miller Gallery of Contemporary Photography, Palm Springs, CA - October/November 2003
-Seattle Erotic Art Festival, Seattle, WA - January 2004
-www.museogilardi.it - February 2004 to present
-LA Leather Street Fest, Silver Lake, CA - March 2004
-Mischief Gallery, Palm Springs, CA - March 2004 to present
-"Se Fossimo Piu Cani" photo exhibition/book launch - Forte Dei Marmi, Italy- July 2004
-The 6th Annual Highways Gallery Fundraiser Show, Santa Monica, CA - August/September 2004

CLIENTS

Mary Gallagher - Actor/stand-up comedienne, Los Angeles, CA
Kevin Rochlitz - Realtor, Palm Springs, CA
Feng Shui Spirit, Inc., Palm Springs, CA
Cara Rosellini - Actor/stand-up comedienne, Los Angeles, CA
Mary Kennedy - Actor/stand-up comedienne, Los Angeles, CA
Brad Green - Actor/stand-up comedian, Los Angeles, CA
Sheila Jolley - Actor/stand-up comedienne, Los Angeles, CA
Hughes New York, Inc., Atlanta, GA
Orbit Productions, Los Angeles, CA
John Welsh - Model/actor, San Dimas, CA
Village Lighthouse, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Ken & Fariba Nicholas, West Hollywood, CA
Paolo Filippini - Realtor, Los Angeles, CA
John Shields & Brian Kelly - Art directors, Washington DC
Pat McAneny - Actor, Los Angeles, CA
Doug Walters - Engineer, Los Angeles, CA
Pride Publishing Network - Publisher, Palm Springs, CA
Steel Blue Leather - Custom leather, West Hollywood, CA
Museo Gilardi - Art museum, Forte dei Marmi, Italy
Cristiano Merra - Museum curator, Forte dei Marmi, Italy
Corinne Clery - Actor, Rome, Italy
Alessandra - Singer, Milan, Italy
Adriano Panatta - Tennis champion, Forte dei Marmi, Italy
Rosaria Panatta - Patron of the arts, Forte dei Marmi, Italy
Dr. Marco Klinger - Plastic surgeon, Milan, Italy
Ita Klinger - Fashion designer, Milan, Italy
Arianna - Singer, Milan, Italy
Daniela Poggi - Actor/TV talk show host, Rome, Italy
Francesca Rettondini - Film & TV actor, Rome, Italy
Leo Gullotta - Film & TV actor, Rome, Italy
Nathalie Caldonazzo - Actor, Milan, Italy
Raja Lisauskaite - Elite Fashion model, Milan, Italy
Riccardo Sardone - Elite Fashion model, Milan, Italy
Jeffrey Foy - Attorney, West Hollywood, CA
Emanuela Bertoncelli - TV show host, Montecatini, Italy
Anna Faruky - TV show host, Livorno, Italy
Valeria Sorli - TV show host, Milan, Italy
Brunella Casella - Owner, Elite Models, Milan, Italy
Barbara Rusconi - Editor, Milan, Italy
Justine Mattera - Actor, Milan, Italy
Rita dalla Chiesa - TV show host, Rome, Italy
Daniela D'Angelo -Film actor, Rome, Italy
Miranda Martino - Theatre actor, Rome, Italy
Andrea Tremolada - Advertising executive, Versace, Milan, Italy
Alberto Rusconi - Publisher & Editor, Milan, Italy
Viola Valentino - Singer & musician, Milan, Italy
Massimo Garon - Primo Ballerino, Scala Ballet, Milan, Italy
Lorella Ferraro - Prima Ballerina, Scala Ballet, Milan, Italy
Aida Cooper - Singer, Milan, Italy
Roberta Garzia - TV actor, Rome, Italy
Don Backy - Singer, Rome, Italy
Ermanno Scervino - Fashion designer, Florence, Italy
Lea Massari - Film actor, Rome, Italy

PUBLICATIONS

-[2] Magazine, November/December issue, portfolio feature (photo layout and article);
-Odyssey Magazine, Vol. 6, Issue #13, October 11, 2002, Cover shot of Adam Killian;
-"LOVERS", photobook by Bluebooks Publications, Australia, May 2004 (contributing photographer);
-"Se Fossimo Piu Cani" photobook, Italy, July 2004 (photography by Jeff Compasso);