Wedding Photographer Jerry Ghionis Directs His Vision

him. The nonprofit’s first project is to contribute
money for building an orphange
in Nepal.
In addition to philanthropy, Ghionis
recently added another line to his resume,
that of product designer. Over the years he’s
dreamed of creating a perfect light for portraits.
He partnered with Westcott to develop
it and the result is the Ice Light, a vertical
continuous-light LED that mimics daylight
and can be handheld. “I’ve been shooting with
video lights since I started out. I thought it
would be great to have a light that’s continuous,
cylindrical, portable, and easy to use.
Cylindrical because we’re vertical people, not
circles or squares like most video lights. The
Ice Light looks a little like the light saber in
Star Wars. When you see it you can’t help
but think of Darth Vader.”
Ghionis starts to giggle at the thought of
charging around with the Ice Light like the
anti-hero. “I’m pretty much a big kid,” he
admits. “That’s the best way to describe me.
I’m not too serious. An artist’s art should say
as much about the artist as it does about the
subject, whether it’s a painting, a song, or a
photograph. That’s why you have to love
what you do and be confident. If you are a
fun, fashionable kind of person, then your
photos should reflect that. When it comes to
photography, define yourself. If you don’t,
there’s no chance anyone else will. You must
photograph through the eyes of a loved one.
Above all else, if you want to be a better photographer,
then be a better person.” ■
have dreamed that would be possible, yet
here we are. The problem is that as much of
a blessing as technology is, it’s also making
us lazy. People tend to shoot rapid-fire and
overzealously Photoshop afterwards. If we
can shoot with the sensibility of film so that
every shot counts and really pay attention to
lighting, posing, composition, et cetera, it
would save so much time afterwards.”
OTHER AVENUES
From time to time, Ghionis donates a portion
of the proceeds from teaching to his
charity, Soul Society. “Soul Society cares for
poor, homeless, and orphaned children in
third-world countries,” he says of his nonprofit
venture, which he founded after a 2009
trip to Cambodia, where the impoverished
and orphaned children profoundly moved
Jerry Ghionis is online at jerryghionis.com.
Look for Jerry Ghionis at Imaging USA 2013 in
Atlanta, Jan. 20-23. There, he’ll present a
demonstration session on weddings and lighting.
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