Angela Cappetta : Intimate Vision
Angela Cappetta is an American photographer with a multifaceted talent, skillfully blending documentary, portraiture, and deeply emotional personal projects. Her style is defined by an intimate and humanistic sensitivity, where each image tells a powerful story. A master of traditional techniques, from glass plates to digital photography, she expertly explores the nuances offered by each medium. She favors natural light, capturing spontaneous moments with precision that elevates detail and authenticity. Ethically committed, she advocates for photography that uplifts individuals and opposes objectification, supporting sincere artists while condemning exploitative practices. Her subjects range widely, from intimate moments such as weddings, which she transforms with poetic artistry, to expansive documentary explorations, always driven by a narrative quest. For her, Instagram is more than a showcase; it is a platform for exchange, where she nurtures a strong connection with a community passionate about photography and visual art. To Angela Cappetta, photography is a process where the journey matters as much as the result, and art serves to broaden horizons and nourish collective humanity. An insatiable seeker, she draws inspiration from emerging or lesser-known talents, integrating their influence into her continuous pursuit of innovation. Her fascination with the night and its visual stories, magnified by bold lighting, reflects her constant search for new narrative dimensions. Rooted in the history of photography, she readily references pioneering figures like Joseph Nicéphore Niépce or iconic works such as those from Studio 54. Bridging tradition and modernity, Angela Cappetta offers an engaging artistic vision that moves, challenges, and inspires.
Website : www.angelacappetta.com
Instagram : angelacappetta_
Your first photographic trigger?
Angela Cappetta : I don’t think I had one.
Contemporary artists who inspire you?
A.C. : I am inspired by artists who do good work and who are good people, as opposed to the work of those who predate and exploit. The art world is full of both. I throw my support behind those doing good work and who care about others.
The image you wish you had taken?
A.C. : Sometimes I see a picture and I say to myself “Gosh I wish I took that!” What I really mean is I wish I possessed the acuity that this photographer clearly possesses as demonstrated here. It’s admiration mixed with a healthy touch of envy.
The pictures that move you the most?
A.C. : As an early-morning person, the world after dark fascinates me. When someone uses flash to exemplify something that takes place in the wee hours I can’t help but be enraptured. The mathematics of the exposures are where I learn most. There are pictures of Studio 54 from the 70’s which I love because they’re a time-capsule and masterfully made.
The pictures that make you angry?
A.C. : Any picture where people are objectified, as opposed to making a picture that creates a meaningful, new experience or tells an important story.
Which photo do you think changed the world?
A.C. : Obviously, it was the first photo by Jospeh Nicéphore Niepce. Without that picture we never would have photography.
Which photo changed your world?
A.C. : My world shape-shifts often so I am unable attribute any one picture to it. However, I research and deep dive often into artists I admire when I’m seeking a lesson or inspiration. I give attention to lesser known artists doing great work. I saw some great, new talent at Paris Photo this year that I was very excited by!
What interests you most in an image?
A.C. : When a compelling moment is well-told.
What is the last photo you took?
A.C. : I photograph the sunrise every morning from my window.
A key image in your personal pantheon?
A.C. : Lately, I think when people think of me, they think of the image on my book cover.
A photographic memory from your childhood?
A.C. : I don’t think I have one. Photography wasn’t built into my life then.
In your opinion, what is the necessary quality to be a good photographer?
A.C. : One needs to be voracious to be a good artist. Being a completionist is also vital.
What do you think makes a good photo?
A.C. : There is no magic ingredient.
Whom would you like to photograph?
A.C. : I enjoy photographing anyone or anything that compels my interest.
An essential photo book?
A.C. : It depends what you’re after as an exemplar. Lately, a few of my favorite artists with books I consider important are by Nona Faustine, Sabiha Çimen, Kris Graves, Melissa O’Shoughnessy, Helen Levitt, Gail Albert Haliban, Tina Barney, Lois Conner, Abelardo Morell and Tabitha Soren.
The camera from your childhood?
A.C. : We didn’t have one.
The one you use today?
A.C. : I use a Fuji 6×9 for my slow work. A Leica M6 and a small point-and-shoot that accompany me on my day-to-day.
An upcoming project that is close to your heart?
A.C. : I always have a lot going on. Right now I’m editing my wedding work in preparation for my next book.
Your favorite addiction?
A.C. : Ruby red grapefruit, fresh figs and sourdough bread.
The best way for you to disconnect?
A.C. : I have a mountain house. I go there to disconnect and work in my studio. It’s so quiet. I am able to get a lot done.
What is your personal relationship with the image?
A.C. : Photography is a very long process. The pictures almost don’t matter. It is the whole journey of getting there that counts for me.
By whom would you like or would you have liked to be photographed?
A.C. : A friend once took a photo of me on a glass plate. I lost it in a house fire, but it was always meaningful to me.
Your latest folly?
A.C. : Haha. I’ll go down a google rabbit hole on almost anything. Lately, it’s gardening.
An image to illustrate a new banknote?
A.C. : I think landscapes and nature on banknotes instead of faces makes the idea of money more democratic. Dutch currency before the Euro had pictures of flowers. I love the banknotes from Mexico and Brazil, they come in these rich, gorgeous colors. The Cook Islands has some of the most captivating currency I’ve ever seen.
Color or black and white?
A.C. : They do very different things. I use both equally.
Daylight or studio light?
A.C. : Daylight.
What, in your opinion, is the most photogenic city?
A.C. : In the right hands, New York always wins.
If God existed, would you ask him to pose for you or opt for a selfie with him?
A.C. : Him?
In terms of social networks, are you more Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or X and why?
A.C. : IG is a large part of how I do business. I also like some of the new picture-driven apps that are in beta at the moment.
Do you think the explosion of social networks has changed our relationship with the image?
A.C. : Naturally, yes. Pictures aren’t meant to sit in a box. They are meant to be seen.
What does photography represent in your creative universe?
A.C. : Pictures and picture-making are among my only real interests.
What is the purpose of art, in your opinion?
A.C. : To expand us.
The image that represents for you the current state of the world?
A.C. : The world is a bigger than any one picture.
The job you would not have liked to do?
A.C. : One day your exhibiting in Paris, and then the next day you come home and have to pay the bills. “Scrubbing toilets” (as my friend puts it) with a camera is an unglamorous but realistic part of doing life. No fine artist likes to admit it, but we all take jobs that bore us, simply because it keeps the lights on. That’s what it’s like to have to work for a living. That’s what having a job is.
Your greatest professional extravagance?
A.C. : I’m not extravagant. I only buy what I need.
What question could make you lose your temper?
A.C. : No one has that kind of power over me. We’re all here to be respectful allies.
And the question you wish someone would ask you but never has?
A.C. : How do sexism and racism play into how photography is used and perceived? No one has ever once asked me that. It’s a very real issue.
What is the last thing you did for the first time?
A.C. : I went for a drive the other day for the sole purpose of getting lost. It was the last time with my old car, right before I knew she was ready for the scrap heap. It was a good car, we went on back roads in fourth gear with my camera bag. I kept a pitchfork back there, too, to dig up wild lilies to bring home.
The city, country, or culture you dream of discovering?
A.C. : I want to find my grandmother’s house in Algiers.
The place you never get tired of ?
A.C. : I never tired of Italy.
Your biggest regret?
A.C. : I have no regrets.
If I could organize your ideal dinner, who would be at the table?
A.C. : How my family was when I was very young. Everyone was still alive, we were together. They were explosive, brilliant and fun.
In your opinion, what is missing in today’s world?
A.C. : Medical care for women is abysmal even in the US. It saddens and disgusts me that it is this bad.
If you had to start all over again?
A.C. : I wouldn’t change a thing.
Afterward, what would you like people to say about you?
A.C. : I think the people who love us will miss us.
The one thing people must absolutely know about you?
A.C. : Anything anyone wants to know about me, they can ask.
A final word?
A.C. : Thank you!
