[music]
MARIA: Hey Shotti, it's Maria from B&H! We're a little early.
Okay... MARIA: So, are you ready for your 21 questions?
Uh, I got a couple minutes.
I'm just getting ready for a photoshoot.
But, uh, let's go!
MARIA: Okay! Alright!
MARIA: We'll get right into it. SHOTTI: Uh-huh
MARIA: What are you doing today?
SHOTTI: Um... About to do a photoshoot, just like a creative shoot
with some, uh... creative friends.
MARIA: And, what type of photographer are you?
I am a portrait photographer
MARIA: And, what got you started in photography?
Uh... Honestly?
I was obsessed with this girl who was into photography,
[Maria laughs] and I had to be into photography
to hang out with her, so.
[both laugh]
MARIA: And, what was your first camera?
MARIA: And did it impress her?
My first camera was a Kodak--it was like a...
a point-and-shoot Kodak.
And I don't think it impressed her because she has a SLR,
so she was already well beyond
[Maria laughs] where I was.
MARIA:And, what's your go-to camera and lens now?
Now, I shoot FUJIFILM.
I have a GFX 50S,
and I also use the X-T4.
MARIA: Nice! And what drew you to portrait photography?
Um, I think...
being fascinated with people's facial expressions and...
kinda-- I guess I had a staring problem.
And taking photos of people was a way to
look at them when I got home and not stare at them in public,
which is kind of awkward for some people, I guess.
[Maria chuckles]
MARIA: So, your photography is mainly about being with people outside.
Mhmm MARIA: How have you been adapting to the pandemic?
Uh, during the pandemic,
work has slowed down, so
the chances to interact with people have slowed down,
and I've kind of taken that time to...
kind of do some self growth, focus on myself, do self portraits.
So, I really just been connecting with people that I know through like
FaceTime and on the phone,
but really spending more time with myself.
MARIA: That's great! Which, I think, helps...
Having a good relationship with yourself helps you have a
good rapport and relationship with other people,
which is important if you're a portrait photographer.
MARIA: Absolutely! And in life in general.
Facts
MARIA: I love that your photography sometimes embraces empty spaces
and always has something to draw your attention in.
How did you come to master your own style?
Hm....
I don't think I would consider myself a master of my style just yet.
But, um...
The empty spaces? I don't know, maybe I'm just empty as a person!
[both laugh]
No, um...
I don't know, I do-- I like negative space,
and I think that that's good for...
It leaves room for imagination, so I think that
that's a key part of sometimes what I want to represent in the imagery,
like going into the possibilities of
what could happen in a room, or what somebody may be thinking.
So, I think that's probably why if there's space in my photos,
that's probably where it originates.
MARIA: That's great! SHOTTI: Yeah
MARIA: And your photography also highlights people of all colors, shapes and sizes.
Why do you think it's important to shine a light on different types of subjects.
I think visually we should represent
what the world is around us, our surroundings, and kind of put that out,
versus what somebody's pushing on us, or what, uh...
What somebody else wants you to think the world is.
So I think it's very important to shoot what you know, document your surroundings,
and my surroundings happen to be a variety different types of people
of shapes, sizes, colors and all of that.
MARIA: That's great!
You're also a FUJIFILM ambassador, right?
SHOTTI: Right! MARIA: What does that mean to you?
Being a FUJIFILM ambassador is like...
having a fairy godmother.
Um...
They pretty much have made it their mission to support creatives
on whatever artistic endeavors that they wanna have.
Um, so, working with FUJIFILM, so far, like I've been able to
see a lot of ideas that I've had and have the support for those ideas,
which is the dopest thing I think a creative could ask for
MARIA: That's awesome.
You don't only shoot photo, right? You've done some video projects too.
Can you tell me about them?
I've done some music videos for some artists like Emily King,
who's a good friend, Ro James.
I've done some stuff for some brands, like Versace. I've
given creative ideas for like Ludacris videos, so
I guess anything visually creative, I'll try to put my hand in.
MARIA: That's really cool!
And your name isn't coincidentally Shotti, right?
What is your real name? And [Shotti laughs]
where did the name come from?
My name-- well, my name is Greg. That came from my father. [Maria laughs]
And Shotti, uh...
Growing up, I had a reputation as like a loose canon
And then, um...
You know, when I was...
I think I was in the 9th grade
I joined this rap group, and we were like the crimin-al clique, so we all had like
mobster names, and then it was, uh
My name was John Shotti, instead of John Gotti.
[Maria laughs]
And then it just went from there, but people just call me Shotti, now. The John is dropped.
MARIA: And it's kind of perfect that now you're a photographer!
Now that I'm a photographer. How do you like that? [Maria laughs]
MARIA: And so do you have any projects you're working on or coming up?
I'm always trying to stay busy with stuff.
I have some projects that I've been working on for the last couple of years.
One is called UPC,
which is Unique Physical Characteristics, and I basically shoot people
that have scars, or um, you know...
cuts and bruises and disconjointed.
You know, things that we would normally look at as like weird,
and I'm trying to find a way to show the beauty in those things.
And I'm looking for people to shoot that!
So, if you have something like that going on, holla at me.
Um, and then I'm doing something on Instagram called My Camera Bars,
which is basically people rapping about camera stuff in the hardest way possible.
MARIA: Cool! It's all very-specific stuff.
These are very specific things for very specific times
because I'm a very not-specific person, so.
MARIA: Yeah That's the balance.
MARIA: Okay, switching it up a little bit.
What are some tips for somebody looking to stand out as a unique photographer like you?
Uh, I don't know-- [sighs]
I don't feel like I stand out as much,
or try to stand out. I just...
Try to do things that are authentic to me.
And...
Like, nobody could be you how you are you. Like that's the only...
piece of originality that we have is to be do whatever it is that we want to do.
So, just do what you wanna do, like
That's probably the best advice I could give.
Like don't worry about Instagram or things like trends
and all of that kind of stuff because
it's just a giant loop and eventually whatever you're into,
that trend is going to be in next in the queue to be popular
So, stick with that. MARIA: Mhm, yeah
MARIA: Favorite area of New York City.
Come on, man [Maria laughs]
You alreay know. BX baby! Word!
No, yeah... Bronx, New York. All day.
MARIA: And what has been one of the coolest shoots you've ever done?
The coolest shoot that I've ever done was a photo series for
a non-profit organization called GEMS.
Which is Girls Education and Mentoring Services.
It was a project called More Than a Survivor,
where I shot a bunch of super dope, powerful women
that are survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Um, and we did a photo series. I shot really cool portraits of them.
I got to meet them individually, hear their stories.
And the photos were in a traveling exhibit all around the United States, uh...
They were displayed in Hartfield International Airport in the Delta terminal...
And some other places I can't really remember, but it was like going all around.
But that experience was so cool.
Um, to meet and engage with such powerful women.
MARIA: Wow!
And what has been one of the most challenging shoots?
That shoot was probably the most challenging shoot, only because
there were so many people--usually, if I'm shooting portraits, it's like 1 or 2 people
and it's easy to do research, kind of find their interests.
Obviously, you know their name.
And you find a way to build a rapport with them and kind of just relate to them.
But there were like 24 women that I was shooting,
so it was challenging to...
be able to find something to connect with them,
while also being mindful of any potential triggers.
or just trying to not say something that would get in the way of getting the best image possible.
MARIA: Sure
You photograph so many different people now.
Who has been your favorite story?
People always ask me, like, "What's your favorite movie?"
Or, like "What's your favorite song?"
And I can never really give an answer
because my memory's shot half the time. But then also
I think every opportunity to shoot somebody
or every story I get the privilege of hearing
is the dopest to me, so...
Just being able to have people share stuff with me is, is...
the best in itself.
Are you guys thirsty? I didn't offer you any water.
Want to get some water or something? MARIA: Sure!
Come to the kitchen.
I just wanted to flex my FUJIFILM stash right here.
Each of these is like 100 bucks, and I think the blue ones are like...
300 bucks?
But I got a lot of it!
MARIA: Wow! And I got it for sale too
MARIA: In your freezer??
SHOTTI: In the freezer! This keeps it nice and fresh because these expired...
This one expired in 2018, wow!
But most of these expired in like 2015.
This is the Polaroid pack film.
Which, I did a book, called Every Two Weeks.
Which is still available for purchase, so go check that out.
EveryTwoWeeks.photos is the website.
MARIA: Cool!
Holla!!
MARIA: If you weren't a photographer, what would you be?
I would be... I'd be whatever I wanted to be. I don't know.
I couldn't see me not being what I wanna be now, so.
I'd have to want to do something else, and then that's probably what I'd do.
MARIA: And what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
The best advice I've ever received in general...
is from my father, and he told me that,
"Everything is relative, and the answer's out there somewhere."
So, you can use science to solve a math problem.
Or math the solve a science problem.
Or... Everything is related somehow.
In photography, I think the best advice I've ever received is
to shoot what you love to shoot.
MARIA: Yep Very simple and very effective.
MARIA: And aside from your camera, what's your favorite piece of gear?
Aside from my camera, what is my favorite piece of gear?...
Um... my light meter.
Which I love so much that I never use it! [Maria laughs]
I idolize it, and it sits in my bag, untouched.
That's how much I love this thing. [Maria laughs]
You don't need a light meter in this day and age
because your camera does all that stuff for you. MARIA: Right.
MARIA: And, if there were to be a movie about your life, who would play you?
Oh...
Alright, so... [laughs]
If you know me personally, or if we've ever texted,
since the middle of 2020,
I've made a vow to only use Denzel Washington memes.
So, everything that requires a meme, I respond with a Denzel meme.
And yes, it's been sustainable, and I'm going to keep it going until I...
Die...
No I'm [inaudible]
But, Denzel Washington would probably play me in a movie [Maria laughs]
or his son, maybe, if he's getting too old.
Oh. You like his son? Okay... [Maria laughs]
MARIA: And, last question, who should we interview next?
Um...
Who should you interview next?
There's, alright, so there's a fellow Bronx native,
a photographer by the name Dondre Green.
And he is somebody that I would love--
because he's generally not a man of many words,
but I would love to hear like his answers to some of these questions.
So, if you could interview Dondre, definitely hit him up.
MARIA: Alright, that's all my questions. Thank you so much!
Okay! I can get back to my email-- MARIA: I'll fly out of here
before I was rudely interrupted! [Maria laughs]
No, I'm just kidding. I loved you guys!
[both laugh]