Meet Rick Gallina | Teacher & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rick Gallina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rick, how do you think about risk?
Taking risks is an important part of having and keeping a growth mindset, whether personally or professionally driven. Although scary, taking a risk and putting yourself out there (wherever or whatever that may be) can lead to new skill development, new opportunities, and can leading to building a personal confidence and resilience needed to succeed.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I discovered photography later in life. On a trip where I thought I was going to document the Himalaya with landscape work, I found myself drawn toward photographing the people I spent time with and encountered along the way. This led to my work in portraiture, which has evolved over time. The biggest challenge I faced, and still grapple with, is balancing something you’re passionate about personally when it becomes a source of income and clients have their own creative visions in mind. Becoming a better collaborator in the creative process was important.

In portraiture, giving the platform to your subject to show who they are, their emotions, and being able to document that is important to me, and a powerful and meaningful process to me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Anytime someone visits from out of state, the best places in my mind to visit are outside of the city, in the beautiful mountains and landscapes of Colorado. A trip to the Sawatch Mountain Range for some hiking and camping in the Collegiate Peaks, with a nice stop in Buena Vista for some good food and beer at Eddyline Brewery would be in order.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Too many educators to name who throughout my career have modeled what it means to build meaningful and impactful relationships with students, to help them pursue excellence in their endeavors as young adults. As a creative, I’m grateful and sit back in admiration of all of my peers who are able to create powerful images that add beauty to the world. Lastly, the work of the late Henri Cartier-Bresson, who’s images I’ve spent countless hours with, which inspired my candid portrait work while traveling.

Website: www.rickgallina.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickgallina/ AND https://www.instagram.com/chicointhewild/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RickGallina