Meet James Gappa | Photographer and Cinematographer

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

Hi James, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Selfishness, in simplest terms. I’ve always hated the idea of working for other people. Even though I’m really good at it, thanks to my Dad. I’ve never been fired from a job for messing up, I’ve always been a work place favorite amongst co-workers and supervisors; I get my work done right and I don’t cause a fuss. But all of that stems from my need for perfectionism. I grew up always worried about disappointing my parents. And I think that is what pushed me away from my creativity for so long; always concerned with what job will pay me the most so I can retire my parents. But all of that changed once I finished college. I studied Broadcasting and Mass Communication. All under the guise that one day I’d be a television journalist or an editor for a large publication. But like many students, I didn’t like my major. I didn’t know what I was going to do and it took me until my senior year to figure that out. So in a rush, I added a photography minor. And then begged the advisor to let me finish the 2 year program in just one. Fast forward and it was 2022, I was working as a social media coordinator for a landscaping company trying to get over a 6 year relationship. All of the things changing in my life left me in a weird mental state, and I didn’t know how to express any of it. That’s when I found out that I was good at telling stories and expressing emotions with my camera. Since then, I can’t go back to a 9-5. Sharing my work through social media has unlocked so many opportunities, it’s payed my bills, and it’s impacted strangers that I never thought would even understand my work, let alone see it from thousands of miles away.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am fascinated by the human experience. It’s chaotic, and beautiful, and confusing, and constantly changing. I think that’s why I began incorporating so much movement and motion into my photography. Life isn’t still, it’s always moving. It’s sort of what led me to working with cinema as well. I had so many ideas and I just couldn’t make all of them come to life in a photo. Sometimes you need words, and sounds, or an action to share your ideas. At the time when all of this started in 2022 I had just started seeing a lot of short films being shared on tik tok. I was always a fan of movies and acting but I’d never thought about making movies myself. Until one day my best friend asked me if I would be willing to make a series of music videos with him for an upcoming album. AND he wanted them to flow like a movie. I was reluctant at first, seeing how I’d never done anything like it before. I also had little faith in the capabilities of my camera for a video of this scale. But I agreed anyways and a few months later we had 14 music videos we were happy with. I immediately started writing my own scripts after we finished and began posting the finished short films to Tik Tok. Pretty soon I hit over a million views and was gaining thousands of followers a day. It was insane.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Colorado is a paradise on Earth in my opinion. I’m pretty bad at making itineraries because I get easily distracted but I’m good at following them. I’ll still give it a shot though. Let’s start outside the city. Everyone wants to see and hike the mountains out here but no one thinks about the elevation and how they’re going to feel. So I always like to start my guests off slow. Garden of the Gods is an easy cliche but it blows every single persons mind the first time they see it. The views are incredible, the drive from Denver is beautiful, and Manitou Springs is a sick little mountain town to check out afterwards. If they’re feeling up for a slightly longer drive I always recommend Estes Park so you can hit that beautiful little town on your way to Rocky Mountain National Park. I don’t think I need to explain why. In the city I think it’s required that you get rock pile tickets to a Rockies game. They’re like $15 and you get full access to the rest of the stadium so you won’t even mind that your seats are just a metal bench. Coors Field is awesome and in the perfect spot to go get some good food, or drinks, or both after the game. I also would highly recommend Cheesman Park and a good walk through capitol hill, a night out in RiNo for a good time (Beacon and Larimer Lounge FTW), and you can’t forget Wash Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents. Even though I always worried about letting them down, they never pushed me to pursue anything that didn’t make me happy. When I first told them I was going to pursue my art, they were defiantly skeptical. But all it took was seeing the way it lit a fire in me for my mom to get over it. And for my Dad, he was blown away at how much work it actually takes to be successful with art and social media; even if my hands aren’t dirty.

Website: https://gappavisuals.com

Instagram: @james.gappa

Youtube: @JamesGappa