Meet Mickey Stellavato | Photographer & Oral Historian

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

Hi Mickey, what are you inspired by?
As someone who has listened to hundreds of life stories and personal narratives, the ones that have stuck with me and inspired me to continue the work I do are those told by women who have faced painful and deeply challenging life experiences but haven’t lost their ability to see the beauty in the small, everyday moments of beauty. I suppose that’s part of my photographic process: I see beauty everywhere and want to share that with others.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think my photography has really developed over the years as a result of having first started shooting with film. When you’ve got 36 chances to get a great photo, as opposed to a thousand, it forced me to slow down and really see the frame I want. I started as a portrait photographer and slowly moved into landscapes, and discovered a love for candid shots along the way. I actually started out as the assistant picture editor for Mother Earth News magazine and a photo researcher when I lived in New York, before I seriously started making photos and I think this experience helped me “see” good photography. Has the journey been easy? I would say it’s always been easy on some level–it just comes naturally. I tend to be someone who tries not to fight the current, so to speak, meaning those things that flow smoothly tend to be the things that bring the greatest joy. Not that I’m not up for a good challenge, but in terms of creativity and artistic expression, my best work often feels almost effortless.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I currently live in a small town in western Colorado, on what is known as the Western Slope (referring to the western slope of the Rocky Mountains). It’s a gorgeous place about 35 miles from Utah. Grand Junction is a high desert valley surrounded by the Colorado National Monument to the south and west, The Bookcliffs to the north and west, the world’s largest flat-top mountain, the Grand Mesa, to the east, and the southeast becomes the Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area. The town gets its name from the junction of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers, so here you are in this dry, high desert area that has two rivers flowing through it. So hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, rafting and kayaking, skiing, and photography are all great activities when you visit. There’s also a university with a new, gorgeous theater. So the town is growing in its arts offerings. There are a few really nice restaurants and bars in town, such as Moody’s on Main Street, The Manhattan Project, which is a secret speakeasy featuring mixology at its finest, SoCo has a great vibe and great drinks. 626 Rood has delicious food, as does the Devil’s Kitchen on the CMU campus. I always take friends to Cafe Sol for some of the best paninis and beet salad around. Palisade is a 20-minute drive to the east and has transformed itself from acres of peach orchards to a hub of great local wines and a fabulous distillery, and in Fruita, about 15 minutes to the west, you’ll find a charming Dinosaur Museum. I’m not a mountain biker or skier, but the skies here can be dramatic, so the photographer in me is always entertained.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I think my mom deserves a shoutout for never stifling my curiosity and creative impulses.

Website: https://www.mstellavato.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mstellavato/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ms.scenicroute

Image Credits
All photos copyright Mickey Stellavato