Vince DeSantiago is a photographer and art director based in Chicago. He attended the Chicago Academy for the Arts where he majored in Musical Theatre and went on to Columbia College to study photography.

 

Chicago is where architects from around the world come to learn about the history of architecture.There are so many different nooks and crannies around the city and so many different styles of architecture and people. You can walk down the same block ten times and find something or someone new and exciting every time.

You can walk down the same block 10 times and find something or someone new and exciting every time. I’ve been shooting photography my whole life. My dad represented multiple photographers around the city growing up so I was exposed to photography a ton. In high school I took film & video classes and ended up going to college for it. After a couple years I switched my major but continued to take photo classes. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started taking photography really seriously. In the spring of 2015, I was in a near fatal motorcycle accident and it kind of changed my perspective on my life. I realized that I needed to focus my life and point myself in the direction of doing what I loved and turning that into my career.

I am a Leica ambassador so I only use Leicas. I have a Leica M240, Leica Q, and Leica SL. When I use a rangefinder camera like the M240 it forces me to slow down and think about what I’m shooting due to the manual focus. I got so used to holding my shutter button down with my Canons and hoping for the best I forgot to stop and think about what I was shooting. I have 2-3 presets I’ve created based on film that I use as a starting point for all my edits. I usually tweak them a bit depending on each photo. I try to not spend too much time editing photos. The best photos don’t need too much done to them. Leicas do such a great job with color I usually don’t change much about my photos.

I feel like my approach and style is constantly changing and hinges on what I’m shooting. More often than not I try to capture the moments in between the moments. I try to capture people during times that they let their guard down. My favorite photos tell a story and have something to say. Anyone can take a picture, but if it doesn’t have meaning or elicit an emotion from the viewer all it is is a pretty picture.

One of the coolest shoots I ever did was headshots on the roof of Lake Point Tower. It was during sunrise on a very cold November day a couple years ago. It was gorgeous watching the sunrise over the lake but I couldn’t feel my hands the whole time.

Instagram introduced me to so many people who have become some of my best friends. It’s done wonders for photographers and exposed their artwork to so many people. That being said, it’s easy to get caught up in followers and likes easy to compromise your photography to satisfy them. It’s something I think a lot of people have struggled with including me.

I try to buy as many books as possible on classic photographers. My dad always told me there are no new ideas, only new perspectives – so I draw as much inspiration and ideas from the people who came before me. I also find that just walking around through the city without a camera helps get me excited to walk around with a camera.

One of these days, I’d like to travel to Europe and visit the Leica AG Headquarters at Leitz Park.