We recently had the chance to connect with Jess Gallo and have shared our conversation below.
Jess, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I think an important thing to keep in mind if you’re an artist, and you want to maintain the spark in your work, is to lean in to creating just to create, without an attachment to the outcome. In my spare time (which who even has that at this age really??), my husband and I have been writing a children’s book. Robbie is a poet and spearheaded the storyline, and I’ve been diving deep in creating the digital assets, art in a whole new style for me. It has reminded me of my love for learning. Being a student is a mindset. Because I’ve been doing photography for such a long time, its easy to get caught up in the routine of things. By dabbling in a different genre of creating imagery, it stretches my imagination, and invites me to look at my work through a new lense.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey! I’m Jess Gallo. I am photographer, turned digital collage artist. I am the founder of Atlas Media, a media company focused on helping brands tell their story through the lens of photography and videography. I have the honor and privilege of working with some of the most talented photographers and videographers all over the US, and create content that shows the heart and soul of a person, place, or thing. My clients are like my family. I’ve worked with most of them for years and years, and love playing a small (sometimes huge) role in watching their business boom. I became obsessed with digital collages, and started blending seamless images to tell big stories without a single word. The work that comes out of Atlas Media is consistent in one big theme – capturing the emotion within the confines of the frame. The content is colorful, vivid, and almost jumps out of the screen.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I didn’t go to school to be a photographer. I didn’t have a plan to be an artist. I was just lucky to have a mom who was obsessed with taking photos. I thought everybody knew how to take a good photo. Like it came encoded in your DNA. But turns out, I came from a long line of photographers. My mom would always tell me I was a natural, and would constantly shower me with compliments over my images. Good news is, positive reinforcement is a powerful thing. I just kept taking photos because I had fun doing it, and it was connection between my mother and me. We would go out in nature and take pictures of flowers, mountains, and each other just frolicking about. She always knew I would become a photographer.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
This is a big one. You aren’t “successful” just because your calendar is full. Life, success, happiness, is all a balance. We didn’t have a whole lot of money growing up, and it instilled a work ethic that was almost to my own detriment, I would work 3 jobs thinking that if I made more money, and I stayed insanely busy, I would achieve a certain level of success needed to alleviate the stress of financial insecurity. Turns out, you need to work a job you love, the right amount time each week, and fill the rest of your time with your people, and the outdoors.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I’m pretty sure they would all say that I believe your attitude really dictates your life. Your thoughts shape your world, and I genuinely try and see the light in each situation and person. You always have a choice in how you respond to things, and if you choose grace and understanding, you create the path of least resistance.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
My tribe. My family. My utter joy for living. I am obsessed with being alive. Those things don’t require a job title or shiny things to have. Those are all things deep within. If you don’t love what you surround yourself with, it might be time to make a change,
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.helloatlasmedia.com
- Instagram: @helloatlasmedia
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helloatlasmedia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helloatlasmedia
Image Credits
All photos were created by yours truly, Jess Gallo // Atlas Media
