Moved by the unspoken subtleties within an image, Gianna Gragnani possesses a keen eye for documentary-style photography. She is most inspired shooting on location in remote regions of the world; the less westernized the better. She says, “I love being able to expose different cultures and perspectives by capturing real emotions when no one is paying attention to the camera.”
Gianna had her first photo published in Rolling Stone Magazine in 2005 and began delving into the art on a professional level thereafter. She says, “The real goal and inspiration for me is to capture a story; to find magical moments and preserve them.” Because Gianna generally shoots in raw format, she opts for the easier editing capabilities of the digital SLRs and is consistently improving her skills with various classes at the Julia Dean Studios in Los Angeles and the like.
Forever inspired by traveling, Gianna takes a photographic journey every year to a place she’s never been before. Her images from her first photo expedition to Hawaii were later featured in the Maui & Moloki Schmap Guidebook. She has also traveled throughout Europe, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam; galleries of which can be viewed on this site. She says, “I loved shooting in Thailand because of the gorgeous landscapes and how close I could get to exotic animals we don’t usually get to see in the United States.” In the coming years she looks forward to exploring Laos, Burma, India, Morocco and the Maldives.
In 2008, Gianna launched her own web design and development company in Los Angeles, Pride+Pixel, where her talent for photography has become a viable asset to her business. She states, “I started my company to help good people who were really up to some great things. And now I am also able to transform someone else’s photography to look 100 times better because of my editing skills.”
Continuously striving to make a difference, in May of 2010 Gianna Gragnani was presented with an Award of Recognition from the Inglewood Unified School District Board of Education for rebuilding the entire district’s online communication systems and internet presence. By inspiring community involvement and the support from fellow design colleagues, Gianna was able to provide the district with an estimated $30,000 worth of web development hours, free of charge.
Other Pride+Pixel clients include websites which: teach children foreign languages, help to save animals, provide aide for schools or crop insurance for farmers as well as sites for film documentaries with messages that focus on important topics such as exposing child sex slavery and world citizenship.
In 2012 Gianna became co-producer of Born Again The Power Team Story, a documentary on a crusading group of strongmen called the Power Team who travel the United States performing feats of strength in the name of Jesus Christ. She says, “The Power Team is one of the most interesting and exciting religious sub cultures that I have encountered. I’m proud to help tell their story.”
Gianna’s photography idols include; Annie Leibovitz, Deborah Lattimore, Stephen Bures, Sylvia Plachy and Jay Maisel. Not surprisingly, she is often trusted with taking pictures of private events resulting in an arsenal of amazing photos that she shares with many. Gianna says, “There is nothing like presenting someone with a 100-page book or one single photo that makes them so happy it brings tears of joy to their eyes. Photos are extremely powerful in that way.”
* The photos from Gianna’s travel series and others are still being uploaded and this site is definitely still in progress. Thank you so much for your patience as we work out the kinks *
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©Gianna Gragnani, All Rights Reserved
My images are not available for use on websites, blogs, or any other media without my explicit written permission. All photos are all-rights reserved (because I like photo credit). To use, license, publish, blog or purchase prints, please contact me directly. I’m actually quite friendly and I love compliments.
