Joe Campanellie: Bird Man

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

Joe Campanellie’s introduction to photography was quite by accident, when he picked up a friend’s camera and began to play one day. From the moment that he developed his first roll of film, he was hooked.

For the past 30 years, Campanellie has built a reputation as one of Maryland’s premier portrait photographers and has recently been making a name for himself as a nature and wildlife photographer in Florida, a niche that was also discovered by accident.

While living in Maryland, Campanellie would take his camera into the woods, as a way of unwinding from the hustle and bustle of studio life.

“I wanted to take a moment and just appreciate nature,” he said, while sitting in his Palm Coast home. He and his wife, Mary Jean, moved to Palm Coast three years ago. “It’s nice living in an area where there is so much to photograph.”

Campanellie takes time to watch and learn the behaviors of birds before documenting their actions with his camera. This practice has earned him the nickname “Bird Man” among other photographers.

Something unique to Campanellie is that he processes his images from start to finish in his home.

“It’s a control thing,” he said, adding that he’s an old darkroom addict.

Everything from post-processing to printing, to spraying and stretching is done by the artist.

“For me, going from a traditional darkroom to a digital darkroom; it was a natural transition,” Campanellie said.

In 2010, Campanellie was awarded the prestigious Fellowship Degree from the American Society of Photographers. This is one of his biggest accomplishments, as there are only 85 living photographers worldwide to have completed the thesis and portfolio requirements for this honor. He also is a three-time recipient of the PPA’s Diamond Photographer of the Year. In 2011, a collection of his prints was awarded the Canon Par Excellence Award, considered the pinnacle of achievement at the regional competition level.

Campanellie’s images have been displayed at the Photographer’s International Hall of Fame in Chicago, the Epcot Exhibit in Orlando, Dulles Airport in Virginia, a special exhibit in Washington, D.C., and internationally through the Professional Photographers of America’s International Loan Collection.

For the past two years, Campanellie’s images have been part of the collection at Ocean Art Gallery in Flagler Beach. For the month of June, he will be the featured artist with a show, titled “Visual Artistry,” opening 6-9 p.m. June 5, at the gallery, 200 S. Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler Beach.