John Antolos

As a little boy, I was fascinated by cameras, film and even the paper that film was wrapped in. By the time I was 13, all I wanted for my birthday was a camera. I got a Kodak disc. It was the early version of a camera phone and it went everywhere with me. By the time I was in high school, I appropriated my father’s Canon AE-1 and began exploring the fascinating world of f-stops and shutter speeds. I became the de facto family photographer and was asked to shoot portraits and family events.

I had a friend who was a locally renowned photojournalist and he would take me on assignments, give me the latest camera to shoot with and set me free. He taught me the importance of presence and being proactive to get the best shots, to throw myself into the middle of the action without apologies. I was hooked. 

I continued on as a hobbyist until I was hired as an assistant photographer and mentored by one of the top event photographers in Los Angeles. I could now consider myself a professional photographer. I learned many valuable skills in the past ten years, but the most important thing I learned was that I really enjoyed being an event photographer. It’s great being around happy people celebrating life’s milestones and being allowed to share in their moments. I especially love capturing the various emotions, be it the immense pride of a bar/bat mitzvah’s grandparents, the wedding couple’s first reveal or even the playfulness of family portrait sessions. 

I love what I do and I have so much fun doing it - the never-ending quests for the perfect image, the happy clients, and yes, that childhood fascination with cameras still endures.