Family info: Husband, Nick & 3 kids: Giorgio (17), Catherine (15) and Emilia (13)
Pets: 2 dogs: Molly & Socks
Name & description of your business: Erin Borzellino Photography
I’m a lifestyle and commercial portrait photographer and my goal is for my work to look and feel familiar and authentic
Before working on this, what was your career?
After college, I worked in IT consulting and project management in various firms. I met my husband when working at Credit Suisse and then moved to London, where we had our son. Soon after, we moved back to NY and had 2 more kids and I decided to stay home with them.
How did you get started as a photographer?
Staying at home with 3 kids for several years made me pick up my camera a lot and I was really focused on capturing the beautiful mess and chaos of their childhood. Over time other people saw my work and wanted me to photograph their families in a similar way, so a very small business was born.
As my kids grew, my business grew as well and I found I really loved photographing adults, entrepreneurs, small business owners in the same natural way I photograph kids.
What did you have to do to start?
I started personal project work in 2019 with a project called “Women Who Rock." I photographed women I saw every day and highlighted the things they do in their work or in their communities. Even though I’m not actively working on the project, it is always in the back of my mind when I photograph women to find their unique beauty and strength.
I originally did this to get out of my comfort zone when photographing adults. Much of a photographer’s job is making their subject comfortable which takes more practice with adults than kids!
What have you learned throughout your journey as a photographer?
Besides learning that I am absolutely surrounded by impressive, amazing women, I learned that I like the challenge of creating quick portraits in an unfamiliar location and seeing what creative magic happens with different subjects.
I love that each day is different and I am excited being pushed into taking on new projects that are challenging but important to grow my business.
What is your best tip for others looking to help families who might need extra support?
At The Giorgio Foundation, we appreciate every dollar and every minute of time donated. But in daily life simply being there for friends who are struggling can make a bigger impact than we know. In my life recently, my friends saved me by bringing me a meal or doing my laundry when I was incapable.
What are some alternative careers you would have liked to have?
If this is a second “career” for you, do you have advice regarding reinventing yourself?
Following opportunities that scare me is always the fastest way for me to reinvent myself. The failures are just as important as the successes in finding my way into something new. I think even if we stay on the same general career path, we are constantly reinventing ourselves. My priorities shift occasionally and I make room for different people and projects, which just keeps me motivated and excited by life.
In addition to being a photographer, many people have told me your family is extremely inspirational. Would you share about your family's story?
Our son, Giorgio, was born with a genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis Type 1. This disorder causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout his body. In Giorgio’s case, NF1 has also caused ADHD, learning delays and scoliosis that resulted in 3 spinal surgeries.
After Giorgio’s diagnosis, we became involved in raising money to cure this disorder. Nick and I started The Giorgio Foundation with my parents in order to have more control over where donations were going. We wanted to focus on research, so we partnered directly with top researchers at 3 universities. In less than 10 years, we have raised over $3 million dollars, research we’ve funded has been published in over 20 esteemed medical journals and drug trials are about to begin for certain types of tumors.
We are unique in that every single penny donated goes directly to research. All administrative fees (even including credit card fees on donations), event costs, etc are funded by a separate private foundation. I am so proud of the foundation, our partnerships and our generous, enthusiastic supporters.
Do you have strategies to help you navigate life with a child with different needs?
During the early days of motherhood, I found a new strength in advocating for my child, a skill I often struggled to apply when it came to myself. Really, I can take no credit in overcoming this challenge, because he is just amazing and has proven every day that he is not to be underestimated.
*****
Other fun details about you: favorite books, Netflix, fun facts, or other:
My favorite book this year was Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - I shared it with everyone after reading. Don’t be scared off by it being about video game designers! And my favorite show was The Bear (season 2). The soundtrack for The Bear takes me back to my youth and it’s always in my Spotify rotation.
You can learn more about Erin at https://erinborzellino.com/ or https://www.endnf1.org/
Comments