It’s more than just a picture for Mic Palazzolo.
A Mahomet native and 2012 graduate of St. Thomas More High School, Palazzolo went to school to become a counselor.
That is until he picked up a camera.
“I really started viewing photography in a psychological state,” he said. “When we see photos that are based around certain emotions, you get the same emotion when you view the picture again.”
Having grown up with a father who dabbled in photography, Palazzolo has experienced this firsthand.
“I started around that mindset,” he said.
Beginning by teaching himself, then moving into a basic photography class at Parkland College, Palazzolo now stands behind the lens at his alma mater, capturing the excitement and emotion of student-athletes.
After watching a photographer at a college game, his dad suggested that he capture the action for high school teams as high school athletes rarely have someone who can bring their emotions to life.
“You feel the action of what’s going on,” he said. “You get to feel the same emotions they are feeling, and then you capture those moments and freeze them in time.”
“So having those moments caught in action photos to show off what they were like in high school for future generations to see; I love bringing that to life.”
Palazzolo sells the photos, then gives 10-percent of his profit back to St. Thomas More.
He hopes that this is just a platform to boost his photography business into additional opportunities.
“I really hope to become a bigger name photographer in the area,” he said.
He has already started to branch out, capturing landscapes, engagement photos and family photos in his Mahomet studio.
“It brings a nice peace to me,” he said. “I like to view the world through a different set of eyes. The sensor and the lens give you a different view of what you’re looking at.
“When you’re in the camera, you’re focusing on certain aspects and almost focusing on the beauty of what you’re trying to capture in the moment.”
