More About Jonathan Pitts-Wiley, Ambassdor

Jonathan Pitts-Wiley, grew up the son of artists, the magic of stories, real and imagined, always captivated him. Language is one of his favorite things and while he is still love the written word, he has found himself increasingly drawn to the words he can write and the stories he can tell with a camera. Capturing the interplay between light and darkness is a wild, fascinating and life-affirming pursuit. When he is not taking pictures of Dope Lives and the Doing of Dope Things, he teaches History and coach lacrosse at Moses Brown School in Providence, RI where he has worked since 2013. He loves History as a subject and it definitely informs the work he creates as a photographer. Because free time is entirely overrated, he has also spent the last decade as the Artistic Director of Mixed Magic Theatre in Pawtucket, RI, which he runs along with his parents (who co-founded the joint) and lovely wife, who scientists say is the best choir director ever. Ever. In the spring of 2020, with his friend Dee Speaks they co-founded The Vanta Guild, a collective for Rhode Island-based Black photographers.

As he said, his appreciation for free time is lacking.

Portrait and performance photography are his jam. People, places, plays, playoffs, digital, analog… he loves the challenge of trying to capture someone’s essence fully; their lines, their creases, the lessons they learned, the things that make them people. He loves capturing those quintessential moments—those decisive moments—that articulate what it meant and means to be present in this life. He loves figuring out the stories a subject and I can tell together. While he is mostly drawn to portrait and event photography, he believed it was the great Frederick Douglass who said, “If your vibe is right, I’m down for whatever.”

He get fired up telling stories. And your stories. And our stories.