Bill Vaccaro photography

As a small boy living in Buffalo, New York, Bill Vaccaro thought that blur was normal – that is, until his parents took him to the eye doctor to correct his nearsightedness. Still, he felt more comfortable in the blur than in the sharpness. It was like a soft, really good (but well-worn) security blanket.

A self-taught photographer, Bill suppressed his blurry memories by shooting photos with tack-sharp cameras by the names of Leica and Nikon. Then he saw his first toy camera photos. He was hooked. He got a Holga and then, later on, a Diana clone called a Windsor that he affectionately named Princess Di. He now shoots exclusively with toy cameras as well as obscure (and not so obscure) medium format cameras modified with exotic homemade lenses made from loupes, magnifying glasses and old enlarging lenses.

Bill's work has been published in Lightleaks Magazine, Love, Chicago, 28mm.org: The Offline Book, and will be featured in an upcoming issue of Other Magazine. His photos have also appeared online in File Magazine and mooncruise.com. His photos have appeared in the Rearview section of the Chicago webzine, Gapers Block.

Bill currently makes his home in Chicago, Illinois with his wife and son.

Bill Vaccaro has been taking photographs for over 35 years. After a brief but passionate affair with digital, he returned to his film roots after a three year absence. He primarily shoots with medium format plastic cameras as well as obscure (and not so obscure) medium format equipment using homemade lenses. He subscribes to Keith Carter's maxim that sharpness is vastly overrated.

Website: www.outofcontxt.com

Email • outofcontxt[at]gmail[dot]com