The United States Postal Service on Apr. 11 unveiled the sixth of 16 stamps showcasing the nation’s wildest places — its national parks.
For Miami resident Paul Marcellini this was incredibly special because he created the photograph chosen to repressent Everglades National Park. The stunning image depicts the sun setting behind the pinelands and grasses of the Everglades.
Marcellini bought his first camera in 2005 and has been taking pictures ever since. Joe Farace of Shutterbug magazine called him “an incredibly gifted photographer who immerses himself in the environment to create drop-dead gorgeous images.” He also wrote that of Marcellini that he is a “magician with light and finds the right time and place to make images that transport you to places one can only dream about.”
But Marcellini is humble when discussing his work.
“You take a lot of pictures and sometimes you get good ones and sometimes you get bad ones,” he said.
For the image selected for the stamp, he took three exposures and manually blended them together.
He was contacted by the U.S. Postal Service four months prior to the release, but he had to keep the information secret until after the unveiling. Although he has had exposure before, this feels like a new level for him and he said that he had to devote quite a bit of time to responding to requests for information from many people.
“’It’s a great honor to have an image on a stamp,” he said.
A graduate of Westminster Christian School in Palmetto Bay and later Lipscomb University, Marcellini has had an exciting career here in Florida. While at Westminster, his artwork was shown at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition Art Show. He opened his business under his own name in 2008. So far, his work has been displayed at the Pinecrest Gardens Art Festival, Beaux Arts Festival, Coconut Grove Arts Festival in Miami and at the Arts Fest in Fort Myers.
Currently, his work is being shown at the Wirtz Gallery within the First National Bank of South Miami.
To those new to photography, he offers sage advice.
“Shoot only what you love or your whole art and career will suffer.”
The 1.5 million acres of sawgrass prairies, tropical hardwood hammocks, pine rocklands and mangrove forests are his inspiration. He said that he tries to get down there at least once a week.
Visit Marcellini at his website www.paulmarcellini.com.
