“Boris, Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, New York”

“I moved here from Russia as a young boy. My dream was to become Mr. Universe. You know, like Arnold Schwarzenegger? One day while training I fell to my knees from a bad dizzy spell. I was 34 years old. Later that week my doctor asked to have a series of tests done on my heart. A week later my dreams would come to an end after the heart specialist informed me that I had congestive heart disease.” (Photo by Donato DiCamillo)

Donato DiCamillo

Donato DiCamillo was born the lone son of three siblings from Italian immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York. He suffered behavioral problems as a child, moving in and out of behavioral institutions and jails after being expelled from school at age 16. He taught himself photography after serving a federal prison sentence in Virginia. He first photographed bugs, plants, and anything else within 120 feet of his domicile, as restricted under an order of home confinement. His work currently focuses on people and has since been featured in multiple publications and news sources around the world, including BBC, The Washington Post, CBC, and Huffington Post. His first collection slated for publication in late 2018. He currently resides in Staten Island. DiCamillo’s work may be found on Instagram, and at his website-in-progress at donatodicamillo.com