My Perfect Shot

NOTHING beats the feeling of everything falling into place for that perfect shot. My name is Nick Charello, and I’m a creative portrait and fashion photographer from Smithfield, RI (just a stone’s throw away from Boston).

I’ll spare you all the boring details about me being a total tech nerd and just say that I’ve been taking pictures since the early 90’s. There was just something special about capturing moments in time that fascinated me. I always had my camera, and yet, no matter how many photos I took, it never felt like enough. Debí Tirar Más Fotos.

My father worked at a printing company and would often bring home extra copies of the books they printed. Among these were many photography books, with artists like Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon, and Herb Ritts serving as early inspirations. Over the years I bounced around between genres but ultimately settled on creative portraiture as my main focus. As much as I love nature and wildlife photography, I’ve found people to be a lot easier to direct in the studio. All the respect in the world goes to those photographers who will wait in a tree for 8 hours for a bird to be just in the right position. Working in the studio has its own challenges, but I have the patience for that. After meeting my partner Meli, I became deeper involved in the exciting world of fashion photography.

We went on a Halloween bar crawl in Boston for our first date (my idea). On the way home our train broke down, and we spent a solid 4 hours on the red line dressed as vampires. Even though Meli’s eyes were tearing and itchy from leaving her purple contacts in too long, I don’t think either of us stopped smiling and laughing all night. I knew there was something special about her, and I was right! Since then we have worked on countless shoots together, and whether she’s the model or stylist, she’s been right by my side offering endless help with the creative process. We make a good team; while I’m focused on the technical aspects of photography and lighting, she’s focused on the details.

I’m getting a little sidetracked here – for this particular shoot, we had been listening to a lot of 90’s / 2000’s pop music, and we decided to go for a nostalgic vibe. I picked up this metallic purple Steve Madden jacket off the rack to show Meli, and she immediately says “I have the pants for this”. Cici Correia was our MUA, and she did an amazing job. A few accessories and hair extensions later and we had this poppy, retro futuristic shoot wrapped. This was just a fun little project in our basement studio, but over the years we’ve been lucky to work with many talented producers, designers, and artists, and I’m excited to see what new opportunities arise in the future. Shooting The Runway Ball was one of those opportunities, and I can’t wait for next year’s show!

My approach when working with models begins with comfort. Having dealt with anxiety myself, I truly understand how it can hold you back, and this makes me particularly attuned to body language and personal boundaries in the workplace. In my experience, the best results happen when comfort and communication are prioritized. Often, when the team is in the zone and everyone is having a great time, we all agree to push the envelope a bit further, and that’s when the ‘stars align’ to create something truly special! On the tech side of things, I’m always finding new experiments to try and it has been wonderful teaming up with fellow creatives. Our good friend Maribel Cintron is one of those creatives. She’s always game for my weird photoshoot ideas, and unusually enthusiastic about doing things like dropping us off at the airport at 3am.

My primary job is in design, and lately it feels like there’s just not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on my agenda. I do have plans to allocate more time to photography in the coming months, and we have some exciting new projects in the works that I can’t wait to share!

The Model’s POV: From Constanza to the Spotlight

with Melissa Guzmán

While Nick was already beginning to pave the way for his career in the 90s, I was blissfully growing in my mom’s womb—though that’s beside the point. Let me introduce myself. My name is Melissa, and my roots are in Constanza, the coldest town in the Dominican Republic but I was later raised in an amazing town called Moca.

From a very young age, I developed a passion for fashion, creating outfits for my makeshift Barbies using whatever materials I could find. It was my early attempt at bringing the glamour of those dolls to life, a desire that would eventually fuel my journey into the world of fashion.

At 21, I made a life-changing decision: I moved to the United States and became a proud Rhode Islander. While my father always emphasized the challenges of carving out a career in creativity, I initially chose a more practical path in business, a decision encouraged by my family. I now work as an Insurance Agent during the week. But life in the U.S. broadened my horizons in ways I never anticipated.

It wasn’t long before fate had other plans for me. After a long shoot at Roger Williams Park that even had me braving the cold waters of a murky lake (because we do everything for the picture), Nick invited me on an adventurous Halloween date. From that moment, we’ve been inseparable.

Sharing a life with someone as creatively driven as Nick has opened doors I never imagined. Beyond modeling, I’ve embraced many roles —stylist, posing coach, and even the occasional personal assistant. It’s been an extraordinary journey of growth, both personal and professional.

But let’s talk about the true inspiration behind this shoot.

The real spark of creativity came after a weekend of listening to classic pop music. That’s when the vision for this shoot materialized, and from that moment we referred to the shoot as “The Christina Aguilera”. After all, who isn’t inspired by her iconic style?

Putting together a monochromatic outfit was no easy task. It took several trips to thrift stores (we’re big fans of thrifting in this house), hours scouring Poshmark, and some thoughtful research to find the perfect makeup artist to bring the vision to life. That’s when I found Cici Correia, and after spending hours in her chair, I could see that the final look would be well worth the effort. And let’s not forget to mention the assistance of my best friend and one of the most talented models I have met in the industry, Maribel Cintron.

But before I go on too much about the freezing temperatures in our basement (it was truly that cold), I have to say—working with Nick is one of the most rewarding and fun experiences of my life. Here’s to many more years of collaboration, creativity, and making magic, all while continuing to share a lifetime of love and memories.