INPERSON
His Best Shot
Bethel Park photographer finds success in sports.
BY PAUL GLASSER
Before he became a successful sports photographer more than 20 years ago, Vincent Pugliese was a self-described slacker.“ I grew up in New York with friends who weren’ t doing much and got in trouble,” he explains.“ I never had a career. I never went anywhere with school.”
Pugliese failed courses in high school and frequently switched majors in college and was fired from several jobs. Now a resident of Bethel Park, he says these failures taught him a lot about himself and life:“ The failures, setbacks, and disappointments are what make great stories. It’ s not a bad thing to fail, unless you do the exact same thing again.”
Growing up, Pugliese was a fan of the Steelers and the New York Mets, so he decided to become a sports photographer.“ It was the first thing I found a passion for,” he explains.“ Standing on the sidelines instead of watching the game on TV was the ultimate dream for me.”
Pugliese worked as an intern for the NHL and eventually parlayed that into a job as a photojournalist. Later, he won an international sports photography award, but only received a 3 percent pay raise from his employer. At that point, Pugliese and his wife,
“ IT WAS THE FIRST MOMENT I KNEW I HAD MADE IT,” PUGLIESE SAYS.“ YOU COULDN’ T PAY $ 10,000 TO GET THE ACCESS I HAD.”
who is also a photographer, decided to become freelancers. He says his wife, Elizabeth, is the more talented of the two.
“ She taught me a lot,” Pugliese says.“ I shot things from afar, but she could get really close to a subject. She taught me how to get intimate. She could get close to people without disturbing the situation. She’ s a master at that.”
Together, they built a business that includes sports, wedding and corporate photography. Pugliese has covered the Super Bowl, the World Series and the Penguins’ Stanley Cup win in Nashville this year. One of the most memorable moments was the first time he shot the Super Bowl in 2002 in New Orleans.
“ It was the first moment I knew I had made it,” Pugliese says.“ You couldn’ t pay $ 10,000 to get the access I had.”
He’ s never covered the Rose Bowl and says he would he eventually like to shoot it.“ It’ s not the highest profile event, but
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