At 16 years old, Johnson County 4-H member Marco Monterastelli might be the youngest photographer in Wyoming with a press pass. A rising sophomore in high school, he already owns and operates his own photography business, Marcello Monterastelli Photography. He’s also a regular contributor to his hometown newspaper, the Buffalo Bulletin, and an award-winning contestant in the annual Wyoming State Fair photo competitions.
On any given day, you might find Monterastelli behind the camera at a local rodeo, 4-H camp, high school cross-country meet, or wedding. Recently, he even traveled to Los Angeles to serve as a professional photographer for a national flag football event.
Finding his spark
Monterastelli’s photography journey began with Wyoming 4-H. He joined the Johnson County program at age 8, starting out with livestock projects and cake decorating. But, from an early age, he was captivated by the photos taken by older 4-H members. He remembers thinking, “I want to take pictures like that.”
In fifth grade, Monterastelli took his first step toward that dream, borrowing a camera from a family friend and embarking on his first 4-H photography project. As with many Wyoming 4-H’ers, caring mentors were key to his success.
“4-H is all about a positive youth learning environment and giving kids resources to find their sparks—their interest areas, the things that make them go,” says Bryce McKenzie, Johnson County 4-H educator. “Marco genuinely desired to do photography and that made his learning path easier, his progression quicker. Kids learn better when they enjoy doing it.”
With McKenzie’s help, Monterastelli connected with local photojournalist Jessi Dodge, who worked at the Buffalo Bulletin at the time. She quickly proved to be an excellent mentor, exemplifying 4-H’s mission to facilitate hands-on learning opportunities for youth.
Becoming a professional
“It opened a lot of paths for me,” Monterastelli notes. “I see the world in a different way because I’m always looking for what would be a good picture. Like, how could I get a very unique picture rather than something just like everybody else would take. I think it’s helped shape me as person.”
Johnson County 4-H’ers don’t shy away from Monterastelli’s camera, which means he gets some great action shots, even of kids who might usually back away from a photographer. “Marco spent a lot of time behind the camera and we rely on him at [4-H] Mountain Camp,” says McKenzie. “At one point, the photography was a 4-H project, but now he’s giving back to us.”
As Monterastelli honed his skills at 4-H events and sports games, Johnson County residents began asking where they could view—and purchase—his photos.
Eventually, Monterastelli decided it was time to launch a business. He reached out to Dodge for advice, and she coached him through the initial website setup. Today, Monterastelli runs the site himself, with minimal assistance from his parents. (He does, however, enlist his mother’s help for photo shoots that require a fog machine.)
After a few years and many hours of practice, Monterastelli has gone from a quiet kid with a borrowed camera to a young professional with a growing business. In addition to capturing landscapes, livestock, and 4-H activities, he also takes dozens of senior photos for Buffalo High School students and is a fixture at local sporting events.
“I bring my camera everywhere,” Monterastelli says. “I enjoy editing pictures and seeing how they turn out. I also really like seeing the client’s reaction…It’s really rewarding to see work you’ve put in make someone happy.”
A close-knit community
From his parents and 4-H mentors to Lanna Wing, the photographer who loaned him his first camera, Monterastelli has received lots of enthusiastic support from his family and community.
“I think that having all of these really good mentors throughout my journey has really helped,” he reflects. “They’ve been really supportive and helped promote me, and then all of the kids…have been really kind and helped promote me, reposted my pictures. It really helps that we live in a small community.”
Besides, he adds, “I feel like just about everybody knows someone in the Monterastelli family.” Monterastelli’s siblings, parents, and grandparents have all actively participated in the Johnson County 4-H program. In fact, his best advertising scheme is organic and unpaid—a product of his older brother’s enthusiastic and ongoing word-of-mouth campaign.
Especially during the week of county fair, Monterastelli is constantly on the move, quietly scooting up close to get photos of every event possible. In one case, his mother recalls, the judge welcomed her son right into the show ring so he could get closer to the action practically beside the pig’s snout.
“We have somebody here who is willing to be on the ground level with the pigs,” McKenzie says. “He’s in the [4-H] program and that makes it even better.”
Monterastelli still manages to show his own pigs as well. After all, selling market pigs is a good way to help fund new camera gear. When he heads into the ring to show livestock, another local photographer fills in to make sure Monterastelli isn’t left out of the event photos.
Of course, Monterastelli also enters the photo contests in county and state fairs. When pressed for details, he humbly admits that he’s won quite a few ribbons over the years.
As a professional with his own business, Monterastelli now enters his photos in the open class of the professional category in addition to competing with other 4-H’ers. Often, that means going up against photographers who have decades more experience than he does.
“I think sometimes people don’t take him as seriously because he is only 16,” says his mother, Amanda Monterastelli. “But we have always said that it doesn’t matter if you’re 16 or 50. If it’s a good picture, it’s a good picture.”
What’s next?
After receiving a grand champion ribbon in the open class photo competition at Wyoming State Fair last year, Monterastelli has been working hard to improve his shot at first place in the 4-H competition. While he still loves capturing athletes in action, he’s been practicing landscape photography in preparation for the contest.
Recently, Monterastelli has also begun experimenting with videography. In spring 2025, he entered a video production competition organized by Future Business Leaders of America.
The topic was how tourism affects your town or state, he explains, so he worked with local business owners to assemble a series of clips showcasing downtown Buffalo. Once again, Monterastelli’s hard work and talent, paired with the support of his family and community, led to success. His video was selected for entrance in a national competition.
Regardless of what Monterastelli’s future holds, McKenzie is confident he’ll excel in whatever he chooses to do next. “Marco is a quiet talent that allows his actions to speak for him,” the 4-H educator remarks. “What he does, he does well. That goes for all aspects of life.”
This article was originally published in the 2025 issue of Roots & Ranges, an annual magazine published by the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.
