AJ Nutter grew up in Lancaster Pennsylvania.   His father would take him along on photography explorations.  Those explorations helped him develop an interest in photography at such an early age.

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AJ graduated with the 'Best Video Portfolio' Award from The Art Institute of Philadelphia. He won the Art Institute short Film Scholarship which helped pay for his degree and studies. During his time in Philadelphia, AJ worked and interned for Warner Brothers Philadelphia TV , Image Media, and The Center for Emerging Visual Artists. 

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Moving to Lancaster to study photography, AJ went to The Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art Photography. During this time, AJ worked with Nick Gould Studios, Toby Richard Studios, as well as Assembly Films. AJ would travel across the country with Toby Richards on commercial photographic jobs.

 

Around 2009 AJ founded the artist collective "16 Pound Rabbit", which lead to Co Operations of The Painted Desert Gallery in Lancaster from 2009-2012.  16 Pound Rabbit would go onto publish several his creative endeavors such as The Birds. An ambient album that was inspired by the works of Alfred Hitchcock. Later released as a limited vinyl pressing through the collective.

 

In 2004 AJs father would pass from a battle with leukemia. In the wake of his death AJ with the help of friends and family would host a final show of David’s last works of Landscapes from his last trip to Death Valley. The place David originally started to realize he was starting to fall ill. David’s landscapes sat side by side with the paperwork of his partner Carol Emerson. The show featured journal exerts from David and Carol. These images and journal pages would go on to inspire many. One being Sandy Asher the playwriter, inspired by the gallery show sandy would go on to write the stage play “Death Valley A Love Story”. Published by Dramatic Publishing in 2023. An independent film of the same name directed by Andrea Campbell and Laura Howell would be adapted from the play. The film would go on to be used as a tool for grief therapy and would be featured at Creativity and Madness Conference in Santa Fe New Mexico.

 

During the great recession Aj spent several years documenting coal communities. His work would help shine a light on the struggles of such communities. His documentary photography would be featured at such places as The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center, as well as galleries in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. His work on documenting Hydraulic Fracking in Pennsylvania would go onto to be published in Magazines like Appalachian Voice. Aj’s documentary photography work won him several awards including the Carolynn Fiedler-Alber award from the Art Association of Harrisburg. His photographs would go on to be published in several books and magazines.

 

In November of 2016 AJ with his friends Chris and Aaron would start an audio podcast titled “The Bad Movie Night Podcast”. Reminiscent of his time hanging out with his friends and watching old horror films. Seven years later the podcast would achieved over 500 thousand downloads and eventually land in the top 2 percent of all podcasts worldwide.

 

This would lead to the start of BMN Films. Competing in local film competitions Chris Ruppert and AJ would craft their skills in the art of filmmaking. Every short film was the chance to explore a concept or to improve on a skill set. “When finishing up the short sci-fi drama film titled “Memory Leak”. It became apparent that we were ready to work on a full feature project.” With Chris Ruppert writing and directing, and AJ as the Director of Photography. The team that was formed would raise the funds through Indiegogo with the help of the Bad Movie Night Community. In 2022 Principal Photography would wrap on the feature film Transient. A science fiction thriller about the dangers of Technology. As of 2023 the film is in post-production and awaiting picture lock.

 

During Covid, AJ started working on a new musical project that he resurrected during the national lockdown. Described as a spooky synth pop escapade. Currently Carl Bahner music mixer and pop producer is helping bring the project to completion. AJ will be working alongside partner Jude Yardsely to bring the animated music videos to life using classic 1970’s Blythe Dolls. The project is planned to host a variety of art forms through the music video format.

 

In the summer of 2023 AJ would start production on a new podcast centered around Women who are in Muncy Prison for murder. co-hosting and producing with Dr. Kathryn Whitley whose background and life’s work centers around women who are in prisons. The podcast takes an education approach and looks inwards to deep and meaningful conversations. Removed from the sensualizing of crime, the podcast aims to help raise awareness of life after.

 

AJ Currently teaches Video Production and Editing Post-production classes at Lebanon Valley College. In 2023 he was invited by Pennsylvania College of Art and Design to help build out the new Film Minor Program that will be housed in the Photography/Video Department. As part of the new program AJ will teach an independent class on Lens based Motion for the school.

 

In 2023 AJ started working at Milton Hershey School in Video Marketing. Milton Hershey School is where students from different cultural backgrounds live on campus and receive an educational experience with all costs covered. Milton and Catherine Hershey founded the school in 1909 with money they earned from the chocolate company.

 

 

 

Currently AJ lives and works in the city of Harrisburg.