Crónicas - January 31, 2010

Patrizia Castiglione: Your first camera is your eye!

NG January 31, 2010

0 1,491 12 min read

Spontaneous, independent, even unpredictable that is photographer Patrizia Castiglione. She loves to capture the essence of human spirit in every single shot, and besides being a fashion photographer; she was very determined to create Weddings by Magnolia, a magnificence studio in Montreal that makes any women dream not only with the idea of getting married but also having the perfect wedding album that will last forever and ever.

Patrizia works since 2000 with many editorial publications, covers and commercial contracts; she has traveled to Tahiti, Equatorial Amazon, Cuba, France, Mexico, Dominican Republic to work and also to feed her creativity, she held two conferences at the Los Angeles Trade show for NAHA, speaking about how to make it a winning photo shoot, and she won best photo in 2000 and 2001 at Naha awards.
In addition, she is a key collaborator in video productions for multi-media companies making commercials for such companies as Ericsson and Mountain Dew, with responsibilities such as production manager, and lighting director and primary collaborator in direction of photography. When Patrizia awarded the Grand winner of the NAHA awards in 2001, her winning photo represented the world trade show in Japan

I met Patrizia a couple weeks ago and we talked about her work and her precious treasure, Magnolia. She picked this name for her studio because Magnolia is her favorite flower and it means love, nature, dignity and it is a symbol of the splendid beauty. I have to confess that watching Patrizia’s pictures is a real encounter with people’s feelings, dreams, expectations, surprises, and they transmits you a big dose of happiness and tender.

NG. When did you find out that you wanted to be a photographer?

Patrizia Castiglione: At a very young age, when I was 10 years old I discovered my father’s camera, and despite he hid it away from me and my sister because it was expensive, I always took it and played with it when he was away, so I had too much fun pretending I was a photographer. Later on in life, I took a photography class in college, where a teacher took me aside and told me that I could be a photographer one day if I really dedicate myself because I loved it so much.

NG. How was your first experience with a camera?

Patrizia Castiglione: When I first played with the camera it was fun but I didn’t understand it much. Once I took classes and they told us what the functions were, I thought it was difficult and boring because I wanted to be creative. But obviously these were the techniques I needed to learn in order to excel in the field.

NG. What makes your pictures unique?

Patrizia Castiglione: I think what makes my photos unique when I shoot a wedding is the fact that I am mentally present in each moment of the day. If you mix that with good techniques and a good eye, you will have natural photos that capture who you are.

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N.G As far as I can see you are a versatile person. You can magnify the tenderness of a baby as well as the sensuality of a bride. How do you manage to capture that?

Patrizia Castiglione: (she smiles) you must understand the subject you have before you, their needs and their desires. It’s important to communicate with your client and know what their expectations are to begin with. At that point it is up to you, as the photographer to give your interpretation of that.

NG. Do you conceive these images in your mind before getting the perfect shot?

Patrizia Castiglione: I never visualize or create the image in my mind before I shoot a wedding, because I can’t create something that is a fake. That is not the spirit of Magnolia. I capture the natural beauty of two people in love. I can however organize so that the people are set up in an area where the lighting and background are nice, but in the end, I do not create something fake. I leave my home every day not knowing what the day ahead has in store for me. That’s actually the fun part.

NG. What do you think inspires more your creativity, the pictures full of colors or those in black and white?

Patrizia Castiglione: Inspiration is versatile and changes every second of the day. One minute I can be inspired by a little child playing and the next I can be inspired by the colors of the bouquet in exchange with a certain background. That is the fun part of shooting a wedding. You are continuously “on” and in search for inspiration all day. You must be extremely sensitive to your surroundings.

NG. Are you as romantic as your pictures?

Patrizia Castiglioni: I am a romantic and super sensitive yes!!

NG. What will be the perfect shot for you?

Patrizia Castiglione: The perfect shot for me is capturing a moment, and a moment happens in a fraction of a second. It didn’t exist before and it will not exist after you blink your eyes. So if you captured it, it’s a perfect shot, because I’ve managed to make time still for that moment and make it last for the rest of time. It’s a gift.

NG. Have you ever lost your temper while dealing with a difficult client?

Patrizia Castiglione: Anyone who deals with people will know that it’s not always easy. You have characters that are difficult, or others that are timid, this is a normal part of the job. I have never lost my tempter on anyone. My job is to capture a moment; I’m not there to create something that is not there, so there is no reason for me to ever lose my tempter.

NG. What will be for you the most important skill that a photographer should have?

Patrizia Castiglione: Nowadays, everyone wants to be a photographer, and people seem to be buying expensive cameras and being excited about the amount of megapixels their camera has. But it’s not about the camera; it’s about the eye. In other words, your first camera is your eye. You either have the “eye” or you don’t. You can’t buy that. The next important thing is to know your techniques. Go to school and learn everything it is to be a photographer.

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