Interview: Photographer Ugo Baldassarre (Italy)

Can you tell us a little about you?

Hi, my name is Ugo and I have been a professional photographer for about 10 years. I deal with portrait and event photography; I collaborate with some important photographic brands (such as Olympus, OM System, Godox ...) and I spread my passion through courses and workshops.

How and when did you get into photography?

my encounter with photography was almost accidental, when several years ago I had to start understanding it in order to play my role as a salesman in a technology shop. I bought an inexpensive reflex camera and from there an uncontrollable curiosity towards the world of the photographic image exploded. I never stopped clicking

What does photography mean to you?

Photographing is an important moment for me. When I photograph I am first of all myself, and this implies that each of my photos contains a lot of me. Through my photographs, of whatever kind they are, I try to leave something of myself in my subjects and to those who will observe them. While photographing I feel complete, accomplished.

Please briefly describe your photography style for our readers. I can say without particular problems that my photographic style is very simple and I am very proud of it. Over the years I have found that I want more and more sincerity and realism instead of special effects. My portraits are very simple, clean, both in the lights and in the outfits. I like to focus all attention on the beauty of my subject, on the harmony of its forms and gestures.

Where do you get inspiration from?

I wade and observe a lot everything that surrounds me; I read many fashion, music, and reportage magazines; I watch anime and tv series and listen to a lot of music. Everything I am and do, in some way, is reflected in my photography.

Do you think in advance what you want in the picture? A good portrait is always a small project; you always have to plan almost everything and adapt it to the subject on duty. Whenever possible I give my model as much information as possible on the look down to the smallest detail but this is not always possible. However, it happens that unexpected situations turn out to be very interesting. The important thing is to be ready and be able to manage some last minute ideas in an interesting way.

Studio, on location or both?

I really like shooting in the studio and on location. The studio is more relaxing because I can manage everything without problems of time, weather or seasons; in location it is easier to get variety of situations but there are also many uncontrollable variables and it takes a lot of organization to manage everything well.

Would you consider yourself a hobbyist or a paid professional?

I work as a professional photographer so I almost always get paid for my work. But the passion for this work is so great therefore I never exclude collaborations or activities that satisfy my desire to simply do something beautiful. In the current situation of photography there are many ways to make a photo shoot pay off even without being paid directly by a client. Many of my services, for example, are made to promote some photographic accessories or various equipment through videos or reviews: the return is therefore of another type but not to be underestimated.

What has been your most memorable session and why?

This is a tough question. Certainly my first time, many years ago, with a much more experienced girl than me: I was completely overwhelmed by her and lost the reins of the service: from that moment on I have never allowed it to happen again so I would say it was an excellent lesson.

Nikon or Canon? Favorite lens? Eh, eh, this question should be updated: the important names in the field are now at least three, not to mention annoying outiders. I have been doing all my photographic jobs, for years, using Olympus cameras and lenses (yes, the ones with the tiny sensor). the photographic equipment is only a means, it must work well and be comfortable. I find this system perfect for all my uses.

in the studio I shoot almost only with zoom lenses now, while outdoors I use a lot of my 25mm and 45mm both f / 1.2

What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new photographer looking to start their own business?

The only advice I can give is to give value to your work by building a solid personality and coherence. Technologies will increasingly simplify the role of photography in fashion and business but will never be able to compete with strong authority.

What do you think of our new magazine? I think it is a project carried out with extreme passion and commitment and the result is a magazine that is a reference for many photographers and models. https://www.instagram.com/ugobphoto/

www.ugobaldassarre.com