Modellenland
- 3 jun. 2022

Interview: Photographer Roberto Marini (Italy)

Can you tell us a little about you?

I’m Italian and I was born in Milano the town where I leave. I’m 57 years old and I spent nearly half of my life working in the photography market. I’m graduated in Electronic Engineering but, due to my father’s job I breath photography since I was born. I’m the sales manager in an Italian company distributing professional lighting for photo a video. But I’m not only a salesman, since several years I held workshops and seminars on lighting techniques, for both photographers and videographers and I held consultancy on how to build a perfect photo studio for several companies and training their employees.

What does photography mean to you?

For the above reasons I’m used to say I’m not a photographer but I’m using photography to demonstrate the product I sell. Despite that I’m really appassionate of my job and thanks to the close contacts I had with famous photographers I had a chance to learn a lot from them and I got a lot of inspiration to build my personal style.

Where do you get inspiration from?

When I create a new picture I pickup the inspiration from my photographic background, the images I’ve seen in many books but also I take care about the new trends. So it happens I mesh-up a classic idea with a new IG trend.

Do you think in advance what you want in the picture?

When I decide to have a shooting to enrich my portfolio or to held an individual or a group training I try to plan everything: I use Pinterest to create a mood-board and I share it with the model and the MUA. I plan the location, the props and the light setup I want to use. But I’m not so binded to the initial idea indeed quite often it is a starting point from where to start to improvise.

Please briefly describe your photography style for our readers.

My style reflects my character, I love to tell the sensuality of my models with a romantic touch, I love how the light creates shadows and darkness giving to the observer the opportunity to imagine what’s hidden. For my portfolio I mainly shoot female portraits, glamour and boudoir style but as assignments I had a chance to shoot pictures for maternity sessions, business portraits, company profiles and still-life.

Studio, on location or both?

I mainly shoot in studio, because it is my comfort zone. Anyhow I like to create different sets and situations giving to the observer the idea the shooting have been held in a different place. I also like to shoot on location but it cause me a little bit more of stress. Anyhow time to time it is good to have some pressure because it push me on a challenge I want to win and, in many cases, I had the opportunity to create great images shooting in a very bad and uncomfortable location than in my studio.

Nikon or Canon? Favorite lens?

I am a Nikon photographer since I started to shoot with film. Anyhow I had the opportunity to shoot with many camera brands as well as high level professional digital medium format camera like Phase One and Hasselblad that I had the chance to sell in my country. The camera it is just like an hammer: all the hammers are able to hit a nail you just have to choose the one that’s more comfortable for your hand.

My favorite focal length is the 85mm but I also like the 105mm macro. Even if I mainly use flashlights I love to shoot at wide aperture since I don’t look for sharpness but for ethereal atmospheres.

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

If I have to give an advice to a newcomer in the photography world I always recommend him to keep all things simple as much as possible, learn to use its camera in manual mode and start shooting with natural light and then with one extra light only.

What do you think of our new magazine?

I believe Modellenland Magazine is a great and modern editorial idea. I suggest to everyone to browse it and to get inspirations from the great images that are published.

Instagram: @bobartphoto, @bobaproma, @bobscapes

Facebook: @RobertoPhotoWorkshop

Website: www.bobartphoto.com