"text-align: center;">Where to Shoot? Interview with Rocco Basile Professional Photographer
Rocco Basile is a professional photographer who works full time at his own business. He was kind enough to answer some of our questions and give advice to any amateur photographers.
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Do you prefer shooting indoor or outdoor?
I like to shoot indoors because you can control the lighting. Outside it can be difficult to keep the lighting the same.
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What is your favorite piece of equipment (that you own)?
I love my high powered 650-1300 MM lens. It is amazing. Definitely one of my all time favorite camera attachments. The photos it takes are amazing.
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What piece of equipment do you pine for?
I definitely want a new tripod or handheld rig for my camera. It would also be great to have an underwater rig so I could take pictures underneath the water.
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Who was your biggest photography inspiration?
My mother. She was a painter and one of the biggest influences on my life and on my career. When I was a child I would watch her paint. She painted all kinds of things, people, animals, landscapes, even me.
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When did you realize you wanted to pursue this career path?
I knew very early on that I wanted to become a photographer. When I was around, seven or eight years old my dad brought home a brand new camera for our family vacations. I was elated. It was the most magical thing I had ever seen… Then my dad taught me all about photography. We even made our own cameras out of cardboard so I could learn how the camera works. It changed my life the day he brought that camera home.
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What three places are on your bucket list to visit and shoot?
Definitely Paris. It is such a romantic city and I would love to take photographs there. Also I would like to go to China and capture what life is like there. I want to show both the differences and the similarities in our cultures with my pictures. For the third place, I would probably choose someplace green like New Zealand. Just relaxing beauty and rolling hills for miles.
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Have you ever used a cell phone to take pictures? Is there a make/model you recommend?
I actually use my phone all the time, mostly because it is convenient. I was pleasantly surprised with my phone’s camera. I have the Galaxy S8 and the picture quality is the best yet. It might put me out of business someday, but a good photo is a good photo, whether you take it with a phone or with a standard camera.
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Do you have any advice for amateur photographers?
My first piece of advice would be to get tough. There will be a lot of disappointment, especially in an artistic career field. I have seen my fair share of negativity and judgment, and while it can be hard to take, it can only help you grow into an even better photographer.