PHOTOGRAPHER INSIDER: STEVE PIACENTE
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Steve Piacente discusses his photography, creative process, inspirations, and more. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the episode on Podbean, and enjoy the written Q&A below.
Here’s an interesting stat: More than 1.8 trillion photos are taken a year worldwide.
But what is a photograph? Is it a smartphone shot of dessert? A selfie at the beach? One shot after another of the same dog lying on the same couch? To me, a real photo is a moment of stark beauty that no one can alter or take away.
In 2024, I took my love of photography from hobby to business.
If you’re wondering what’s so special, here’s my take: The camera freezes a moment better than the brain, making a photo more reliable than a memory. Call up the photo in five years and it will look the same – crisp and true as the moment it was taken.
Time frays the edges of a memory, swapping accuracy for nostalgia. Or convenience. Or to align with some new set of beliefs. The brain is bound by a law that decrees change as life’s one constant. The camera is unfettered in this way. It simply records the instant. No confusing emotions rise in that instant – or ever – that might cloud the image.
That is the philosophy behind my images. Much has changed since I came along way back in 1954, when Eisenhower was president, no one beat the Yankees, and Elvis was still an unknown. As I’ve gone through life as a journalist, author, speechwriter, professor, and communications consultant, my camera was – and is – always by my side.
What led you to add photography to your career as a professional communicator?
I’ve been interested in photography since a college professor told me, You can take a picture of the Washington Monument, but no one knows how big it is unless you add people. His message was really about perspective, which is critical whether it’s journalism, speechwriting, fiction, teaching, life coaching, or training people to be better public speakers. (I have done all).
What attributes do you have that make you a good photographer?
I’m patient enough to wait for a lion to look right into my lens. 2 – I’m an enthusiastic storyteller – and each photo comes with a story. 3 – I always try to find a new way to shoot subjects we’ve all seen (back to perspective!)
Who or what inspires you? Lots! Faces. Athletes stretching boundaries. Architecture – old and new, weathered and gleaming. Amazing nature (enough said, but I’m partial to sunrise, sundown, fog, snow, rain, plant petals, glaciers, and desert caves. Animals – big ones, little ones, backyard birds, foxes and raccoons. One of my favorite trips was to an elephant sanctuary in Chang Mai, Thailand. I have not done the African safari, yet, but intend to get close to some bears in Juneau this summer.
What personal changes have you had to build your career as a photographer? All I can think of here is that I have a standing deal with my boss at The Communication Center (where I’m Training Director) that permits me to add a couple of days at the beginning or end of a TCC business trip to do my photography.
What do you consider your biggest challenge? Today’s cameras (I use Sony) are packed with features that take a while to use properly. But it’s rare that I blow a shot or fail to come up with a decent image. Getting little kids to look at the camera can be tricky too. For that, I have George, a plush tie (ingenious) that fits onto my lens. When it’s time to shoot, I say look at George, or George sees you. Do you see him? (This stops working when they become teenagers 😉
How has the sales part of the photography industry changed? Photo websites have come a long way! It used to be quite a hassle – order the print in one place, get it framed somewhere else, etc. On my website, you can order your size, finish (acrylic, metal, luster, matte, etc.), pick your frame, and have the whole thing delivered with no pain. If you like a photo, you can also have it printed on greeting cards, refrigerator magnets, mugs, phone cases, or even tote bags!
The website has a feature that lets you use your phone to position the photo on your wall so you can see how it looks before purchasing.
If you could invite any three people to a dinner party, who would they be? Keeping to photography, I’d have to include Ansel Adams, Annie Leibovitz, and Gordon Parks (groundbreaking African American photographer, writer, composer, and film director. Focused on civil rights and racial issues.)
If you could switch careers for a day (to learn something new), what would you choose? In my work for TCC, I routinely work with brilliant people from agencies or institutions like the World Bank, FDA, University of Virginia School of Medicine, the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, several NIH institutes, and many more. So, I’m learning something new every day, which is why retirement is not even on the radar. (And why I wouldn’t switch careers).
What is the most important tip you would pass on to someone just getting started in photography? Shoot your ass off and don’t be discouraged by lousy shots. Anne Lamott, who wrote the definitive book on writing (Bird by Bird), said we must learn to embrace “the shitty first draft.”
Visit Steve’s Photo Shop at https://www.piacentephotos.com/
