Interview with Photographer Ron DiCostanzo

[wzslider height=”800″ info=”true” lightbox=”true”]
This is the first of what I hope will be many interviews with photographers to follow.  I came to know Ron DiCostanzo through a business relationship.  I would see Ron setting up product shots as well as beautiful fishing pictures that were blown up and in their conference room.  We quickly realized that we both share a passion for photography.

Bio:

Ron is 51 years old, married with two children and lives in Stratford, CT.  He is the General Manager of ZeeBaas.  He enjoys fishing, photography, woodworking and lure building.

I’d like to share the following discussion we had:

• • Welcome Ron and thanks for participating in our blog. Before we get started tell us a little bit about what you do for a living and does it integrate with your photography?  I’m the GM at ZeeBaaS reels. We manufacture high end waterproof fishing reels.
  • So when did you first become serious about photography? It’s been about 2-3 years now since I really got into it.
  • What did you do to educate yourself in the various components of photography? Mostly from trial & error (mostly error!) and also online photography sites with a huge majority of that being Lynda.com 
  • You take absolutely gorgeous fishing and product photography shots.  Let’s start first with fishing. I assume you’re a fisherman.  Tell us a little about that. I’m a surfcaster who fishes mostly from shore for Striped Bass. This type of fishing is done mostly at night with dusk and dawn being a great time to be out there. Sometimes we swim out to rocks with wetsuits to get a better vantage point to fish from.
  • Do you frequent certain area’s for these shots, if so where? Most of my best shots come from Cuttyhunk Island in MA, and also Montauk Point, NY. These are great spots to fish and great photography backdrops.
  • Are these your friends in the photos or strangers? Those guys are fishing buddies. I still don’t feel 100% comfortable taking candid pictures of people I don’t know without their permission.
  • Your fishing photographs really stand out.  Tell us what you may be doing differently to get this effect? I try to shoot from the perspective I would normally see if I were fishing. That means getting in the water. (I’m always nervous when I put my gear in harm’s way doing this!) My goal is to have the person looking at my photos feel like they are in the water standing on the next rock. The type of fishing we do is not what most people think about when they think of “fishing”. I try to capture the experience with the camera.
  • Let’s talk shop for a minute.  If someone wants to create a fishing silhouette with those beautiful skies tell us how you specifically set up your camera.  I shoot all my photos RAW. As far as ISO, I try to stay at 100 for the best quality shots. With silhouette’s, you’re aiming into to sun so light isn’t usually a problem. I try to get a minimum shutter speed of 400 so I can freeze the action of a cast. If I want to get the rod tip crisp, I have to go much faster or increase ISO. Usually, I set the camera in shutter priority and the camera provides the corresponding aperture.  This is my baseline.  From here I’ll go into manual mode tweaking the aperture to underexpose the shot to my liking to burn in the sky and, at times, provide the silhouette I’m looking for.
  • What should someone take with them if they want to go to the ocean and try their hand at your style of photography? I prepare as if I were actually fishing even if I leave the rod at home and just want to concentrate on photography. I bring waders, Corkers, (Spikes that slip over my boots for better traction on wet rocks), and a secondary waterproof point and shoot that always hangs off my belt. Getting out on the rocks in the surf zone is definitely not for the faint of heart and you need to be very careful and well prepared!
  • OK what cameras do you use and what lenses are your favorites? Right now I’m shooting with a Canon Rebel T3i, but I did splurge on a 70-200 L series lens which is my favorite by far. I also always have with me an Olympus “Tough” digital waterproof camera. In fact the photo of the fisherman holding the fish was taken with the Olympus.  I was fishing alongside my friend when he caught this fish. I don’t bring my DSLR with me when I’m fishing at night because we often swim out to rocks but the Olympus allowed me to capture that shot.
  • Have these photographs ever made their way into magazines or covers? Yes, I have made Surfcasters Journal cover twice. (an online magazine)
  • What is your favorite fishing image? I’m not sure I have a favorite at this point.
  • Tell us about any thoughts you may have on how you are going to bring your fishing photography to the next level. I’m going to do some kayak fishing this year and I’m really looking forward to some new possibilities for photo ops from a totally different perspective.
  • How about if someone doesn’t have a friend that wants to be in their photographs.  Is it possible for them to photograph strangers in a stealth manner? Sure, you can find any beach that fishermen would be at and get there early in the morning when the sky is going to be a beautiful orange color as the sun is coming up.
  • Virtually everyone does some post processing of digital pictures.  What software do you use? I really love Lightroom for post processing and cataloging, and then Photoshop if needed.
  • What do you typically do to your photographs with this software? Since I shoot in RAW, I take the photos I want to keep and do a little adjusting in Lightroom before I export them as jpegs for web or printing.
  • Let’s switch gears over to product and macro photography.  I know you take product shots for your company.  Tell us about the types of items you typically photograph. I photograph our reels and other products for our website and advertising brochures.
  • Explain the set up you use to take these pictures (tent, lights, power and temperature of lights etc.) I use a 2′ x 2′ light tent and some daylight fluorescent bulbs along with a tripod to get all the product photography done.
  • What camera lenses would you use and what is a typical set up. I know depth of field is very important here so what your thoughts on that are as well. I use a 28-70 lens in this case and I use a small aperture to get most of the shot in focus. Slow shutter speeds are no problem because I use tripod and a remote shutter button so I don’t have any camera shake.
  • Please explain what you do in post processing to make these photos pop. This is an area that I would like to learn more about. Right now I just try to make them look pleasing to my eye but I always feel they could be better. I want to learn more about using tone curves & other settings that I don’t know much about right now.
  • Let’s talk about the mind game.  No matter how dedicated we are we all get stale from time to time and our interest can wane.  Successful shooters have ways to get past these speed bumps.  Tell us a little about how you keep your interest and desire for high level photography peaked intellectually and emotionally? Wow, if you figure this out, please let me know how! I struggle with this all the time. I really consider myself more of a fisherman who wants to take people who don’t fish, fishing through photography. (Does that even make sense?) Occasionally, I’ll get an idea for a type of shot I want to capture and that will keep me busy for a time trying to make it happen.
  • Do you consider yourself a fisherman first and a photographer second?  Yes, at this time, I do. I’ve been a serious fisherman for a long time.  However, the photography is running a close second.
  • Do you want to make money with your photographs? Have you considered listing with stock photography sites? Not at this point in time. I don’t feel I’m anywhere near that point yet.
  • If you could purchase any camera out there what would be your dream camera and why? I’d really like to get a Canon 7D. I know it’s not full frame, but I really like the faster burst mode and focusing system on that camera.
  • I’ll ask the same question with regards to a lens? I already have my dream lens! (The 70-200 2.8 IS II)
  • You don’t seem to have a website or blog where you can showcase your talent and share your experiences with others.  Do you see any value in having a photo blog? Yes, I would like to do that soon. I really like the layout you have in your blog so I’ll probably be contacting you soon for some advice!
  • Are there any photographers whose work you admire? Fishing photographers Mike Laptew and Zeno Hromin have really inspired me with their photography. I’m fortunate that both these guys are friends of mine and I can call on them for some advice.
  • Are there any photography sites that you enjoy? I really can’t speak highly enough of Lynda.com. There are plenty of other good sites out there like DPS, (http://digital-photography-school.com/), who put out an excellent free newsletter, but if I could only have one, my decision would take less time than my fastest shutter speed!
  • Tell us where you see tomorrow taking you.  What are your photographic goals and ambitions?  What’s on your bucket list? I’m really just trying to improve my technique at this time but I would like to get into some underwater photography when I can afford it. (That may take a while!)

  By the way if you’re a serious fisherman and demand the very best in gear then visit ZeeBaas and see what they have to offer.  This is top quality, precision, product all manufactured in Stratford, CT!  The vast majority of photographs on this web site were taken by Ron.

  Ron I want to thank you for taking the time to participate in this blog and sharing your beautiful photographs with us.  You’re an inspiration to many of us and your advice is invaluable.