Alessandro Bosio
Alessandro Bosio

Alessandro Bosio

TIFA 2022 Interview with Alessandro Bosio
1st Place winner in Events, Non-Professional, “Flying Hard Rock”

Q: Tell us a little bit about your background. How did you develop a passion for photography? 

My name is Alessandro Bosio. I am a photographer based in Torino (Italia) focused on live music, portrait and landscape photography. 

My love for photography has grown more and more traveling and discovering new cultures. I am just one of the many self-taught photographers who studied the technique and then set out to experiment. 

Nothing more, nothing less. 

Q: Could you provide more details about how you captured this award-winning photograph? What was the main idea behind it, and how did you go about constructing it? 

Taking photos at concerts might seem simple, but it is not. While it is true that the situation itself is captivating, technically the frequent light changes and the artist’s movements are extremely unexpected and never the same. Every concert, song, venue and artist is completely different from any other. 

To me taking photos at concerts is mostly a matter of dedication. Before each live show you have to study the artist, watch videos/pictures on the internet to know his moves (I do), gestures, whether he is right or left handed (for example to know if he will hold the microphone with his right or left hand), know the set list of songs, if there will be an important moment (i.e. pyros) or a particular interaction with the audience. 

It’s essential to know that concert photographers can take pictures only during the first 3 songs (“3 songs no flash” is the golden rule of this business) and then they have to leave the venue. Sometimes they can’t even move from a particular location. 

It also happened to me a “30 seconds and then out” photo policy, so you can easily understand why i use to say that you have to be prepared. A concert photographer has a really short time to do his best. 

That’s why i think that knowing what might happen, along with a good technical preparation, makes the difference between an acceptable photo, a good one and the worst ever. In my case it was mostly luck 🙂 

It’s true, I knew what kind of concert I was going to see (The Darkness band was one of my favourites) and I set my camera in the right way, but that moment, that jump, well, that was 99% luck. 

Q: What does it mean to you to get this award? 

It means a lot to me and I am very glad that my work attracted an international jury.

This award drives me further and further in my work, but I must not forget that i have to continue studying, experimenting and taking care of my passion. 

Q: Photography is a great medium for communicating various messages to people. What are your thoughts on this tool and how do you use it? 

Although video is becoming the most widely used medium to communicate, especially to young people, I still think about photography as a tool to connect and inform. 

A lot of people thinks that the word “photography” means “drawing with light”, but i think that the right meaning is “writing with light”. 

To me a photographer is exactly like a journalist. That’s why if i have to document a concert i use to take pictures at every single band member, at the venue, at the crowd, etc because i think the photographer is there to tell a story, in the most complete way I can. 

Q: What would you say best describes your photography and your style? 

I really don’t think I have a personal style. If you think about a concert/live show you’ve been you will probably agree with me if I say that it was completely different from anyone else you’ve seen before.
I think that in live music photography you can’t have a single and personal style (with the exception of postproduction). Bruce Lee once said “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water.” I agree 🙂

Q: What one thing do you wish you had known before you started taking pictures? 

That it would have been so amazing.
I would have started much much earlier 

Q: Could you tell us what photography gear you personally like to use? 

In terms of gear, I’ve always been a Nikon photographer and i like to use short lenses (focal length between 20mm and 30mm) because I like to center the subject in the whole scene. By the way I don’t think that gear is so important. It helps but if you know how to communicate with photography you can easily do the same things (in a different way) with a phone camera or any other camera. 

Q: What would you say are some essential tools for new photographers?

Culture, passion and curiosity. Then a camera 🙂

Q: Whose work has had the greatest impact on you? 

Too many photographers inspired (and inspire) me.
In Italy, I would say Guido Harari for sure.

Q: What are your future plans? Do you have any exciting projects going on right now that you could tell us about? 

I will go to Lofted Island to improve my travel/landscape photography skills. I hope to come back with a new photo good enough for the next TIFA! 

Q: If you had limitless funds for a dream project, what would you do? 

Travel the world, spend the nights in small traditional houses looking for the last remaining authentic places and cultures on the planet, to tell their story without ever revealing where they are.