Kyle Basile Model Portfolio Family Portrait Photographer Interview
Q: Tell your funniest, scariest, most bizarre, most touching story from a photo shoot!
A: Funniest story, I would have to say up in Bouquet Canyon up in the Angeles national forest near Lancaster, Ca. I fall in the water almost every time I shoot there, it’s kind of an ongoing funny story that keeps getting colder and funnier.
Q: How would you describe your attention span?
A: When I photograph my attention span is pretty lengthy, however when I’m not photographing I tend to jump around a bit.
Q: Do you like to talk about yourself or your pictures? If yes, about what aspects of photography? If no, why?
A: I prefer to talk about my photography, they are much more interesting and vary in style and composition. Plus there are so many to talk about so there’s never a lack of conversation.
Q: When did you decide to become a photographer?
A: I started as a welder in college learning the trade and working in a shop, and soon after being hired I realized the grunt work of welding was not for me. I started to fill my college schedule with elective classes and photo 101 happened to be one of the choices. So I took the class and liked it so much I decided to sta4rt shooting family and friends with my Canon Rebel G. about 4 months after I decided to make the transition to digital and purchased a Canon xti and a Balcar studio lighting set. I’ve been shooting everything from infant portraits to models portfolios since then.
Q: What does photography mean to you?
A: Photography is my way of expressing feeling and my own translation of mood and expression of emotion.
Q: Can you recall the first photo you took that made you go WOW!?
A: I can, I t was a photo of a staircase at the college I was studying at, I still have the print to this day, hanging on the wall.
Q: Do you have any formal training regarding photography?
A: Only photo 101 black and white film.
Q: How technical is your photography?
A: Technical in the matter of composition, lighting, temperature, perspective and balance.
Q: How do you feel about cropping?
A: If needed shoot wide and crop later provided you can spare the Megapixels. If you do not have this luxury, then take the extra moment to frame what you are shooting and solve the problem that way.
Q: Where is your favorite place to live and work as a photographer in the World and why?
A: My ideal location to do my photography and live would have to be Los Angeles.
Q: Define the word “beauty”!
A: Beauty is what positive and good you can see from your own perspective.
Q: What is your most favorite and least favorite word in photography or life? How do they make you feel?
A: Least favorite word in photography would have to be “edgy”. It’s a vague word and used to cover a lack of knowledge to describe a style that doesn’t seem to have a baseline meaning.
Q: How does your personality change when you look through the camera?
A: Not much at all, I am the same with a camera to my face or a casual conversation.
Q: How do you feel about missed shots which cannot be recreated?
A: I remind myself of a little phrase and keep my eyes open for the next one. The phrase I remind myself of is : “I’ll just have to keep this moment for me”
Q: Ever concerned about failure?
A: Daily, the moment I let myself not be concerned about success is the day I lay the camera down for good.
Q: Who are your influences?
A: I am strongly influenced by popular actors on television, I see the attitudes and characters they play and determine is I can use those views and character qualities to expose a specific emotion or feeling from a subject I photograph. As far as photographic influences I admire Sally Mann, David Lachapelle, and Richard Avedon.
Q: What is your favorite image, either your own or someone else’s or both? Describe its creation or meaning to you?
A: Richard Avedon’s the bee keeper. It reminds me of a bad nightmare. for someone to be able to creates an images that suggests such a strong feeling myself the viewer, it becomes a favorite.
Q: Describe a day in your personal or professional life.
A: A normal day in my life working or not, consists of, waking around 9am, breakfast, email check, equipment check, a phone call to the model(s) and I’m off to shoot for the day.
Q: What are the biggest personal or professional challenges you face on a daily basis?
A: Always wanting to create something more and better. As well as creating it with a sense of urgency to keep myself sharp and productive.
Q: What has been the single biggest obstacle against growing as a photographer in whole?
A: Doubting my own feelings and lack of motivation. My motivation comes in waves and leaves in waves. When I shoot I am creating when motivation fleas, I stop shooting.
Q: What are your favorite subjects to photograph?
A: I love photographing the human body, I am slightly obsessed with how we move, work, and react to different situations. I love creating or setting of a set of events to get a reaction from a subject and photographing the feeling they display with their body and facial expression.
Q: Have you ever thought about or actually stopped doing photography? What were the circumstances?
A: I have lost the drive in a couple of short instances and thought about it, but then again I don’t know what I would do with myself if I cannot create.
Q: Do you ever have photographer’s block and if yes how do you deal with it?
A: Yes I do, it drives me crazy. The number one way I handle it is to keep myself up for days at a time and go crazy with the coffee and energy drinks, after exhaustion sets in I start to think in a different manner and begin to create once again.
Q: What types of assignments are you attracted most?
A: Model portfolios and family portraits.
Q: Describe what black and white photography means to you?
A: Black in white is a matter of getting simple black and grey to balance out and pattern in a way that is aesthetically stimulating to the viewer.
Q: Do you think of yourself as an artist and what do you think of the word artist?
A: I consider myself to be a creator of emotion through my works of painting with light.
Q: How do you describe your photographic style?
A: Kyle, I feel and see myself falling into my own, and am very proud of what I see.
Q: What has been the most surprising or most predictable reaction to your photographs?
A: Normally the predictable reactions is a stare and a “how you think of this stuff?”
Q: Tell a little secret about yourself that no-one knows …
A: If I told you then you wouldn’t have a reason to be one of my subjects ;)
Q: Who or what would you love to shoot that you haven’t already?
A: Christian Hosoi, Hugh Laurie, Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Vera Farmiga , John Malcovich, John Travolta, Johnny Depp, Jessica Alba.
Q: What would you have done differently during your photography career so far and could this be an advice to others?
A: Take every life experience as it walks past you, sure this could work as advice to others.
Q: What are your thoughts on the paparazzi and their effects on photographers and photography?
A: If it pays the bills and you enjoy what you do, go for the gold!
Q: How do you feel about digital manipulation and to what extent do you utilize it?
A: I love it, and use it to enhance a photograph and make it more interesting.
Q: What other thoughts would you like to share?
A: Email me at kwbphotography{at}yahoo.com and I’ll throw some thoughts your way.
Visit Kyle’s photography website and MySpace profile.
Wow, really nice site and interesting interiews