Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Floto.
Hi Patrick, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story is a one of balancing experiencing memories and recording them.
I joined the Marine Corps in 2003 as a Combat Correspondent, aka a military journalist or ‘propaganda manufacturer.’ I chose that job primarily due to my interest in writing as I had never used a camera before. My biggest regret during my four years of service across the globe was not taking photography seriously despite having access to the best training, equipment, and permission to shoot available at the time. I have almost no photos to my name during that time despite all of the amazing (and horrifying) things I saw, I only have the memories and the words I wrote down to describe them to my audience.
In college I did nightclub photography as a side gig and quickly realized just how much photos enhanced the experience in the days before cell phone cameras were good enough to take decent pictures at night. Stories and memories fade, but photos are forever for better or worse! I studied abroad in Egypt, Lebanon and Israel for nearly two years combined and was always the photographer on group trips. I achieved some major shots, but after a while realized I spent too much time behind a view finder and not enough in the experience and let my Nikon D90 collect dust for 10 years.
I feel like my life was also collecting dust for those 10 years since I returned home. Sure, I got married and was successful in my unrelated career, but I really don’t have anything to show for that time aside from fading memories and words. I was just experiencing life day by day. That changed when I realized I had nothing but a camera phone to capture my daughter’s first day in this world back in 2022. Any photo of Zofia is a beautiful photo, but I know I could have done so much better when she was sleeping under the golden glow of that delivery room warming light.
The ‘duh’ moment happened a few months later when I realized that we are lucky enough to live in a town where there is abundant access to talented performers on a wide variety of sets professionaly designed to aesthetic perfection for nothing more than the price of an annual pass at any one of the theme parks. That ease of access gives the opportunity to experiment in unique environments without fear of ‘missing the shot.’
That’s my philosophy on photography now. Get the ‘safety shots’ as a sign of respect for your client’s time and money, but make sure you cater to creatives who don’t mind throwing in a bit of extra time to try something new that may or may not work. I see every photoshoot as a means to ‘level up’ from the previous one. It is not a grind or a craft or a job to me, it’s an individual journey I take with new people every time they schedule with me!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I learned very late in life something most creatives learn very early: rejection is redirection. Arts and entertainment are luxuries that nobody arguably ‘needs,’ so it’s something that needs to be constantly showcased and offered in hopes of catching that one eye out of the hundreds that won’t even share a glance.
This experience has taught me a valuable lesson though: you don’t need to impress everyone in order to make an impact. Ultimately what matters is your own satisfaction with the work you put out, and anyone that shares your vision will happily come along for the journey.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a photographer. By definition, photography is creating art out of captured photons of light. I prefer the darker end of the light spectrum and creating intentional and prominent shadows in my work. I always shoot at least a third of a ‘stop’ underexposed to give me more opportunities to choose the color and tone of the shadows in my photos to create a subtly surreal version of what the eye sees in reality.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Respect and empathy for the people brave enough to have an image of themselves permanently preserved and presented. Before I began shooting people creatively three years ago, I hired a photographer to shoot me to see what it feels like in front of the glass and I strive to make sure it is a memorable and fun experience to be looked back on fondly every time they see the photos.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Patrick Floto
pFlotography
