An Interview with Photographer
Roy Caratozzolo III

Roy Caratozzolo's Website
www.tozzophoto.com

Which photographers do you enjoy, and who influences your work?
I enjoy photographers who shoot on the street or in undefined places. Two photographers who stick out most are Winogrand and Weegee. Both street photographers, they consistently captured the scenes we all miss. Their ability to compose a shot out of the mundane is fuel for my eye. To see things in areas and places that we all look at, but do not SEE, is what these photographers have captured and brought fourth to us..

Where did you learn photography, and what drew you to it?
I learned how to photograph while in high school in New Jersey. I got a manual SLR camera, a Richoh XR-1 and learned how to expose and shoot manually. I immediately enjoyed the scenes I could capture and I found it provided a satisfaction inside of me that nothing else that interested me at the time could. I then would shoot for anyone who needed a photographer—the yearbook, the school newspaper, friends, family, anyone. College was on the horizon, so I decided to major in it at the University of Connecticut art school where I got my BFA in 1994.

Your photos seem to focus somewhat on overlooked or unnoticed aspects of life. What inspires you to take a photograph?
I realized long ago that people like to “read” photographs. We all do it. Look around and see “what’s that there for” or “why is he holding that” or “how did THAT get there.” I look for things like that. People throw a huge variable in the mix. People make lots of faces and gestures, so I like to include them as much as I can, but not in an obvious way. People are simply “earth bound objects” in my images. It is the scene that matters; why all those earthly things are in my lens at this time is my story. Try and figure it out when you look at one—that is the game I am making for the viewer.

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Roy Caratozzolo's Website www.tozzophoto.com

 

One of your images captures a dog with a bag of chips in his mouth urinating on a sidewalk. Where did you take that photo and how did you get the shot?
I'm glad you asked about this image for it is a classic example of the kind of photography I always wanted to do. While in NYC I carry my current camera with me, a Nikon n90s, and I look for scenes as I walk. This was one I saw while walking up 33rd street on the east side. This dog was weaving in and out of people, so I slowed my pace and set up for some shooting. Just him with the chips was funny enough. His owner was following him, but was like a half block away. It is like the two were playing a game… Then, thinking he had some time to spare, the dog propped up his leg and let loose. Classic! I love how the humans around the dog do not even care that there is a huge puddle of nice bright yellow urine below.

Where does digital editing come into play in your work?
I shoot with film, but the computer does play a role. I scan every image I like and correct it for color, and remove all dust and scratches. It is from these digitally edited images that I make all my prints from. I rarely use the negative to make a photo any longer. When I do it will be for a black and white image. There is something about film that digital images cannot compete with—color and fidelity. I can anticipate the look of my images depending on the film I use. I can also use film for certain needs—Fuji for good skin tones and vivid foliage, Kodak for great blues and wonderful snow scenes. Every photographer is different, for each of our eyes see slightly differently, so some may disagree. Film also has a higher fidelity than digital shots. Even with your new 11MP cameras that are out today, they cannot recreate the feel of an image taken from film. There is more depth and the richness of the color depth is just too much for me to abandon film just yet.

You have a background in technology as well as photography. Do you think the future of photography is now permanently attached to the computer or will traditional techniques always thrive?
Try getting a job with any publication now with the camera I use. Digital is the way to go when you need to save money. Digital cameras are used by all newspapers, magazines, paparazzi, etc. Film is “dead” in the mass professional world. However, there are 100’s or even 1000’s of photographers who still use it like digital never came about. I am just speaking of 35mm film here. There are many film formats, but I can only speak for 35mm. I knew that photography would thrive off of the computer, for the computer has replaced the darkroom, even for a traditional photographer like myself. Once my film is developed, the computer is used. This is a technique I accepted without even realizing that I had abandoned the darkroom. Photography is filled with chemicals, especially in the darkroom, so to do the same thing without them is a natural progression. I do believe though, that traditional techniques will never go away fully, and that soon we will see a resurgence in traditional techniques as we are beginning to get saturated with photography and cameras again. Just the other day I saw a commercial by HP "welcome to the new age of photography, you are the photographer and the photo lab". It will be interesting to watch film die. An over 100 year old tool transplanted by electronics.