Today we’d like to introduce you to Mario Forgione.
Mario, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as a photographer.
I grew up watching my dad take photos. My family gave a new definition to “weekend warrior.” Every summer was a different adventure. See every waterfall in New Hampshire? Done. See every lighthouse in New England? Done. Go see the sun rise in the most northern part of the U.S.A.? Kind of done. We accidentally ended up in Canada and spent three nights there (pre-GPS days, thanks Mapquest). Whether I was being dragged out of bed to see the sunrise or pulling over on the side of the road because we saw a lake to swim in, a camera was always in hand. I thank my parents for my eagerness to document life. They instilled an urgency to explore and learn from this life journey.
Beyond my family, National Geographic was a huge inspiration. I remember spending hours staring at the photographs in their magazines, imagining what it would be like to be in that moment. I remember looking at photographs of Mount Everest, Patagonia, and other corners of the world and thinking “I need to photograph these someday.” I began taking my dad’s Minolta film camera out with me wherever I went, and never really put a camera down after that.
We’d love to hear more about your photography. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I photograph a wide range of subjects. I primarily shoot landscapes, nature, and travel as my passion for digital and film. After my time at Emmanuel College, my then professor turned mentor Stephan Jacobs taught me the intricacies of large format film photography and haven’t turned back. Beyond nature, I enjoy photographing bands and taking film portraits. Neil DeGrasse Tyson has been quoted saying, “It’s the knowledge I’m going to die that creates the focus that I bring to being alive,” which motivates me to capture a scene or subject to tell a story. I want to document a journey, whether it’s in the moment or over a life time. I want people to see my artwork and feel inspired to explore themselves and the world, just as the Nat Geo magazines did for me.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
I think the most difficult thing is finding your own niche and creating a piece or collection of work that stands out of the crowd. A challenge I think about often is everyone with a smartphone has a camera in their pocket, so how am I going to differentiate myself? And there’s no right answer to this. I’ve started reverting back through the medium, from digital to 35mm and 120mm, to large format film, and hope to continue backwards in photography while striving forwards. Universally, I think artists can collaborate and work with each other more, even if it’s across mediums! I’m a full believer in the saying, “a rising tide raises all ships.”
A lesson or more so quality I wish I learned earlier is patience. Take your time with your work, step away from it and look in from another angle or time of day; it’s crazy how much a landscape or subject can change. Take 1,000 photos of the same place, and you’ll find what was there before isn’t there now, or vice versa. Ultimately, you’re creating for you. One final lesson is the idea of surrounding yourself with people better than you; “if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” Don’t be afraid to leave the comfort of where you are and expand your boundaries and abilities.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can find my work on Instagram/Facebook @mforgionephoto or my website mforgionephoto.zenfolio.com! I will have paperback books coming soon of travel and unseen 4”x5” film work which will advertise across the platforms. On Instagram, you’ll see traveling, behind the scene photo shoots, tips on developing film or current projects.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mforgionephoto.zenfolio.com/
- Phone: 781-479-9072
- Email: mforgionephoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mforgionephoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mforgionephoto/
Image Credit:
Image of Mario: Emily Weber, all other images are Mario’s
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