About Rocco Ancora
Being awarded a prestigious accolade such as the Australian Institute of Professional Photography’s wedding photographer of the year once in a career is meritorious; to receive the award three times in a four-year span is a ringing endorsement of the high regard in which his peers hold Rocco’s craftsmanship.
It is a tribute to Rocco’s inherent creative talents and his ability to master and harness the potential of technical aspects of photography, that he has become one of Australia’s preeminent wedding and portrait photographers . He is blessed with natural ability in art and design—excelling in those disciplines at school—Rocco did not set out to become a photographer. He stumbled into photography while studying architecture, a profession that seemed ideal given his interest and talent in design.
Learning on the job in traditional photography provided excellent training for adapting to and excelling in a technology not yet in vogue when Rocco cut his teeth on film—digital photography. While emphasizing that digital photography is no less demanding in technical know- how and artistry, Rocco recognizes the immense value of those early years as an assistant shooting in film. “I believe that one of the reasons I do what I do is because of the solid ground training (that I got) in traditional photography methods. Shooting film was a very different beast. It required knowledge and craftsmanship in order to create a masterpiece on a blank canvas called a negative.”
Rocco's studio "Images by Rocco" is based in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and photographs about 50 weddings a year, approximately 60 portrait sessions and some additional commercial and fashion shoots. The majority of his work, approximately 80 percent, is on location, with the balance shot in the studio. “I love teaching and sharing what I do with other photographers".
In recent years, as evidenced by the success of Australian photographers in WPPI competitions, there is a great deal of interest in the work of photographers from Australia. Rocco , however is emphatic that creativity is a personal trait that can be honed by your own efforts, not by where you call home. “It really has no bearing on what country you are from. Creativity requires the courage to go beyond your comfort zone. Push the boundaries and experiment. The sheer thrill of creating something new every time I shoot is what drives me.
If there is one overarching aspect to Rocco Ancora’s philosophy of being involved with his peers it’s sharing knowledge. “I think that the sharing of knowledge is important for personal growth and paramount to success. It’s really up to the individual what doors in their creative mind that new learned technique will open. In my seminars I am not afraid of sharing with my peers what I do because it’s not only the technical aspects that create an image—it’s how your eyes and your heart see the world. A photograph is a combination of all three elements: technical, vision, emotion. We are all made up of life experiences and therefore we are all different and unique,” he said.
In photography, we stimulate the sense of sight, but in professional photography we must stimulate all the senses, including sound and smell, and this is where hospitality is very important. The way you make people feel makes a big difference to the final outcome and how they, in turn, feel about you and your work.”
“To grow as a photographer I believe that you must always have a thirst for knowledge and, to some extent, never be fully satisfied with what you are doing today. I like to think that tomorrow I will create that ultimate image.”
Need more information?
Contact Bruce on 0409 010 008 (within Australia), or Christina on +614 1487 2840 (0414 872 840 within Australia)
Email: roccsolid@aperfectday.com.au
Register now for Rocc Solid Images Italy 2008
