I started in 1979 as a geologist (I have a degree in this subject) in fact I took many pictures when I was looking around for my research. I began to use the Macintosh in 1990 and then my work was enriched by it. But in early '80 I made many pictures using the double exposures and the "sandwich" technique duplicating the slides...the results were good but not comparable to the computer composite files we can get today. In 1984 I started to sell my photographic work and I can say that's all right because my pictures are around in many countries where I sold them (U.S.,Germany,New Zealand and ...Italy). In the last time I got some assignments from Germany by really big industries as Gottwald-Demag.

You have made a very successful life with your photography - Is the work always for a client, or do you make pictures for your own pleasure?

Working in Salerno (a not too large city) has made me free to realize some pictures for pleasure when my work is not very stressing.I was lucky when these kind of images have been bought for advertising because it is what happen to me before or later.

Do you have a favourite category of photography? (Do you prefer Fashion, or Still Life - or maybe you prefer your Computer Effects pictures? )

My favourite photography is all that hits my imagination as pure emotion, this may be happen as a technical fact or a creative work. I prefer composite computer photo, the effect must be produced by the unusual composition (unreal, dreamlike), really I don't like the computer generated landscapes we can see on computer magazines.In brief the ideal picture may be a balanced cocktail of images.

How did you make your first contact with a company such as Saatchi and Saatchi?

More of the contacts with companies as Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett and others are made by agents, graphic studios, photo agencies, art directors etc...because I spend my time to realize the works and other people coordinates the contacts.

(I always think that the words "Art" and "Style" - go hand in hand with the word "Italian".) Looking at your Digital Effects work , the pictures are very stylish - clean and sharp. The same comment about the Fashion photographs - the models - and the images - very classy! Interesting - I can see the "Italian" natural talent for design and purity. The images seem to be about design and purity? (Qualities that have been lost in the search for "expression". You have made me think - )

Thank you for your thinking about the Italian style, but I think that the style may be everywhere and you know some relevant artistic things have happened far from Italy (see you at the fenomenous as the Beatles or Andy Warhol). However Italian classics (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Giotto, Vivaldi, Verdi ...) are a must to do better because the players are us now. A rule I fixed in my working is trying to keep the class and quality to a high standard, this becomes a problem when you are only creative. A sample in what I said we can find in the fact that my pictures are all about hundred Mb. because the time spent to work on an image is much and many times I saw very creative works burned by the low quality.

I spoke about the Italian style of purity and simplicity - although I agree that style is everywhere - ie Warhol, the Beatles - I think that the artwork and design of Italy does have a special tradition of - OK - Classicism - the clean line - even in this time now.

Ok, the Italian style today. I can say it is just what you need to see.Not too much, not less.

From where do you get your inspiration? You talk about the "dreamlike" qualities in your images - you must have a brilliant imagination.

The word "dreamlike": I read it the first time on evaluation about me by Profotos.com

http://www.profotos.com/pros/profiles/index.cfm?member=189 and I say dreamlike just as my inspiration, yes I try to transpose my dream visions in a picture... something not easy for me: in fact I need some weeks to clear the fog and the average time I spend to make a picture is two days.I shoot the photographs I need, and using Adobe Photoshop I put them together (remember the Photoshop advert: if you can dream it you can make it). The technical is to do all with the same or similar light, same white balance. Working on a picture which probably may be enlarged for an advertisement (because firstly I don't know what may be the destination) I try to have a file more clear and sharp. That's the reason to work on a large file of hundred megabites or more.This fact allows you to utilize powerful computer machines or you will be lost yourself in the time. (As hardware I prefer the Macintosh). As cameras I have a lot of cameras but I don't care for one specific camera, I care about the picture only. In the last times I'm employing two digital cameras and I think that it's the right way to do better.

Ciro - thanks for that. You are a very interesting and very talented artist - and it is a pleasure to talk with you

Carol, I think you're bringing me too much high, I can think to be sophisticated sometimes, but I'm a simple man who used to pass the Sunday with his daughter and wife or looking at the football. Along the time spent working I'm a little bit foxy with the technicism, but not a genius. However thank you for your compliments -

Can you tell me - which digital camera do you use? (I have the Canon G2 which I like very much)

Firstly I use the Nikon D1x digital camera (reflex as the Nikon F5) and the ultimate Nikon Coolpix 5000 which is my "emergency camera" or the "block notes". I like the Canon G2 I used in a little job two mounths ago because a friend gave me it for some days.

Have you been inspired by any particular artist/photographer?

The photographers I like are: Ryszard Horowitz (I think He did better in the past what I do well today) Cheyco Leidmann (for his strange interpretation of the fashion photography and the colour saturation) Richard Avedon (for the perfection). I'm continuing my photographic story because they exists.

I would like to finish, by asking you about your plans for the future - as you are so successful as a photographer/artist the whole world belongs to you. Do you have dreams that you would like to realise.

For the future I don't think anything, I live the present, day after day, hoping to do something of really good before or later. I'm glad to be as I am,but if you want to know about a dream ...yes I would be like Kevin Costner! Escuse me for this joke. My professional dream is goin' on better for this way.

I'm glad you are not Kevin Costner - but Ciro Antinozzi - Fotografo - extraordinaire!

Ciro Antinozzi Gallery
Ciro's Website

GO TO INTERVIEW WITH:

Fred Leavitt

Tantra Bensko