Interview with Flavio Bandiera

FLAVIO BANDIERA – Interview for EJAlbum

Published by Ti Sposi magazine.

1. Flavio, thank you for this interview. Shall we start right away with something to tell our readers about Albania? Do you know this country?

Albania is one of the countries I haven't visited yet, although I would like to, and I hope to have the chance soon. I believe it is a unique country, but one also close to Italian culture. I would be interested, I would like to get to know it, including for the purposes of my work.

1. In Albania the Italian way of organising a wedding, with attention to detail, is very well known, and Italian fashion for clothing, invitations, sugared almonds, etc. is very much followed. But our weddings sometimes last 2-3 days; after the ceremony we dance for hours and hours until morning, and afterwards there are some traditions such as: burning a handkerchief for the groom while dancing, the ceremony of the whole wedding party going together to fetch the bride on Sunday morning, etc. What does it feel like to photograph such an event?

Yes, in fact, when I referred to Albania with the word unique, I would say precisely these characteristics. Contact with different cultures, discovering and documenting customs and traditions that are far from our own, represents an enrichment of a person's knowledge and a rather interesting creative stimulus.

Over time, I have become ever more convinced that on a path of personal growth it is important for a photographer to broaden their panorama of knowledge, discovering and analysing new traditions that stimulate cultural enrichment. All of this contributes strongly to building an experience that allows you to approach weddings anywhere in the world with curiosity.

1. Flavio, you're considered one of the most important wedding photographers in Italy, and even on the list of the 350 most important photographers in the world. How does one become a good wedding photographer?

I can answer this question without hesitation: with boundless passion. It is passion that supports you and pushes you to overcome the difficulties you encounter every day. Especially today, when a photographer is no longer asked to be merely a skilled professional, but also a capable entrepreneur. To overcome the challenges of an ever harsher market, they must master management and marketing skills, take care of technical aspects, the constant updating of equipment, training, and all the other parameters that revolve within a company. By coordinating all these elements, important results can certainly be achieved, at every level.

1. On that note, do you have any advice for young photographers documenting an event so important for a couple's life?

Of course I do. The first piece of advice I can give is to free your mind of preconceptions. Every wedding has its own particularity, and that event is unique for the couple, but also for the photographer. Each time they will find different light, different people, and often different settings too. That's why it's important to assess everything and to maximise what you have available in order to achieve different, and better, results for each assignment. Look for novelty even if it doesn't fit with what has always been done; go beyond the first idea that comes to mind — and this is the suggestion I always give to the participants of my seminars.

1. And while we're on the subject: any advice also for brides and grooms, imagining you've seen a great deal over the course of your career?

I would like to take advantage of this question to repeat what I usually tell my clients: why organise, with such care, an event so unique for your life — one that will bring so many loved ones together around you and will make you happier than ever before — without leaving behind a testimony just as precious for your generations and for yourselves? Among the many details of a wedding, it seems unbelievable to say, but perhaps it is precisely photography that plays one of the most important roles. Everything passes; your photographs and memories will always stay with you.

1. What is the current trend in wedding photography? What are couples in Italy and around the world looking for today?

In recent years, tastes and wishes have changed very quickly, both among photographers and clients. Perhaps it's the result of the influence of the communication that surrounds us, which creates and shapes new styles mainly through the use of images. A strong indicator comes from Anglo-Saxon countries, where over time the need has grown, on the wedding day, to devote oneself almost exclusively to the guests. This has also changed the photographer's work, who, adapting, has shifted their style toward spontaneous photography — a non-invasive testimony that allows you to show the event without influencing what is happening. I find this photographic genre very stimulating, especially when combined with research and a distinct style, which some photographers around the world have managed to achieve with their images.

1. Let's get to the big question: in your opinion, traditional or digital album?

The numbers are undoubtedly clear. The world of wedding photography is moving entirely toward digital albums; the advantages are evident and beyond dispute. I in particular have chosen Album Epoca, a system that combines advanced technology with the artisanal quality of handmade work.

1. And finally: what should a newly married young couple's wedding album look like? What must never be missing from it?

It cannot lack emotion and wonder. And these indispensable elements are something that must first come naturally from the subjects themselves (this, without question), but importantly, also from the photographer. If the love the newlyweds feel for each other comes into contact with the work of a photographer who loves what they do, it is impossible for anything to be missing from a young couple's album. I am certain of this.

Material and interview prepared by Julinda Mbrica for EJAlbum and Ti Sposi Magazine.

# 2012, Photo Albums, Article, Bandiera Studio, Albanian Wedding, EJAlbum Albania, Flavio Bandiera Album Epoca, Albanian Photographers, Julinda Mbrica, Magazine, Testimonial