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Roberto Falck:
Liquid Elegance
By Mary McGrath
When I first browsed the images of Roberto Falck, not only was I amazed at his
range of talent, but there was also a certain something that begged me to look a
bit deeper at his photography. Was it his international travels? The wedding and
portrait work? His advertising images? Of course, the answer was yes to all of
these questions, but what really stopped me in my tracks was his underwater photography.
I've always loved the work of Howard Schatz, but I'd never seen his techniques applied
to wedding photography. Executing land-based wedding photography is an art unto itself,
but adding in the element of water truly tests the skills of any professional.
Lucky for Roberto, he is not just any professional, and his photographic journey is
indeed an interesting one. Born in Ecuador, he attributes his love of the outdoors to
his father, who was a native climber in his country. Roberto's father also had an
extensive collection of National Geographic magazines that captured Roberto's
visual interest at an early age.
Although enchanted with the idea of being a photographer in Ecuador, Roberto knew
there was a fair amount of uncertainty in this field, so he moved to the United
States to pursue a more practical vocation, eventually graduating from college with
a finance degree.
But the dream of a photography career continued. After graduating from Kurtztown
University in Pennsylvania, he realized he wasn't a suit-and-tie guy, so in 1997 he
returned to New York City to embrace photography once again. For a few years, he was
an assistant to several photographers, trying his hand at fashion, portrait, product
and other types of imagery. Roberto soon understood that he couldn't make a decent
living if he remained an assistant.
In 1999, he transitioned into web design and development; he continued in the web
business for five years. During this time, he had the opportunity to enjoy some
international travel, which allowed him to again pursue photography. He utilized
his business background to create a newsletter featuring many of his international
shots. This savvy business ploy piqued the interest of a particular friend who delighted
in his images and wanted to hire him for a wedding shoot. Although Roberto hadn't
done weddings before, the assignment was enticing, as his client allowed him to
take liberties with the shoot. His journalistic style applied to the session,
the wedding shoot was a huge success, and it ignited Roberto's passion to give
professional photography another chance.
As fate would have it, Roberto got a wake-up call in 2005 when he was laid off
from his web developer job. Maybe now was the time to take a serious plunge into
photography. By 2006, he was a full-time wedding photographer, and although this
was still a relatively new endeavor for him, he decided to give himself to the end
of the year to make it professionally. The gamble paid off.
A turning point in Roberto's photographic career was when he listened to Gary
Fong speak. Prior to seeing Gary, Roberto described himself as a "shoot-and-burn"
photographer with little business acumen or flair for handling the personal side
of his career. In listening to Gary, Roberto learned that it's not enough to be
artistic, that business practices require attention as well. Roberto realized that
by simply applying Gary's strategies, he really could earn a living doing photography.
By 2006, Robert knew that he needed more space for his business to flourish. In
Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, he noticed a small storefront that would soon be
vacated by a photographer who was relocating. Although it was small, the 400-square-foot
space was large enough to accommodate his needs without incurring too much expense; he
took it over and began his expansion.
The Park Slope area was also a family-friendly neighborhood. Knowing that he couldn't
solely survive on doing weddings, Roberto began doing portraits of families, babies
and children. Another essential component of his photographic success had begun. In
regards to his child portraiture, Roberto remarks, "I always keep it simple. I use
very few props because I want to concentrate on the child--the portrait--rather than
make it commercial."
Throughout 2006, Roberto tried to master the nuances of running a photo business.
That same year a friend mentioned WPPI to him. It was his involvement in WPPI that
marked a turning point in his career. Initially, WPPI seemed like an exorbitant
expense, but as with any business, you have to invest money to make money. Roberto
soon found the investment was well worth every penny. Not only did it spark his
creativity, but it also brought him a plethora of new business ideas that he could
apply to photography. He left his first WPPI convention renewed and invigorated.
This investment paid off handsomely. In 2004, Roberto had only done 13 weddings.
By 2006, he was up to 30 weddings and 50 portrait sessions. In 2007, he shot 50
weddings and 104 portrait sessions.
It was the WPPI seminar hosted by Vicki Taufer in particular that had a tremendous
impact on Roberto. Her seminar showed him how to sell and present himself to clients,
so that he wasn't only displaying his images, but actually creating an experience for
them. "You not only have to have good photos, but you have to know how to price your
services as well," explains Roberto. "She [Vicki] taught me about relationship
marketing and the business of being profitable."
In fact, Roberto has partnered with a maternity clothing store in Park Slope,
where he's had several exhibitions of his regular land-based weddings and portraits
as well as his unique underwater sessions.
Roberto's segue into underwater photography can largely be attributed to the
renowned Howard Shatz, whom Roberto met in 1997. Howard's work made an indelible
impression on Roberto, but also important was Howard's advice that one should develop
an image bank of unique shots to help differentiate oneself from other photographers.
Roberto began shooting underwater when he learned to scuba dive in 2004. He decided
to take his Canon 20D on a dive, encased in its waterproof housing. Although Roberto
enjoyed underwater photography, he wasn't a David Doubilet; shooting fish and plankton
didn't really resonate with him. But when he began doing destination weddings, the
thought of combining his underwater interests with wedding photography sparked a
new project. While in Tobago, he decided to try shooting a wedding couple underwater.
The ceremony had already taken place, and although the bride was hesitant about
damaging her dress, she decided to go along with his proposal, so she submerged
herself in the pool for the shoot. The groom also joined in, donning his shirt and
bow tie--liquid elegance was born.
At the end of 2006, Roberto had another destination wedding planned, so he pitched
the underwater session to another couple. He showed them images of the Tobago couple,
and they were soon on board. For these early sessions, Roberto used a Canon 20D and
a black fabric draped on the side of the pool as a backdrop. The images were taken
in the shady area of the pool with available light, so no strobe had to be used. The
simple setup worked initially, until Roberto graduated to more sophisticated measures.
Roberto attributes his evolution in underwater portraiture to Ed Pierce and Larry
Peters. Roberto says, "Ed Pierce in his Photovision DVD series had a great
interview with Larry Peters, who explains how to do this sort of thing. This was a great
help in figuring out a few details." Soon Roberto had access to swimming pools in
Long Island and Westchester, and on his blog he advertised his need for couples willing
to take the plunge with him. His style evolved and required a more elaborate setup
within the swimming pool; he began using strobes triggered to a slave to lights
outside the pool, techniques he had learned from Larry Peters. Regarding the new
pool setup, Robert comments, "It was a fascinating technical puzzle."
As the underwater sessions advanced, Roberto began implementing maternity portraiture
into his shoots. Roberto liked the idea of women being submerged, as the images
reflected the maternal beauty and elegance of the miracle of life. He was ecstatic
at being able to combine all his passions--nature, diving and photography--plus he
was carving out a new niche and distancing himself from other notable photographers.
Roberto's underwater sessions are certainly not easy. While he wears a wetsuit during the
shoot, couples often become uncomfortable if they are underwater too long. He finds
that working with dancers helps circumvent this problem. "They know how to move, which
makes the process much easier," says Roberto.
Roberto has now graduated to the Canon 5D for all underwater work. The full-frame
images are one advantage, but the underwater housing is specifically designed for
the 5D. Some of his other preferences for equipment include several Canon lenses
for his outdoor wedding work. The majority of Roberto's images utilize natural
light, but if needed, he relies on Canon 580EX Speedlites along with a Frezzi
video light.
In only a few years, Roberto has made tremendous progress in his endeavors. At the
2007 WPPI Convention and Trade Show, he received six Accolades of Excellence in the
8x10 print competition. Whether his photography is done above or below the water,
for Roberto Falck, it's all about the evolution of talent. Darwin, take note. For
more information, visit
www.robertofalck.com.
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