Joseph Corsentino is one of those rare and wonderful
photographers whose images reach out and grabs the imagination of
the viewer. Although many artists have tried to re-create the magic
of fairy lore, Joseph has succeeded in capturing their souls, and
displaying their inner essence within his amazing fantasy
photographs. It is with great pleasure that I introduce the man
behind the keeper of the secrets of When fairies ruled the world"
Joseph Corsentino.
Winged Creature
Although you were raised in Long Island New York, did your
birthplace of Bogot Columbia (filled with its mixture of
prosperity and poverty, ancient and modern art) influence your
art? Being adopted into an Italian family, I didn't fully
realize the nature of my heritage until years later. I became
interested in ancient South American civilizations on my own. They
didn't directly inspire my art, but they stirred my imagination,
leaving epic tales of great civilizations living and dying without
leaving a trace. Much of this can be found in my art, especially in
the alien landscapes. I understand that, in your youth, you had
an overwhelming interest in science, which led to your writing
science fiction stories. What were some of the plotlines, and were
any of your stories published? None published yet. A few of the
stories are on the edge of being finished to my satisfaction,
enough for me to push it to be so. I love stories about people that
Id like to think represent who we are; the dark sides and all the
potentials; from vampire stories, to post apocalyptic stories. I
like characters with real edge to them in situations that theyd
rather not be in. Once you set up those things the stories write
themselves.
White Trees
How has your work transcended from your early years working on
amateur motion picture production to becoming a professional
photographer? I still shoot the way I would film. I love
cinematography, the storytelling aspect, and setting up a shot to
make it work. When I first started photography my goal was to shoot
stills from larger movies. Make the shots look like it was just
caught, a frame off the negative of a movie. At the same time, it
has to tell the story of the film. Its all about telling stories
but now you only have one frame with which to do it, not two hours
of frames. What kind of camera do you use? Are you still
shooting with your original Yaschica 35mm camera that was purchased
in 1996? Have you tried your hand at digital photography?
Nothing beats my Yaschica 35mm fully manual complete control.
There is something that digital cameras cannot yet reproduce and
even though I usually end up scanning the negatives into the
system, its that little difference that makes the image so
organic. I have a digital camera and I shoot with it often. It
suits many needs and projects. But when I want that extra ump, I
break out my original Yashica. Your calendar, Time of Faeries,
is an amazing showcase of not only your fantasy photography, but
also an intriguing glimpse into the story of the Last Fairy
and the Fairy Wars. What inspired you to create your fairy
tales?
Time of the Fairies: 2005 Calendar
Well, Im a fantasy lover with the mind of a science fiction fan
and the eye of a photographer. My inspiration came from looking at
people around me and seeing their reflection in the mirror of my
imagination. A great influence was my friend Lauren who moved me
towards fairies and allowed me to see the magic around me.
Strazinski, Joseph Campbell, Tolkien of course lent much
inspiration to the epic mythology. The art of Brian Froud, Suza
Scalora, and Amy Brown made me want to envision my own universe.
Do you plan on writing a graphic novel of the fairy wars? If so,
can you give us a preview of its content? When I think of
faeries, I think epic. I think about a time when fairies existed
all around us and moved through us a time before the age of
reason and cynicism. Magic bled through the hearts of men and
worlds of great spirits, where magic moved the world. That world is
very close to my heart and I see it existing many thousands of
years ago. The fairy war was the ending of the age of magic,
leading to the age of man. I think the pre-fairy world; the fairy
wars, the last fairy, and their return into the 21st century are
interesting tales to tell. The full book will have much more detail
and give a larger scope to fairy lore.
Through the Wings
Illustrators dominate the field of fantasy art, as a
photographer, did you have to overcome obstacles to have the art
community accept your photographs as art? Its a constant
battle fought in photography. From the beginning of photography in
the 19th Century till even now, photography was criticized as not
being true art. It's been more accepted now in the 21st century but
its still a battle. Fantasy photography is an even more perilous
field. People take a look at a picture and dismiss it, Thats just
computer manipulation. The assumption is that there is no talent,
no emotions involved, which is far from being true. In time, I hope
to break that prejudice and perhaps blaze a new trail through the
world of fantasy art for other like-minded photographers. It's
taken a long time getting this fartrying to create images that
have a fantasy look, that tells a story without copying the
illustration art that came beforeI believe in it and I think this
style is unique to both photography and fantasy art, therefore I
keep moving forward up that mountain. Do you use computer
enhancements (as in Photoshop), to create your fantasy art images,
or is your magic done within the darkroom? Can you give our readers
a brief insight into how your fantasy images are created?
Echelon
When I initially became involved in photography, I had no darkroom
access or money to build one. I improvised by getting Photoshop and
learning how to tone my images to my own liking. I now use
Photoshop for huge alterations as well as little ones. Huge files
with multiple layers are used to create some of these images. After
the photograph is scanned in, I look at it to see what stories it
tells, what its true potential is. Sometimes the story is
immediately apparent, sometimes I have to stare at a picture for a
long time, and sometimes the image is discarded. Then I figure out
the best way to draw out what I see. Sometimes it takes five
minutes of simple toning and other times it takes five more images,
six hours and some CGI and several bottles of caffeinated diet
coke. The trick is to not be afraid to play with a new concept, or
a new technology. I just received some new programs, Photoshop CS
and Lightwave among them, as early Christmas presents. I look
forward to discovering what I can do to my art using them. Im
learning new things all the time, trying to find new ways to bring
images to life. I dont like repeating myself. What worldly
influences have inspired your otherworldly works of art? Well
Im a big film fan, so obviously I list Lord of the Rings,
Legend, and Labyrinth among my influences. I also look
at people to see what roles they would play in my universe.
Sometimes they are faeries sometimes elves or angels ...
sometimes aliens or vampires even gumshoes or soldiers
samurai warriors. I just look in the soul and try to capture it.
The works of Luis Royo also helped to inspire the canvases I want
to make, his 3rd Millennium book effectively changed the way I look
at storytelling in one painting. Music can also be a huge influence
in my work. If a powerful song engenders strong emotions, it can
completely change an image, despite my original ideas. On a
sadder note, within your web sites art gallery, you have a section
devoted to New York City and the tragedy of 911. Your images of the
aftermath of that disastrous day are touched with the love of the
city and her people. Were you in the city the day the towers
fell?
Entrance to Hell
I was on a train from Chicago bound to NYC when it happened. I woke
up around 8:45 and went into the breakfast car to eat some Yogurt.
We were scheduled for a 3:00 arrival. Suddenly you begin to hear
whispers...and they get louder and louder. Eventually the news
spread that a small plane crashed into one of the World Trade
buildings and its like whoa what an accident and then
terrorists ... and another plane ... cell phones didnt work well
very scary for all the immigrants on the train and the foreign
tourists who had no idea what to do now that everything stopped in
the city. The police stopped and interviewed us in Albany before we
were allowed back in the city at 10 pm. I couldnt even see any
news footage till I walked in my house and turned on the television
set, over 12 hours later. I dropped my bag, refueled the camera,
picked up my best friend Nadia, and crossed back into Manhattan to
see what I could do ... and see what I could see. The images I shot
were documentation of the 30 hours Nadia and I spent in the city. I
just wanted to do something, and not be a helpless watcher. By the
end of the night I had made it down to the site. I organized a
group of people and sent them to search out supplies. I helped set
up a small supply corner with masks, food, eye drops, and other
necessities for the rescue workers. It was an indescribable scene.
I will never forget. I couldnt have survived that day without
Nadia by my side to keep the levity up a very, scary time. A
month later when I returned to view the site, it was still burning
still unbelievable. The pictures helped me cope and helped me
share my own feelings and experience on that day with others.
What prompted you to move from New York to Los Angles? How has
this move impacted your art? I had spent most of my life in NY
and I wanted to get out and live elsewhere. I felt that my life was
getting stale and my art was going nowhere. I wanted to see what it
was like to just up and leave and start over, see what I could do
without the safety net I had back home. I wanted to challenge
myself to grow. Now, six months later, Im happier than ever. Im
succeeding and creating, living the dream. I followed my heart to
love and passion for art, for love, and for the love of life.
Ive fallen in love with L.A. I cant imagine living anywhere else,
at least not for a few years anyway. In all honesty, why do we do
anything? ... "I had to see about a girl."
I had to see about a girl
Do you have any photography or fantasy art secrets that you
would be willing to share with our readers? Creating a
photograph, especially a fantasy photograph is all about capturing
the moment. The trick is to help it along without forcing it. Get
the model into character. Let them play with their wings or
costumes or their surroundings. After that, its all about running
around and capturing faeries. The little magic, surprise moments
make photographs alive. Thats what I strive to do.
We invite you to visit Joseph Corsentinos web site to view additional
images of his amazing fantasy artwork!
All images within this article are
copyright and used with special permisson from Joseph Corsentino.
Any use of these images without written permission from the artist
is prohibited.
 "Lets Talk" with Dee-Marie
is a monthly featured column
by Dee-Marie:
Senior Staff Writer, and Managing Editor of
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