Hidden Talents
Matt Rigolini, Warehouse Department
By Matt Rigolini
My name is Matt Rigolini, and I have been an employee with Tamron in the warehouse department for exactly seventeen years. Although the same cannot be said for the amount of time in which I have been shooting; that number is significantly less. It wasn't until about a year ago, when I purchased my first (full-frame) DSLR camera—and by pure chance—unearthed a reverence for the art of photography. Within that year, I have devoted many weekend hours to shooting, editing, and expanding my knowledge, as well as, techniques. It is a hobbyhorse of mine which has been steadily rocking and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Being able to disconnect myself from the chaotic realm of everyday life and absorb everything on offer by nature is something that I will never grow tired of. Landscape photography will always define how I view myself as a photographer. However, my image library is replete with wildlife, portraiture, architecture and cityscapes as well. This is surely by virtue of geographical circumstance. Living in New York, specifically Long Island, where there are only so many beach-themed sunset photos one can take before redundancy begins to rear its (unwelcomed) head.
The solution to redundancy, for me, typically manifests itself in the form of an $11 train ticket to New York City—a city conveniently teeming with endless photographic possibilities. Needless to say, working for Tamron has afforded me many opportunities to experiment with a wide range of lenses. So, as a self-professed “landscape" photographer, naturally, I gravitated towards the SP 15-30mm f/2.8 (A012) and it has become my go-to for any and all wide-angle situations. It is not often when I venture into Manhattan without the A012 in my backpack.
In contention with my recently acquired passion for photography is my fondness for all things wildlife. Bringing the two together seemed to be a no-brainer. The moment Tamron’s new SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 G2 (A022) became available to me, I grabbed it and tested my mettle with some birds in flight within the World of Birds aviary at the Bronx Zoo. BIF photography is undeniably one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, endeavors I have undertaken thus far.
My passion for shooting is commensurately matched only by my passion for image editing, which is guaranteed to follow every one of my shoots. Capturing an interesting image will get you halfway there, but the utility of post-processing simply cannot be overstated. I feel it's worth mentioning here: after high school, I studied graphic design. Ultimately, it is not a career path I chose to pursue but as luck would have it, familiarizing myself with the requisite software has proven useful almost 20 years later with my foray into photography. Programs such as Lightroom and Photoshop are on my short list of indispensable tools, and developing an aptitude for the both of them was a goal of mine as soon as their value was clear to me.
Who’s to say where photography takes me from here—I suppose that remains to be seen—but as for now, my goal is to travel to some of the more iconic and picturesque locations of the western U.S. and Canada. The radiance of the “golden hour” sun spilling itself onto the Rocky Mountains is something that has appealed to me for as long as I can remember. First stop on my list: Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada.
See more on Matt’s Instagram @mattrigoliniphotography