Meet Roger DiFiore | Professional photography instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Roger DiFiore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Roger, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My business / career was in the automotive field, repair and collision centers. Photography was an advanced interest mostly to photograph the automobiles I customized. This was during the 80’s at which time a freelance photographer that had been a student and assistant of Ansel Adams photographed me drag-racing and provided me some images. He became my mentor.. In 2008 I joined a meetup.com photography club “Tucson Photography Meetup”, which I now run. I didn’t plan on turning photography, mostly teaching it, into a business. It just organically grew into it. It began with club members coming over on weekends to talk photography, then it became questions.. then I started charging to answer those questions which overtime I formed into structured curriculum. I’ve guest instructed at numerous schools and created and taught photography curriculum for the University of Arizona Continuing and Professional education department. In short, I didn’t have a thought process behind it, it just happened.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I feel I am most creative and standout teaching photography due to an extremely in-depth understanding of film photography down to understanding lens design, physics of lighting, etc. While many learned all that, I also am quite the computer geek and write program code including for imaging processing software & camera firmware, while that is common, too, it’s rare for anyone person to have studied both in-depth. They are different generations of people.

I’m frequently sought out by many old school film photographers to transform their knowledge of film to digital. That’s the exact reason the University of Arizona reached out to me, to create modern photography curriculum for the digital age. However, how much I know doesn’t necessarily translate into how creative I am with my photography. On the creative scale, well, almost everyone of my students is much more. I’m a technical person. I actually cringe a bit when I’m called an ‘artist’. I have my moments, but there are way, way more than I am. Wish I had their vision/minds-eye.

Much like photography is an art, so is teaching it. Just because someone is a great photographer, doesn’t mean they’ll make a good instructor. I strive to be a great instructor.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m going to assume this friend also has an interest in photography. Empire Ranch, Mt. Lemmon, San Manual, downtown Tucson, Gates Pass, Reid Park Zoo (with the photography theme of the pictures not looking like they were taken in a zoo) and I’d probably throw in the Space Museum. As many of those locations day and night as possible.

Mama Louisa’s Italian Restaurant, Casa Molina’s Mexican, eegee’s for an eegee, I’m an accomplished pool/billiard player and roller skater, so some of that if their up for it.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This list is never-ending list that I will surely fall short of listing them all as hundreds are flashing through my head. Original mentor & student/assistant of Ansel Adams Don Campbell, my girlfriend during the early 80’s that was immensely patient while I learned portrait lighting on her, Beth. My Pima Community College photography instructor Steve Kaiser. Philip Ritchie an amazing photographer I followed on Model Mayhem and would try to emulate his skill and had the pleasure of spending a day with at his studio. Spending the day with Neil Barr who is credited, if I recall correctly, photographing the first black woman for the cover a national magazine I believe in 30’s. Befriending Douglas Dubler an amazing and very knowledgeable photographer. Miguel Folch a member of my photography club that went on to Brooks Institute of Photography which enabled me to hang out at Brooks for months and meet the likes of Neil and Douglas and many more.

Every person I’ve ever photographed and anyone that has given me permission to shoot in their space or land, all the many students, workshop attendees and club members over the years. And all the ones to come.

Website: https://www.impliedphoto.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rogerdifiore/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RogerD.ImpliedPhoto

Other: https://www.meetup.com/Tucson-Photography-Meetup-Group/

Image Credits
Reid Park Zoo, Empire Ranch, Agua Caliente Park, Riley, Ezra, Ronelee, Shay