A Picture-Perfect Town Feels Like Home To One Photographer

By Shannon Hicks

Photography has always been Claudio Basso’s first love. Born in Paris in 1959, he had his first darkroom by the time he was 12 years old. It was only an eight-square-foot space in his parents’ home, but it was a start.

Today Mr Basso has taken photos of some of the world’s biggest supermodels and rock stars. His work has appeared in American Vogue, New York Woman, French Elle, Italian Vogue, Vanity, Bazaar, Amica and Grazia. His professional career started in Milan, where he mentored with Alberto Nodolini –– the renowned art director of Italian Vogue –– and opened his first studio. His stylized photographic work was introduced to the United States by Eileen Ford, and snowballed from there into a career that has taken him around the world. It was also a career for someone in their early 20s, with long days on sets, endless hours put into preparing for shoots, and just as much time traveling between jobs.

Mr Basso has also worked on motion pictures with advertising commercial scripts. More recently he also headed up his own production company, the Bridgeport-based Journey Films.

Mr Basso has lived and worked around the world. Now he and his wife Kirsten are calling Newtown home and the career path has returned fully to photography. That path has also calmed down for Mr Basso, who today does not have to snap up every job that comes his way. His experience and the quality of his photos now allow him to dictate which direction his career will head next.

“I still have a lot of stories to tell,” the photographer said recently, “but I don’t want to fly 250,000 miles a year any more.” With that in mind, Mr Basso has decided to work in fashion photography in New York and will open a local studio that will focus on portrait photography. This work would be private work for families, couples, and individuals, “anything that has to do with portraiture.”

Mr Basso would also like to begin developing more work with local wedding photographers, offering couples services that would incorporate the style Mr Basso has created in a career that spans a few decades.

The look of Mr Basso’s work was learned by studying the photographs of Alberto Nodolini. It is a marked, dramatic use of black and white film that uses strong makeup, experienced lighting techniques, and the talent of a photographer who knows how to capture all of this on film. It was the work of Nodolini that had the strongest influence on Mr Basso (“he had a much stronger influence than anyone else,” says the photographer), but there were others whose work also left impressions.

“I remember spending many hours with a loupe looking at the film of American masters like Avedon, King, Penn, and Watson, and then absorbing the technical discussions that would see their work become a published icon of our culture. It was nourishing and motivating at the same time,” Mr Basso wrote in his artist’s statement.

As Mr Basso and his wife approach the first anniversary of their move into Newtown, Mr Basso continues to keep his photography career at full speed.

“My New York work is different than my work here. I keep fashion in high regard,” he said. “But portraiture is so much more challenging so that’s going to be my focus.”

After living in Weston for a few years, the Bassos purchased a home on Mile Hill Road South last July. Since that time the couple and their cats –– there are currently three who call the Basso house their home –– have made themselves comfortable in a town they fell in love with while they were looking for a new home a few years ago.

“I really think this town has some sort of feng shui attraction to it,” Mr Basso said recently. “We visited up here a few times, and there’s a beautiful, relaxed approach to Newtown. At the same time this town is also awake.

“It’s important for me to never lose sight of everyday scenes,” says Mr Basso, who says he “will be photographing Newtown and its people like crazy” in upcoming months.

The photographer has also been toying with the idea of working with the local schools to find budding photographers who would like to work with a professional photographer.

“I’ve always been interested in working with young people,” Mr Basso said. “It’s kind of a way to give back some of the education I’ve picked up.”

Retirement is not something Mr Basso is thinking about. These days the big word is reorganization. Mr Basso is putting components into order, and is ready to hear from people who are interested in having portrait photography done.

“I’m taking my time now,” he said. “I don’t want to be rushed or overwhelmed like I was when I was 25. Now I get to select what kind of work I’m going to be doing.”

Claudio Basso can be contacted at 203-887-4888. His website is www.ClaudioBasso.com.