This lovely hardcover book of photographs includes three WaterFire photos along with other unique images of the ocean state, created by Stephanie Izzo, an artist inspired by WaterFire!
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WaterFire Reflections
Aerial View of Waterplace Basin
Elevated View of RISD (before lighting)
Stephanie’s WaterFire "My Story" on how WaterFire inspired her professional photographers career!
Capturing the Magic of Fire Light
by Stephanie Izzo
I’ll never forget the summer following my graduation from Hallmark Institute of Photography. I was 19 years old, had returned home to Rhode Island and was determined to succeed in the real world. I had no money, a load of bills, and an impractical medium format camera. Although I originally planned to specialize in children’s portraits, I quickly became an “everything” photographer. I was freelancing and, like most graduates, just grateful for the chance to be hired.
It is with great amusement (now), when I recall one my first paid jobs. My first serious shoot and I was hired to photograph a private function where former President Bill Clinton would be the guest of honor! The mixture of fear and excitement was overwhelming.
But my excitement was short lived. For the sake of brevity I will just say that I had the misfortune of learning the full meaning of the phrase “Murphy’s Law” – everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Some things went wrong twice. Add to that the incredible pressure I put on myself as a professional to capture every moment of this important event. Not to mention carrying all that weight in cameras and lenses as I ran from group to group trying to get cameras, strobes and subjects to cooperate.
It was the longest three hours of my life. I was completely exhausted, dejected and miserable by the time I finally finished. I was sure not a single image would be usable.
At the end of the night, I took a drive to Waterplace Park to decompress and reflect on the night’s events. Like a deflated balloon I pondered to myself, “What am I doing with my life? How did I think I could do this? How will I ever make any money as a photographer? And did I make a huge mistake by even thinking I could make a career out of my love for this ‘hobby’?”
Coincidentally, I arrived on the tail end of WaterFire. It was the first lighting I had been to since returning to Rhode Island and I immediately relaxed at the magical sight of the crackling fires trailing down the river. Although I had little experience with night photography, I suddenly was inspired. I decided to use the remaining film to capture the glow of the fires as they slowly burned down.
As I carefully framed and captured each shot, the feelings of inadequacy and inexperience and frustration and exhaustion were replaced by the feeling that I believe all artists feel in a moment of true inspiration. Whether painting, sculpting, making music, writing, I believe that something comes to life within the soul of the creator. Here as I captured the beauty and power of the night was the feeling that had first inspired me to study photography in the first place. I didn’t realize it at the time, but there at midnight, with the echo of the moving music, the smell of wood smoke and the halo of shimmering sparks, I first began to find my own ‘song’ as an artist.
That was over eight years ago. The years since have had their ups and a few downs, but I continued to live each day under the motto, “Do what you love, the money will follow.” As time passed I found myself fully immersed in a profession that I have now mastered and one that I love.
I have long since forgotten the photographs I took of President Clinton (I hadn’t gotten anything good), but the image I captured that night of WaterFire is still in my mind. It has long remained one of my favorites. “WaterFire Reflections”, stands out to me as a benchmark of the beginning of my successful career as an artist. That photograph led me to spend nearly a decade photographing Rhode Island creating the work that is in my new book, Rhode Island: Ocean Sites & City Lights. “Ocean Sites” contains images featuring the Narragansett Bay’s beaches and lighthouses, while “City Lights” celebrates Providence’s historic architecture, skyline, and sculpture. The theme that runs throughout the book is the magic of light – sunlight, moonlight, neon light, firelight — in nature’s landscapes or in man’s cityscapes. My love of light and my realization of how to capture that magic on film all started that night at WaterFire beside the river.
Over the years, photography has shaped who I am. Having found an outlet through which I can share beauty, life and love with others brings me unparalleled joy. I am grateful that despite my own perceived limitations, I have been blessed with this gift of capturing life.
Stephanie Izzo is a professional photographer working in New York and Rhode Island. Her new book of photographs of Rhode Island is available at the WaterFire merchandise tent and at our on-line store. Stephanie has generously donated a portion of income from these sales to support WaterFire and its mission.