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Kole Basilio
@kolebasiliophotography
Photographer based in the US
Growing up in a multi-cultural family, Brazilian & American, we traveled a lot, and I’ve always had a special place in my heart for nature. I was always attracted to my mom’s Canon Rebel EOS 300D, which then became my first camera. I shot a ton of nature, especially flowers at that time. I began shooting consistently around 2015 and haven’t stopped since.
Once I made it to high school, I took a Digital Photography class where I learned how to edit photos, but also about the camera itself. This class was an easy way to get an art credit in school, but for me, it was a passion and fun hobby. My dad often tells stories about Brazil and its beautiful culture which made me want to find my own bit of paradise in Southern California. I am a go-go-go type of guy, always wanting to explore and adventure – I go out as much as possible.
"Nature has always brought me joy and appreciation, so being able to tie that into my photography is the best thing ever!"
Capturing those beautiful moments in life is what it’s all about. I use photography as a creative outlet and it has become a safe space for me to express myself and for me to put my own spin on the way I view the world. I want to change the world one photo at a time.
I am constantly looking at the little aspects of life, trying to create cool photo opportunities and interesting compositions. I look at the light, shadows, reflections, etc. with my artistic eye. I feel that photography is part of my life because everything I do on a daily basis has some sort of connection to photography, and it allows me to make memories last forever. Photography opened my eyes to the little moments in life and how to cherish them.
That feeling you get once you capture a beautiful moment or scene, to see the outcome of that photograph once you’ve added your artistic touch, is truly something else. Seeing the final masterpiece of a capture after experiencing it in person is just amazing. Every photo that I edit, when I am finished with it, I go back and look at it like 100 times, just so stoked on how that moment I experienced can be both beautiful and intense at the moment, but also after the fact as a memory. Photography is a way for us to connect with our past. It brings back memories of people, places, feelings, and stories. Making memories is what I strive to do!
At the same time, photography helps me be present. It allows me to take in experiences and impressions in consciousness. Having moments with others is the best thing in the whole world because that’s what creates memories.
"Whether I am traveling or spending time with family and friends, photography has helped me remember to not waste a single moment that I have."
And it doesn’t stop with reminiscing about the past and living the present. I am also so excited to see what lies ahead. Seeing others working behind the desk all day, every day, made me realize that’s what I don’t want to do as a profession. On the contrary, seeing all of these travel photographers taking photos and exploring has inspired me to make this happen for myself.
In these lines, when photographer Callum Snape @calsnape replied to my email and also viewed my work on my Instagram account @kolebasiliophotography, I was greatly surprised. At this moment, I was not only speaking to one of my inspirations, but I realized that I could do it. Getting reassurance and compliments on my work motivated me to keep going.
Life is about facing challenges and pushing through, as a kid, teenager, adolescent or senior. When I was in Freshman year in high school, I played basketball. It was a struggle, but it taught me something that I will carry with me my whole life. Not being the best on the team, I always had to push to get playtime. Whether it be running twenty suicides at practice or twelve 17’s which is “sideline to sideline, seventeen times, under a minute”, it has taught me to always push even when you are tired and in pain.
"Pain is temporary and nothing is going to be handed to you. Basketball has taught me to never give up, even when you want to so badly."
When you are hurting, keep pushing because it’s going to make you stronger than ever. If you fail, get back up and do it again and again. Repetition, repetition, repetition. I now apply these lessons from basketball into my everyday life, whether it be photography, work, school, exercise, etc. This has definitely helped me evolve into the person I am today, with a mindset to keep going.
"Nowadays, it's photography that carries me through hardship."
I’ve had many ups and downs, but with photography by my side, I have a safe space to go to as an escape. It is a way for me to disconnect from society, just focusing on the present and what’s in front of me. It makes me look at the little aspects of life and become more appreciative of it, and I feel like this definitely brings love and compassion into my emotions. It has revealed to me that every moment in life is so precious and you should never take it for granted. Time waits for no one, just like the sun and moon when they rise and set.
"And I want to live life to the fullest, so I do anything to make that happen!"
When I didn’t have a driver’s license yet, and if I wanted to shoot sunrise or sunset at a certain location, I would have to ride my bike. My parents couldn’t take me everywhere I wanted to go, so it was up to me to put in the work and make it happen. Riding countless miles with all of my camera gear, leaving one or two hours before the timing of my shoot was hard. I would wake up at 4:00 am, leave the house by 4:25 am, get there by 6:00 am, and hike to the location. And I did this almost every weekend. I would only get around four hours of sleep, but the energy and determination I have for photography pushes me to keep going. I don’t get up tired and lazy when I wake up early, I get up excited and ready to go shoot. I feel like these moments were so special to me because they taught me that I am not going to be handed anything. I gained great endurance and strength from doing this, but also discipline and awareness.
Being raised by the ocean my whole life, surfing has been that get-away from everything and now photography is one of those escapes too. It allows me to think about situations and experiences with peace of mind, and connects me with people I’d otherwise have never spoken to.
As I started diving deeper into photography, I tried a lot of candid/street photos. I took a photo of this homeless man named David who lives around town. It was a rainy evening and what better way to spend “quarantine” than getting some fresh air and taking photos? Since we were in lockdown, there was nobody on the streets. I was walking in a ghost town. I stumbled upon David, camping under the ledge of the roof, trying to stay dry. He yells at me, curious about what I am doing. We ended up chatting about life and his views on love and positivity. David was a 52-year-old man at the time who was currently homeless and living in the streets of San Clemente. He used to be a construction worker who built a ton of local buildings in San Clemente. David mentioned that he had some problems with his son, but continues to stay positive throughout all the ups and downs.
" Struggling in the streets, David gained a different perspective on life. His goal is now to spread love and positivity."
By going outside on a stormy day during COVID, I was able to not only take some cool photos but meet a very special person who has a message to be spread. I submitted a photo from that night to my school’s Reflections Contest 2020 “I Matter Because…” I was able to make it to the State Finals in the Reflections Contest, getting first place at my High School and in my County as well! To this day, David has taught me a lot and I constantly look back at that day, remembering that photography is about telling stories and capturing moments that evoke true emotion and feeling. David once told me:
"We are all the same, very special, full of love being that is much more powerful with its words connected to love than it is with what's going on now." - David 2020 (pandemic times, exact citation.)
Now I shoot more landscapes, nature is teaching me the greatest lessons. Take my one-day trip to Yosemite, for example. Driving from Glacier Point down to Yosemite Valley, I think I accomplished a lot in one day. To be honest with you, I had no set plan on what to do. And I feel that having no plan and just taking in everything around me was the best thing I could have done that day. It allowed me to explore as many trails as possible, not knowing if there would be something worth shooting. Throughout the day, I discovered that anywhere you go in Yosemite, there will be something to shoot. Everything about it is stunning.
"As the time moved closer to nightfall, I had a good hour of stunning light. From jumping out of the van to running to that set spot to get that one epic shot, I felt like I was in a dream!"
The light, the water, the enormous mountains, the animals, etc. They were all around me! Those are the moments that a deep appreciation for nature hits you and that those moments are so precious. This trip taught me to just go with the flow and do not have expectations. You don’t always have to have a set plan. By having no set expectation, you will never be disappointed. Just enjoy the experience and you will create epic memories which are way better than stressing about what may or may not happen.
This trip and experience reminded me of this quote from the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, “Are you going to take [the picture]?”…”Sometimes I don’t. If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don’t like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it.”
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