Meet John DiIorio | Photographer

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

Hi John, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
In the early part of my wife and my relationship she told me “if it’s important, you will make time for it.” It serves as a reminder that I am responsible for my actions, my happiness and most importantly it keeps me focused on my priorities.
My wife is my everything. Before I met her I was lost and unsure of who I was. When she shared this with me, something clicked. This was just after we decided to move across country and live together. This statement has since become a cornerstone for us. We remind each other of this when we are wrapped up in work and every day life.
Balance has been something I have struggled with most of my life. Routine is one of my best friends. It provides me with a sense of purpose and safety. It also has lead me down deep holes of anxiety and depression. It’s at these moments that I need reminding to make time for family, travel and photography. The things that bring me happiness.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
With social media and the ability to take high quality photos on your phone, I think it is difficult to stand out these days. Personally, I want to do what makes me happy. I love being out when the world is asleep and capture the stars and night sky. Astro/landscape photography is my therapy. There is something special about being in nature, alone and being able to listen to the wind and rustling of the trees. Being able to take my time and frame up a shot, move around and find exactly what I had envisioned. It brings me peace.
Recently, I have gotten into macrophotography. It is a drastic difference from landscape photography. It has opened my eyes and mind to an entire new way of viewing a scene.
Being that I try not to focus on what everyone else is doing and just capturing what brings me joy, that in itself leads me to being different. You can go on social media and find 100 people taking photos of the same place and in the same way. Everyone visits the same places and attempt to frame the same subject matter. I just want to be out in the quiet and find something interesting.
The biggest lesson I learned was just that. Don’t do it for the likes, do what makes me happy.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is difficult. Las Vegas is so diverse and you can find something for everyone. My wife and I avoid “the strip”. Anyone that visits would have to explore that on their own. I would take them to Red Rock Canyon, Seven Magic mountains, Valley of fire and then probably up to Beatty and Car forest. I love these places because they are unique and never crowded. Food is even more difficult. Las Vegas has become a food capital, we are surrounded by good food. Taco y Taco is a favorite. I have friends and family that land and we head right to the one of their locations. Next to their Henderson location there is an Ice Cream Parlor, it is a throw back to the 50s and 60s called Nielsen’s. For burgers and something different I am taking them to Fuku burger. A personal favorite of mine is Craft 595. It has the best beer selection in Vegas and the best upscale bar food you can find.

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?
There are a few people that I would like to thank and recognize. First, my wife. She has always been my biggest supporter. She has allowed me to grow, she has given me time to work on my photography and most importantly she is the person I seek validation from. I want to be better because of her. Second, would be my Grandfather. Growing up he always had a film camera with him. He loved taking pictures of his grandchildren but he also loved being outside, taking photos of the sunrise and sunsets. When I was in my early teens he needed help cleaning out his basement. While cleaning it out we came across his projector and hundreds of slides from his time in the NAVY. Instead of continuing to work he set up the screen and we went through them. He had photographed his entire deployment and all the countries he visited. It was then that I asked about cameras and eventually purchased my first film camera.
Last but not least, my friends Cliff and Dave. When they started sharing their photos with me I realized how much I missed having a camera and capturing moments in time. This was during the early days of COVID. My son had just turned two and my daughter was a few months old. Since I was now working from home I wanted to take advantage of our time together and capture every moment. What began as a way to capture my family turned into me heading out to capture the night sky. The three of us have built a friendship for life. I turn to them for feedback, ideas and we try and meet up for photo shoots.

Instagram: John_doesphotography