When photography bridges the gap between a sports photography enthusiast father and a baseball-playing son who just won the federal young baseball merit, you’re looking at a heartwarming story. Baseball TV France met with Frédéric Volpato.
BTVF: Who are you, Frédéric Volpato?
F.V.: In baseball, I’m seen as Baptiste Volpato’s father and as an amateur photographer. Professionally, I’m a group management control manager, currently actively seeking a new position!
BTVF: You came to baseball through your son Baptiste, who today plays for a D2 team in Béziers. The journey has been long. How does a father support his son?
F.V.: Baptiste discovered baseball in first grade through after-school activities. That very evening, on the way home, he declared, ‘I want to play baseball!’ and he hasn’t stopped since.
As a former national-level road and track cyclist, I’ve done my best to support him since his sporting beginnings and to discover baseball as well. I remember long pitching sessions in the nearby field of our house, turned into a baseball field by placing bases. We lost a few balls as I began to feel that the ball was snapping harder in the glove and that he was throwing much further than me!
As Baptiste had some difficulties at the plate at the beginning, we also had many batting practice sessions with wiffle balls, very good moments shared father/son.
He is now at the France Pole in Toulouse, and in D2 in Béziers with the challenge that the club will move up to D1. Moreover, he just completed a very beautiful 2023 15U season by being the best European and French hitter, and recently elected best young French baseball player. A great pride for his dad!
BTVF: Then photography, which you had already known in the world of motor sports, resurfaced. Tell us about this passion?
F.V.: Passionate about auto racing, as a student I collaborated with a local auto sports magazine and the production of 2 books on the Critérium des Cévennes, an emblematic rally event. Then, very busy professionally and with family life, I photographed much less. I got back into photography by following my children in their activities (Elise, my daughter, practices classical dance).
And for a little over a year, I have been more seriously involved by following the photo training of The Artist Academy and aiming for certification at the prestigious École des Gobelins.
I have also equipped myself with used NIKON equipment, from an older generation, to contain the investment, but which remains performant, even if sometimes I would like more reactivity and precision of the autofocus.
I photograph a lot, baseball is part of it, but also dance, jazz concerts, volleyball, kitesurfing, street photography, as well as landscapes during my nature running sessions… any subject, as long as I enjoy capturing and transcribing the moment.
If people are interested in seeing my work, they can check out my Facebook: FredericVolpato or my Insta: @fredvolpatophoto.
BTVF: Baseball requires specific techniques to capture important moments. How do you approach this?
F.V.: Like any photographed activity, and more particularly in sports photography, this implies anticipating and feeling the upcoming action to trigger at the right moment. Experience and good game reading contribute to the success of the shot, all the more so when you shoot with a large telephoto lens whose field of vision is very narrow. It is certain that performant equipment and its mastery also contribute, knowing that I ultimately take few photos in burst mode, the crucial moment possibly being situated between 2 photos.
Not being most of the time an accredited photographer, this has encouraged me to position myself differently and to play with the environment to offer another point of view. No need to reproduce the photo that is already perfectly mastered at all levels (I am thinking in particular for baseball of Glenn Gervot and his superb shots).
Beyond the action, the beautiful photo is often made in the dugout to capture, transcribe the emotion of the successful as missed hit, of the victory as of the defeat. I particularly enjoyed my experience at the 15U European Championship last summer, living the event with the French team and transcribing it.
BTVF: You also try your hand at Baseball5 photography, indoors with a lot of artificial light, a fast ball. The difference with baseball must be noticeable in terms of photography?
F.V.: I discovered the activity at the B5 tournament in Béziers last year, more photos since, and I recently enjoyed taking some shots at the international tournament in Béziers won by the French team.
It’s fun and lively!
While in baseball I shoot with a large telephoto lens, in B5 it’s with a wide angle, very close to the action and with fill-in flash to bring sharpness into the blur of movement and play with the ambient light. As paradoxical as it may seem, it’s the technique I used in auto racing, when the cars pass through the hairpin turns.
Depending on the B5 field configurations, and without bothering the players, this gives me some ideas for nice shots in multi-flashes… to be tested!
BTVF: What can we wish you?
F.V.: I received good news this week by being selected for the international Sony 2024 photo contest, in the amateur section, movement category, for a photo taken during the 15U European Championship. A form of recognition.
Being a multi-activity professional photographer (sports, concerts, portraits, fashion) is an old dream but the context is really difficult and not favorable to make a living and be fairly paid, perhaps as a complementary professional activity.
Beyond and prioritizing, supporting Baptiste (like his sister) as best as possible in order to contribute at my level so that he can achieve his dreams. Photographing baseball in the United States must be fun!
