He was a master of large format photography, darkroom technique, and the Zone System.
[1] Gagliani served in the United States Army during World War II, and as a result he sustained hearing loss and was no longer able to pursue music.
[3] Gagliani earned an MFA degree in Photography from California College of Arts and Crafts in 1973.
[4][5] Oliver studied under and worked with some of the greatest photographers of the 20th century including, Ansel Adams, Minor White, Paul Caponigro, Cole Weston, Paul Strand, Ruth Bernhard.
He enjoyed sharing his knowledge and in his later years conducted photographic workshops, the Oliver Gagliani Zone System and Fine Print Photography Workshops, in Virginia City, Nevada.