INTERVIEW WITH… Liliana Ranalletta



from The fabulous destiny of Dainaly
  • How important is photography to you? Would you have ever imagined, a few years ago, this passion would have played such an important role in your life?

Photography has appeared to me late in life and I never thought it could involve me so much to literally absorb every moment of my existence. From the passion for nature, I started practicing macro photography and from the observation of the “particular”, I have learned to look and carefully observe everything around me. I like being around people, I love people, I am curious and a great observer of mankind. I started doing street photography ten years ago and now I wouldn’t be able to live without.

from The fabulous destiny of Dainaly

The ability to freeze the instant and the unusual, gives me an indescribable feeling.The interest in humanity led me to investigate the everyday life, not only on the street, but wherever there could be an interaction among people.Besides freezing images of faces and situations, it’s nice to be able to tell a story by feeling and communicating emotions. Today photography for me is an urgency, a passion, an encounter, a means to investigate the reality that surrounds me.

from The fabulous destiny of Dainaly
  • Who are the Masters of Photography who inspired you most in your photographic works?

Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Elliott Erwitt and Gianni Berengo Gardin, William Klein, Robert Frank, Robert Capa, William Eggleston, Fred Herzog and Joel Meyerowitz. Vivien Maier for the strength, sweetness and humanity of her shots. Alex Webb for his ability to capture almost always complex interconnections within the frame. Henri Cartier Bresson for his attention to the composition in the shooting phase and the speed of execution. Martin Parr for his ability to highlight, through investigation in everyday life, social aspects of contemporary society. David Alan Harvey for the intensity of his shots and for the sympathy and kindness towards me when he came to Rome. In addition to them, some exceptional Italian interpreters such as Piergiorgio Branzi, Paolo Pellegrin.

Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
  • Are you interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies on culture and photographic language?

In addition to the continuous study of the photographic language, my passion leads me to visit exhibitions, buy books, go to museums, watch films, travel, live different experiences, have contacts with photographers, follow their professional path and work on projects to create stories to tell. I find it useful to read monographic books by great photographers to understand the birth of a project and all necessary and relevant actions to develop and finalize it.

Rio de Janeiro

  • Taking a shot in the street could be difficult at times; dealing with people’s reactions or making sure it is not invasive in the various situations that could arise, is not always easy. What is your approach in these circumstances?

Each place is potentially suitable for interesting shots.
In addition to the street, I also like to shoot in indoors places, such as shops or museums.
In every place, I try to make myself invisible so as not to attract the attention of people close to me.
I have made many shots, and situations in which I had to justify what I was doing, were very few and they always ended in a conciliatory and friendly way.
To feel comfortable, I choose a crowded place, or an interesting background and I wait for people to come towards me.
I don’t look directly at the subjects to make it seem like I’m shooting what’s behind them. I almost always use a lens with a short focal length. Lenses from 24 to 35mm are fine as they are less visible and with a wide shooting angle.
I try to be as natural as possible, always showing a smile of cheer.
Should the person being photographed feel uncomfortable, I show the photograph with a smile and give my business card by offering to send it to them via the web.

Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
  • In recent years, Street Photography has caught on, and many photographers have become keen on it. What do you think is the reason why many of them prefer to shoot on the street?

It’s a photographic genre that, for some years now, has taken hold, recruiting numerous followers.
Perhaps because it is mistakenly believed that it’ s easy to take street pictures believing that it’s just sufficient to take a picture in the street but it’s not the street that makes it so, but the way to capture the moments.
It is a dynamic and above all instinctive form of photography. It documents relationships, emotions and events in which men are the main protagonists. Street is the place where relationships are most frequent, where you can find thousands of interesting, unpredictable, unique and situations able to highlight aspects of everyday life.

Rome – Ponte di Nona
Rome – Ponte di Nona

  • What makes it different from other genres?

Street photography is of considerable social importance. Through the lens, the street photographer captures events that are happening on the street, highlighting comic and ironic aspects. First, they describe glimpses of everyday life, characterized by a strong realism.

Secondly, the moments recorded in street photography are unrepeatable, more than in other genres. Each photo, except perhaps those taken in the studio, fixes a scene that will never be identical. Then, without a shadow of a doubt, an indisputable strength are people.

  • What subjects inspire you and push you to look for the shot in the city where you live or in the places you frequent?

My object of photographic observation is above all the human being and the environment in which he lives. I like to share stories that somehow tell someone’s life especially in the social sphere. My gaze starts from something that has excited me, it can be an article I read, a book, an experience, an encounter or a testimony.

When I go out, I always carry my camera with me so as I donìt bitterly regret not having brought it if an interesting situation arises and, while I walk, I look around as if I were a hunter and often I identify the scene or the person who has potential. I follow it because sooner or later, I feel that something will happen. Most of the time, the choice of theme is not premeditated but rather dictated by casual encounters that excite me and make me open my eyes to aspects I previously ignored or knew superficially. My latest works: “The fabulous destiny of Dainaly”, photobook edited by DerLab and ““I sogni li spendo per strada” (I spend my dreams on the street) the latest in the home stretch, were born by chance but they took me three years each.

  • What is the line you don’t cross in a street photo. Are there ethical rules or is it allowed to shoot everything?

I have ethical principles I strictly follow. I never photograph beggars, cripples, the sick and all people in trouble. Talking with Tiziana Faraoni, photo editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine L’Espresso, we discussed whether or not to publish a photo that could trouble the public and we both came to the same conclusion: in some situations it is better not to publish.

  • What makes a street photo expressive? Can you recognize, when you’re on the street, all details that can make a simple photo shoot a good photograph?

A street photo is expressive if it tells something. The feeling of having taken a good shot is generally immediate and it doesn’t happen every day and when it does, I realize it in the evening, once back home. Much of the work that leads to taking a good picture is done before you pick up the camera, and afterwards, when you work on it. Before you capture an image, you need to pre-visualize the photo or its potential through your eyes.

  • Street Photography as a genre, has developed in you the ability to interpret everyday situations with an original vision and your own style?

I have always looked at the world around me with an curious eye to find situations that others did not see, to enter the scene, to take part in them. It is difficult to answer this question as it should be the others who recognize a style in you. I envy photographers who can be recognized by their images. It should be the goal of every good photographer to create their own style.




from project “I spend my dreams on the street”
  • In a street photo, do you think that light contrasts are important to tell a story or are they just an aesthetic aspect?

A photo must tell, of course, but above all it must excite. Certainly, the contrasts of light add something to the image, but if you limit yourself to them it would only be an aesthetic exercise. I’m interested in the image being emotional but, above all, in its curiosity.

from project “I spend my dreams on the street”
  • After shooting, what actions do you take in terms of processing and editing?

In post-production I use the latest version of Photoshop and I had a super trainer, Claudio Palmisano www.claudiopalmisano.com , of which you can read an interview on my website, https://lilianaranalletta.it/intervista-a-claudio-palmisano/ .

In post-production I set myself the limit of never presenting something other than reality. For the editing and the construction of the portfolio, I attended various courses with Augusto Pieroni and Annalisa D’Angelo. In a first phase, I always print the photos that interest me for a job in order to be able to move as I like and verify their functioning. Afterwards I turn to some a person who’s experienced as you can’t be objective with your photos.

  • Do you prefer shots in black and white or colour?

If the purpose of the shot is a b/w photo, I pre-display it in black and white while shooting. Specifically, I try to see it in its chiaroscuro values, mentally eliminating the colour and therefore the technical choices come accordingly. Black and white, colour, image cutting, shooting angle, depth of field, are just technical choices to highlight an idea, a feeling because the photo is communication.

from the project: of masters and shops
  • We often hear about “photographic projects” in Street Photography too. Have you ever documented a situation from which, subsequently, a story or the idea of ​​a project was born?

At first, I shot single photos without any connection other than the street genre, later, not happy with results, I felt the need to work on projects. If you want to make a leap forward as a photographer, you can’t just take single shots, you must start “telling by pictures”.

Miami
Rome
Rome
Rome
  • We often look at the photos we’ve taken over the years. Is there one you’re particularly keen on and why?

Honestly, the photos taken in the past, generally do not satisfy me today even if some of them remind me of the enthusiasm with which I took them. When I was taking macro photographs, some of them were the result of hard research of the subjects to be shot and of considerable efforts in improving the technique, which was certainly not easy. For a while, I have been working hard on the reflections of dew drops and certainly some of these images are very dear to me. In street photography, I am very fond of an image taken in a circus as in that moment, I pre-viewed my project which then became the photobook “The fabulous destiny of Dainaly”.

London
Instanbul
Howth – Irlanda

Interview with…Simone Morelli

RESEARCHED BY ROBERTA PASTORE

How important is photography to you? Would you have imagined, a few years ago, that this passion would play an important role in your life?

Until a few years ago, I would have never imagined I would grew fond of photography. Over time, this art form has become a passion of mine and the language through which I can finally express myself. Before approaching photography, I had tried to give free rein to my creativity through writing, but once I entered the world of photography, I understood that this was the best way, so much so that it almost became an obsession.

  • Who are the masters of photography who inspired you in your photographic works?

I started shooting photos out of curiosity and before approaching the masters of photography I developed my own style. I lived for a few years in Stockholm and at that time I was gifted a Russian analogue camera with which I started shooting, trying above all to immortalize the human figure, therefore preferring people as subjects of my shots. Subsequently I started to approach the masters of photography who intrigued me and later inspired me: from Trent Parke to Joel Meyerowitz, Josef Koudelka, and then Gerry Winogrand, James Natchway and finally Marco Pesaresi

  • Are you interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies on culture and photographic language?

I am fond of photo books, a passion that was transmitted to me by a very important person, a point of reference, my teacher Stefano Mirabella. He made me enthused and opened my eyes to a specific photographic style, Street Photography. Another fundamental person in my photographic journey is my friend Perry Hall, from whom I learned the basic notions of development and printing of analog films. Photography remains for me an expressive language in all respects, a different way of telling myself, to make myself known to others. Photography has made me more sensitive, it has given me the opportunity to reflect and pay attention to small things, also through the works of other photographers. This should be an opportunity that everyone should have, so that they are more aware of the world we live in.

  • Taking a shot on the street can sometimes be difficult; coping with people’s reactions or making sure that they are not invasive in the various situations that arise is not always easy. What is your approach in these circumstances?

Taking street photos is not easy task because in some occasions we run into one of the innumerable reactions that an individual can have. This also depends on the place of belonging of the subject, city or village; if we are in Italy, Japan or India, the subject’s approach toward the street photographer can vary, but often even being in your own city, the reactions can be different from person to person.

However, the shooting moment itself does not cause me problems, I even like finding myself in difficult situations, where I still take the shot in a natural way without hiding. I am a photographer and I don’t need and want to hide it, and if someone does not accept the fact that I took a picture of him, I try to motivate the subject and make him understand my intentions, showing some of my shots saved on my smart phone, in a cordial and smiling way. This approach of mine has often helped me and allowed me to have further interaction with the subjects I shoot.

  • In recent years Street Photography has taken hold, many photographers are dedicated to this genre. What do you think is the reason why many prefer to shoot on the street?

Internet and social platforms have given photography a way to emerge. Street Photography has caught on, compared to other styles, precisely because the “street” is within everyone’s reach and also because it is possible to use different tools for this kind of photography, from the optical bench to the Smart Phone. It remains a style that can be approached with ease, capturing moments of life without inordinate preparation and no posed shoot. The important thing is to get involved and be surprised by everyday life.

  • What is the element that differentiates it from other genres?

Street photography it’s different from other styles because it’s always spontaneous and usually no one is posing for the shot (even if it’s not always like this). The photographer must be able to read the scene regardless the situation in front of him and create a composition, therefore take a nice shot.

  • Which subjects inspire you and urge you to look for the shot in the city where you live or in the places you frequent?

My favourite subjects are people, I like to observe them, capture the expressions and attitudes of mankind, but I do not disdain a beautiful landscape or the animal world, everything that is life for me is very attractive.

  • What is the limit that should not be crossed in a street photo. Are there ethical rules or is it allowed to take everything back?

Reading texts on photography and the observation of the work of other photographers has made me aware of the fact that we can photograph anything and any type of situation. Photographing details, or peering with a telephoto lens through an illuminated window or in a park in the night can be equally surprisingly. Certainly, photography has limits that must respect ethical rules that assure that none is harmed in any way. My showing off during the shot is therefore a desire to make the subject participate in what I am doing.

  • What makes a street photo effective? Can you recognize, when you’re on the street, the details that can make a good snapshot of a good photograph?

Answering is quite complicated; I could say, yes, I know what makes a street photo a good photo, but it is difficult to explain it, because the subjects, the shots and the framing styles you can choose are truly infinite. I could therefore answer like this: a good framing, a subject of great impact or a situation of great impact, or both together. The other element is certainly the emotion that taking a shot gives me, for example I love the feeling I have when the subject looks into the camera.

  • Has Street Photography as a genre developed in you the attitude to interpret everyday situations with an original vision and your own style?

I don’t like to keep the same style, I also like to approach the shoots with different tools, often changing the camera and using different types of films, I even use sometimes a “pinhole camera”. I can shot landscapes, portraits and other styles and I tend to change often the point of view. I consider myself an experimenter on photography.

  • In a street photo, do you think that the contrasts of light are important for telling a story or are they just an aesthetic fact?

The light’s contrasts may be important for telling a story, it depends, if the content of the shoot is good and the photo “speaks up”: so it can be more than a mere and aesthetic element and be decisive for the success of a photo.

  • After the shot, what are the actions you take in terms of processing and editing?

I usually shot film, and I want to focus on the action I’m trying to catch on camera, so I prefer to wait to see the picture and let it rest. In this way I can go back to it after a while and watch it with a clearer mind and a rested eye: I do this because I love to take the picture with my mind and only then with the camera. For example I worked on my last project with a digital camera, but to follow my philosophy on shooting I covered the camera’s screen with a piece of cardboard.

Do you prefer black and white shots or color?

Normally I love to shoot in black and white, but sometimes I also enjoy the color even if it ends up distracting me. My vision is in black and white.

  • We often hear about “photographic projects” also in Street Photography. Have you ever documented a situation from which, subsequently, a story or the idea of ​​a project was born?

Yes. My latest project, for example, was born by chance at a time when I was uninspired. Reviewing my old shots, I was struck by a photo that I had never given much attention to. The subject was an elderly lady, with an absorbed look watching out of a small bus window. That photo gave way for my “In The Bubble” project.

  • Many times we look at the photos we have taken over the years. Is there one you are particularly attached to and why?

Yes, there are, but all of them are photos that I have not yet taken. These are the shots that perhaps we all have inside and remain etched within us and make us want to go further and try to improve ourselves, trying to tell ourselves to others. I think a photographer is egocentric but also very shy.

INTERVIEW WITH … ARTURO CAÑEDO

RESEARCHED BY ROBERTA PASTORE

How important is photography for you? Would you have imagined a few years ago that this passion would have played such an important role in your life today?

Photography was important for me since I was a child, when I left school my desire was to be a cinematographic film director, but in the 90s in Peru the economic crisis changed the course and dream of many young people who, like me, changed their profession to help to their families; I studied economics and dedicated myself to it for many years. More than 10 years ago I resigned my position in a management in a banking institution to resume my photographic career, not in cinema, but as a documentary photographer. The economy and photography got together.

Who are the photographers that inspire you or have inspired you in your photographic work?

It is not only the great classic photographers of world documentary photography that have inspired or motivated me. To be honest, inspiration comes from everything that surrounds me, music, literature, photography in all its genres, design, cinema, poetry, my family, traditions, my culture, my country. , my food, etc., all this plays an important role when reproducing an image in your brain, an image full of emotion, feeling, aesthetic and that you always try to reproduce. It would be ungrateful and unfair to mention only some excellent photographers, more and more great artists appear that inspire you in one way or another.

DOWTOWN LIMA Proyecto de Arturo Cañedo

Are you Interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies on culture and photographic language?

Totally, for 5 years I have been developing a photographic project based on the population of the capital of Peru, it is called DOWNTOWN LIMA. The objective of this project is to portray from my point of view the character of my city using different photographic and lighting techniques. Therefore, documenting me is absolutely essential and important.

Taking a shot in the street can sometimes be difficult, dealing with people’s reaction is not always easy. What is your approach with the camera when you find yourself photographing strangers on the street?

The key word to this question is RESPECT, and this value is something that I not only have to say or manifest, but I have to prove it even in a corporal way. The people around us feel when you respect their space and it is at that precise moment that the doors of their world open for you.

In recent years, Street Photography has boomed, what do you think it’s due to? And what evolution has there been?

Definitely this photographic current has increased and the evolution of the internet through networks is one of the sources of this growth. The speed and immediacy of them, from my point of view, are not the best ingredients for an evolution within the aesthetic and language parameters that we are used to. We are enjoying a new language, a new way of showing photography, but like any process this tends to develop, improve and change.

Which subjects, both as people and places, inspire you more and urge you to look for the shot, or do you think better represent this city?

As part of being a documentary photographer, the elaboration of projects where the structure of themes is essential, in the case of my DOWNTOWN LIMA project, the relationship between the place and the subject is what denotes my work and the connotative theme the use of technical lighting and development respectively

What, then, makes a street photo effective? Can you quickly recognize the details that can make a good photo out of a simple shot?

I am convinced that the internalized knowledge of camera management as well as the exposure and photographic composition are the basis for our shooting decision to be correct within what we consider correct. Finding the different, intriguing, strange, interesting, outstanding, etc., are aspects totally foreign to the knowledge or not of the camera and technical management. Experience directly influences our ability to see and look at these aspects.

Is there something unique about street photography that differentiates it from other genres?

Definitely the ability to find control in the chaos is what, personally, I am more and more passionate about street photography.

In a street picture, do you think the contrasts of light are important to tell a story or are just an aesthetic fact?

In Lima, my hometown, I teach personalized photo seminars, about camera management and photographic composition, and also as an introduction to the photographic language. The latter indicates that when one is taking a photo, all the technical and composition related resources, that can help to denote and connote an image, must be used in order to make as rich as possible. So, I believe that it is not only the contrast of lights (very fashionable today in groups and on social networks) that should be used to produce a beautiful image.

Which are the limits of ethics in a street picture, or is it possible to shoot everything?

The ethics of people is a function of the level of values they have. For me, within my values and ethics, I have a limit, which may be different from others. Respect is my main tool that tells me how far I should go.

Your street photography is extremely focused on the portrait. What do you look for in the face of a potential subject, what are the characteristics that move you to take a photo and, in your opinion, which is the characteristic that a good street portrait must have?

My DOWNTOWN LIMA project is based on people and on the relationships and interactions they have with the surrounding environment and the urban space. It is essential for me to focus on the foreground or on the close-up view, with the use of wide-angle lenses for a correct composition of the subject, the environment and the situation experienced by it with naturalness and spontaneity, trying not to interfere too much by capturing it as quickly as possible.

What reaction do your subjects have once photographed? Do you happen to interact with them?

I always interact with my surroundings, in such a way that I become part of them, otherwise it would be very complicated to obtain images with the type of photographic technique that I use.

What kind of camera do you use and which focal point do you prefer for your work and why?

The camera and the focal point are determined by my project, for the case at this stage of DOWNTOWN LIMA, I use my APS-C camera and a 24mm as well as my flash.

Has street photography, as a genre, developed in you the ability to photograph in any light condition and to interpret everyday life situations with an appealing vision?

In my workshops I always mention that street photography is the best method of study for any type of photography. By the way, I take my photography workshops in the street.

INTERVIEW WITH … Robbie McIntosh

Researched by Roberta Pastore

Robbie McIntosh

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How important is photography for you? Would you have imagined a few years ago that this passion would have played such an important role in your life today?

I see photography as a way to connect to the whole universe. I firmly believe that observation of reality leads to awareness.

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Who are the photographers that inspire you or have inspired you in your photographic work?

Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Garry Winogrand, Stephen Shore, William Eggleston, Joel Meyerowitz, Susan Meiselas, Letizia Battaglia, Luigi Ghirri, Tano D’Amico, Bruce Gilden, Jim Marshall, Annie Leibovitz.

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Are you Interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies on culture and photographic language?

Always. All the time. “The Nature of Photographs” by Stephen Shore is an excellent read. “Lezioni di Fotografia” by Luigi Ghirri is another must have.

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Taking a shot in the street can sometimes be difficult, dealing with people’s reaction is not always easy. What is your approach with the camera when you find yourself photographing strangers on the street?

I try to get in tune with the environment, by establishing an empathetic contact with the subjects. Everything must flow naturally, with no pressure. It’s all about being a dancing ghost. Being there and not there at the same time.

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In recent years, Street Photography has boomed, what do you think it’s due to? And what evolution has there been?

Maybe it is due to the fact that photography is accessible to everyone. First digital cameras, then smartphones and quick sharing thru the social networks have done the rest of the job.

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Naples is a city of a thousand faces: which subjects, both as people and places, inspire you more and urge you to look for the shot, or do you think better represent this city?

In my humble opinion, Mappatella Beach and the Colonna Spezzata are the best places to feel and touch the true nature of the city. There you can find all walks of life, all kind of people. From the smuggler to the lawyer. From the thief to the retired policeman. The rich and the poor. The ugly and the beautiful. The respectables and the renegades. Everyone loses the sense of decency, no matter if they are overweight or fit.

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What, then, makes a street photo effective? Can you quickly recognize the details that can make a good photo out of a simple shot?

It must have the capability of getting something extraordinary out from the ordinary. With no use of staging or special effects.

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Is there something unique about street photography that differentiates it from other genres?

Just to make a long story short: everything is unpredictable, which may be exciting and frustrating at the same time.

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In a street picture, do you think the contrasts of light are important to tell a story or are just an aesthetic fact?

I think it is just a cliche. I love seeing details in the shadows, so I’m not exactly into strong contrasts. Never humiliate anyone, never shoot minors.

Which are the limits of ethics in a street picture, or is it possible to shoot everything?

Never humiliate anyone, never shoot minors.

https://www.instagram.com/robbie_mcintosh/

https://www.facebook.com/realrobbiemcintosh

INTERVIEW WITH… Luigi Stranieri

Researched by Roberta Pastore

LUIGI STRANIERI

Was born in Naples in 1972. In 1997 he moved to Japan, where he married. In Nagoya he opened an Italian Language and Culture Center that he managed until 2006, when he moved back to Italy, specifically in Bologna, where he worked as a Licensing Manager in the fashion industry. He began to take photographs in 2013. In January 2016 he was selected for the group show Impermanenze curated by Silvia Bigi at the Lilith gallery, Ravenna.

In the same year his work “RA8 – under the sea level” is part of a second collective exhibition at Semplicemente Fotografare Live of Novafeltria. In 2016 he returns to live in Japan with his wife – called to take care of the family business – and the three daughters. He attended courses and workshops, including the annual course of Prof. Yamada Ko at the PACCell Studio in Nagoya.

In 2017 he is the winner of the Anatomie #2 contest of Percorsi Fotosensibili with the project Déjà vu.

In 2018 he published his first book, “Itsu mo arigatou”

The project “Itsu mo arigatou” was selected by Fotografia Europea Circuito OFF among the online exhibitions.

It is also selected at Sifest Off 2018 as finalist and exhibitor and Also finalist at the Premio Voglino 2018.

The project “The Flat City” is exhibited at Kromart Gallery in Rome

www.japanese-stories.com

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How important is photography for you? Would you have imagined a few years ago that this passion would have played such an important role in your life today?

Currently, photography is a very important passion for me, which has also become a job in some periods of the year. I started photographing very late, it was 2014 and I was already 42 years old. But I immediately understood that it was something that satisfied me and made me feel good. I loved her from the first shots. Today I live it as something that always gives me emotions and I’m no longer hungry for beautiful photos but rather stories to tell.

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Who are the photographers that inspire you or have inspired you in your photographic work?

 I must say that I have not read enough books to say that I am inspired by someone in particular. Stephen Shore is one of my favorite photographers ever, Garry Winogrand and Daido Moriyama soon after for the lightness of the modus operandi, no frills and straight to the point. Among the Italians I love Franco Fontana, Luca Campigotto, Silvia Camporesi, Elisa Tomaselli. There are many photographers that I admire but I do not think I have been inspired by someone in particular. Each of them fascinates me differently.

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Are you Interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies on culture and photographic language?

 As I said, I do not read a lot of books but I am always constantly in class in a certain sense, I follow lessons regarding the conceptual part of the photographic project. I attended Ko Yamada school for a year and I worked with Silvia Bigi, with whom I still collaborate on some projects. I do not particularly like books or workshops in which we talk about technique. I’m very interested in photographic “language” even outside street photography.

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Taking a shot in the street can sometimes be difficult; you have to face the reaction of people or make sure not to be invasive, in the various situations that can arise, it is not always a simple thing. What is your approach in these circumstances?

 I use a small camera without a viewfinder that allows me to take pictures without being too invasive. Be that as it may, I love sequences a lot, so I’m often stuck waiting for something to happen, often nothing happens.

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In recent years Street Photography has boomed, many photographers have dedicated themselves to this genre. What do you think is the reason why so many people prefer to shoot on the street?

First of all I think it’s because it’s cheap, a basic kit or even the mobile phone today allow you to take good photos on the street at low cost. The social networks have done the rest amplifying the scope of the phenomenon. Said that, I have to admit that the huge amount of images makes everything very ordinary and it is increasingly difficult to emerge in this field. I always think of reportage photography, many years ago was really for few who could travel for so long and in such distant places. Today everyone can travel and reach interesting places so that the reportage has become a mass phenomenon.

Is there something unique about street photography that differentiates it from other genres?

I believe the time. I work on long-term projects that go beyond street photography and time is definitely the discriminating factor that most influences certain works. My “street” projects taking a day at most. I tell stories limited in time, things that happen for no apparent reason. Long term street photography is a bit like an exercise in style in my opinion. I prefer to define a street project as a journey, then everything can make sense.

 

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Which subjects inspire you and urge you to look for the shot in the city where you live or in the places you frequent?

The impact photo is not my strength point. For one year I have been developing a project called “banalography” in which I portray everyday life in all its banality. I am very fascinated by the everyday banality without looking for any kind of special effect. I’ve been living in Japan for many years now, Westerners always expect some things from photos from Japan. I propose a real, every day, banal Japan if we want to say. I like winking at Westerners who are perplexed and at the Japanese who sometimes get offended.

Which are the limits of ethics in a street picture, or is it possible to shoot everything?
Bruce Gilden would answer “everything”. I can answer for myself, I have my rules and I do not make exceptions. I try to avoid anything that could damage the dignity of someone, it is something that I still evaluate alone, after seeing the photos.

What, then, makes a street photo effective? Can you quickly recognize the details that can make a good photo out of a simple shot?

An effective street photo is a picture that intrigues the viewer. After all we talk about a moment that the photographer stopped because he saw something, I look for that moment when I look at a photo not mine. Regarding my photographs, often if you take it alone do not have much to say, I never go out to do “the photography”, when I go out, I always have in mind a project or a story, whether it’s moving legs or people passing or pigeons that fly, my work is a set of things, almost never an end in itself.

 

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Has Street Photography as a genre developed in you the aptitude to interpret the situations of everyday life with an original vision and your style?

I do not have a style that I am referring to. I love many styles and I experiment them all. This led me to not have a particular detail that makes my photographs recognizable at first glance, maybe I’m still looking for that “punctum” that distinguishes me.

After shooting, what are the actions you take in terms of processing and editing?

I shoot in jpeg and I often use camera presets. However, I pass on lightroom to adjust the basic settings, contrast and tonal values. I try to have an analogical approach even if I shoot only digitally.

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Black white or colour?

For projects I prefer color. When I walk aimlessly down the street, black and white amuses me a lot.

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We often hear about “photographic projects” even in Street Photography. Have you ever documented a situation from which, subsequently, a story or idea of a project was born?

 As I said before all my outputs are functional to a final project or rather to a series. Photos that do not have this function are done while walking with the family in the downtown city or things like that. The answer is yes, indeed I would add that I already start with an idea of a project or a series. The street project is difficult to conceive, sometimes to tell something you would need thirty photos and sometimes a single photo can be enough. Even a pedestrian crossing can become a project, as long as you know what to tell people.

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Many times, we look at the pictures we’ve taken over the years. Is there one you are particularly attached to and why?

There is a picture I made in Venice at the beginning. I had bought my first camera, a SLR. That day I set up my new telephoto lens because I was going to take some pictures of pigeons. During a break at the bar, it was almost evening, I took a picture of a lady coming out of a church. When I saw the picture at home I realized that at that moment two gentlemen had passed that had impaled the frame, leaving however to glimpse the face of the lady. Those two gentlemen looked like that in the sixties, I’ve always been fascinated. I’ve always wondered why I had not seen them during the shot and why they were so old style looking. I have seen it as an image that stopped the crossing of two parallel worlds.

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INTERVIEW WITH… Umberto Fara

Researched by Roberta Pastore

UMBERTO FARA

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How important is photography for you? Would you have imagined a few years ago that this passion would have played such an important role in your life today?

I cannot live without photography, as I think it’s the best way, I know to talk about myself and to talk about all that is around me. It all started by chance about 8 years ago when I tried to capture for fun some landscapes near my house with a small bridge camera. The passion has since then grown exponentially, so I tried to deepen my knowledge of the medium and I bought an SRL camera, dedicating myself completely to landscape photography. Later I started to get interested in reportage photography, as Sardinia is full of events concerning tradition and folklore (from Carnival Season to the rites of Holy Week), until that became almost preponderant. Moreover, from this comes also the preference for the use of black & white in most of my shots, while not completely disregarding the use of colour. From that also come my need to insert the human element, which has led me to set landscape photography aside over time, and to have as natural evolution street photography, which I have been following with consistency from about two years. For this reason, I try to always give a street style to my shots, when I find myself shooting at events where, from time to time, I can be present. I want to clarify that my training in photography is completely self-taught. I am a great devourer of “images” because I think it is very important to know the work and the ways of taking pictures of other photographers (which do not necessarily have to be famous).

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Who are the photographers that inspire you or have inspired you in your photographic work?

I appreciate several photographers and from each of them I try to “steal” something. For example, I love the black and white of Moriyama and its almost dark atmospheres, the composition of Webb, and the use of light by Gus Powell. I could mention a lot more but the list would be long.  I recently discovered Chris Killip through his work “Here comes everybody”, which struck me for the way he tells of the devotion of the inhabitants of some villages in western Ireland, doing it in a very romantic way in my opinion. I set out to deepen my knowledge of this photographer. But if I have to mention a particular work that has deeply impressed me, even if it does not fall into the “street photography” genre, that is “Isola della Salvezza” by Francesco Comello. Those photos catapult you into that little world with an impressive force. It is a work that exudes joy but it is also heart-breaking at the same time

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Are you Interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies on culture and photographic language?

Obviously yes, as I believe that the growth of every photographer passes through knowledge. As I said before I’m a big fan of images, I look for them in books and I search them on the web too. For example, on YouTube I’m constantly looking for videos about Street Photography from which to draw inspiration and secrets. I think I’ve watched at least 10 times the documentary “Everybody street” (also because the English version is the only one available and since my English is not exactly perfect, to be able to understand all the interviews to be found in it, I had to watch it more than once and with calm).

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Taking a shot in the street can sometimes be difficult, dealing with people’s reaction is not always easy. What is your approach with the camera when you find yourself photographing strangers on the street?

Taking pictures on the street I think it’s almost like entering people’s emotional sphere. I shoot with fixed focal (18 and 27mm) lens, which, several times, pushes me to get as close as possible to the subjects that I want to capture, and, precisely for this reason, I try to be as discreet as possible (I use small cameras like the mirrorless from Fuji and a Ricoh GrII) though that it is not always feasible, so we must also resort to “tricks” like shooting, for example, without bringing the camera to the eye (it is certainly not an easy technique and one needs a lot of knowledge of the medium between hands and plenty of training), or, when possible, I also try to talk to people.

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In recent years, Street Photography has boomed, what do you think it’s due to? And what evolution has there been?

I could not tell you with precision, I can tell you that I think it happened because many people think that street photography is an “easy” genre and therefore many amateur photographers throw themselves into this genre. But in reality, there is nothing simple about it, quite the opposite. But this is only my hypothesis. As for the evolution of the genre, I can say that I personally have vision more akin to a classic approach, perhaps a more romantic one, and that, for this reason, I am unsure if “Street photography” is evolving in a positive or negative way, in the sense that much of the “modern” Street sometimes looks like a stylistic exercise more than the search for content. Obviously, this does not mean that there are not some things that I appreciate, on the contrary.

Umberto Fara b&w (9) Umberto Fara b&w (15)Which subjects, both people and places, inspire you most and make you to look for the shot, or that you think better represent your city and your land?

As I said before I’m tied to a more romantic type of photography, and shooting mainly in Sardinia, a land full of events linked to tradition, I often find myself shooting at village festivals, religious events, or, when possible, country festivals. In general, however, the scene of my shots are small villages. In my shots so it is easy to find elderly people (especially women) that in Sardinia, especially in the villages of the interior, still dress with the clothes of the past, or people in traditional clothes when tied to folk events. For this last reason it could also be objected that mine is more a photography related to reportage, to documentary photography, but the division of this genre from street photography is, in my opinion, quite subtle. In the end, street photography documents daily life, documenting the ways of doing and living in a certain place, and considering that in my land these events follow one another in an almost regular manner, they eventually become inextricably linked to everyday life.

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What, then, makes a street photo effective? Can you quickly recognize the details that can make a good photo out of a simple shot?

The composition is important and an essential element, but in general the shot is effective if it arouses emotions. When I look at a possible shot, I do not immediately go after the details but I have to be interested to the whole image first. A single detail is not always enough to elevate the shot to a higher level. I also add that I’m not a fanatic of the technique, or of the clean shot, indeed I could say that is the last thing I look for. Paradoxically, it is easier for me get “thrilled” by a “dirty” shot, where, however, the smell of the road reveals itself more strongly.

Umberto_Fara_03Is there something unique about street photography that differentiates it from other genres?

“Street photography” is the photography of memory. It’s the photography that documents the time we live in, it is the photography that tells the story of mankind in everyday situations. Think of the street photographs of Robert Frank, Winogrand, Vivian Maier, to name a few, who told the post-war America, or, to stay in Sardinia, I think of the Sardinian photographer Franco Pinna who told the Sardinia of the villages of the interior in the years of banditry. In addition to this, street photography allows you to be among the people and to capture moments that will probably be unique and unrepeatable

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Has street photography, as a genre, developed in you the ability to photograph in any light condition and to interpret everyday life situations with an appealing vision?

Well considering that in “Street photography” nothing is staged or prepared, it is natural to get used to and be obligatorily ready to shoot and to exploit any situation of light, both during the day and at night. Probably I was helped a lot of my past as a landscape artist, which helped me to learn more about the functionality of the photographic medium. Obviously, I always try to pull out a shot that is captivating and that attracts the gaze of the “spectator”, a shot that can fully describe that single moment. Surely it is not always easy, and perhaps the search for a shot that can arouse interest leads me to be more critical of my images and consequently teaches me to better select the shots to be proposed or discarded.

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In a street picture, do you think the contrasts of light are important to tell a story or are just an aesthetic fact?

Good question!! Thinking about a certain type of photos that you see nowadays I would be tempted to answer you that it’s just an aesthetic fact, but in the end, I do not think it’s always like that. Many times, they become fundamental for the success of a shot, or at least to be able to give that extra quid to a shot, that in any case must have something to say already to start with.

Umberto Fara (3)Which are the limits of ethics in a street picture, or is it possible to shoot everything?

You can shoot everything but it depends on the way you do it. I’ll explain. Unfortunately, with the advent of social networks, it happens to witness the unbridled pursuit of “likes” with shots that aim to be sensationalistic, while exploiting the discomfort of others and I do not like that at all. In general, I believe that a limit exists. We cannot go to the streets and shoot everything that is revealed in our eyes, without taking into account the dignity of the person in front of us. It is true that photography aims to tell, to document, but it must be done with intelligence and without creating discomfort to the people subject of the photos. If you really cannot help but take the shoot, you must at least resort to the subterfuge to shoot so that the person is not recognizable … so it would still be acceptable.

INTERVIEW WITH… ROBERTO DI PATRIZI

Researched by Roberta Pastore

ROBERTO DI PATRIZI

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How important is photography for you? Would you have imagined a few years ago that this passion would have played such an important role in your life today?

Photography is one of the few things that can always leave me amazed, in all its genres. From the macro that makes me discover new galaxies, to the glam that knows how to get me drunk, up to astrophotography that makes me come back down to earth. But it is through Street Photography that I can make peace with myself. I did not think I would find anything that could make me do it. Perhaps Music, once, before we began to hate each other.

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Who are the photographers that inspire you or have inspired you in your photographic work?

Since I was a boy I’ve always been a great fan of movies. I devoured four of them in a day, admiring, as well as the contents, the choice of shots and lights. It is from there that I draw inspiration for my compositions. When I take a picture it’s like stealing a still image from the hypothetical movie I’m shooting in my mind. Of course, deepening my knowledge on Street Photography, I met and come to admire the incredible snapshots of Henri Cartier-Bresson or Daidō Moriyama, as well as the touching photo reportages of Sebastião Salgado. But the real influence for me comes from Italian directors such as V. De Sica, S. Leone or F. Fellini; or by foreign directors of the calibre of S. Spielberg or W. Allen (of the latter in particular, I recently gladly watched again “Manhattan”, one of my favourite movies, that I watched the first time before I become passionate about street photography.. it’s practically pure animated Street Photography!).

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Are you Interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies on culture and photographic language?

After my discovery of Street Photography, I started reading everything, both on paper and in digital form. It was enough that it concerned this type of photography. And since the greatest Street photographers were shooting on film, after receiving an old Leica M6 as a gift from my daughter, I set up a small dark room in the service bathroom in the house. I “locked” myself in it for a whole year, after having read the three tomes by Ansel Adams (“The Negative”, “The Printing” and “The Camera”). So, I would say yes, I always want to go deeper. As long as the light bulb of curiosity is on, one still has the chance to grow.

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Taking a shot in the street can sometimes be difficult, dealing with people’s reaction is not always easy. What is your approach with the camera when you find yourself photographing strangers on the street?

In my private life I am a reserved person, also quite indolent. But when I am among the people and I take my camera out of the bag, I go into fibrillation: I cannot think of anything but the endless interesting images that could present to myself if only I have the courage to reach out and grab them. I defy myself, in short, using as mean to blackmail myself into action, the bitterness that I would feel in case of defeat. And I start looking around. I no longer exist, no thoughts, I cancel myself completely. I become invisible. After each capture I never stop to look at the picture (one take only as it was when I used film) and I get away quickly from the place of the “crime”. It has happened that I took pictures of people while I was in the company of my wife: she says I’m very brash (actually she used a much more colourful expression!). But I do not realize that.

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Use only fixed lenses: 28mm, 35mm, 50mm. Rarely 85mm (My favourite at the moment is the Sony 55mm). Only mirrorless cameras due to their reduced size and weight, and only in the black versions. The silver ones are too flashy. I never raise the camera to my face. Let’s say that I prefer to shoot “from the hip” using only cameras that have a swivelling screen, which I use as a cockpit, and leaving the grid for the “rule of the thirds” activated. In this way I am less conspicuous. I rely completely on the preview of the camera: the LCD already gives me back, live, the final photo even before shooting. So, no more exposure meter, totally obsolete.

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In recent years, Street Photography has boomed, what do you think it’s due to? And what evolution has there been?

I asked myself the same thing but I do not know, I cannot answer you. I think it’s a bit of a fashion, in some ways. Certainly, the story of Vivian Maier has helped to turn the spotlight on this genre, but I’m not sure that there is a real awareness of how Street Photography, in addition to being often quite exciting, can also act as a historical archive on the uses and customs of our era. Myself, when I shoot, I still do not feel this responsibility. But it is a fact that deserves more attention.

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Rome is a city of a thousand faces: from the degradation of certain suburbs to the beauty of its monuments: which subjects, both as people and places, inspire you more and urge you to look for the shot, or do you think better represent this city?

It is the Termini railway station, my hunting territory. Immense crossroads of people of all ethnicities and nationalities. A few years ago, I moved out of Rome, in the province of Viterbo, opting for life as a commuter. This led me to frequent the station every day. In this fascinating place many stories are intertwined and deserve to be told. In addition, people are very distracted, less attentive to passers-by and more concerned with trying not to lose the train or say goodbye to each other. It is easier to approach them without them noticing.

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Artistically, if we want to say that, I was born a musician. I started studying guitar at the age of 10, learning the art and putting it aside. At that time, my parents ran a bar. I can say that I spent my childhood on the street, observing coffee customers and passers-by in front of its entrance. Many years later I found myself a street singer, at a time of serious economic difficulties, due to various vicissitudes. This lasted for four very long years. I saw so many people passing by every day. And I learned, observing them, to recognize the various personalities immediately by their way of walking. Clothing is almost always a warning sign: underneath a wide-brimmed hat there is often an original expression. To summarize, it’s my background that made me sharpen my senses to spot who has a story to tell. To all this, of course , one must always add a bit of luck on which one must count to be in the right place at the right time.

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Is there something unique about street photography that differentiates it from other genres?

Do you know what I love about street photography, that no other photographic genre has? Every moment is unique and unrepeatable. Although within a scheme, there is a lot of improvisation, as in jazz.

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Has street photography, as a genre, developed in you the ability to photograph in any light condition and to interpret everyday life situations with an appealing vision?

Of course! Unlike work in the studio, where you bend the light to your needs, the opposite happens in the street and with very sudden light changes, especially along itinerant routes. It is you who must know how to adapt by quickly dealing the correct camera settings, preparing it for each new variation of the light. I find all this very stimulating and rewarding.

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In a street picture, do you think the contrasts of light are important to tell a story or are just an aesthetic fact?

As far as I’m concerned, they are just an aesthetic fact. I love contrasted images and I prefer black and white photos in which there are all shades of grey, from pure blacks to absolute whites. The important thing, however, is that the snapshot tells something while as well as taking care of the composition, following for example the “rule of thirds” and avoiding chaotic backgrounds. I really like taking care of the aesthetics of my shoots, but if I do not “capture” my “protagonist”, aesthetics is not enough for me.

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Which are the limits of ethics in a street picture, or is it possible to shoot everything?

Well, no, we cannot always shoot everything, unless we’re in a country where a coup d’état is under way and we’re in the middle of a civil war! In this case, however, we no longer speak of Street Photography but of Reportage, two genres intimately linked but at the same time very different.

Going back to everyday life, without too many examples, we should have the sensitivity of never hurting the feelings of anyone, always respecting human dignity.

INTERVIEW WITH… ALESSANDRO SCHIARITI

Researched by Roberta Pastore

ALESSANDRO SCHIARITI

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How important is photography for you? Would you have imagined a few years ago that this passion would have played such an important role in your life today?

 Photography is very important to me. I started shooting around the age of 20 and since then everything that has come into my life is linked to photography: passions, my life path, friendships. The first contact with a camera was casual, it started from scratch. The work experience in a tourist village gave me the opportunity to see reality in a different way, developing an interest for photography I never had before. I was not yet aware of how much in the future photography would have shaped me as a human being.

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Who are the photographers that inspire you or have inspired you in your photographic work?

I approached street photography only recently, and my past references come from other photographic styles and venues. I love the work of Dragan, Eolo Perfido (with reference to portraiture), Erwin Olaf. With street photography my references have expanded. I love using Meyerowitz’s colour and its mystery; the “ordered” chaos of Alex Webb, his composition and obviously once again in this case the exceptional use of colour; I am fascinated by the geometries of Henri Cartier-Bresson; the organic, instinctive and almost “physiological” photography of Moriyama. I do not always find it necessary to try to include in my photographs the style of photographers that I appreciate, but I think that their teachings and training cues can be seen in my work.

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Are you Interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies on culture and photographic language?

By all means, Sure! I am strongly convinced that art should be the right balance between individual passions and the culture of those who preceded us by writing its specific story. Every artistic current traces a path and we cannot ignore any of them if we want to pursue coherent stylistic discourses. The difficulty lies in knowing how to balance external influences, discipline and one’s emotional point of view. I like watching the works of great artists. I often research for video material where you can observe great photographers at work, trying to snatch their teachings. Watching for 10 minutes Meyerowitz as he moves through the crowd can teach us a lot more than expensive, sometimes useless, courses.

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What is your approach with the camera when you find yourself photographing strangers on the street?

Taking a shot in the street can sometimes be difficult, dealing with people’s reaction is not always easy. In this phase of my stylistic research, I am fascinated by a certain type of light and shadows. Shooting with such amount of light allows me to use the zonal fire without worries. Shooting with this technique is so fast that people often do not realize they are being photographed. I am a discreet and reserved person and I do not like contact with those I do not know, so I try to move in a sort of invisibility. However, I do believe that this sort of paranoia, linked to the unknown, is more a result of our collective imagination than of reality, people often know how to amaze us; sometimes a smile is enough to avoid rejections.

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In recent years, Street Photography has boomed, what do you think it’s due to? And what evolution has there been?
I think this is due to several factors. The first one is the birth and development of the social networks, which have revolutionized the way we relate to each other; we are constantly in contact with each other and anxious to show ourselves to others. The second factor is that, since George Eastman with his Kodak has made photography affordable for everyone, to date we have had a huge development in technology and photographic culture. “Everybody” has a camera available (now even smartphones are sold as powerful cameras as well as telephone devices). This phenomenon has cleared, for better or for worse, the concept of photography “for everyone”. Furthermore, a positive side of the Social platforms is the presence of a whole series of initiatives, thematic groups and links to web showcase opportunities that facilitate the dissemination of the culture of photography and, in particular, of Street Photography all over the world. Street Photography is experiencing a new era, one where we can all confront each other. One just has to be extremely careful not to be swallowed, trying to get some clear points of reference.

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Rome is a city of a thousand faces: from the degradation of certain suburbs to the beauty of its monuments. How do you see your city? Which are the subjects, both as people and places, that inspire you more and urge you to look for the shot, or which do you think represent this city better?

I believe that the interest in the subjects is intimately tied to the stylistic and artistic research that a photographer makes in a given period of his life. For a while I’ve been interested in a certain type of pictorial photography, using certain lights and certain colours. I am fascinated by the silence that a photo can give off under certain circumstances. The ability of the shadows to “swallow” humanity. The elegance of the eternal city combined with the evanescence of human figures often not too well defined. Sometimes I use shadows to hide faces and depersonalize the subjects of my photos. Right now, I’m working on a photographic project entitled “identity”, which plays with shadows and lights. I do not think that, in “Street photography”, the human being should necessarily be the exclusive subject but I believe instead that it is often important to create a symbiotic relationship between the human being and the road. Everything framed in the shot for me is the subject. On the other hand, when I move to the outskirts of my city, my attention is focused more on the human being as such, in a more realistic dimension than the poetic and surreal atmosphere of the centre of Rome. The road leads my feelings, I realize now in answering this question. Rome is a city that can make a huge palette of colours and feelings available to a photographer. Heterogeneous, chaotic, elegant and loutish at the same time.

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What, then, makes a street photo effective? Can you quickly recognize the details that can make a good photo out of a simple shot?

The composition: the photographer must be able to perfectly manage the elements within the frame, even destroying the rules if you have shoulders broad enough to do it. Stylistic research and the culture of the image. The “key element “, that element that is the keystone that supports the whole image. Often It can be almost imperceptible, the task of composition is to make its effect be fully felt; the feeling, the art and the emotion that, paradoxically, can sometimes also be simulated and constructed at a table, in some other occasions, they can be absolutely genuine. In my opinion, the biggest challenge for an artist is to balance rationality and irrationality. But perhaps this last factor is more what makes the difference between good photography and great photography.

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Is there something unique about street photography that differentiates it from other genres?

I believe that all types of photography, if studied in dept, can lead to unique discoveries. However, I consider “Street photography” the photographic genre par excellence. Not the first born historically, but probably the one that has best been able to tell the human being and his relationship with the context in which he lives.

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Has street photography, as a genre, developed in you the ability to photograph in any light condition and to interpret everyday life situations with an appealing vision?

Surely not. I am a professional photographer and I have learned to shoot with every kind of light and in all circumstances, and if the light is not there, I bring it from “home”. The customer must always have a finished product of quality. This is an imperative. In the “Street”, when I do not have a “commercial” obligation to shoot, I search for certain types of light and subjects and I do not feel inspired in conditions that do not belong to my current vision of photography. Surely in other phases I will be able to be attracted to something else, but I must say that in street photography I have never felt forced to shoot in any kind of condition. As for a captivating vision, the answer is yes. Of course I always try to show something different, showing the ordinary as extraordinary fascinates me deeply .

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 In a street picture, do you think the contrasts of light are important to tell a story or are just an aesthetic fact?

They are not important to me, as it is not using a flash, or preferring black and white to colour. They are “only” stylistic elements, and each photographer has his own. The important thing is the stylistic coherence and how the various elements concur to create a “signature”. I strongly believe that the “aesthetic” factor, seen as synergy and coherence between stylistic elements, is fundamental in art in general. Otherwise the history of art would have no reason to exist.

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Which are the limits of ethics in a street picture, or is it possible to shoot everything?
I believe that the limit is directly proportional to the artistic value of the work and the artist. I find it senseless that when a clueless photographer takes the classic photo to a homeless just because he is a subject that can accumulate some more “likes” on the social medias. When we talk about documentary photography, on the other hand, the story is different; a genre in which we can narrate any kind of event, is, not only, acceptable but it certainly becomes very important. In Street Photography it is not mandatory to tell an event, it is a choice of the photographer whether to do it or not. Act freely while keeping in mind some limitations.

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In general, it is increasingly common to use smartphones to take photos. And there are also those who consider their smartphones very seriously as photographic gear. What do you think about it? Do you use (or have you tried to use) a smartphone for your photos?

I tried for fun . That said there are cell phones that make great photos and also, I believe that with the mastery of composition and style you can take good pictures with any means. M.C. Brown with a cell phone, took exceptional war reportage photos. For sure it is an instrument that allows you to be invisible and this is a huge advantage for street photography. The problem is that having one of these infernal gadgets in your hands gives the conviction to be “photographers”. Another big problem is that this kind of photography is often accompanied by a culture of post-production and commercial filters that completely distort the philosophy of street photography. The problem is not the medium itself, but the culture that derives from it.

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According to your experience, it is useful to make a print of your photos, and why?

 I find it fundamental for several reasons. The first one is that the print gives a much more concrete sense of the space contained within the frame: some photos I frame with a white “passepartout/border” to have a space that surrounds and contains the photo, also training the eye to be able to complete the framing operation. A common mistake is to focus only on the subject portrayed and not to consider that the subject is only a part of the photo. Printing helps to acquire this awareness. Photos become beautiful when defined clearly in space. Another approach is to print only a few photos, which I perceive have “something” more than the rest of my production. This helps me to understand which stylistic path I am taking, how I grew up and in which direction. I have a series of frames on the wall where I often change photos, watching them helps me to grow.

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Black white or colour?

Personally, at the present, I am fascinated by colour, but at the same time I love black and white. These are two totally different way to shoot: if I do not have good light I prefer black and white, with which geometry stands out and also colour can often distract. But if I have a scene with good light and colours that give dynamism and depth to the image I have no doubts, I shoot using colour. The choice between black and white and colour is about composition: with the colour you add an extra dimension that should not be left to chance. When I use colour, I use it with the utmost respect, using it without giving it the proper consideration can be catastrophic. Black and white, on the other hand, can be used in a more instinctive way, showing off the geometric composition. B/W or colour is a choice that must be made during shooting and not in post-production.

DSCF0668-1

What equipment do you use and how much does the equipment count in street photography?

 A Fuji X100T, a good camera with its strengths and its faults. Equipment matters a lot. Surely a camera that allows you to use high ISO values helps in a genre where the use of a closed diaphragms and of fast shutter speeds are valuable. It is a genre where even the shape of the medium that is used is important, this to be less conspicuous. I believe that the fundamental thing is not the camera used but how well you known such camera. We must dominate it, know what its strengths are, what are the critical elements and use also these to build a good image. We should remember that the great authors that often inspire us used technologies much less performing than the ones we have today. How many not exactly technically perfect photos affect us and steal our soul? The equipment has a fundamental impact on our work but the quality of photography is not directly proportional to the price of our camera. Beyond an economic discourse, the equipment also influences the point of view; shooting with a reflex or a Rolleiflex, as Vivian Maier, changes the compositional point of view and also changes the “psychology” of a photo and the message that sends to the observer. Just as shooting with a 50 mm or a 28 mm would.

PERSONAL LINK

http://alessandroschiariti.wixsite.com/photographer/street-photography

 

INTERVIEW WITH… MASSIMILIANO VECCHI

 

Researched by Roberta Pastore

MASSIMILIANO VECCHI

Sestri Leva_n_te

How important is photography for you? Would you have imagined a few years ago that this passion would have played such an important role in your life today?

Photography was probably the biggest surprise of my life. It has revolutionized my time and many of my habits. I discovered it by chance no more than 6 years ago and since then my way of looking at things has completely changed. It all started by reading some of my father’s photo books: they talked about photography, they cited Bresson, Steve Mc Curry and told life through photography. I had never picked up the camera until the age of twenty-five, then one day the chance encounter and that train not to be missed, which started at full speed.

Humanfaces2.0

Who are the photographers that inspire you or have inspired you in your photographic work?

I understood the greatness of street photography after attending a photographic exhibition by Alex Webb. I had photographed very little and my focus was mainly on the study of the photographic medium. I did not know what street photography was and I had no idea who Alex and Rebecca Webb were, but I will never forget the warmth of the shades, the photographic story, the faces of the people, the compositions so studied and complex. I owe so much to that vision, perhaps everything.

Centocelle Life 2.0Bus Tiburtina

Are you Interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies on culture and photographic language?

Definitely I am. It is an integral part of the study and the development of a refined and personal style. I have dozens of texts on street photography and on the visual and on mental approach to photography. They are my bible and source of inexhaustible ideas. In this case too, the hand of Alex Webb was fundamental. The book “Street photography and poetic image” has deeply marked my path in street photography.

Gravity

Taking a shot in the street can sometimes be difficult, dealing with people’s reaction is not always easy. What is your approach with the camera when you find yourself photographing strangers on the street?

Often, mistakenly, we think of the street photography as something simple, within everyone’s reach: but this is not the case. Blame the speed of social networks and our own superficiality. Looking for a work of impact and effectiveness, in the street, is among the most difficult things that a photographer may have to do and you have to do your best to transform a trivial vision into a unique and unrepeatable shot. I like being at the centre of the scene (no, I’m not self-centred!) because I think that only in this way you are really invisible and mixed with the reality you want to shoot. People’s reaction has never scared me, in fact, sometimes it’s what I’m looking for: street photography has the power to move persons’ consciences and connect peoples and different cultures.

Napoli èGenova

In recent years, Street Photography has boomed, what do you think it’s due to? And what evolution has there been?

In my opinion there are two factors that have contributed to the boom of this photographic genre: the social network and the incredibly affordable costs. Precisely in this sense I would speak of evolution and involution at the same time. While the lowering of costs and the freedom to approach have facilitated learning, on the other hand the web has led to an excess of information that is causing a flattening of the general photographic level and to the increase of a state of confusion and superficiality around this complex photographic genre. The real evolution is inside the street photographer who searches for a profound approach both in technical and cultural terms each and every day.

MdC

How do you see your city? Which are the subjects, both as people and places, that inspire you more and urge you to look for the shot, or which do you think represent this city better?

Living in Rome, today, is not simple at all and in this specific historical moment, street photography has certainly proved to be a great support and a valid companion of adventures, helping me to find new stimuli every day, to survive the speed and difficulties involved in living in a big city. I have always studied my compositions without caring too much about the physical space available but looking everywhere for a creative and personal vision of what surrounds me. If we want to name some specific places, having always lived in the suburbs, the local markets are certainly among my favourite locations where to find interesting situations of daily life. In conclusion I would say that I do not have subjects and places that inspire me more than others but I believe that street photography is really possible in every corner and (almost) in every moment.

MaradonaPaperPhotos

What, then, makes a street photo effective? Can you quickly recognize the details that can make a good photo out of a simple shot?

I ask myself that whenever I come in contact with a particular vision. What strikes me strongly, in most cases, are the complex compositions, rich in information and cues where the subjects are amalgamated with harmony and warmth to the urban context. I am fascinated by the dense images, which are able to tell a story and bring back the mind to events that have occurred or have being dreamed of. I love the colour, the eyes of the people and the subjects that create movement and questions. I am enchanted by a simple gesture blended perfectly with the elements of the city. I take pleasure in carefully observing the “right light” that I find fundamental in two moments of the day: sunrise and sunset. To conclude, I do not believe there are elements that are more effective than others. The important thing is how one mixes the various elements that go to compose our shot.

Boys

Is there something unique about street photography that differentiates it from other genres?

Street Photography is a unique photographic genre that I would call almost magical. Nothing is prepared in the street and everything programmed in advance can be reversed in a fraction of a second. The success of a shot depends on the union of an innumerable number of factors that converge in the same fraction of a second, which makes it a really difficult and complex photographic genre in every situation. If we add to that the fact that the street tells about ourselves, about our time and that the people portrayed are photographed in their total naturalness, well … we are certainly talking about the most beautiful and difficult photographic genre that exists!

HumanFaces1.0CdB

Has street photography, as a genre, developed in you the ability to photograph in any light condition and to interpret everyday life situations with an appealing vision?

As already anticipated, in the street, I take photos almost exclusively in two lighting conditions: sunrise and sunset. I exclude a priori the conditions with light perpendicular to the scene, a situation in which the shadows exaggeratedly cut the possible subjects and the urban context is cold and uncovered. I prefer when the light is completely directed on the subject and the colours take shape and heat. Shadows and contrasts take on a softer appearance and everything becomes more magical. The direct light unveils many details of the scene and since I always use the hyperfocal method, I can give the photo character and strength. As for the “catchy vision” instead, the answer is positive. The development of an always ready and creative eye is at the base of all my work. For me photography is an expression of creativity and fantasy in its pure state.

Bagno Vignoni - val d'OrciaCinque Terre Una Foto

In a street picture, do you think the contrasts of light are important to tell a story or are just an aesthetic fact?

They are important, fundamental, if the final composition is constructive and able to tell one. Elements dictated by a technical choice (i.e. very closed diaphragm) or by a post-production that helps to enhance subjects and elements within the shot. If used poorly they become obvious and trivial, especially if inserted in a context that is poor in terms of interesting elements: as in the case of photos of a profile in the shadow and nothing next to it, which have become a standard that all (or almost all) photographers, in a way or in the other, sooner or later, end up to work with.

Trani 2

Tiburtina Anti Fascista

Which are the limits of ethics in a street picture, or is it possible to shoot everything?

In my opinion, none. The limit is within the measure of respect that a street photographer has and will always have for each subject that he will be shooting. A subject that will always be the main source of every work of the true street photographer.

In general, it is increasingly common to use smartphones to take photos. And there are also those who consider their smartphones very seriously as photographic gear. What do you think about it? Do you use (or have you tried to use) a smartphone for your photos?

I used the smartphone in the street only once and it was also the last one. I do not want to make a speech about practicality of use, nor about approach or quality of the final result, but more simply I cannot get what I want with this type of instruments. Maybe it’s a technical limit of mine, maybe it’s just a matter of practicality and of the feeling achieved using one medium rather than another. I hate too much electronic, I always shoot in manual mode preferring the zonal and hyperfocal focusing methods. I prefer to look for the correct setting through the mechanical gears on my machine, which I find to be perfect

Show-how-you-are

According to your experience, it is useful to make a print of your photos, and why?

Not only useful, I find it fundamental. The photographer must touch his own work, observe the result in a practical and direct way. I also remember this as a mistake that I have corrected by gaining experience. It took me some time to fully understand this topic but every doubt was dispelled after printing some photos for the first time. We cannot observe our work exclusively from the monitors of our PC or on the screens of our smartphones that leave out lots of details in our photos and show us tones and colours always distant from the reality photographed. We must always print our works!

Visioni

Black white or colour?

My eyes, my mind and my heart see with colours. I have understood this in time, gaining experience in the field. It is a path that is taken with logic, studying oneself and one’s own way of observing and understanding things. I started to get interested in photography by shooting in analogue on an Ilford XT400 and I switched to digital while continuing to work promiscuously in colour and in black and white. I won the first recognition of my life with a black and white shot and I never imagined that colour would become so important. I find stimulating the search for a complex and particular vision within a vast but balanced chromatic scale able to surprise the observer. What really interests me is to be able to transform something ordinary into something extraordinary, leaving in it as many elements as possible close to the observed reality.

What equipment do you use and how much does the equipment count in street photography? How much does the equipment with which you shoot influence the final result? Based on what factors do you choose it?

I use a small mirrorless Fuji camera, the X70 which mounts a fixed lens equivalent to a 28mm with f2.8. A machine that often goes unnoticed and that makes me particularly invisible in the street, helping me to stay in the middle of the scene for as long as necessary to capture the desired moment. It has had a decisive influence on my growth, especially with regard to the research of the desired composition and the colour management, that I find wonderful with the new Fuji sensor. The fixed 28mm, as well as any fixed focal length dedicated to street (I would say up to 50mm), “forces” the photographer to search and “reason” the shot transforming him into a “real life” hunter. On which base I choose my equipment? Simple, I do not choose it: in the street I have the little Fuji always with me, while for events I use equipment dedicated to this genre. In my case, a Canon 6D and a wide range of lenses complete the tools at my disposal.

Can you tell us how you made this specific photo ? What was the post production work on this image?

Per Te

It is difficult to choose a single photo. Beyond the technical aspect and the final result that may absolutely not be striking, I believe that a street photo is an image that can tell more than a single story in a frame. In addition to the visual story that emerges from the observation of a shot there are photos that have a lot to tell in their “behind the scenes”. As with the case of this shot made in April 2016 in Rome. It’s a shot that I remember with particular pleasure and will always carry in my heart not only for the shoot itself but for the situations that led to the completion of the image. It was a beautiful sunny day in Rome after days of incessant rain. I went out into the street with the desire to “stop” some history. A project I had in my mind for a while and that lead me to browse around an old local market. I lurked near one of the entrances where the light filtered in the desired direction and the composition was getting interesting. I waited a few minutes in the hope that a subject would leave in the desired position. I took a few empty shots, then I missed one, a subject too much in shadow and so on, the shot did not arrive. I remained there for a while, without anything happening before my eyes. I had not looked into the market and I had no idea of what could happen in a short while. I was immobile in front of the scene, warmed by the spring sun, I was waiting for something to take life. Just when I thought everything was fading, at sudden the road becomes a theatre of emotions and surprises: a lady approached the entrance with a slow pace, also dictated by some physical problem and held out a hand in an empty space. In an instant a second hand popped right in the middle of my composition. He was a homeless man lying at the entrance of the market. In an instant, everything stopped. Those are the moments when I think that “street photography” is the most beautiful thing a photographer can get to work with. The scene took shape in a single moment right in front of my eyes and I was able to capture it. This represents for me a very clear concept of what street photography is all about. An unpredictable genre where you must never be caught unprepared and behind every corner something unique can happen, something that can transform a simple moment of everyday life into an image that will stay with you forever. I worked on this photo as I usually do, using the raw format development. Having shot with a very closed diaphragm (f11 if I remember correctly) and a very fast shutter speed (1/500) the shadows were very closed, just as I like it. I corrected the colours selectively until I got the desired result and I gave clarity to the highlights through the correction of tonal values, again raw format development.

Which is the technique you use in post-production? Is it always the same for all images?

In my street photographs, I do use the same technique. I always adopt the same, fast and personal workflow after finding and studying the right setting between the camera and “camera raw” software. I hate pre-made filters, I work with extreme care on the colour tone to get a balanced result and as and close to reality as possible, obviously taking advantage of the right exposure of the photo to the light for me more suitable. I like photos that have character, clearly contrasted but never exaggerated.

Napoli in bolla

 

MOnterosso Al MAre

How often do you print your photographs? Do you have any site or place of reference for printing digital photos?

I’m not a serial printer and I prefer to bring only the works I consider most appropriate on paper. I print all the photos that deserve to be observed, both those where the result is convincing and those where some errors did not allow me to appreciate the final photo. Initially I printed online, on classic sites. Then, with experience, I began to refine the result using the collaboration of some specialized laboratories in Rome. The result was immediately amazing. So, I started to fall in love with my own colours and to refine more and more the shooting technique and how to work with photography.

Trani-3 Trani

 PERSONAL LINK :

http://www.massimilianovecchi.com/

https://www.instagram.com/massimiliano_vecchi_photo/?hl=it

https://m.facebook.com/Massimiliano.Vecchi.Archivio.Fotografico/?ref=bookmarks

 

Interview with… Andrea Boccone

Researched by Roberta Pastore

ANDREA BOCCONE

Gaetano

How important is photography to you? Would have you ever thought a few years ago this passion would have played such an important role in your today life?

Absolutely not.

Up until fifteen years ago, when I heard about photography, I instinctively thought of holidays or birthday parties’ pics only. My first true interest in photography started with National Geographic Magazine and from then on, things have changed.  However, I always shot at alternating stages, but three years ago, following my own personal journey, I started shooting with different eyes, trying to crystallize what was exciting me. As I am not a professional photographer, today photography for me has a cathartic role: camera and long walks wash away all pains.

Light My fire

What photographers most inspire or have inspired you in your photographic works?

HCB, Gilden, Scianna were definitely the main references in my approach to Street Photography. But, above all, the major influence is that of Daido Moriyama. When I first saw “Stray Dog,” it was a fist in my stomach. I had somehow found what I had sought until then in the Street Photography. Unlike others, in Moriyama’s shots the visual impact is massive: vignetting, strong contrasts and blur. For someone like me, who is not a photographer but a walker with a camera, Moriyama is the perfect inspiration.

Nobody Loves Me Here

Are you interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies about culture and photographic language?

I have several books of great photographers. Photographic practice is – after all –  easy to learn; the real difficulty is to have the “scene in your eyes”. I think the only real training each of us should do, is to look at photographs, lots of photographs. In a historical moment whereas we are overwhelmed by digital images sliding in front of us, a book of photographs is always the best choice.

Travel Agency

Sunny Lady

 

Sometimes taking a shot in the street could be difficult and dealing with people’s reactions is not always easy.

What is your approach with your camera when you are shooting unknown people in the street? This is a problem for many photographers: how do you manage it or how did you overcome it?

Perhaps this is the most difficult question to answer, as it always depends on where you shoot. It is easy to do it in crowded places, especially downtown, but it is less easy to shoot in suburbs. Even nowadays in Rome, a camera always causes stir and it is a paradox inasmuch as we are surrounded by security cameras and smartphones. However, with the zone focus and not the autofocus, I can be quick enough to shoot and be almost invisible. As I said before, I always walk and I never stop; it is difficult for me to stand in one place and wait for the right moment; I pass by and shoot. Sometimes, I do not even bring it to my eyes; I try to see in advance what will come out. A prime lens, in those cases, helps a lot.

Time

Monte Testaccio

In recent years, Street Photography has had a boom. What do you think is it due to? And what evolution has it been? 

In my opinion, it is because most of the people think Street Photography is – after all – easy to approach. You do not need photographic studios or models to shoot, as you do not even need to travel around the world. Actually, it is not as simple as it seems. Since when I came close to Street Photography, I realized that the most important thing to do is go back home and delete most of the shots. If there is no visual/emotional short circuit around, it is not enough to take photos in the street to make a good street photography.

I mainly shoot in black and white, sometimes in color. Lately, however, there are so many color shots and black and white is used more as a recovery for a mediocre shot.  I believe the real problem is the photographic massification: I see so many colleagues taking photos continuously, always changing style and subjects. Maybe this is not an evolution.

Dolce Vita

Caffetteria

Rome is a city with a thousand faces: from the degradation of certain suburbs to the beauty of its monuments.

Rome is a city made up of many small towns, each one different from the other one. It is as if they were all pieces of a badly-crafted puzzle: you cross the street and walk moving from churches to 70’s horrifying buildings, you turn around the corner and see flyovers passing just two meters far from houses. Making Street Photography in Rome is not so easy: you can risk falling into the banal with the usual “postcard” photo. It also lacks a whole piece of modern architecture that today is predominant in many shots made in other metropolises. Nevertheless, Rome is also the city you never stop discovering, especially in small things and people living in it.

Carlo

Don Giovanni

Which subjects, both as people and places inspire you the most as they best represent this city and stimulate you to shoot?

Let’s first say what I’m not interested in shooting: the Tourist Rome you can find in postcards. Instead, I am interested in people who live their everyday lives, together with all difficulties of a disorganized and unloved city. I believe that in many of my shots, you can clearly distinguish melancholy and sadness: two moods you can find in the faces of people you meet in the street. Perhaps because they are two moods I also live a lot. . It’s as if we were all isolated from each other, yet in contact with us. Here it is, I try to shoot those contacts.

Gnam!

Reflex

What makes a street photo effective? Can you quickly recognize details that can make a simple shoot a good photo?

I just talked about short-circuit visual, but it’s a forcing. Actually, what really strikes me is the emotional impact a particular image can arouse. There are lots of technically perfect street photos, where lights, exposure, composition, colors, are perfect. But they are aseptic. I prefer a “dirty” but emotionally disruptive photo.

Diagonals

Blondie

Do you think is there something unique in the street photography that distinguishes it from other genres?

The human component in its deepest nature. That nature that no one will ever be able to encode in a universal scheme, as each of us is a unique piece.

Too young for fun

No customers

 Street Photography as a genre has developed in you the ability to photograph in any light condition and to interpret situations of everyday life with a captivating vision, or do you prefer particular times or certain light situations? In other words: how much light affects your style?

Street Photography has developed, even amplified in me, the aptitude to observe. Going forward, I have experienced different ways of shooting (from lights and shadows to color) but, in the end, I always return to my natural vocation: black and white and strong contrasts.

Warm Sun

I discovered with the exercise that, if you want to play with the light, you have to be able to predict what will happen. Sadly, having not much spare time, when I can get around I have to settle for the light I find but, having the choice, I should prefer the morning or early afternoon bright light. It creates beautiful shadows and gives three-dimensional shots.

Black And White

Is there an ethical limit in a street photo, a limit forcing you not to photograph a subject or situation? Or should it always be permissible to shoot everything in the name of the right of chronicle or in the name of “art”?

I think a limit is always needed, especially in modern photography where it always tends to sensationalize. I personally think Ando Gilardi’s “Non Fotografare” should be a rule for all of us: shooting a “disadvantaged” is taking away his dignity and when you have taken away a dignity from a man, you have taken him all away.

Torpedo

You are a member of the Collective “Roma Street Photography”. Would you like to talk about it?

The RSP Collective was born from a social reality that has evolved over time, with the purpose of telling a “provincial and cosmopolitan” city such as Rome and, of course, its people. Hence, the foundation of the Collective has been a natural consequence of all the photographic work done so far. We are seven authors, each one with its own style and way of shooting, seeking to offer a different, every day vision of the city we live and love. Rome has so much to tell and we strongly believe Street Photography is the best way to do it.       

 Sito: www.abstreetphotography.com

Pagina Fb: www.facebook.com/ABStreetPhoto/

Instagram: abstreetphoto

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