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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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.

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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?

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.

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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!

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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?

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.

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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.

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 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.

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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

Interview with… Elisa Tomaselli

Researched by Marco D’Aversa

ELISA TOMASELLI

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Going back in time how was your passion for photography born ?

About ten years ago, while I was spending my summer holidays in my grandmother’s town, I took some pictures which were no more than snapshots. Therefore to improve my skills, I decided to join a photography course. In 2010, after few months having completed both the basic and the advanced levels, I left photography. Last year, having a photography project in my mind, I came back to my association. 

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At the time there was an on-going project for members, so I joined it looking for some inspiration. The collective project was about trams in Rome and I started spending many hours shooting in the street. At the very beginning I had some difficulties to shoot strangers and I didn’t even know what I had to photograph, so I started spending many hours looking at the work of the greatest photographers. I worked a few times with sporting photographers but I was told I was too slow. I spent a lot of time shooting in the street to get faster and to work on the Tram project. Last spring, the collective project ended with an exposition, while the partnership with the sporting photographers didn’t go on. In any case I found my photography and the way to express myself.

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Considering your works, which ones marked your entrance in the world of real photography?

Last year I had the occasion to meet the photographer Joan Liftin, she came to my association to show us her last work “Marseille”. I was really captured by her photos, especially the ones in which there were a couple dancing in the evening holding their little baby in their arms. I didn’t see the small baby’s head at first glimpse, his presence was a little revelation that made me understood the power of photography as a mean of communication. Ending her presentation Joan Liftin said: “This is MY Marseille” and a door was opened to me.

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How do you manage colour and B&W?

I used to shoot directly in black and white. After I discovered the amazing work of Alex Webb and William Eggleston I realized how colours could have a great impact in a photo. Colour catches the eyes, a bright hue that highlights subjects in an image, will draw a viewer in the right direction. On the other hand, black and white images appear to be more timeless than colour ones. Although removing colour from a picture helps the viewer to focus on subjects’ emotional state, I prefer using colour, opting for it any time colour is a key element in the story my photo is telling. I choose black and white when the light, form, or texture in the scene is more compelling than the hues of the subject matter.

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Which kind of camera do you use?

Last year I was looking for a small and lightweight camera and I bought a Ricoh GR II. I’m really satisfied with my choice, this camera is just what I have ever needed.

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What determines if a photo is “good one” or not?

When I check back my photos there are some elements I take in consideration to estimate their quality as light, composition and message. I have learnt from the masters that a good photo is one in which you can smell the street, you can feel involved with subjects and you are inside the photo. A worthy image can follow either every of these aspects or none of them. Anyway, for me, the most important thing concerns the emotional impact. A good photo is the one which shows both the personal perspective of the photographer and the viewpoint of the world.

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When you are shooting, do you have an image in your mind? Do you build the final photo before shooting it or are your images also a result of a post-production phase?

Walking in the street I shoot everything that involves me mentally, visually and spiritually, often pre-visualizing my photo. After I have chosen my best photos, I process them with Adobe Lightroom. I don’t use Adobe Photoshop because I’m both too lazy to learn it and I prefer spending my time shooting in the street rather than being behind a PC dealing with a software. I just need few controls for my photos as contrast, clarity or shadows. I usually don’t crop my frame, otherwise I will loose the quality of the photo and I will have a different perspective of it that I won’t like as a result. Above all, I don’t need to develop my photos too much, because I think that street photography is a media for photographers to express their aesthetic feeling in a genuine way.

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What training did you follow? Who inspired you?

Last year was a prolific one for my training. I took part in many meetings with great photographers such as Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris, Joan Liftin, Larry Fink, Alisa Resnik, Niki Nitadori and Ferdinando Scianna. I attended a workshop with an Italian Street Photography team and I also joined many photo-walks. As matter of fact, theory is essential for learning purposes, but I believe that putting photography into practice is the most important activity in order to improve your skills. My favorite and inspiring photographers, just to say few names, are Alex Webb, William Eggleston, Josef Koudelka, Bruce Gilden and Mary Ellen Mark. I also have many friends who are street photographers, whose work is always an important source of inspiration for me.

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What was your first camera?

When I took photography lessons I bought a DSLR Canon 1000D. I sold it quite soon, because I wanted a camera more powerful, so I bought a DSLR Canon 7D which I have used for a few years.

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What is photography to you? And what should not be instead?

According to my opinion, photography is an open window through which you can observe new meanings out of reality.  My intention isn’t to be an illustrator with a camera but an interpreter of my surrounding environment.

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After all, photography neither should take snapshots with both any subject and meaning, nor be a frame making your eyes turn around anywhere.

What is the photo that struck you the most of a great historical photographer ?

One of my favourite photo is Amanda and her cousin Amy, taken by Mary Ellen Mark, where she shows us Amanda wearing earrings, a necklace and heavy eye-liner, smoking a cigarette while posing in the padding pool with her cousin Amy.

Mark emphasize the contrast between the two little girls as a representation of adulthood and childhood. While Amanda looks like a woman, the little over weight Amy, wearing a t-shirt to shelter herself from the sun, is playing in the pool light-heartedly. Furthermore, Mark shoots the photo at a very specific time, to deliberately capture Amanda while exhaling the smoke of her cigarette. This was done, to express even more the young girl rebel-like nature.

Looking at the picture you can feel isolation, the two cousins in the swimming pool seem to be shut off from everyone else. Besides, I believe that the complete contrast between the two characters shows us Amanda’s lonely and tough life. What attracts me the most of this photo, is that in one single frame you can read so many elements and meanings.      

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What is your favourite technique?

Last winter I had the great pleasure to meet Alex Webb in a photography event here in Rome so I had the occasion to know better both him as a photographer and his work. At the time following on his heels I was for bright colours and strong light and shadows. Recently, I’m working with the flash off camera, in daylight or night, and for my purposes it fits perfectly. I use both camera and flash in manual setting, because I prefer choosing the quantity and the direction of light I will have on my subjects. I like shooting close to people so I don’t use zoom lens which would give me a voyeuristic perception, which isn’t my target.

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Why do street photography?

As I’ve said before, I started shooting in the street by sheer chance but it was my way to know photography. Now I’m particularly involved in street photography. It is quite challenging, it takes a lot of luck because you never know what you will find on any given day or if you will find anything at all. Sometimes it is a serendipity. Shooting people gives me the possibility to know the world around me, it lets me feel more into life. By taking photos with my camera I can get new meanings from the ordinary world, realizing iconic images which are able to communicate without language boundaries.

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What is your best shot and what does it represent for you?

The shot that better represents what street photography is for me and why I’m involved with it, it is the one with the hand in the dark. My shots aren’t often linked to a particular place or time but to an emotional impact.

When I took this shot, the atmosphere was relaxed and joyful. In the crowd I caught these two characters out of the corner of my eye. I didn’t think that much but I took the shot immediately because their mood was a lot in contrast with the surrounding, as if they were in their own world. What I enjoy more about photography is to find non-ordinary life in an ordinary world. (((((More than people I photograph a translation of something I already know.)))))

What is your relationship with the street and the people who are in your shots?

I don’t know the people I shoot, I don’t talk to them. I usually walk in the same streets, I don’t focus on the shortcoming of the place, but rather on the possibilities. It doesn’t matter where I am, I’m more interested in wandering and experiencing life than in taking photos.

PERSONAL WEB SITE :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/140819514@N06/

https://www.facebook.com/elisatomaselli.fotografia

 

Interview with… 深津友成 (Tomonari Fukatsu)

Researched by Roberta Pastore

深津友成 (Tomonari Fukatsu)

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Going back to in time how was your passion for photography born?
There was nothing special that triggered me to start “photography”. I just gradually felt like taking pictures little by little.  But to stretch it a little, it might be the earlier time when I started to let my photos be shown to anybody openly, taking advantage of SNS.
 
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Considering your works, which ones marked your entrance in the world of real photography? 
 
Personally I don’t think that any of my works marked my entrance in the world of real photography. I still need some more time to feel so.
 
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How do you manage color and b&w?
 
It’s quite a natural thing for me to choose color when I feel like like expressing about colors themselves. Otherwise I usually enjoy b&w photos.
 
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Which kind of camera do you use?
 
I have been using a FUJIFILM /X-E2 and XF35/1.4 for 3 years. Personally I am quite satisfied with this camera.
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What determines if a photo is “good one” or not?
 
How deeply you put your heart into your work and how long you can keep on talking about it. I believe such points are essential elements to determine if a shot is good or bad. If you can tell about the elements and stories of the work in details, then I think it should be considered a “good” photo.
 
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When you’re shooting, do you have an image in your mind? Do you build the final photo before shooting it or are your images also a result of a post-production phase?
 
In most of the cases, I already have the basic images before shooting, but after the result of the development it can be even better.  But I should say that the result is often below my expectations !
 
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What training did you follow? Who inspired you?
 
To tell you the truth, I didn’t do any special training. I always carry my camera with me, predicting the flow and movement of a specific person, going to the right place in advance.  I judge the best angle immediately on the spot, I take a shot at the best crucial moment !
So I can say the best training for me is taking pictures on the street.
I am always inspired by my fellow photographer friends by means of SNS.
 
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What was your first camera?
 
An Olympus Pen EES (half-frame camera). When I was a junior high school student, I borrowed it from my father and visited Kyoto and Nara on a school trip.  I remember taking snapshots of the historical temples and shrines and also my friends joking and playing. Well, to be frank, more than half of those pictures are out of focus since I had no prior knowledge of the photographic technique.
 
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What is photography to you? And what should not be instead?
Photography to me is the way of expressing myself. Just as it is.
 
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What is the photo that struck you the most of a great historical photographer?
Ihei Kimura’s  “Hongo Morikawa-Cho”
 
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What is your favorite technique?
 
I often try the so-called “slow shutter” technique. I also enjoy taking photos with a window reflection, even I don’t know if that can be called a “technique” or not.
 
Why do street photography?
 
I think I like to be in contact with people…, I’m the kind of person who can’t stand being alone!  (laughing )
 
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What is your best shot and what does it represent for you?
 
Well that is a difficult question. I don’t think I have got a “best shot” yet. I need some more time to get it.
 
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What is your relationship with the street and the people who are in your shots?
 
Streets (towns and cities) are artificial structures created by us, human beings. I like taking pictures of various moments of people, looking cool, un-stylish, beautiful or even ugly who live in such a material world. I must confess that, recently after taking street photographs continuously for some period of time, I have gradually begun to feel that those inorganic streets are also “alive”.

 

Interview with… Antonio Femia

Researched by Roberta Pastore

ANTONIO FEMIA

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Antonio Femia was born in the deep south of Europe in 1973. After graduating in architecture, he moved to Rome where he has practiced the profession until 2014, when the passion for travel and storytelling led him to leave for a tour of (almost) the world that lasted years, along with his girlfriend. He tells about his travels on European travel magazines and on his blog www.totolemoto.it.

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Going back in time, how was your passion for photography born and how did you get into the world of Street Photography?

I believe it depends on a certain propensity towards image, the same that led me to study and practice architecture, a discipline that somehow starts from the same assumptions to arrive at almost opposite results: they both require knowledge of things and men, an understanding of the worlds in which one operates. But then architecture leads to the vision of something that does not yet exist, while photography describes something already existing. Undoubtedly street photography entered by force in my shots during the first travel in the East, but it was something I needed to remember. For a long time, photography was my strictly personal notebook for jotting down faces and situations.

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Was it easy to capture life while it is happening, in the places you visited during your travels?

It was easier at the beginning when I was shooting for me and disclosure of what it came out was not expected. I would also add that recklessness and unpretentiousness help luck. In any case I always felt a little embarrassed when freezing moments of people’s lives. I think in a sense that “the cholitas”, Andean women with colourful dresses, are right when they refuse to be photographed. They still believe that when you take their picture, you steal their soul. More than once I told them, “I wish! I would be really a great photographer if I did. ” In contrast, there are countries like Pakistan where almost no one pays any attention to someone wielding a camera in his face, making everything much easier. All this to say that, beyond the technicalities and the equipment, photography is made of space and time: framing and defining moment. The rest comes later.

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What is the element that you try to grasp when you’re in a city or a small town?

I do not always succeed, but when it happens I feel really satisfied. The purpose of my trips is to try to understand a little more of this great and miserable thing that it is humanity, that everywhere has the same root but changes depending on local cultures and their mix with globalizing elements. The very mutual relationship of influence between humans and their habitats fascinates me, a relationship that can be harmonious or hostile but in which, in any case, humanity change an ecosystem to make it a landscape, a natural or urban one. And this in turn affects the characters and human types. One of the things that fascinates me the most of the various cultures is popular devotion, a motor that drags the lives of those who have nothing and that is used by those who have everything to justify their actions.

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How do you combine photography and therefore the need to document on the go with the experience of a motorcycle trip, often in solitary?

Travel Reportage is a rather aleatory term and in the end, in hindsight, meaningless. You have to put together landscape photography, architecture, portraits, street photography by applying the modus operandi of the journalistic reportage, the real and serious one. The problem is that the latter requires rather dilated dwell times, that when traveling are often not available for various reasons. One must therefore be quick to grasp the topical elements to tell a place and its culture, with the imminent risk of reproducing stereotypes that misrepresent the reality of things. And by stereotypes, I mean both postcard-like images or any dramatic images of any discomfort: the substance of things is often in the middle and to find it, one needs time. Then there are the technical difficulties related to the medium and the type of client. Apart from the awkwardness of the dedicated technical clothing, the difficulty is when you have to make shots for the publishing industry. The magazines for which I produce my shots, as well as the sponsors, need a certain number of shots with the motorbike running in the environment, something that all things considered, it is correct in the economy of a story. It is a small punishment but a very challenging one, especially when you are travelling alone. In this case, one needs to put up the tripod, set an adequate depth of field and go up and down the street like an idiot. The situation improves considerably when the travellers are a couple: usually for these shots I become the “model” for my wife Alessandra, starting from the frame that we studied together, she moves on the field in search of something more compelling and personal. Her contribution to the reportage was also very instrumental in shots with human subjects since, as a woman and a rather cheeky one, she could interact freely with other women encountered in Islamic countries or in India and gain access to places prohibited to me, as the home kitchens that in those countries are strictly the preserve of women. To be there in two also makes easier to tell the interactions created with the locals with spontaneity.

 

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Although it may be difficult to choose, of which shot and of what situations do you keep the strongest memory?

There’s a picture I am very fond of, portraying a couple in their shop in La Higuera, the tiny village where Ernesto Guevara was killed. I was during the celebrations for the Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, with a cumbia band playing in a continuous loop, while everyone drank, incessantly chewing coca leaves to mitigate the effects of alcohol. No one was able to help me solve the problem I had on the bike, turning my stay in some kind of imprisonment, made even more difficult by discrimination I suffered as a “gringo”. The only place open to eat something was the “bodeguita” of this couple, where the woman served me the only dish available: a corn soup with inside the head of a hen, darkly turned grey by the cooking process. The man tried to talk to me, but he was too drunk to hold a sensible conversation unlike his wife that, clear headed and active, was putting aside the proceeds of the day. I took the photo after paying for my meal, taking advantage of the confidence between us. And I really like it because I think it sums up in some way the lives of those people: he tries to be the landlord but is only a facade figure, as stated by his habitual alcoholic lost gaze, while it is his wife that runs the show every day.

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What happens when you’re looking for specific framing, or alternatively do you take photos with an image already in mind?

That’s not always the case. One of the problems of documenting a journey is that often one has to shoot in dark conditions or with other disturbing elements in the scene. My ethics and practice force me to take things as they come, without mystification, and to exploit the difficulties to bring out a usable document. Like everyone, I wait for something to happen trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. Even when I am taking a willing portrait, I avoid to have the subjects take a different pose from the one I found them in. Most of the time I can come up with what I had in mind, some other times I definitely can’t, and I think I should commit myself more. For this reason, I consider an important thing to know the capacity and technical boundaries of one’s equipment, its exposure latitude, the manageability of the resulting digital files, the aberrations and artefacts produced by the lenses.

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Do you usually know immediately that you had found the right shot or do you realize that when you review the pictures taken?

Most of the time I am aware of what I did and that I have a series of good shots with at least a couple better than others. However, sometimes I happened to find photos I had completely forgotten and that instead deserve much more attention. A couple of months ago I was browsing through the photos I have taken in India to send some of them to a magazine and I found several that I had discarded two years earlier. One in particular, a child who turns to look at a girl who comes out of the alley, discreetly moved me: I caught a moment when something beautiful happened, but I had removed that. I did not realize even later, when I chose what to send to the editorial staff of the magazine. It’s not an exceptional shot, but the joy of discovery accompanied me for two days. And these kinds of things are good for the spirit.

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What do you think is the secret to capture the true essence of the road?

Living it from within and abandon it before boredom. Stay into it for a bit, change the observation point by studying the light during the day, talk to those who live it and then move on the scene trying to be invisible while shooting or, conversely, cause a reaction in the subjects. And then leave at the climax, because habit is the enemy of wonder. And to photograph something, you must be at least a little bit surprised.

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As for your works, which are the ones that marked your real entrance in the world of photography?

I never had big ambitions in relation to photography, as I said before it was for “personal use” only. I was forced to take it seriously when I started publishing the stories of my travels in magazines, for which the photos are not a just simple accompaniment of the text but the elements that captures the reader’s attention.

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My training as an architect helped me move in accordance with the instructions of a client, accepting the necessary criticisms and suggestions of those who put together a magazine, without feeling offended by the inevitable initial rejections. The journey of a year through three continents, reported on the pages of the magazine “Motociclismo”, was the training ground where I studied the procedure, almost an artisanship, of putting together the pieces of a story made of words and images: for more than a year, every day it was time to take shots, choose, post-produce, write. All things that I have continued to do after my return to Italy, starting collaborations with “Overland” magazine for England and “Road Trip” magazine for France. After about four years from the first publication, good part of my time is dedicated to editing and writing about past trips and planning future reportages. Nevertheless, I do not think I could be defined as a photographer: I have a lot to learn, and one of the biggest problems I have is precisely how to put together a story that is not a travel story.

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How do you manage the use of color and b / n in your photos?

I seldom use b / n: with the exception of some experiments, from the beginning I have never dwelt into this technique. I have no bias with respect to monochrome, but I believe it presents some important challenges: you have to be concise and to create a palette of greys that do not make you miss the lack of colour. Perhaps I am colour photographer because the world is colourful and I would feel like I am losing something. Certainly, the democratization of digital technology has made this an obvious choice: if I had been born twenty years earlier I would definitely have photographed in BN for economic reasons.

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What kind of cameras do you use and what equipment do you take on your travels?

Reduced weights and compact size are essential on the road, at least as much as discretion is for street photography. For this reason, I have been long using good compact cameras. In the long ride I mentioned earlier, the main camera was a Fuji X20 that I loved for the sensor and bright lens but it was pretty damn delicate. As a matter of fact, it died finally in Peru before the end of the trip. I used it for planned shots, for street and architecture, or in difficult light conditions, but it was really bad for videos. I also used a “tough” camera, the Lumix FT-5, small and versatile enough despite not being capable to shot in raw format. It is perfect in dusty environments and in the rain and in general for shooting video or taking pictures from the bike, as it is armoured. Mounted on a selfie stick it was ideal for shooting ourselves while moving thanks to the moderate wide angle lens: my wife was in charge of it, and at one point she looked like a circus acrobat for the strange things she did with that stick. The FT-5 is still an integral part of my photo kit. When I was on my own, I also used a GoPro for photos and videos, avoiding the super boring POV shots. After the Fuji died I switched over definitely to the mirrorless systems that I consider the cornerstone for travellers. I am a happy owner of a Sony A7 that I use with an essential kit of Nikon manual lenses: 24mm f2.8 AIS, 50mm f1.8 D and a heavy 70/210 f4 / 5.6. Even the tripod must be a robust but compact one and I found a good solution in the Velbon aluminium UT series that when folded measures 30 cm. No flash, no additional lights. I feel the lack of a 35mm lens.

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What determines the success or failure of a photo?

The sentiment, no doubt. It is said that for journalism one must keep the proper distance. On one hand that it is true, on the other hand I think not getting involved with what you shoot means you are losing its essence. Perhaps the rule of the right distance applies if you report press agencies or shoot for a catalogue. But if you tell a story empathy is important, you have to insert yourself into it even if you have to go to hell. It is not a job for everyone. And since I do not rely exclusively on images to tell stories I would like to add that some photos turn out well when you do not take them. I speak of all those situations where a camera would undermine the empathy created with the subject, or when you looking for the good shot prevents you from living in the moment. In those cases, I prefer to live the situation as much as possible to report it later with words.

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Do you plan a photo before the realization or are your images the result of a reflection during the post-production phase?

Post-production is an important moment, a key part of the work that serves to highlight the message picked up while shooting. In addition to correcting the physical limits of the sensors and lens aberrations, it is the moment where feelings unfold. It’s like the sound for a musician. To reason about the pictures you are going to take before shooting is a necessary practice that can give excellent results, but the technology does not help in this regard and I decided to impose myself a discipline, perhaps also forced by the equipment: using completely manuals lenses obliges you to reason, before shooting, about the depth of field and about which is the real subject of the photo, without leaving the choice to the camera between its dozens of AF points.

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To compensate for the absence of autofocus in all those situations where shutter speed and correct exposure are required, I use criteria that everybody knew until the ’80s, as the hyperfocal, the rule of 16 or the rule of the reciprocal of the focal length to avoid micro-blurring. In essence, despite having the latest powerful camera, I take shots as it was done in the ’70s and I must say I do not feel the lack of automation. Besides good photography does not really need any of that: Capa did not have the autofocus or the program mode during the landings in Normandy.

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Is there any specific photographer that inspired you?

From the point of view of photography in the strict sense, I really appreciate the work of David Alan Harvey and the use of colour in Alex Webb work. To a “sacred monster”, quite criticized lately, I talking about McCurry, I recognize the undoubted merit of having created a trend, like  he was some kind of rock-star. Generally speaking, the real inspiration comes from Salgado and Koudelka: more than for their work, which I consider among the most powerful of all, both of them feel closer due to their personal history and the choices they made when it was time to figure out what to do with their lives.

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PERSONAL LINK :

http://www.totolemoto.it/interviste/

http://www.totolemoto.it/pubblicazioni/

Motociclismo (www.motociclismo.it)
Overland Magazine (www.overlandmag.com)
 
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