Researched by Roberta Pastore

Robbie McIntosh

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Black white or colour?

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

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.

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.

Researched by Roberta Pastore

UMBERTO FARA

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).

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

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Is 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

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.

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.

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.

Researched by Roberta Pastore

ROBERTO DI PATRIZI

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.

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!).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Researched by Roberta Pastore

ANDREA BOCCONE

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 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.

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.

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.

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

Researched by Marco D’Aversa

ELISA TOMASELLI

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.      

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.

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.

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