Tag: events

Researched by Roberta Pastore

Biography : Karl Baden has been a photographer since 1972. His photographs have been widely exhibited, including at the Robert Mann Gallery, Zabriskie Gallery, Marcuse Pfeifer Gallery, International Center for Photography and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Howard Yezerski Gallery, Institute of Contemporary Art, Decordova Museum and The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Musée Batut in France, Photokina in Cologne, Germany, and The Photographers Gallery in London. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Kenan Foundation and Light Work Visual Studies. His photographs and visual books are included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, NYC, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Addison Gallery of American Art, Polaroid International Collection, the List Visual Arts Center at MIT, the Guggenheim Museum, the New York Public Library and the Boston Public Library. He has been on the faculty at Boston College since 1989. In 2000, Baden was the subject of a 26-year retrospective exhibition at Light Work Visual Studies. “How did I Get Here?”; a 48-page catalogue, accompanies the exhibition. In 2012, Baden was one of 15 photographers from around the world, living and deceased, to participate in the exhibition “Henri Cartier-Bresson and the Question of Colour”, held at Somerset House in London, England. A 250 page book accompanies the exhibition. In 2014, Blue Sky Books published a monograph of some of Baden’s work from the 1980s, entitled “Work from two Bodies”. In 2016, Retroactive Books published “The Americans by Car”. In 2016, Retroactive Books published “Taking Sides”.

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

After my immediate family, photography is of paramount importance. I pretty much define myself through it. As to your follow-up question, “A few years ago”: In one month it’ll be 50 years since I picked up a camera; a few years ago, my sense of purpose and my aspirations were exactly the same as they are now.

• Who are the Masters of Photography who inspired you most in your photographic works?

Too many to count, although since I reached middle age my work has been more focused on what we usually think of as the Real World; I’ve enjoy revisiting Lee Friedlander, Helen Levitt, Roy Decarava, William Gedney and the like. I’ve also been influenced in many ways by photographer friends, including Bill Burke, Judith Black, Chris Killip, Mike Mandel & Chantal Zakari, Susan Meiselas, Henry Horenstein, Carrie Mae Weems, Jack Leuders-Booth, Dore Gardner and Sandra Stark. I’ve never met Jeff Mermelstein or Michael Northrup but I love their pictures, and Don Hudson and Dave Jordano are photographers I wasn’t familiar with before social media, but now I’m a fan. The list could go on…

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

Been there, done that. I’ve absorbed my share of theory over the decades, and will still read up if I find a text compelling. While I don’t doubt the relevance or importance of some of it, I’ve personally found that it obfuscates as much as enlightens. More important, I discovered that I was being subconsciously directed by someone else’s ideas, often taking me in a direction that was not my own, for the sake of feeling “current”.

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

The situation on the street has changed, without a doubt, and not for the better. I’d say I have more than my fair share of problems in this regard. I will often bring a small shoulder bag along when I go out shooting, with a couple of books, reviews, installation shots of exhibitions, etc, in an attempt to show people that I am not someone with a suspect agenda. I usually try to stay calm and friendly, but with some people nothing works. I’ve run into an increasing number of individuals who tell me that it is illegal to photograph without asking permission. I try to explain that it is entirely legal – protected first amendment free speech – adding that in many cases if the photographer sees something and stops to ask permission, what they saw originally is now gone forever. But it’s often hard do get a word in edgewise. If I’m lucky I can shake it off and continue walking.

In the Fall of 2019, I put together a public panel discussion, entitled “When Everyone has a Camera: Street Photography, the Right to Free Speech and the Right to Privacy in the Internet Age.” Youtube link is: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=FQLqD08GpfU&t=1s

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

That’s a very good question and I’m not sure I can provide the answer. In fact, I had no idea that Street Photography had experienced a resurgence until people started telling me. Off the top of my head, I imagine that, quite ironically, what may be responsible for its popularity are some of the same elements that have made it more dangerous: Phone cameras and social media platforms.

• What makes it different from other genres?

I assume you mean other genres in photography. The quick answer might be something like spontaneity, but I don’t necessarily feel that good art pays too much attention to genres. We tend to classify after the fact, in order to make us feel more comfortable and in control.

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

In terms of general environment, I tend to be a city rat. The crazier things look, the more interested I am.

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

Given that it is legal most places in this country to photograph anything as long as one is in a public space, I think everyone has to decide on their individual moral code and their own ethical limits. These days, I try to avoid taking pictures of children, the homeless or others without agency, but sometimes these caveats are difficult to determine in situations that require a quick response.

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

There is not one, two, ten or one hundred things that make a photo expressive each and every time. Unless it is part of the conceptual framework of one’s practice, aesthetic rules are dangerous. For every “how to” formula, I can show you a dozen pictures that are amazing precisely because they go against that particular formula.

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

I’ve been influenced by many people, movements, etc, and I’m sure some of that shows in my work. However, even after all these years, I find it challenging enough to make what I feel is a decent picture, without having to clutter my mind with whether or not I’m original or have a personal style. Style and originality happen (or don’t) as a byproduct of what one does. If thought about too much they can kill the exploratory nature of creativity.

• In a street photo, do you think that light contrasts are important to tell a story or are they just an aesthetic aspect?

In any visual medium, the best work often occurs when form and content become one and the same.

• After shooting, what actions do you take in terms of processing and editing?

In terms of digital, I usually don’t do anything I wouldn’t be able to do in a darkroom. So, I’ll adjust density, contrast, color balance, saturation and burning/dodging. Occasionally I crop.

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

Neither and both.

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

Absolutely. I have had fully-baked ideas that have turned into projects, but much more often I will look at my photos/contact sheets and follow up on something I didn’t realize I’d been doing already.

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

Interestingly, I’ve spent much Covid time going through contact sheets and slides dating back to late 1971, scanning film and making prints. I’ve found hundreds of images that at the time never made it off the contacts. Naturally there are pictures that I’m drawn to, but I rarely have the same feelings about them as I have about work that others have done. It may be that I photograph in part to get stuff out of my system, and once it’s out, I move on to the next thing.

Pages and websites

https://www.howardyezerski.com/karl-baden

Covering Photography: https://cte.bc.edu/baden6/

Every Day: http://kbeveryday.blogspot.com

Interviews:

http://blakeandrews.blogspot.com/2017/04/q-with-karl-baden.html

https://www.fragmentphotos.com/karl-baden-s-interview

YouTube:

RESEARCHED BY ROBERTA PASTORE

Domenico Tangro was born in Bari in 1974. He approached initially the photography in 2005, but it had been in 2015 that a real passion began, a passion still cultivated.In fact in the same year as well as the passion, photography started to become a study, a culture, an heritage to be expanded without measure, limits and without any break.

The feast of “Santi Medici” is principally based on the procession, called “Intorciata”, that last the whole day. The procession starts by coming out statues from the sanctuary: after they have passed the portal of the church with a certain slowness, people use to kneel in front of the statues and kiss them.Someone follows the parade pointing they gaze to the statues of the two Saints and walking backwards; Among them, others carry heavy candles, usually seven feet tall, through the whole route, walking barefoot with hands and toes penitents for the boiling wax dripping.

How important is photography to you? Would you have ever imagined, a few years ago, this passion would have played such an important role in your life? I mainly use photography as a means of release and I would have never imagined it would have played such an important role in my life, while now even the most trivial vision may be interpretated in the key of photography.

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Taking a shot in the street could be difficult at times; dealing with people’s reactions or making sure it is not invasive in the various situations that could arise, is not always easy. What is your approach in these circumstances? I know that sometimes it could result difficult to approach in a lot of circumstances, especially when you have to deal with strangers, but I have to say that due to use of mirrorless already adopted many years ago, I managed to establish a minimally-invasive, more civil and well-balanced contact with street Photography.

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Who are the Masters of Photography who inspired you most in your photographic works? The Masters of Photography, who have primarily inspired my works, are Mario Dondero, Josef Koudelka, and last but not least Joel Meyerowitz.

Are you interested in deepening your passion with readings and studies on culture and photographic language? I find really fulfilling and fascinating explore the world of Photography in all of his shades and with all the means possible. In fact I am used to deepen by buying monographs or by read up online on works made by others .

In recent years, Street Photography has caught on, and many photographers have become keen on it. What do you think is the reason why many of them prefer to shoot on the street? In my personal and modest opinion, Street Photography may have taken hold as it has been in parallel its conception as an easy genre. On the contrary I think that this genre is quite complex because the border with banality is fleeting.

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What makes it different from other genres? Photography is a proaction of reality.This means that reality is the point of departure and although it is non true that photography doesn’t lie, instead we can say that all shoot are lies…well, I think that at this point the best way to define street photography is as a white lie, a lie that mostly comes close to reality, and in some ways it tries to enclose a photographer’s testimony in a frame. A personal perception that stretches from the eyes of the photographer all the way to the eyes of the readers through the camera lens.

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What subjects inspire you and push you to look for the shot in the city where you live or in the places you frequent? Living in the South of Italy, more precisely in Bitonto, a city located in Apulia, where the religiosity is around every corner as for culture, history and tradition, I find the contact with this aspect natural and spontaneous. Despite sometimes my assumption is different, most often I get hit by the surrounding area and by a context of this caliber, regaining all this as protagonist of my shoots.

What is the line you don’t cross in a street photo. Are there ethical rules or is it allowed to shoot everything? A principles of mine, of wich I mostly avail myself, says not to shoot at “unarmed” people. With this term I mean tramps, destitute or any other category of wich I could prejudicing the dignity. While, in case of shooting kids, I shoot only if authorized.

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

Good things come to those who wait and often when we least expect them, Hundertwasser. Especially in the Street Photography, with the experience I have learnt that in addition of having an eye, patience always pays off.Patience allows you to catch the perfect moment, the perfect detail in an exact moment in order to strengthen the significance or in order to make a mundane shoot into something unique.

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Street Photography as a genre, has developed in you the ability to interpret everyday situations with an original vision and your own style? Art is not what you see, but what you make others see, Edgar Degas.And what better eye, trained and used to capture life behind everything, an eye hungry for peculiarity in the daily life that belong to us, what better suited eye if it isn’t the one of a street photographer…

In a street photo, do you think that light contrasts are important to tell a story or are they just an aesthetic aspect? Beyond the relevant role played by light, shadows and contrasts, all that matters in photography si the message; naturally, like everything, there are trends in photography too as regarding styles and techniques.

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After shooting, what actions do you take in terms of processing and editing? Processing and editing are the phases of the process that I found more boring, but obviously they are part of the work, so they as not interesting for me as important for the shoot.I personally prefer to work with Lightroom and to adjust shadows, lights and a number of contrasts.

Do you prefer shots in black and white or colour? I have not a preference.it depends on what I want to produce on readers.

We often hear about “photographic projects” in Street Photography too. Have you ever documented a situation from which, subsequently, a story or the idea of a project was born? Unfortunately I have never had the pleasure or the opportunity of taking part in projects regarding street photography, beacuse only recently I have approached to this world. Even if I have to admit that so intrigued and keen on this genre, I am projecting myself in new adventures with a lot of enthusiasm in order to realize some ideas into something concrete, hoping in the near future.

We often look at the photos we’ve taken over the years. Is there one you’re particularly keen on and why? To estabilish a single shoot in wich I am particularly affectionate it is not that easy.Every photo has its own story and every story has its own charm due to his uniqueness. Nevertheless if I had to leap, I would choose a shoot of mine that I find really emblematic.It is taken from a reportage, wich by the way has allowed me to be selected as one of the best emerging photographer in Italy and to represent the excellence of the photography of our country in China. This reportage I did, was about Lucrezia, an old lady suffering from Alzheimer.

Personal website:

https://www.facebook.com/tingo.grafia.7

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

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

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

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

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• Who are the Masters of Photography who inspired you most in your photographic works?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• What makes it different from other genres?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• In a street photo, do you think that light contrasts are important to tell a story or are they just an aesthetic aspect?

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

• After shooting, what actions do you take in terms of processing and editing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

https://www.facebook.com/realrobbiemcintosh

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.