• Home
  • Daily photo
  • Colour
  • B&W
  • Landscape
  • Cities
  • People
  • Sport
  • FAQ
  • About
  • Conctact
Andrea Monti

Photos, not gear

  • Home
  • Daily photo
  • Colour
  • B&W
  • Landscape
  • Cities
  • People
  • Sport
  • FAQ
  • About
  • Conctact
Menu
  • Home
  • Daily photo
  • Colour
  • B&W
  • Landscape
  • Cities
  • People
  • Sport
  • FAQ
  • About
  • Conctact
  • Home
  • Daily photo
  • Colour
  • B&W
  • Landscape
  • Cities
  • People
  • Sport
  • FAQ
  • About
  • Conctact

No Widgets found in the Sidebar Alt!

  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Doors&Windows,  Gear,  Winter

    Powermeters

    February 18, 2023 /

    This photo was taken with an Ilford XP2 Super 400, a Voigtländer Bessa R2 and a Voigtländer 35mm f/1.4 II lens. The film was digitised using a Pentax K-1 and a Pentax FA 100/2.8 Marco mounted on a custom-built rig. The resulting raw was processed in Affinity Photo. In Develop Persona, first the image was turned in black and white, then the master curve was intverted and finally exposure, contrast and other parameters were tweaked.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Line Of Fire

    July 6, 2014

    Milan

    March 19, 2015

    On Detachment. Or ‘If You Love Something, Set It Free’ (cit. Sting)

    June 17, 2025
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Daily Video,  Docks,  Photography,  Winter

    Editing a photo taken with a Carl Zeiss Jena 135/4 Sonnar and a Fuji X-T3

    February 8, 2023 /

    A vintage Carl Zeiss Jena 135/4 Sonnar whose RF mount has been replaced with a Fuji X mount by Adriano Lolli (https://www.adrianololli.com).Coupled with a Fuji X-T3, it delivers pleasant results. Post production is highly subjective, so the final outcome might no be ‘acceptable’ to some taste. Still, the lens is very good.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    A Moto Guzzi Falcone and an Expired Kodak Portra 160 Roll

    October 25, 2025

    The Glassmaster

    September 4, 2017

    Does It Worth It?

    May 22, 2017
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Gear,  Photography,  Winter

    A sample of the Carl Zeiss Jena 135/F4 Sonnar and a Fuji X-T3

    February 5, 2023 /

    This photo was taken with an old Carl Zeiss Jena 135/4 Sonnar whose Contax RF mount was replaced by a Fuji X mount by Master Adriano Lolli.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Arrested Behind the Door

    March 29, 2015

    Sales Force

    January 28, 2016

    Business people in Rome

    February 23, 2013
  • Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Downtown,  Jewellery,  Winter

    Floating

    February 5, 2023 /

    This image was born out of a fascination with stillness in the midst of implied movement. The mannequin — suspended, curled, caught in an almost foetal position — seems to drift within a capsule that looks as though it could be orbiting somewhere far beyond Earth. The large, circular light behind it could be a porthole, a hatch, or simply a stage light; its blinding white obscures what might be beyond, giving the scene a surreal, detached quality. Technically, the biggest challenge was exposure. The extreme contrast between the brilliant backlight and the darker figure risked losing detail on both ends. I chose to protect the highlights, letting the shadows…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    The Eye

    April 25, 2014

    A Zeppelin in The New York Sky

    July 2, 2014

    Welcome in the Twilight Zone

    January 3, 2014
  • Daily photo,  Daily Video,  Technique,  Winter

    Unattainable 1:1 magnification with the JJC FDA S-1 and Micro Nikkor 60 2,8

    January 29, 2023 /

    The JJC FDA S-1 does not allow a 1:1 magnification with the Micro Nikkor 60 2,8. It only reaches a smaller factor (about 80%.The probable reason is the excessive lenght of the original step-down ring.Using a thinner step-down ring, as it has been done in this video, does not improve the outcome.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    London in Motion: A Night Ride in a Single Frame

    October 26, 2016

    Lost In Rembrance

    July 26, 2014

    Over There!

    May 29, 2022
  • Daily Video,  Photography,  Technique,  Winter

    Processing a DSLR Digitised Black and White Film with Affinity Photo

    January 24, 2023 /

    This videos shows how to process a Black and White film digitised with a DSLR camera.The process starts from opening the RAW file in Affinity Photo’s Develop Persona. In short and in order, the steps are:

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Aficionados

    August 5, 2013

    Rest under a tree

    May 31, 2013

    Just a Soccer Field… Part 1

    February 3, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Stockholm,  Summer,  Technique,  Travels

    DSLR film scanning: episode three

    January 24, 2023 /

    This is, by far, the most pleasing result I have ever had from digitising a film negative with a DSLR.Contrary to many suggestions found on Youtube, I did not invert the negative RAW curve by tweaking the Master RGB option. I did it, instead, channel-bychannel minding each clipping point. This approach allowed for a better reproduction of the grey tones, and in the end a fair result.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    The Way Out

    October 20, 2013

    Lost Cellos

    August 30, 2014

    The sentinel…

    March 8, 2013
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Downtown,  Gear,  Stockholm,  Summer

    Another attempt at DLSR film scanning

    January 21, 2023 /

    Still trying.I digitised the negative with a Pentax K-1 and the FA 100 2.8 Macro lens using the JJC clone of Nikon ES-2. Postproduction is done in Pixelmator Pro. I used a Nikon 35TI and a Kodak BW400CN to take the original photo. Strangely enough, the JJC does not allow a 1:1 ratio with the Micro Nikkor 60 2.8.The instructions advise to mount the 62mm to 52mm step-down ring, the #2 52mm barrel-shaped tube and finally the film holder. These instructions are clearly wrong, as it is not possible to get 1:1 magnification with this setup.So I removed the tube and mounted the film carrier directly on the 62mm to…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    @Rome Maker Faire – 2

    October 10, 2014

    Portrait of a Perinatal Cardiologist

    July 11, 2014

    Behind a Shop Window in Oslo

    October 1, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Gear,  People,  Seasons,  Summer,  Technique

    An attempt at DSLR-made film digitization

    January 14, 2023 /

    This is the first usable result of the attempt to DSLR-scan films. I tried several approaches, including the standard tripod holding the camera perpendicularly to a flat, LED-lighted surface. However, I finally went for a different solution: a horizontal rig with two moving plates, a micrometric head holding the film and three-axis and a panoramic head holding the camera.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    A Lonely Table

    March 8, 2015

    Free Ride

    October 2, 2014

    An interesting reading

    May 13, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Gear,  Winter

    Pixelmator Pro Debanding and Electronic Shutter

    December 24, 2022 /

    Pixelmator Pro Deband feature does not work on banding caused by the well known electronic shutter lag. The Deband feature has not been advertised as working also with ES-induced banding, so the fact that it can not handle it is not a bug. However, this limit seriously reduces the appeal of the new feature. I have flagged the issue to Pixelmator Pro Support: currently, they are out of work, but eventually, they should get back to me with some news. Good news, hopefully.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Protezione Civile

    November 12, 2013

    Unkempt

    December 4, 2015

    My camera’s early test shots

    December 20, 2012
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Docks,  Winter

    The Silent Geometry of a Trabocco

    December 22, 2022 /

    This image came out of a walk I almost didn’t take. The light was beginning to fall into that uncertain hour, not quite golden but leaning into it, with a softness that flatters without deceiving. I was drawn to the trabocco — that wooden skeleton of fishing history jutting into the Adriatic like a forgotten broadcast antenna. Technically, the image lives and breathes in its lines. Everything points outward — cables, poles, railings — a quiet explosion of geometry pushing against the calmness of the sea. The house, slightly off-centre, serves as a visual anchor, balancing the thrust of the lines while allowing the scene to feel alive, not over-symmetrical.…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Inside the Nazario Sauro

    November 26, 2020

    Gloves

    October 19, 2014

    Red Cross

    October 26, 2017
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Docks,  Winter

    Fisherman’s Fatigues

    December 19, 2022 /

    I shot this one late in the day, when the light had softened just enough to graze the worn textures without flattening them. The fatigue in the title isn’t poetic—these clothes, half-limp, half-hardened with salt and use, are the remnants of someone’s labour, someone likely still out at sea. I didn’t stage anything. These were just there, draped across makeshift wooden trestles, drying under the weight of their own exhaustion. What makes this image work technically, for me, is the tension between stillness and implication. Nothing moves in the frame, yet everything speaks of motion just ceased—pulling ropes, lifting crates, hours on a rolling deck. The shallow depth of field,…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Blob

    January 4, 2014

    Gioacchino Rossini – La Cenerentola@Teatro Marrucino

    December 13, 2024

    Italy, Landscape Photography and the Law – Part Two

    February 23, 2014
  • Artists,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Winter

    Daniele Silvestri – Teatri 2022 – Live@Teatro Massimo, Pescara

    December 16, 2022 /

    This is the Daniele Silvestri’s Teatri 2022 coverage I did on behalf of Rockol.it using good old Nikons (a D610 with the Sigma 150-600 contemporary and a D750 with a Nikkor 24-120). As a matter of personal taste, I still like a reflex more than a mirrorless camera. The possibility offered by the latter to shoot in total silence with the Electronic Shutter is invaluable in specific contexts such as classical concerts or theatrical plays, nowthistanding the downfalls (banding and distorted images). However (and, once again, this is a matter of personal opinion), a reflex still allow a better connection with the environment at least thanks to the optical viewfinder.…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Shadows&Lights

    March 7, 2014

    Strategy

    September 20, 2018

    Much Too Powerful a Knock…

    June 3, 2014
  • Actors,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Winter

    Norina shouts at Don Pasquale

    December 12, 2022 /

    This picture is part of the reportage I did for Gaetano Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, featured on December 11, 2022, at Teatro Marrucino. It has been the chance to experiment a few tricks to avoid the banding effect caused by the LED pulse frequency and the sensor’s delay in EFC is used. I chose to go for time rather than aperture priority mode. I also set the shutter speed at 1/50, as suggested in many forums, and the trick worked. In some cases, banding was still present, but it was insignificant. I also tried to shoot in full manual (leaving only the focus in auto.) Some pictures ended up overexposed, and…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Backstage, Before the Downbeat

    May 4, 2023

    Weren’t a Smartphone and a Selfie Stick Enough?

    October 6, 2016

    Rest on the lake

    April 29, 2013
  • Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fashion Shops,  Seasons,  Winter

    Cleaning the Tabernacle

    November 26, 2022 /

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    At the theater, between two scenes

    June 15, 2015

    Vinyl Never Dies

    September 2, 2013

    She Died Alone

    February 15, 2022
  • Daily photo

    DxO Pure Raw empirical test

    November 22, 2022 /

    This photo is a ‘before-and-after’ merge of a picture I took during the premiere of Cavalleria Rusticana at Teatro Marrucino, processed with DxO’s Pure Raw. As an empirical test, it has no specific goal but to provide a real-life example of how the software works.Overall, the results are reasonably good; however software’s ‘heavy hand’ is apparent in the visibly smudged areas. Pure Raw can not work miracles, although it proved to be a valuable tool to rescue photos shot in poor light.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Milan

    March 19, 2015

    A creative approach to zone focusing with superfast manual lenses and mirrorless cameras in street photography

    September 28, 2024

    Safe Living (?)

    July 28, 2016
  • Actors,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Winter

    Turiddu repeals Santuzza

    November 19, 2022 /

    This is a photo taken from the reportage I made for the Teatro Marrucino during the première of Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni. It captures the moment Turiddu (Piero Giuliacci) abandons Santuzza (Alessandra Di Giorgio), who —in turns— begs him in vain to change his mind. Image quality isn’t exceptional: unlike other cases, where the Fuji X-T3/Fujinon XF 16-80 pairing provided excellent results, this time it didn’t perform at its best, probably due to the choices on the scene lights.On the contrary, the composition is particularly successful.Turiddu is in the centre of the upper part of the picture. The railings of the staircase lead the eye towards him. Stantuzza’s dynamic…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Tattoos in Barcelona

    August 18, 2014

    Sting of the Vespa

    March 7, 2025

    A chat on a lake shore

    May 6, 2013
  • Actors,  Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Reportage

    The Death of Cio-Cio san

    October 15, 2022 /

    The final scene of yesterday’s Madama Butterfly’s ‘Prima’ at Teatro Marrucino. Opera photography is always a delicate dance between anticipation and reaction. The photographer must respect the performers’ craft while being acutely aware of the unfolding drama, ready to translate it into still imagery that holds the same emotional weight as the music itself. In this frame, taken during the tragic denouement of Madama Butterfly, the composition works almost like a Renaissance tableau — each character positioned with clear intention. The central focus rests on Cio-Cio-San’s lifeless figure, draped in white and crimson, her body collapsed against the steps like a human punctuation mark. Around her, the women in white…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    The Silent Ceremony

    November 2, 2017

    Trust Us, We Care About You

    March 18, 2014

    Busy

    January 8, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Seasons,  Summer,  Track&Field

    A Step Ahead

    October 8, 2022 /

    In competition, the smallest margins can mean the difference between victory and second place. This photograph freezes that idea into a single frame: two hurdlers mid-air, their bodies taut with focus and speed, the Italian athlete just one step — or perhaps half a stride — ahead. From a compositional standpoint, the image works because of its precision in timing. Both athletes are caught in almost identical positions, their arms sweeping forward, their knees high, their gazes locked beyond the hurdle. The staggered alignment creates a natural depth and tension — our eyes move from the trailing runner to the leader, feeling the implied movement and urgency. Technically, the exposure…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Late Afternoon Workers

    December 23, 2013

    Full Moon

    September 30, 2018

    A Blue Vespa

    November 3, 2014
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Rome,  Soccer,  Sport

    Stadio Olimpico, seen from Tribuna Monte Mario

    October 1, 2022 /

    The Stadio Olimpico is not an easy subject to photograph, especially when seen from the lofty and privileged perch of the Tribuna Monte Mario. The vantage point offers grandeur, but grandeur doesn’t always translate easily into pixels—especially under the kind of merciless lighting that the stadium seems to favour at night. From this spot, the sweeping geometry of the roof dominates the composition. Its repeating, honeycomb-like pattern glows under the sodium vapour lights, casting a heavy golden hue that floods the upper half of the frame. Below, the seating—empty and rendered in cool blues—acts as a counterweight, both in tone and texture. The effect is a split visual dialogue between…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Suspicious

    September 8, 2013

    The Crew’s Rest

    July 20, 2014

    Square Two

    June 18, 2014
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Docks,  Helsinki

    A Vessel Moored on the Pier

    September 27, 2022 /

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Lava Nails

    February 28, 2021

    The Changer — Glass Walls, Paper Smiles, and Currency Drained

    October 12, 2013

    The Cameraman

    July 17, 2013
  • Cities,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Helsinki,  Seasons,  Spring

    Cultural Variety In Helsinki

    September 24, 2022 /

    Walking through Helsinki, I came across this street corner turned makeshift cultural diary. A column of posters, each one shouting louder than the next, all layered in a beautiful visual chaos. Music, theatre, design, protests — everything stuck side-by-side like a democratic collage of intent. No hierarchy, no curatorship — just pure public messaging. I framed this image straight on, keeping the grid of posters as symmetrical as the structure allowed. What interested me wasn’t just the content, but the juxtaposition — a sleek Ed Sheeran ad beside a hand-designed experimental flyer, a musical next to a political slogan. It’s a visual argument, but a peaceful one. Technically, this shot…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    An Attentive Listener

    July 18, 2014

    Saturday Night’s Ice Cream

    August 19, 2013

    What, IMO, Street-Photography Is All About – One Shot Story

    November 9, 2025
  • Autumn,  Beach&Shores,  Colour,  Daily photo

    The Compelling Power of Photography

    September 22, 2022 /

    The sandstorm came fast — the kind that scours your skin raw, leaves grit between your teeth, and makes you regret every bit of exposed flesh. I had the Pentax K-3 II with the DA* 50–135mm f/2.8 mounted and ready, but even the gear felt fragile in that wind. Eighty kilometres per hour doesn’t sound like much until it becomes horizontal. In the middle of that chaos, he walked in. No jacket, no hood, no camera gear — just shorts, sunglasses, and a phone. He stopped, planted his feet in the shifting sand, and took a photo. Not staged, not dramatic. Just a gesture. In the middle of discomfort, maybe…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    A Relaxed Call

    February 12, 2014

    A Red Floating Crate

    February 15, 2014

    Pizza Maker@Ueno’s Park

    June 6, 2018
  • Autumn,  B&W,  Daily photo,  Visual

    Three Lamps

    September 19, 2022 /

    I made this photograph on a breezy afternoon, when the light fell just right across the row of straw-shaded lamps. The alignment was irresistible — three distinct forms in sequence, receding gently into the frame. I wanted the rhythm to pull the viewer’s eye through the image, from the sharp texture of the foreground shade to the softly blurred suggestion of the background structure. The Pentax K-3 II paired with the DA* 50-135 rendered the detail crisply; every strand of straw stands out against the muted backdrop. The lens’s rendering at f/2.8 helped create a shallow depth of field without obliterating context. The light bulbs, faintly glowing even in daylight,…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    A Shadow

    July 24, 2014

    Barbarians at the Gates

    September 21, 2013

    Italian Track&Field Championship 2018 – The reportage

    September 12, 2018
678910

Projects

  • Daily photo (1,438)
    • B&W (284)
    • Colour (1,139)
  • Daily Video (17)
  • Portfolio (2)
  • Projects (1,353)
    • Airport (15)
    • Bottles&Cups (12)
    • Cars&Bikes (45)
    • Chairs&Seats (19)
    • Cities (473)
      • Barcelona (16)
      • Boston (11)
      • Bruxelles (67)
      • Hamburg (3)
      • Helsinki (2)
      • Kyoto (4)
      • London (27)
      • Milan (50)
      • Nagasaki (2)
      • Nagoro (1)
      • Nagoya (8)
      • New York (9)
      • Nikko (1)
      • Osaka (3)
      • Oslo (17)
      • Padua (1)
      • Paris (31)
      • Rome (156)
      • Stockholm (11)
      • Tokyo (32)
      • Tsukuba (2)
      • Venice (23)
      • Yokohama (1)
    • Court (23)
    • Landscape (99)
      • Beach&Shores (78)
    • Lines (19)
    • Marketing (6)
    • Moon (7)
    • Observer Bias (14)
    • Odds (22)
    • OutOfFocus (13)
    • Parks (6)
    • Past&Relics (60)
    • People (637)
      • Actors (19)
      • Artists (90)
      • Fighters (30)
      • Portraits (43)
    • Seasons (962)
      • Autumn (151)
      • Spring (194)
      • Summer (270)
      • Winter (367)
    • Shops (171)
      • Barber&HairStylist (1)
      • Bookstores (10)
      • Brand Stores (1)
      • Fashion Shops (17)
      • Garages&Labs (12)
      • Groceries (3)
      • Jewellery (3)
      • Patisserie (11)
      • Restaurants&Bar (94)
      • Street Markets (16)
      • Tobacconists (2)
    • Social Control (53)
    • Travels (19)
    • Urban Landscape (313)
      • Boulevards (12)
      • Bridges (7)
      • Buildings (23)
      • Docks (75)
      • Doors&Windows (27)
      • Downtown (35)
      • Exhibitions (14)
      • Fountains (8)
      • Garbage (18)
      • Gates&Fences (12)
      • Parks (21)
      • Streets&Squares (77)
      • Works (2)
    • Visual (69)
    • WideAngle (13)
  • Reportage (20)
  • Sport (75)
    • Beach Handball (1)
    • Beach Volley (5)
    • Billiard (1)
    • Body Builiding (1)
    • Cycling (1)
    • Fighting Disciplines (25)
    • Handball (3)
    • Kite Surf (4)
    • Road Running (1)
    • Roller Derby (1)
    • Rowing (3)
    • Shooting (11)
    • Skating (5)
    • Soccer (6)
    • Swimming (Fin) (1)
    • Track&Field (5)
  • Thoughts (242)
    • Gear (76)
    • Photo Journalism (6)
    • PhotoCritics (22)
    • Photography (67)
    • Street Photography (86)
    • Technique (32)
© 2026 Andrea Monti - all rights reserved