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  • Autumn,  B&W,  Daily photo,  Exhibitions,  Photography,  Thoughts,  Tokyo

    On Film Simulation or ‘is fiction more real than reality, and why should we care?’

    July 19, 2025 /

    Simulations have turned an inevitable fact —using the chosen brand and type of film for an entire roll— into an aesthetic tool allowing the selection of the most appropriate image rendition for each single exposure. Using simulations is like having all the different kinds of film in the same roll with all the convenience of digital technology, opening a huge number of creative possibilities. Initially published on 35mmc.com This is what the standard marketing claims for software simulations are based upon, but is that actually so? As a matter of fact, the answer is yes, but if we look at the matter from a different perspective, we should consider some…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Hellish Look

    March 26, 2024

    Empty Spaces

    May 23, 2014

    Alessandro Valle – Live@Anfiteatro La Civitella

    August 11, 2022
  • B&W,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Gear,  PhotoCritics,  Photography,  Thoughts

    Some odd outcomes from a photo recovering attempt using an AI

    July 13, 2025 /

    I was curious to see how an AI would handle a bad photo, so I uploaded this black-and-white shot taken in the area around Kyoto Station with my Nikon 35TI. Initially published on 35mmc.com. The photo itself —the one published as featured image— it’s part of a long term project to show the presence of Alfa Romeo (a brand I’m a big fan of) in the Japanese streets. It isn’t anything special, but I needed a starting point (the worse, the better) so, after having uploaded this poor shot, I prompted the software like this: As a professional in photo restoration and post production restore this photograph of an Alfa…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Fujifilm X-Pro 2: Does It Worth It? (Lost In Via Del Corso)

    January 16, 2016

    TicTacToe

    September 1, 2014

    Purple Haze

    January 3, 2013
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Exhibitions,  Gear,  Photography,  Rome,  Spring

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

    June 17, 2025 /

    A number of philosophies and religions preach the virtue of detachment from things as a path to enlightenment. When applied to gear, this advice won’t only save your soul —if you believe there’s one— but also your money and, last but not least, your photograph experience. This means avoiding the development of ‘feelings’ towards a camera or a lens that shift from appreciating their value as a tool to some sort of ‘personal engagement’. Initially published on 35mmc.com As odd as it sounds, such an attitude towards an inanimate object is more frequent than one may imagine. A paradigmatic case is the attachment of AIBO’s owners to their robotic pets:…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Collision Path

    July 5, 2019

    Underground Security RA(T)P

    June 5, 2015

    @ Rome’s Maker Faire – 6. Lost In Texting

    November 23, 2014
  • B&W,  Brand Stores,  Daily photo,  Seasons,  Spring

    One Shot Story – Soulless Places

    April 17, 2025 /

    Official brand stores are a powerful way to assert a company’s presence. They are a bold statement of strength and confidence. They send a message to the customers and to those who aren’t yet: look! whenever you go we’re there for you(r wallett). Admittedly, when travelling abroad it is sometimes reassuring to find a ‘familiar’ place – a cafeteria, a fast food, an electronic gadget shop – where everything works ‘as it should’. On the other hand, though, this strength has a serious downfall. Where was this picture taken? Of course, you may guess the location from a few clues (for instance, it was likely taken in a small Italian…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Mind Your Business…

    January 9, 2013

    The Naughty Customer’s Place

    September 28, 2013

    A Bubble In The New York Sky

    July 2, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Gear,  Photography

    Why a Longterm Relationship (with your camera) Makes You Feel Good

    March 26, 2025 /

    There is no ‘forever’ in life (life included), and apart from more mundane matters, this is especially true of photography. In fact, the ‘infidelity rate’ that affects many relationships with cameras and lenses is only tamed by the money it takes to break them (and sometimes even the lack of money does not stop them from happening).  But at least when it comes to photography, the tranquillity of a stable relationship has some advantages over the excitement of an ever-changing course. From daily and continuous use comes confidence, and from confidence comes a Zen-like state of mind that makes the body to react automatically when the primal part of the…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Between Sea and Sky

    February 12, 2015

    Just A Cat

    June 29, 2014

    A Call

    December 16, 2014
  • B&W,  Boulevards,  Bruxelles,  Daily photo,  Streets&Squares,  Winter

    5 (random) frames of Bruxelles with a MIR-1B, a Pentax ME Super and a Kodak TMax400

    March 19, 2025 /

    The late hours of a day are dangerous times, because this is when the mind, lacking tasks, begins to look for a way to keep itself busy. To make a long story short, this is why, against what the common sense would have suggested, I decided to take a stroll in a (very) cold winter evening along and around Avenue Louise in Bruxelles to test a MIR-1B 37/2.8 mounted on a TMAX 400 loaded Pentax ME Super with an M42 adapter. Initially published on 35mmc.com. As much as this is not a ‘field test’, I was unfair to the lens because I used it in challenging conditions, starting with the…

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    Andrea Monti

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    An interesting reading

    May 13, 2013

    A relic from the (recent) past

    April 30, 2013

    Out Of Focus, Once More

    October 6, 2014
  • B&W,  Cars&Bikes,  Daily photo,  Rome

    Sting of the Vespa

    March 7, 2025 /

    Vespa, in Italian, is not only the name of the stingy and frightening wasp. The word also identifies one of the world’s most famous examples of industrial design, dating back to 1946, and made internationally famous by the 1953 Hollywood motion picture Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Initially published on 35mmc.com The creator of this iconic scooter — an example of a perfect blend of ingenuity, style and appeal — was Corradino D’Ascanio. An aeronautical engineer from my home region, Abruzzo, he also designed and built the first helicopter, whose first test flight took place in the city of Pescara, a town near Popoli, a small village in…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Seeking Directions

    March 18, 2013

    Is This My Breakfast? (Kirobo, the new Pinocchio)

    December 14, 2014

    The Ref

    June 6, 2013
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Osaka,  Winter

    One Shot Story: (Un)Available Coin Lockers at Shin Osaka Station

    December 22, 2024 /

    コインロッカー, the coin-operated lockers, are fundamental to travel around Japan: this is the first lesson any first-timer to this Country should learn beforehand. – Initially publishd on 35mmc.com Almost ubiquitous, they are plentiful in train stations and airports and are a convenient way to get rid of your luggage for a few hours or days while you are on a stopover. Until a few years ago, finding an empty コインロッカー was not such a daunting task, even when there were large numbers of tourists. Now, however, things have changed for the worse.  Recently, on my way to Tokyo from Kyushu, I did —as the automatic PA system of the Shinkansen likes…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Beach Party

    January 22, 2022

    Alive or not?

    February 16, 2013

    Das Feuerwehr

    April 17, 2018
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Padua

    Padua, a photographer’s goldmine

    October 31, 2024 /

    During a few hours off work, I recently had the chance to wander around Padua, one of the many historical jewels that make up Italy’s immense cultural heritage. What makes Padua special is its devotion to a powerful icon of Christianity, Sant’ Antonio. A Portuguese by birth, Sant’ Antonio belonged to the Franciscan Order and gave birth to a religious movement whose importance is testified by the basilica that still bears his name – Initially published on 35mmc.com. For the photographer, Padua is a goldmine, not only for its architectural masterpieces, but also for the many less obvious and nonetheless interesting details. For example, here is a close-up of an antique…

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    Andrea Monti

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    It’s always the right time

    February 17, 2013

    Shooting a Roller Derby Bout

    November 19, 2024

    Old Rolls, Immortal Style

    August 12, 2019
  • Artists,  B&W,  Daily photo,  Summer

    The Stupidity of Being Stubborn

    August 31, 2024 /

    I knew exactly that I was going to fail, but I did it anyway, irrationally thinking that for some not well clear reason the law of physics and optics could be defied by the sacred mission of the photographer. Thus, contrary to basic common sense, a few weeks ago I brought a Nikon 35TI loaded with a Ferrania P33 (ISO160) to a jazz manouche concert of the Tchavolo Schmitt trio at the French Embassy in Rome. The outcomes, as it was easy to predict, were just (euphemistically) poor – Initially published on 335mmc.com Let’s start with a test shot to ascertain if there was some issue with the hardware: Apart…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Merleria Livia

    February 14, 2015

    Rest under a tree

    May 31, 2013

    A Suspicious Stare

    October 4, 2018
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Gear,  Technique

    Nikkor 16mm Fisheye – Three Ways to Make use of Such a Lens

    August 22, 2024 /

    For me, a fisheye is the most challenging lens to use. Unlike other ‘normal’ focal lengths, a fisheye has an inherent deformation of reality. As a result, it is often used to create images with an unreal rendering, reminiscent of M.C. Escher’s self-portrait looking into a transparent globe.However, as happened in music with the advent of digital processors and effects, it is very easy – at least it was for me – to fall into the trap of focusing on the form rather than the message. In other words, as soon as a ‘weird’ looking photo is achieved, that was enough. Just like playing electric guitar back in the days,…

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    Andrea Monti

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    An Old Boxing Gym

    February 22, 2016

    The Fisherman’s Knots

    February 11, 2014

    A Spanish Long Jumper

    September 11, 2022
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Fighting Disciplines,  Parks,  Past&Relics,  People,  Summer

    Shooting Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA)-like Events

    August 15, 2024 /

    Historical reenactments are everywhere, and the volunteers who keep alive the memory of our past deserve our highest praise. Along with pure re-enactments, where the fate of the participants is already predetermined by history, and HEMA, where athletes compete using European weaponry and armour, there is a middle-ground discipline that is gaining momentum in Italy: Sport Reenactment – Initially published by 35mmc.com In short, SR players take part in reenactment events wearing faithful replica of the coats and arms of ancient Italian, Greek, Celtic and German tribes. But they also meet in forests and mountains to fight following a ruleset but without knowing in advance who is going to win. The…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Brain vs Camera

    April 19, 2014

    Bent

    April 21, 2014

    Belgian Ghosts

    May 2, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Daily Video,  Gear,  Winter

    The Ferrania Film Series – Episode 1 – Ferrania Orto shot on October/November 2023

    August 7, 2024 /

    This is the first episode in a series documenting the use of Ferrania film in various contexts. Episode 1 features a Ferrania Orto shot with a Nikon 35 TI in Japan, between 25 October and 1 November 2023.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Gigi Cifarelli Guitar Solo (feat. Michele Di Toro) – Live@Florian Espace Pescara

    March 7, 2016

    The Stare of a T800

    August 4, 2015

    Inside The Clocktower

    August 22, 2015
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  Summer

    Learning to Shoot Boxing Matches

    July 18, 2024 /

    Taking pictures in a boxing gym during regular training is a unique way to learn to understand when ‘the moment’ – a hit, a miss, a bob or a weave – is coming and develop an instinct for composition – Initially published on 35mmc.com This is important for two reasons. Firstly, as always with sports photography, you need to know the discipline you want to shoot and practice different options. But, in a classic Catch 22, if you don’t attend a fair number of bouts at ringisde, you won’t know the discipline and learn how to photograph it. Spending time in a gym, then, is the best second best option…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Max Gazzè Tour 2016 Live @Pescara

    February 1, 2016

    A Broken Gearwheel

    August 27, 2014

    Floating

    February 5, 2023
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Photography,  Spring,  Technique

    5 frames with a Kiev 60, a Volna 80/2,8 and a Ferrania Orto

    June 28, 2024 /

    Working on a ‘project’ or ‘series’ is a well-known way of giving meaning to the act of taking photographs. It serves many purposes, such as training in a particular technique, familiarising oneself with a camera and/or lens, or exploring stylistic options. A project is usually planned in advance, though not necessarily in great detail. However, as in the case of these images, sometimes the idea of a common thread linking different images just happens. I was wandering around the suburbs of my home town with a Soviet-era Kiev 60 and its ‘kit lens’, the Volna 80/2.8, and a roll of Ferrania Orto when I noticed the oddity of a worn-out…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Lost Cigarettes at Piazza Affari

    January 22, 2014

    Perfect Strangers

    April 5, 2014

    Yin and Yang

    November 26, 2013
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Handball,  Sport,  Spring,  Technique

    How to Shoot an Handball Match with a Film Camera

    May 25, 2024 /

    Shooting an handball match between Italy and France, unfortunately with an unhappy ending for my Country, was an opportunity to bring back to life the rugged Canon Eos 1V, the mighty fifty and a roll of a (unexpired) Kodak Tri-X 400. When I shoot sports and, in general, events where shutter noise is not an issue, I made a point, indeed, to always carry a film camera, so this time it was Canon’s turn. Shooting handball matches is quite challenging for a number of reasons. The first thing to stick in mind is that the ball is everything: if you miss it, the shot is more often than not a…

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    Andrea Monti

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    What Lasts After the Hangover

    April 27, 2015

    Lady Gaga Art Rave

    October 5, 2014

    Seine

    June 9, 2015
  • Autumn,  B&W,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Seasons,  Spring,  Summer,  Technique,  Winter

    Yet Another WDISF Post

    May 5, 2024 /

    Yes, this is another ‘why do I shoot film’ post, and no, the answers are not ‘because it slows me down’, ‘because it connects me to the act of taking pictures’, ‘because I love the unique feeling of analogue images’, ‘because the inherent limitations of a film camera inspire creativity’, ‘why not?’ or any of the other common (and perfectly legitimate) reasons usually associated with the question. In addition, the wide range of post-processing options available to make a digital image look like an analogue one, even in terms of film emulsion, satisfies the need to produce an image with the ‘personality’ of a specific film. So, even the idea…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Hanging

    May 29, 2016

    An Off Duty Anchor

    September 21, 2014

    Where to?

    October 21, 2023
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Rome,  Spring,  Streets&Squares

    5 frames with the (much awaited) Ferrania P33, a Nikon F3 and a Nikkor 50 F2

    April 30, 2024 /

    I managed to grab a few rolls of the very first batch of Ferrania’s brand new P33 film, so I wasted no time in putting it to work with a Nikon F3 and the glorious Nikkor 50 f2. I won’t go into the technical details of this film, firstly because I can’t claim to be an authority on the subject, and secondly because Ferrania’s website has plenty of information. There is only one thing to know: the canister is not DX-coded, so shooting is only possible in full manual mode. This may change in the future, but for now this is the state of the art. Finally, a transparency note:…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Damned Pidgeons…

    October 8, 2017

    Time Runs Fast

    May 21, 2014

    When Heroes Come to Town

    April 17, 2019
  • Actors,  Autumn,  B&W,  Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  Photography,  Spring,  Summer,  Winter

    What Does ‘Professional’ Mean in Photography?

    March 19, 2024 /

    Pro’ is the photographer’s blessing and curse. It is the status we all – well, many of us – aspire to. It is the marketing gimmick created by the exploiters of the Gear Acquisition Syndrome to make people believe that tools make the craftsman. ‘Amateur’, on the other hand, is a word associated with casual photographers, ‘wannabe’ artists, and people who want to make you believe that tools make the craftsman. I have always been unconvinced that such a difference exists, at least in the general meaning associated with the words ‘pro’ and ‘amateur’, and in relation to the idea that the equipment used or the quality of the shots…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The three musket(b)eer

    May 11, 2013

    A Taxi Night Fleet At Oslo’s Central Station

    September 26, 2014

    Free Ride

    October 2, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  PhotoCritics,  Photography,  Tokyo

    Creativity vs Originality

    March 11, 2024 /

    Is the photo above creative? Is it original? Well… yes and no. It is certainly original because I ‘in person’ took it, and it is creative because – regardless of the aesthetic result – I took the time to arrange all the elements (composition, light, etc.) in a coherent moment —and I have the film negative to prove it. On the other hand, it is neither original —as in ‘unique’— nor creative because the same photo can be found here and maybe elsewhere on the Internet. Obviously, the linked photo it is not ‘the’ same as mine, because it is clear that they were taken at different times and places (mine was…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Street Food in Via Salaria

    March 13, 2014

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

    September 28, 2024

    Singers

    February 19, 2014
  • Autumn,  B&W,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Gear,  Spring,  Summer,  Thoughts,  Winter

    Pentax – In Praise of Usability of Cameras and Lenses

    March 3, 2024 /

    The Internet is full of columns and videos about why ‘I left brand X for brand Y’, magnifiying this or that ‘new feature’ that forced a photographer to ditch his previous setup in favour of a brand new one. Sometimes there is a genuine motivation behind such a choice, sometimes – often – it is just a clickbait set up by the need (or hope) to monetise a piece of content published on a social network. This long introduction violates the golden rule of journalistic writing – tell the reader what’s the matter in the first paragraph or so – but it was necessary because this article is exactly that:…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Imitation of Banksi

    November 1, 2021

    No, You Don’t Need To Change Your Glasses

    June 14, 2014

    A solitary journey

    December 24, 2012
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Rome,  Streets&Squares

    5 (improbable) Frames with a roll of Ferrania Orto and a Nikon 35TI

    February 28, 2024 /

    The photographer is a peculiar type of social being, characterised by a ‘rules are meant to be broken’ attitude in the search for the perfect exposure. So, sooner or later, all the dogmas about composition, hyperfocal, zone system, rule of thirds, etc. will be put aside to try something ‘different’. This is what happened with these five images, taken at night in Piazza Venezia and Via Salaria in Rome with a Ferrania Orto on a Nikon 35TI; a rather strange choice given the inherent limitations of an orthocromatic film and a 2,8 35mm lens of a compact camera in this scenario. Against all odds the 35TI performed well (especially in…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Penguin’s Feeder

    July 25, 2014

    Lost Cigarettes at Piazza Affari

    January 22, 2014

    Red Beam

    October 24, 2023
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Travels

    A Stop in Reggio Emilia

    February 21, 2024 /

    On its way to Milan, the Freccia Rossa stops at Reggio Emilia, whose railway station is a masterpiece. It is worth taking the train just to have the chance to see some of its parts from a perspective that is otherwise forbidden.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Street-Photographer’s eye side effect

    April 8, 2014

    Game Over

    April 15, 2022

    @ Mediterranean Beach Games 2015 – Beach Wrestlers

    October 21, 2015
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Photography,  Rowing,  Technique,  Winter

    An Exercise in Composition (was: Rowing Boats)

    February 18, 2024 /

    Initially, I took this photo to document the poor state of a rowing teams’ dock. The idea was to praise the passion of this small group, who in the indifference of the general public, keep this discipline alive in a town, where soccer reigns supreme. However, when I saw the photo, it was the composition that attracted my attention: a classic example of the use of converging lines to drive the eye of the viewer. My only regret is that I failed to frame the small boat on the right, missing its bow. Had I been shooting digitally, I would have checked the result and retake the photo. Film, by…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Staying Behind

    November 28, 2013

    Tired or Fascinated?

    October 21, 2013

    The Answer is On the Wall

    August 28, 2020
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