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Andrea Monti

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  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Rome,  Social Control,  Summer

    Inside The Palace of Power

    September 17, 2015 /

    I took this photograph inside a government building, in the afternoon, when the corridors echo in silence and the light is all reflected memory. The image focuses on a phone—old-style, maroon, hanging uselessly from its hook—framed by dark wood panels and infinite reflections. It’s a cliché of power, really: opulence, silence, and an obsolete instrument of control. The technical conditions weren’t ideal. I had no tripod, the light was dim and uneven, and I was working with a handheld digital camera not built for low-light finesse. ISO had to go up, and with it came the noise. But I decided not to clean it. Grain, in this case, felt appropriate.…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Now You See It…Street Juggler at a Red Light in Barcelona

    June 16, 2014

    Leaving Home

    December 5, 2014

    Passage Lost

    August 9, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Landscape,  Summer

    Roots On The Roof

    September 6, 2015 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Just a Bench (or a Sacrificial Altar?)

    January 11, 2017

    A Casual Walk

    March 6, 2015

    Orange Scarf

    November 9, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Social Control,  Summer

    Off Duty

    September 4, 2015 /

    From the back, their posture says almost as much as their uniforms. Four policemen walk away from the viewer, the word Polizia split and partially hidden by their movement. There’s no confrontation here, no heightened drama — instead, the image captures that moment of decompression, when the weight of vigilance begins to lift. The decision to shoot from behind removes the personal identifiers that a front-facing portrait would reveal. We are left with silhouettes of authority in retreat, the curve of a shoulder, the relaxed drop of an arm, the natural slouch of someone whose shift may be ending. In the background, the urban night hums along: signage, faint light,…

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    Andrea Monti

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    An Off Duty Anchor

    September 21, 2014

    The Rise And Fall of Pizzeria Liceo – One Shot Story

    November 15, 2025

    A Great Marketing Stunt

    May 27, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Summer

    A Smoker

    September 2, 2015 /

    Some portraits are not posed; they happen between moments, in that thin sliver of time when the subject is simply being. This was one of those. The woman — cigarette in hand, wrist adorned with metallic bangles catching stray light — had the stillness of someone lost in thought. The background was unremarkable, and that suited me: no distractions, no narrative clutter, just her profile against a soft blur. The shot was taken in available light, which was far from ideal. The conditions pushed me to raise the ISO more than I’d have liked, and as a result, the image carries a touch more grain than a studio portraitist would…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Modern Preacher

    November 14, 2016

    Portrait of a Gunsmith

    February 24, 2016

    Inside the Elevator

    May 9, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Odds,  Summer,  Visual

    Shadow On The Wall

    August 30, 2015 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Serva padrona @ Teatro Marrucino

    October 1, 2023

    Street Crossing

    September 17, 2014

    Cold Stuff

    November 28, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Past&Relics,  Summer

    Mind The Step

    August 28, 2015 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Lost Lock

    June 12, 2014

    In praise of ‘cheap’ lenses for ‘pro’ works

    April 4, 2021

    A Young Sailor in Open Sea

    August 11, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Odds,  Past&Relics

    Inside The Clocktower

    August 22, 2015 /

    I made this photograph standing in the cramped, dusty heart of the clocktower, where the public face of time is reversed, fragmented, and framed by machinery. From here, the bold Roman numerals of the clock are a shadow-play against frosted glass, mirrored in a way that strips them of their usual authority. The word TREBINO—the maker’s mark—appears backwards, as if time itself had been flipped. The challenge in this shot was balance—both in composition and exposure. The brightly lit clock face risked blowing out entirely against the dim, oil-stained gears and pulleys in the foreground. I underexposed slightly to retain detail in the shadows, allowing the face to glow without…

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    Andrea Monti

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    All Mobiles But One Book

    June 24, 2017

    A Fishnet – 2

    October 29, 2014

    A Cornhole Board – Independence Day Edition

    July 8, 2023
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Odds,  Past&Relics,  Summer

    In Hoc Signo

    August 20, 2015 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Bystander

    February 5, 2018

    Roman Break

    April 21, 2013

    Out for a While

    September 26, 2013
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Odds,  Past&Relics,  Summer

    A Skull

    August 18, 2015 /

    I made this photograph in near darkness, peering through a narrow stone opening where a skull lay against the rough wall. The framing itself creates a sense of confinement: the viewer sees only what the aperture allows, a forced perspective that heightens the impact of the subject. The starkness of the skull, caught in dim light, is amplified by the deep shadows surrounding it. Technically, the image embraces its limitations. Low light produces grain and softness, yet these imperfections serve the atmosphere. The highlights on the skull’s surface are blown in places, but this uneven exposure adds to the sense of unease, as if the bone reflects light reluctantly. The…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Access Denied

    June 1, 2015

    WTF Are They Looking At?

    May 7, 2014

    Shooting Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA)-like Events

    August 15, 2024
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Summer

    An Old Motorcade At Night

    August 10, 2015 /

    Photographing this scene with the Leica M9, I was conscious of wanting to hold the atmosphere of a summer night where history and spectacle meet. The procession of vintage cars is framed by a corridor of spectators, their attention divided between living the moment and documenting it through their phones. The motorcade moves away from me, which allows the viewer to share my vantage point — both a participant and an observer, close enough to feel the heat of the engines, yet outside the flow of the event. Compositionally, the perspective lines of the barriers guide the eye straight to the lead car, and further still down the illuminated street…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Stairway to Nothing

    March 9, 2014

    Downtown Pulse

    October 17, 2014

    She Died Alone

    February 15, 2022
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Summer

    The Driver

    August 8, 2015 /

    Shot on a Leica M9 during a vintage car rally, this image invites a quiet question: what exactly are we looking at here — the driver or the car? The frame is tightly composed, the perspective intimate. We sit directly behind the driver, almost in the passenger seat, with the blue cockpit wrapping around us like a suit of armour. The leather cap, the quilted racing jacket, the badge that reads FIAT — all signs of a time when racing still smelled of oil and cotton rather than carbon fibre and digital telemetry. But the face is hidden. There’s no expression, no glance, no story told in eyes or brow. The driver…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Comfortable Chair

    November 8, 2013

    Siamese Boats On the Seine River

    June 1, 2014

    After Heat, Structure

    November 12, 2021
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Summer

    Lightspeed

    August 6, 2015 /

    I shot this with a Leica M9 late one night, leaning out from the kerb on a curve that begged for something fast and unreasonable to come tearing through it. And eventually, this red Italian masterpiece did exactly that—roaring past with the kind of throaty snarl that makes small children cry and grown men buy things they shouldn’t. What you’re seeing isn’t an accident. It’s the moment velocity became geometry. The long exposure distorts everything into kinetic abstraction: the trees become green flame, the streetlamps twist into electric comets, the background collapses into a wash of speed-induced delirium. But the car—mid-century, low-slung, all attitude—remains just visible enough to read as…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Carabinieri in Milan

    January 28, 2014

    A Winter Outdoor Chat

    December 17, 2013

    Mind Your Way!

    May 28, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Odds,  Social Control,  Summer

    The Stare of a T800

    August 4, 2015 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    An attempt at DSLR-made film digitization

    January 14, 2023

    A Shadow

    July 24, 2014

    2015 Italian Beach Volley Team – Marco Caminati, Enzo Rossi

    October 29, 2015
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Summer

    Who The Hell Killed the Light Off?

    August 2, 2015 /

    There’s a certain magic to photographing night-time events — the glow of street lamps, the hum of a crowd, the way artificial light sculpts a scene. But it also comes with its share of battles, and this image is a perfect example of working on the edge of what’s technically possible. The scene is rich in story: a vintage race car, its scarlet paint dulled slightly under the sodium and LED mix of city lights; two men in matching white overalls, one bending towards the vehicle’s front as if inspecting or coaxing it to life; a small crowd leaning over barriers, caught in their own observations. The moment feels candid…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Hammer and Sickle

    April 27, 2015

    A Fisherman

    December 25, 2014

    An Off Duty Anchor

    September 21, 2014
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Summer

    Lotus Tweak

    July 31, 2015 /

    At first glance, it’s a straightforward scene — two men leaning over the open engine bay of a bare-bodied Lotus, spanners in hand, eyes locked on some mechanical nuance that only they understand. But to me, it’s also a portrait of intimacy — not between people, but between man and machine. The bond here is tactile: the smell of fuel, the heat radiating off aluminium, the gentle precision of a carburettor adjustment. The Leica M9 lends itself well to this kind of work. The CCD sensor has that distinctive tonal rendering that keeps the colours honest but rich — the brushed metal gleam of the car body, the deep reds…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Worst Moment to Fix a Shoe’s Problem

    April 14, 2013

    Italy, Street-Photography and The Law – A Real Case

    October 3, 2014

    Out For Justice

    June 21, 2014
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Summer

    Last Check Before the Start

    July 29, 2015 /

    There’s something undeniably brilliant about this photograph. You can smell the oil, feel the worn leather between your fingers, and almost hear the mechanical clink as the strap finds its buckle. It’s a moment of quiet before all hell breaks loose — the pre-race ritual that separates the daydreamers from the drivers. From a compositional standpoint, it’s deceptively simple: two hands, a strip of leather, and the curved flank of what is clearly a well-loved vintage racing machine. But simplicity is precisely what works here. The frame is cropped tight, no wasted space, no distractions — just the intimacy of man and machine. The exposure is spot on. The late…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Not A Rorschach Inkblot

    December 24, 2017

    Las Ramblas’ Lifestyle

    April 18, 2014

    Reasonable Privacy Expectation

    April 17, 2014
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Past&Relics,  Summer

    After the Race

    July 27, 2015 /

    It’s not the roar of engines or the scent of oil that stays with you—it’s this. Two men, backs turned, still in their Fiat overalls. The crowd has begun to blur into the night, and the adrenaline has softened into conversation. Maybe they’re swapping lap times, maybe just trading silence. I took this shot at the end of a vintage car competition. Not during the parade, not at the peak of noise and chrome, but after. When everything meaningful often happens. Their suits are creased from hours of wear, and the red stitching on the white cotton glows under the street lamps like the last ember of something freshly burned.…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Wrecked Hull

    February 14, 2014

    Selling Italian Ice in Boston

    March 11, 2025

    A Fujifilm X-E1 Annoyance

    April 15, 2014
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Summer

    Alfa (1750) … Dog

    July 25, 2015 /

    There’s something wonderfully fitting about photographing an Alfa Romeo 1750 with a Leica M9. Both are unapologetically old-school, machines that demand your attention and reward patience rather than speed. Neither will do the work for you — they expect you to know what you’re doing, and they don’t forgive sloppiness. I didn’t want the whole car. That would have been too easy, too obvious. Instead, I went in close, focusing on the sweep of that impossibly red wing, the chrome stalk of the lamp, and the way the bodywork catches the light like a perfectly tailored suit. With the M9’s CCD sensor, the reds come alive — rich without bleeding,…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Knitting Shop in Rovereto

    March 21, 2026

    Beach in black

    January 5, 2013

    While the kids grow-up…

    July 25, 2013
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Summer

    Oh…MG!

    July 23, 2015 /

    Photography has an enduring love affair with contrivance. We dress it up in words like composition, timing, narrative—but at the core, it’s a carefully manufactured illusion, an assembly of elements that never truly existed together until the shutter stitched them into one frame. This image is a perfect case in point. Foreground: the polished rear of a vintage MG, British racing green, bristling with dials, a leather-strapped spare wheel, and a backpack so perfectly positioned it feels like a prop from central casting. The badge on the leather flap and the Union Jack sticker complete the period-drama perfection. Background: a passing moment, a pair of sunlit legs and a cropped…

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    Andrea Monti

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    In praise of ‘cheap’ lenses for ‘pro’ works

    April 4, 2021

    The Lost Lock

    June 12, 2014

    Now You See It…Street Juggler at a Red Light in Barcelona

    June 16, 2014
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo

    Side by Side, Ready to Ride

    July 21, 2015 /

    This frame was built on balance. Two helmets, nearly identical, sit side by side on the backrest of a motorcycle seat. They mirror one another—not just in design but in posture. The leather-padded visors tilt forward with a sort of casual symmetry, as if waiting to be picked up, used, returned. There’s no motion, but the suggestion of movement is embedded in the gear itself. The background bleeds into a blur of industrial orange fencing and out-of-focus pedestrian elements, hinting at the urban setting without forcing it. I shot this wide open at f/1.8, letting the shallow depth of field isolate the helmets from their surroundings. What results is a…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Ni

    January 26, 2014

    Hard Stare

    April 26, 2016

    Waiting For The Patrons – 1

    June 17, 2015
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Summer

    Spectral Lotus

    July 19, 2015 /

    Shot handheld with a Leica M9, this image was less about the car and more about the apparition it became under sodium vapour light. The Lotus, unpainted and unadorned, swept through the urban silence like a silver ghost. I wasn’t expecting it—no barricades, no marshals—just a curve, a rumble, and that brutalist sculpture on wheels appearing from nowhere. What caught my eye first wasn’t the vehicle itself but the way it reflected the city’s tired lights. The aluminium skin bounced back hues from old shop signs and streetlamps, turning the body into a temporary canvas of moving golds and yellows. The reflections aren’t clean. Nor are they meant to be.…

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    Andrea Monti

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    5 frames with a Voigtländer Bessa R2, a Nokton 35/1,4 and a roll of an expired Kodak Portra 160

    July 11, 2024

    A view of the Bologna’s Station

    April 28, 2019

    Duel Inside The Cage

    November 20, 2014
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Streets&Squares,  Summer

    Balilla

    July 17, 2015 /

    Some cars don’t just roll into view—they make an entrance. This Fiat Balilla, polished to the kind of deep red you only get from decades of careful ownership, sits dead-centre in the frame as if the entire piazza has been rearranged to suit it. The symmetry is irresistible: the grille’s vertical bars, the balanced curve of the wings, the twin headlamps gleaming like theatre spotlights. CompositionFraming here is deliberate and effective. The Balilla claims the central axis, with bright orange crowd-control barriers creating a vivid frame-within-a-frame. The people behind form a secondary layer, offering scale and a sense of place without competing for attention. It’s an image that works because…

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    Andrea Monti

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

    December 22, 2024

    Fashionable’s shots

    May 3, 2013

    Renovating Milan

    November 18, 2017
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Restaurants&Bar,  Spring,  Venice

    Table Dressing

    July 15, 2015 /

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    Processing DSLR-digitized film with and without Pentax K-1 Monochrome Custom Image profile

    April 30, 2023

    The Mailbox

    May 5, 2013

    Yellow

    December 15, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Spring,  Venice

    Lost

    July 13, 2015 /

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    An update on the poor Canon EOS-M autofocus

    March 30, 2013

    A Manual-Focus Atteimpt on a Moving Target

    July 26, 2013

    Red Fan

    June 14, 2022
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