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Andrea Monti

Photos, not gear

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  • 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.

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    Andrea Monti

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    5 Frames from our Tragic Past Shot with an iPhone 14 Pro Max

    April 4, 2025

    Carl Zeiss Jena Triotar 85/4 and Nikon Z5 – An Empirical Field Test

    January 28, 2026

    Stairway to nothing

    September 18, 2013
  • 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.

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    Andrea Monti

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    So Long, and Thank You for the Fish

    January 26, 2022

    Weight Training @ Rome’s Stadio Olimpico

    October 9, 2018

    While the kids grow-up…

    July 25, 2013
  • 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.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Lonely cart

    March 4, 2013

    The Fisherman’s Knots

    February 11, 2014

    Footprints in the Snow

    December 25, 2012
  • 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Photopanning in Rome

    December 3, 2019

    A Broken Gearwheel

    August 27, 2014

    Light Dance in Hamburg

    April 6, 2018
  • 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.

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    Andrea Monti

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    A chat on a lake shore

    May 6, 2013

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

    June 17, 2025

    Visual

    January 18, 2013
  • 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.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Garbage Collection

    August 26, 2013

    Call On The Docks

    August 4, 2014

    The Quiet Riot

    November 19, 2017
  • 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Pensive

    February 26, 2021

    Via Collina, Empty, From Above

    September 13, 2014

    Natural Silohuette

    September 8, 2017
  • 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.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Sea Anemones Shot With A Cheap Kit

    August 20, 2014

    Boat Maintenance At Genova’s Porto Antico

    July 30, 2014

    A Modern Orpheus

    November 24, 2015
  • 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.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Interplay

    December 22, 2016

    A Bridge

    September 22, 2019

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

    September 28, 2024
  • 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.…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Phone Call – 2

    February 20, 2015

    Pipes in Colour

    May 1, 2015

    Out-of-Focus

    September 24, 2013
  • 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,…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Some odd outcomes from a photo recovering attempt using an AI

    July 13, 2025

    A useless photo

    July 23, 2013

    Histoire d’O

    November 11, 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.…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Alien Veins

    December 3, 2014

    The Bodyguard in Red

    April 13, 2014

    She Died Alone

    February 15, 2022
  • 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Shooting Fast Alfa Romeo on a Race Track

    October 22, 2024

    Caparezza – Live@Palamaggetti Roseto degli Abruzzi

    February 18, 2018

    Late

    December 31, 2012
  • Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fashion Shops,  Seasons,  Winter

    Cleaning the Tabernacle

    November 26, 2022 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Slow Walk at Mulberry St.

    January 16, 2014

    Opposites

    February 3, 2013

    After a Tough Day

    January 30, 2016
  • 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.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Garbage As Usual – Pantheon’s Nearby

    October 4, 2019

    The Hasselblad Way

    January 2, 2014

    Mir-20 20mm 3.5 on a Pentax K1-II – A Field Test

    January 18, 2025
  • 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Mussels Underwater…

    August 23, 2014

    A Fisherman

    August 29, 2014

    The Observer

    November 30, 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Who Is The Machine?

    August 5, 2019

    Multitasking

    February 10, 2013

    Inside The Clocktower

    August 22, 2015
  • 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Modern Orpheus

    November 24, 2015

    Who The Hell Killed the Light Off?

    August 2, 2015

    Trespassed

    May 3, 2015
  • 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Ready for lunch

    September 2, 2014

    Deadly Bored

    January 6, 2020

    Stand-up, Sugar!

    March 8, 2014
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Docks,  Helsinki

    A Vessel Moored on the Pier

    September 27, 2022 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    A pouch for the Fuji XF 150-600

    May 16, 2023

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

    April 30, 2023

    Vinyl Never Dies

    September 2, 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Wasubot. A Stiff Organ Player@Tsukuba

    June 21, 2018

    A Sound Engineer

    March 10, 2016

    Hard work

    February 13, 2013
  • 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Floating Flower

    May 19, 2015

    Collision Path

    July 5, 2019

    No, You Don’t Need To Change Your Glasses

    June 14, 2014
  • 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,…

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    Andrea Monti

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    An Athlete@Stadio Marmi, Rome

    October 11, 2018

    Mario Asks for it!

    April 9, 2014

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

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

    Not AI-made…

    September 17, 2022 /

    The colour rendition of a photo taken with a Pentax (camera and lens) is unique. Taste is personal, and so is this opinion. One thing, however, is sure: the pictorial look of this photography is not made by an ‘AI’.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Harley-Davidson: Chrome And Presence

    December 24, 2018

    A Smoker

    September 2, 2015

    Yet Another WDISF Post

    May 5, 2024
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