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Andrea Monti

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  • 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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    Reasonable Privacy Expectation

    April 17, 2014

    How to Shoot Stand-up Paddle Competitions

    April 29, 2024

    Just Another Times Square View

    July 9, 2014
  • 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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    A Fashion Shop in Milan

    January 21, 2014

    Hanging Heart at via Olmetto

    March 31, 2014

    Gioacchino Rossini – La Cenerentola@Teatro Marrucino

    December 13, 2024
  • 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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    Guest Are Welcome!

    December 1, 2014

    We Are All Made of Stars

    February 28, 2018

    DxO Pure Raw empirical test

    November 22, 2022
  • 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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    Small Talk in Las Ramblas

    June 4, 2014

    Red Moon at the end of August

    September 1, 2023

    Kite Surfer Under Duress

    January 29, 2021
  • 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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    The Stroller

    July 7, 2015

    Let’s get the party started…

    January 20, 2014

    Portrait of a Waiter

    July 22, 2013
  • Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fashion Shops,  Seasons,  Winter

    Cleaning the Tabernacle

    November 26, 2022 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    YANE – Yet Another Nepal Exhibit

    March 23, 2015

    Tough Enough

    August 7, 2019

    Chasing Rainbows on the Open Road

    October 13, 2021
  • 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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    Lady Gaga Art Rave

    October 5, 2014

    Carl Zeiss T* 50 1,5 Sonnar and EOS EF-M 18-55

    August 4, 2013

    Foto-Grafo admitted to the Persol Reflex Edition contest

    April 16, 2013
  • 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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    Just a Soccer Field… Part 1

    February 3, 2014

    Emanuele Cavallucci. The New Italian Pro Boxing Welterweight Champion

    March 9, 2019

    An interesting reading

    May 13, 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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    An Asian Lion Guarding an Italian Town – One Shot Story

    August 27, 2025

    Killing Time

    October 10, 2016

    Seeking Directions

    March 18, 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Every Single Day

    June 28, 2017

    The Businessman…

    February 9, 2013

    The Fisherman’s Knots

    February 11, 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…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Brand As a Ruin

    May 25, 2015

    Coats

    March 19, 2023

    Tour Saint-Jacques, Standby

    March 27, 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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    The Nightmare

    August 23, 2013

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

    June 17, 2025

    Italian Stardust

    April 6, 2015
  • 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

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    Strolling in Stockholm

    July 4, 2016

    Leo Gullotta – Bartleby lo scrivano@Teatro Marrucino

    March 15, 2022

    Not A Rorschach Inkblot

    December 24, 2017
  • 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

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    Opposites

    February 3, 2013

    Right before the gig

    September 14, 2018

    Tough Enough

    August 7, 2019
  • 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

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    Deadly Bored

    January 6, 2020

    A Cello’s Player

    February 8, 2015

    Pop Art Meets Industrial Hamburg

    April 24, 2018
  • 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’.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    When Colour Helps Composition

    February 7, 2020

    The Penguin’s Feeder

    July 25, 2014

    Let’s get the party started…

    January 20, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Photography,  Thoughts

    Is AI-generated art actually killing ‘real’ Art?

    September 16, 2022 /

    This picture is how Dall-e 2 interpreted a prompt like Kodak Tri-X 400 black and white sketch in the style of Andy Warhol of a scientist facing a hajime sorayama-like cyborg in a 1940 mad scientist sci-fi lab. Does that mean that —as everybody and his cousin keep repeating— that AI killed Art(ists)? Not very. AI-generated imagery serves to specific purposes and whether is creation or not is utterly irrelevant.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    What Lasts of A Workbench

    February 22, 2015

    Strolling in Stockholm

    July 4, 2016

    The Watchman (Street-Photography Shortcuts)

    January 21, 2016
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Sport,  Track&Field

    A Spanish Long Jumper

    September 11, 2022 /

    This is one of the photos from the reportage on the Track & Field Mediterranean Championships – Pescara 2022. The Sigma 150-600 Contemporary proved to be a good lens, sufficiently versatile and with effective stabilization. However, used with the 1.4 teleconverter and full extension, it does not allow for high-speed focusing. In some cases, the Nikon D610 failed to lock onto the subject. This makes the lens/teleconverter pair somewhat inconvenient in sports photography. At that focal length, it is probably worth using prefocus. If you do not want to give up automatism, you can try to anticipate the moment of focusing by framing something close to where the athlete should…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Photography and the Importance of a Proper Training

    April 23, 2024

    The Rise of the Mutant Spiders?

    November 4, 2013

    Falling Tree

    May 8, 2014
  • B&W,  Beach&Shores,  Daily photo,  People

    On Photography and Self-Delusion

    September 4, 2022 /

    Only travelling abroad gets exotic photos. No need to travel overseas to get unusual images. Shoot digital is the only way ‘to stay in the moment’. Going retro with film is the only way to stay ‘in the moment’. Get the latest gear you can find. No, use the cheapest stuff because photography is about the man, not the machine. Do not post process, do post process. Shoot colour; no shoot B&W. Use Midformat, no full-frame, no APS-C, no smartphone-size sensors… The list of advice coming from (self-professed) experts, journalists (most often, web content editors with no editorial clearance), and ‘seasoned’ (wannabe) photographers could grow forever.More often than not, these…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    The Long Way Up

    March 25, 2013

    Urban Totem

    April 29, 2014

    Unkempt

    December 4, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Doors&Windows,  Gear,  Photography,  Thoughts

    The Mystique of Film

    August 24, 2022 /

    I have resisted for a long time before giving out my two cents about the neverending debate ‘film vs digital’. I gave up after the next self-delusion I read in a well-known ‘semi-pro’ (purposely not linked) online photography magazine. It featured the umpteenth column explaining how shooting film ‘gets the experience back’, going full-manual ‘forces you thinking’, having limited exposures ‘pushes you to become more selective’, and all the usual motives connected with the choice of travelling on a horse-powered chariot instead of using a regular car. There is no need to shoot film to experience all that. Set the camera on full manual, disable OIS and IBIS, use a…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    The Long Way Up

    March 25, 2013

    The Chicken

    September 10, 2014

    Italian Stardust

    April 6, 2015
  • Artists,  B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Summer

    Alessandro Valle – Live@Anfiteatro La Civitella

    August 11, 2022 /

    When I cover singers’ concerts, I make a point of not leaving band members behind. On their shoulders lies the burden of getting the show right. Without them, there is not much a singer could do unless he is gifted with a beautiful voice and proper technique. Still, they often come unnoticed. Kudos to these musicians who make the magic happens.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Portrait of a Bailaor

    November 19, 2013

    Lost in mumbling

    September 22, 2013

    A Panorama

    December 30, 2014
  • Artists,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Reportage,  Summer

    Venditti&DeGregori – Live@Anfiteatro La Civitella

    August 11, 2022 /

    Here is the link at the gallery of the 10 August Antonello Venditti and Francesco De Gregori concert. A rather unpleasant experience, indeed. Photographers have been confined on the extreme left of the stage and not allowed to move. Of course the show comes first and any annoyance imperiling the performance must be prevented. A tad of flexibility for people who is there to work, though, would have been much appreciated.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Who wants to live forever?

    June 15, 2013

    Pre Colombian Artwork

    September 27, 2013

    Natural Silohuette

    September 8, 2017
  • Artists,  B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Seasons,  Summer

    José Ignacio Franco – Live@Auditorium Petruzzi

    July 31, 2022 /

    He doesn’t need to sing. His fingers do it for him. Captured in mid-strum, tocaor José Franco radiates something far more profound than musical virtuosity: duende — that elusive spirit of flamenco, born of sorrow, defiance, and joy. His guitar is not just an instrument; it’s a second voice, one that speaks the unspoken, channeling generations of Andalusian lament and celebration. Notice the scene: the blurred silhouettes of fellow musicians in the foreground, the intimacy of a rehearsal or a small performance, where the bond between tocaores is more powerful than any spotlight. The photograph’s depth of field creates a natural hierarchy — we’re drawn not just to Franco’s position, but to his expression. His smile…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Rush Hours

    March 10, 2014

    London Panning

    December 30, 2013

    Branches On The Wall

    December 10, 2014
  • Artists,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Seasons,  Summer

    LP – Live@Anfiteatro La Civitella

    July 22, 2022 /

    More pictures available on Rockol’s Gallery section.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Sergey Krylov live@Teatro Marrucino

    February 21, 2022

    A Special Dress for a Special Party

    July 6, 2016

    Ashtray

    February 12, 2017
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