-
The Death of Cio-Cio san
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…
-
A Step Ahead
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…
-
Stadio Olimpico, seen from Tribuna Monte Mario
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…
-
A Vessel Moored on the Pier
-
Cultural Variety
Helsinki is a place where culture matters. It is almost impossible having a taste that can not be satisfied.
-
The Compelling Power of Photography
This is a picture taken while a storm was coming. The wind was expected to blow at about 80 km-per-hour. It turned the sand into a myriad of micro-bullets, pricking all exposed body parts and filling the lungs. Nonetheless, a man took his chance, went to the shore and shot a picture with his smartphone. He is no professional, nor had a particular reason to do that. He just wanted to freeze a moment. This is the power of photography. p.s. Pentax K II and the DA* 50-135 2,8 went through the sandstorm brilliantly and survived without consequences.
-
Three Lamps
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,…
-
Not AI-made…
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’.
-
A Spanish Long Jumper
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…
-
On Photography and Self-Delusion
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…
-
The Mystique of Film
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…
-
Alessandro Valle – Live@Anfiteatro La Civitella
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.
-
Venditti&DeGregori – Live@Anfiteatro La Civitella
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.
-
José Ignacio Franco – Live@Auditorium Petruzzi
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…
-
LP – Live@Anfiteatro La Civitella
More pictures available on Rockol’s Gallery section.
-
LP – Live@Anfiteatro La Civitella – The photogallery
This is the full photogallery of July 22 LP’s concert at the Anfiteatro La Civitella. I was covering the event on behalf of Rockol.it.
-
Posing
-
Red Fan
-
Three Lamposts
Sometimes the simplest subjects offer the richest visual rhythms. This photograph of three lampposts along a shaded path is a study in repetition, perspective, and the gentle irregularities that occur when human-made structures meet the slow reclamation of nature. The posts lean — not dramatically, but enough to betray years of shifting soil and seasonal wear — and that subtle tilt gives the image a quiet tension. The composition is carefully observed. The frame leads the eye from foreground to background in a gentle S-curve: the path winds left, the lampposts march back into the trees, and the play of shadow and sunlight dapples both ground and foliage. The staggered…
-
Over There!
The cyclist in the foreground owns the frame at first glance—muscles taut, gaze fixed, body leaning into the effort. His jersey clings to him like a second skin, the curve of his shoulders telling the story of miles already conquered. Two red water bottles glint against the blue of the bike, bright punctuation in a palette of muted earth and grey. And yet, the real tension of the image unfolds in the background. There, slightly blurred but unmistakable, a man stands with his arm extended, finger pointing decisively to the right. It is not a casual gesture—it is direction, command, certainty. In that single movement lies the unspoken pact of…
-
Three Sprouts
You May Also Like
Footprints
5 Frames with various cameras – Ferrari On The Road(s)
Stairway to Hell
-
Three Tires
-
Pino Ammendola – L’ultima notte di Bonfiglio Liborio@Teatro Marrucino
-
Piero Mazzocchetti – L’ultima notte di Bonfiglio Liborio
I made this photograph in the dim backstage of Teatro Marrucino, just minutes before the curtain would rise. The air was thick with that familiar mix of anticipation and quiet focus. The man sat in his chair, bent slightly forward, pen in hand, making final notes on the score under the stark glow of a music stand lamp. The rest of the stage was swallowed by darkness. Shooting with the Fuji X-T3 and the Fujinon XF 16-80 gave me the flexibility I needed in such a cramped and poorly lit space. The lens handled the low light surprisingly well, though I had to work at the edge of its capabilities…
