Andrea Monti

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  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Gear,  Photography,  Tokyo,  Winter

    DSLR-like…?

    March 21, 2025 /

    I decided to write this post after having stumbled across the next ethusiast review of a smartphone published on a reputable magazine, claiming that the device can deliver ‘DSLR-like’ photos. In fact, as is often the case with ‘camera experts’ who work for a magazine or earn money by posting videos making funny faces on social networks, it was just a rewrite of the manufacturer’s product specifications and promotional material. There are few things, in photography, I dislike more than than these ‘DSLR-like’ claims made in the advertising of smartphones and compact cameras because ‘DSLR-like’ is the archetype of a meaningless statement made to lure people into using an arbitrary benchmark…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A young Iron Maiden fan

    April 8, 2013

    Did You Forget Something?

    October 3, 2016

    A Modern Orpheus

    November 24, 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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    The Way Out

    October 20, 2013

    Hard Stare

    April 26, 2016

    Street Of New York… Possibly

    March 21, 2017
  • Artists,  Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Spring,  Summer,  Technique,  Winter

    Photography and the Importance of a Proper Training

    April 23, 2024 /

    In photography, among the various activities falling under the ‘preparation’ label, training is oftend underevaluated. Just as many newcomers to the world of guns think that buying expensive equipment will make them better shooters, many photographers think that mastering a bunch of exoteric camera settings will be enough to get decent pictures. This is summed up in a common piece of advice to novice shooters (of both guns and cameras): get out there and shoot. Results will just happen. I have nothing against a ‘Zen’ approach to things, based on instinct and intuition, but my Western, Benthamite mind does not allow me to forget that preparation is necessary to achieve…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Odd Couple

    January 30, 2013

    A Broken Gearwheel

    August 27, 2014

    Restaurant or Killing House?

    July 18, 2017
  • 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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    Lotus Tweak

    July 31, 2015

    A Zen Garden?

    February 22, 2014

    Photopanning in Rome

    December 3, 2019
  • 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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    Settled in the wrong place

    January 11, 2017

    A Cello Player

    April 24, 2017

    Hard Choice In Quai de la Corse

    March 21, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Summer

    HeadButt

    August 5, 2023 /

    Sometimes the difference between a pleasant result and just a plain wrong, missed photo may be challenging to tell.I took this picture years ago, during an MMA fight and, to be honest, I can not even remember framing and setting the camera accordingly for this shot. In other words, it happened almost by accident.The outcome is blurry and shaky, however, the overall result has a ‘painterly’ feel, almost like an ink sketch.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Copyright Foto AFP / Issouf Sanogo - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    A stupid quarrell

    April 7, 2013

    The Street Photographer Dilemma: Film or Digital

    March 21, 2015

    Hard Worker

    February 9, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Sport,  Spring

    Mid-Knee Clinch

    July 7, 2019 /

    This frame caught the clinch mid-knee, elbows locked, muscles in tension, balance tipping. I didn’t fire in burst—timing was deliberate. The image had to hold the convergence of force and geometry: shin to torso, fists to neck, backs arched into compression. Shot ringside at f/2.8 with a fast telephoto, ISO pushed to 3200 under dim sodium-halide lights softened by overhead mesh. Shutter at 1/640s, just enough to freeze impact without killing the tension in the stance. Noise control was adequate. Detail retained in skin texture and compression shorts without artificial smoothing. Lighting was patchy but consistent enough to avoid burnouts. Composition obeys containment. The cage creates the visual boundary, but…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Life, the Universe and Everything

    July 28, 2013

    The Silent Geometry of a Trabocco

    December 22, 2022

    Lamp

    April 2, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Spring

    TKO

    May 8, 2019 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Shadow

    July 24, 2014

    The Waiting

    December 23, 2012

    Not A Rorschach Inkblot

    December 24, 2017
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Sport,  Spring

    Emanuele Cavallucci. The New Italian Pro Boxing Welterweight Champion

    March 9, 2019 /

    Boxing is cruel to photographers. Not because it’s fast — although it is — but because it’s chaotic. In the ring, there’s no neatly choreographed movement, no second takes. You’ve got sweat flying, ropes cutting through your composition, referees wandering into frame, and the perpetual risk of being exactly half a second too late. This shot came together with the Nikon D610 paired to the Nikkor 24–120mm f/4 — a workhorse lens that, while not the fastest in maximum aperture, offers just the right flexibility for ringside work. Here, I caught the moment Cristofori’s jab lands flush on his opponent’s cheek, the head snapping back, muscles taut with the torque…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Creativity vs Originality

    March 11, 2024

    A Fashion Shop in Milan

    January 21, 2014

    @ Mediterranean Beach Games 2015 – Wrestling, Italy vs France (And a primer on sport photography – Part 5)

    October 9, 2015
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Portraits,  Sport,  Spring

    Portrait of a Professional Pugilist. Davide De Lellis

    March 8, 2019 /

    He had the kind of face that told its own story long before a shutter ever clicked — a mix of focus, fatigue, and that guarded reserve I’ve often seen in fighters before a bout. Photographing a professional pugilist isn’t about glorifying the violence of the sport, but about catching that fleeting moment where discipline, experience, and vulnerability intersect. I chose a tight composition, keeping the frame uncluttered so the viewer’s attention rested on the expression and posture. Every crease in the skin, every glint of sweat, mattered; these details carried more weight than any background could. Depth of field was shallow enough to isolate him from distraction, but not…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Ashtray

    February 12, 2017

    Multiple Peripheral Visions

    February 10, 2016

    Addicted to (Nintendo) Switch

    July 6, 2017
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  Reportage,  Sport,  Winter

    Italian Boxing Amateur Championship 2018. The Reportage

    December 18, 2018 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    What lasts after a party…

    April 25, 2013

    Black Cat

    October 31, 2021

    A Young Sailor in Open Sea

    August 11, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Winter

    The Coach

    December 9, 2018 /

    In the corner of the ring, where no cameras reach and the noise momentarily fades, something deeper than training unfolds. This image doesn’t speak of punches thrown or points scored. It captures that fleeting minute between rounds—the space where a fighter breathes, bleeds, and breaks, while a coach rebuilds with nothing more than words, water, and presence. The boxer’s face tells of the cost: a swollen lip, a grimace barely masking pain, but also something else—determination still flickering beneath the bruises. The coach leans in, not shouting, not berating. This is not strategy; it is communion. The fight, at this point, is as much against doubt as it is against…

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    Andrea Monti

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    An Essay on Light

    October 13, 2017

    As Seen on Ferrania Film’ Stories section…

    December 4, 2023

    Night Shift At The Gas Station

    November 11, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Seasons,  Sport,  Winter

    Stop

    December 6, 2018 /

    In the squared circle, adrenaline and instinct often outrun reason. A fighter, eyes blazing, may push past his body’s warning signs, driven by pride, by the will to win, or simply by the refusal to yield. It is in these moments that the referee’s role shifts from arbiter of the rules to guardian of life itself. This image captures that exact intersection—one man still in the heat of battle, the other standing between him and the risk of irreversible harm. The referee’s gloved hands rest firmly yet not aggressively, an unspoken command to stop. His gaze is steady, his body language unshaken, projecting both authority and concern. In boxing, bravery…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Hellish Look

    March 26, 2024

    Dreaming Of Giulietta (sprint)

    September 24, 2014

    Efesto’s New Production Line

    September 20, 2014
  • B&W,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Social Control,  Summer

    Strategy

    September 20, 2018 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Under the Yellow Umbrella

    March 9, 2013

    Serva padrona @ Teatro Marrucino

    October 1, 2023

    Desolation

    May 13, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  People,  Winter

    Surreal Judo

    December 11, 2016 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Spanish Sense of Flesh – 1

    June 26, 2014

    Sleep Wins

    August 30, 2013

    Oops!

    July 4, 2014
  • Cities,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  London,  People,  Summer

    Did You Forget Something?

    October 3, 2016 /

    Two Guardsmen march in precise step, the scarlet of their tunics and the gleam of polished boots cutting sharply against the muted stone façade behind them. The one at the rear carries the regimental colour, upright and immovable, while the man in front moves with equal discipline but empty-handed. It’s this absence — that invisible weight where a ceremonial object should be — that transforms a moment of rigid tradition into something quietly humorous. I composed the frame to isolate the pair mid-stride, ensuring both figures were given enough breathing space to let the eye move between them. The shallow depth of field was intentional; I wanted the bystanders in…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Hasselblad Way

    January 2, 2014

    Gloves

    October 19, 2014

    Visual

    January 18, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Sport,  Summer

    @ Mediterranean Beach Games 2015 – Beach Wrestlers

    October 21, 2015 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Impatience

    February 6, 2013

    Learning to Fly

    August 23, 2018

    At the theater, between two scenes

    June 15, 2015
  • Colour,  Fighters,  People,  Summer

    Mediterranean Games 2009

    June 28, 2015 /

    The cover image distills the Mediterranean Games 2009 into a single, decisive moment. Two judokas are locked in the opening clinch, bodies pressed forward, balance and leverage in a delicate contest. The Italian athlete’s gi dominates the frame—white fabric, bold blue “ITA” lettering, the name Frezza stitched above. Behind, the blurred figure of the opponent fades into a wash of deep blue, the background dissolved into the anonymity of the crowd and banners. It’s an image that works not by showing the entirety of the sport, but by narrowing the lens to the moment of contact. You can almost feel the strain in the forearms, the push of shoulders, the…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Urgent Calls Only

    May 15, 2017

    The Silent Ceremony

    November 2, 2017

    Nightlife in Bruxelles

    June 27, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Shooting,  Spring

    Home on the Range

    May 17, 2015 /

    There’s a moment—right before the shot breaks—when everything else falls away. This frame captures that exact moment. The quiet before the concussion. The balance between intent and mechanics. Taken in a professional range under full control, it documents not violence, but discipline. Focus. Precision. The brass tells its own story: just-fired casings scattered like punctuation marks on the shooter’s rhythm. The rifle rests steady on a bipod—cold, functional, ready. The shooter’s hand is not tense, but deliberate. His chain bracelet glints faintly in the sterile light, an unexpected human contrast to the black polymer and steel. This isn’t combat. It’s not theatre. It’s a place where performance meets protocol. Where…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Waiting To Board

    February 4, 2013

    Lonely cart

    March 4, 2013

    The Suit

    July 15, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  People,  Winter

    The Sharp Shooter

    March 10, 2015 /

    Midday light in snowy terrain is rarely a gift—high contrast, flat textures, blown highlights. Yet it matched the tone of this frame. The intensity of the shooter’s expression, the harsh sunlight, the targets standing in silent defiance—all fed into a sense of clarity and control. He isn’t performing. He’s working, and the cold has no bearing on his focus. The image demanded precision. Exposure had to be managed tightly to avoid losing detail in the whites without choking the blacks of the tactical jacket. I metered for the shadows and pulled slightly in post. The result is contrasty, yes, but not artificially so. The white balance swings cool despite the…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Heart Of Giulietta

    October 30, 2014

    Different Financial Transactions

    November 3, 2016

    Gioacchino Rossini – La Cenerentola@Teatro Marrucino

    December 13, 2024
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  People,  Winter

    Duel Inside The Cage

    November 20, 2014 /

    I shot this during an amateur MMA bout—tight quarters, fast motion, uneven lighting, and no second takes. What I wanted was proximity: to feel the tension hanging between the two fighters as they size each other up in the few quiet seconds before contact. I framed it just behind one of them, using his shoulder as a natural vignette to guide the viewer’s eye toward the opponent’s face. The focus is deliberately shallow. I could have chased clarity, but that wasn’t the point. The blurred expression of the man in the background says more than a tack-sharp portrait ever could. His intensity survives the softness. What you lose in detail,…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Sad Cat in a Neko Cafè

    August 5, 2018

    Outside the Nobel Museum

    June 30, 2016

    A Zen Garden?

    February 22, 2014
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Sport

    Uchi-Mata

    November 8, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Dreaming Of Giulietta (sprint)

    September 24, 2014

    Phone Call – 2

    February 20, 2015

    Ultras

    July 20, 2016
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Sport

    Whithin The Cage

    October 22, 2014 /

    There are moments when photography benefits from what it chooses not to show. This frame — a boxing glove in the foreground, satin shorts in deep royal blue and gold just behind — tells me almost nothing about the bout itself, but everything about its atmosphere. The mesh of the cage runs diagonally through the scene, an ever-present reminder of the boundaries in place, both literal and metaphorical. The choice to focus tightly on detail works here. By avoiding faces and action, the photograph shifts into an almost abstract study: the textures of worn leather, the gloss of fabric catching the light, the dull metallic blur of the chain-link. The…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Shrinking Knowledge Into A Small Brain

    July 24, 2018

    An Open Gate

    January 13, 2015

    Staged?

    February 16, 2016
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Sport

    Before The Match

    October 20, 2014 /

    There’s a quiet tension in the moments leading up to a fight. Adrenaline builds, but so does focus. Before the Matchcaptures that suspended instant—not in the face of the fighter, but in the ritual of preparation. The gloves are being adjusted, the tape snug against the wrist, the tattoos on the arm speaking their own language of identity, history, and intent. From a photographic standpoint, the tight framing is a deliberate and effective choice. By excluding the face entirely, the image avoids cliché and instead hones in on the tactile and symbolic. The red leather gloves dominate the frame, their texture and creases suggesting both wear and readiness. The contrasting…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Life Within the Post Office

    November 24, 2014

    In Hoc Signo

    August 20, 2015

    The perfect ski outfit

    March 12, 2013
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