Andrea Monti

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  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Milan,  People,  Restaurants&Bar,  Winter

    Message Check Before Breakfast

    December 12, 2014 /

    This shot came together in the quiet seconds between espresso orders and the whir of the barista’s machine. I didn’t ask him to pose — I never do in moments like these. His posture, leaning forward, eyes fixed on the screen, scarf still clutched tight from the cold outside, told the full story. The light was unforgiving in its neutrality — ceiling fixtures and flat fluorescents don’t do any favours, but sometimes they just let the environment breathe. I pushed the ISO higher than I’d normally like, sacrificing a bit of cleanliness for immediacy. Still, the rendering holds: detail in the wool coat, a soft drop-off in the background, and…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Meaning in Photography

    March 4, 2020

    Pouring Water Since About 300 Years

    December 23, 2014

    Have fun…

    July 12, 2013
  • Artists,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Gear,  People,  Summer

    The Leica M9 CCDgate Outrageous Case

    December 11, 2014 /

    This is not “new” news, but is getting momentum: Leica M9′ sensors (including those fitted into the more than expensive “special” models) are plagued. The repair cost is 1.800,00 Euros plus VAT and shipping, not to mention the time needed to get the camera back (weeks? months?) Leica claims to offer paid support to the older, out-of-warranty customers but just doing a few math shows that it doesn’t worth it: if you own a between-three-and-five-years old M9 you’re supposed to pay 600,00 Euros (plus VAT etc.) while more-than-five-years old M9 owner will pay 1.200 Euros (plus VAT etc.) to get an old and outdated camera new sensor, affected by the…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Welcome in the New (?) Year

    January 1, 2014

    Footprints

    May 19, 2013

    @ Mediterranean Beach Games 2015 – Italy Beach Soccer Team’s Goalkeeper (and a primer on sport photography, part 2)

    September 24, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Winter

    The Racers

    December 7, 2014 /

    This frame plays on contrast — not in light, but in intent. A man on a bicycle, casual and calm, drifts past a car caught in traffic. His posture suggests ease, purpose even, while the driver beside him grips a phone, half-engaged elsewhere. The child seat behind the cyclist, though empty, tells a story of movement beyond the individual. Domesticity, transport, and pace: all converge in one mundane but resonant street encounter. I shot this with a 35mm at f/8 to hold sharpness across the scene. The lens rewarded me with clarity on the cyclist’s face and detail in the background signage. Timing was key. I waited until the rider…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Restaurant or Hellgate?

    June 21, 2013

    Get Ready for The Duty

    July 13, 2013

    Home on the Range

    May 17, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Winter

    Wasn’t He Supposed To Carry A Walther PPK?

    December 6, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Snaps of a Flamenco recital…

    April 26, 2013

    Lost in iPhone while the wind blows

    January 23, 2013

    A Street-Skater

    March 17, 2021
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People

    Leaving Home

    December 5, 2014 /

    Distortion in this case matched the reality: walking beneath modern high-rises can feel surreal, oppressive even. The warped geometry bends the building into a looming wave that seems to crash down on the lone figure below—an ordinary person dragging a trolley bag, perhaps on the way back from errands or returning from a short trip. The photograph captures a dichotomy I often return to: the indifference of urban architecture versus the vulnerability of human movement. I didn’t wait for this person. I framed the architecture first, then let the rhythm of the street fill the gap. When he entered the frame, posture slightly hunched, shadow tracing behind, I released the…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Interior Design at Aurum

    May 26, 2013

    5 frames exploring the Sporting Gun Culture in Italy

    April 15, 2025

    Tough Enough

    August 7, 2019
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Streets&Squares,  Winter

    Suspicious

    December 2, 2014 /

    Every street photographer knows that moment — the fraction of a second when a stranger’s gaze brushes against yours and something shifts in the air. Suspicion. Wariness. An almost imperceptible tightening of the body. That’s the curse: the invisible threshold you cross when candid turns into confrontation, even if only in the subject’s mind. In this frame, the man in the magenta sweater and black coat is mid-stride, his expression caught somewhere between concentration and mild irritation. He’s moving with purpose, but his eyes — just soft enough in the focus to keep anonymity intact — seem aware of my presence. The shallow depth of field lets the textured walls…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Belgian Macarons

    November 2, 2015

    Outside the Courthall

    April 15, 2015

    Just A Phone Call – 1

    February 18, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People

    Pensive

    November 28, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    5 frames exploring the Sporting Gun Culture in Italy

    April 15, 2025

    An Evening Chat

    July 30, 2013

    Wave Riders

    September 20, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Rome,  Winter

    Red Bag, Black Shoes

    November 27, 2014 /

    This frame was taken at street level, quite literally. I crouched, waiting for the traffic to pause, and caught her mid-stride—ankle exposed, bag swinging low, oblivious to the lens just metres away. The choice of crop was deliberate. I wanted anonymity, but not detachment. By excluding the face, the image becomes less about the individual and more about the semiotics of presence—gesture, attire, movement, and the way we carve out identity with things. The red bag dominates the composition, not just chromatically but structurally. Its synthetic gloss, reptilian texture, and almost architectural form turn it into a visual anchor. It’s loud, assertive, unapologetic. And then, in counterpoint, the black shoes—quiet,…

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    Andrea Monti

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    When the parking’s lost

    May 16, 2013

    Who Needs A Wedding Photographer Anymore?

    May 29, 2014

    Lost in mumbling

    September 22, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Rome

    @ Rome’s Maker Faire – 6. Lost In Texting

    November 23, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Paths of Life

    January 20, 2013

    High Heels Ghost

    August 20, 2013

    In Hoc Signo

    August 20, 2015
  • 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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    Almost Spotted

    February 27, 2014

    Careful With That Bike, Eugene!

    July 29, 2013

    Open Window

    February 4, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Winter

    Three’s Company

    November 14, 2014 /

    Public benches are theatres of the unscripted. I caught this trio suspended in a casual triangle—neither fully connected nor entirely apart. The geometry between them is tense, not hostile, but uncertain. They don’t pose; they orbit each other, and the moment belongs to that hesitation. The photo hinges on spatial rhythm. The wide format stretches the composition just enough to isolate each figure, but the concrete shadows and the circular bench lock them into an unspoken narrative. The light slices the scene diagonally, a crisp late afternoon beam that exaggerates contrast and textures—the pavement, the blue pillar, even the worn telephone on the left. That phone, by the way, plays…

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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

    On Photography and Self-Delusion

    September 4, 2022

    The Sailor

    June 24, 2013
  • Autumn,  Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Parks,  People

    Blow Up

    November 13, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Hard Worker

    February 9, 2014

    Red Bag, Black Shoes

    November 27, 2014

    A Mysterious Bag

    November 2, 2013
  • Autumn,  Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Parks,  People

    Fun

    November 12, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Same Space, Different Worlds

    October 18, 2013

    @Rome Maker Faire – 5. Pensive

    October 18, 2014

    A moment of break…

    February 22, 2013
  • Autumn,  Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Parks,  People

    Orange Scarf

    November 9, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Black Cat

    October 31, 2021

    From Camera to Print…

    March 17, 2015

    Norina shouts at Don Pasquale

    December 12, 2022
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Sport

    Uchi-Mata

    November 8, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Lost in iPhone while the wind blows

    January 23, 2013

    Servicing a Beretta 98FS

    October 13, 2019

    The El Prat’s Lounge

    June 5, 2014
  • Autumn,  B&W,  Cities,  Daily photo,  Oslo,  Parks,  People,  Urban Landscape

    The Seagull And The Sentinel

    October 27, 2014 /

      In front of the solemn geometry of a royal palace in Oslo, the eye is drawn not to the grand columns or orderly facade, but to the understated absurdity playing out on the forecourt. To the far right, a sentinel paces with ceremonial rigour — upright, focused, unyielding. His role is one of symbol and service: a visible reminder of authority, history, and order. But his dedication unfolds before an almost entirely empty square. Almost. Because to the left, alone and unconcerned, a seagull meanders across the open expanse. It neither salutes nor flees. It simply exists — indifferent to the weight of flags, uniforms, or palatial power. This…

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    Andrea Monti

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    What Does ‘Professional’ Mean in Photography?

    March 19, 2024

    The Ipad Shooter. Who needs a Nikon D4 anymore?

    November 3, 2013

    Photography and the dangers of ethics

    April 17, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Rome

    @Rome Maker Faire – 7. Mobile Rest

    October 23, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Labcoats In A Moment Of Rest

    December 28, 2015

    Get Ready for The Duty

    July 13, 2013

    Shaken

    October 1, 2015
  • 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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    Food For Thought

    September 14, 2014

    Early Leave at Bruxelles-Midi

    March 23, 2014

    Pure Joy

    May 25, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Rome

    @Rome Maker Faire – 6. A Statue(?)

    October 21, 2014 /

    I saw her elevated on that concrete block — standing still, upright, focused — and couldn’t not take the photo. For a moment she looked monumental, absurdly dignified, like a civic sculpture in summer sandals. Phone raised in that familiar vertical salute, frozen mid-frame as if cast in bronze. The tension between the everyday and the iconic was too rich to ignore. The humour in this image comes not from mockery but from geometry. The white tent backdrop flattens the space, stripping it of any visual depth and turning her into a cutout against a temporary canvas. Her floral dress softens the hard lines of the block and rigging, while…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Don’t Forget!

    March 27, 2013

    5 frames with a Kiev 60, a Volna 80/2,8 and a Ferrania Orto

    June 28, 2024

    Helios 40-2 85/1,5 and Fuji X-T5: a sample

    June 21, 2023
  • 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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    Careful With That Bike, Eugene!

    July 29, 2013

    A Street Dancer@Sakae

    August 9, 2019

    FUJIFILM X-T5 RAF have problems with Affinity Photo 2.1

    June 11, 2023
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Parks,  People,  Rome

    @Rome Maker Faire – 5. Pensive

    October 18, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Real Street Photographer: Bold and Fearless

    February 25, 2013

    Pipes in Colour

    May 1, 2015

    National Security

    April 4, 2014
  • B&W,  Boulevards,  Cities,  Daily photo,  Oslo,  People

    The Pulse Of The Town

    October 17, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Pouring Water Since About 300 Years

    December 23, 2014

    Out-of-Focus

    September 24, 2013

    The last waltz

    January 24, 2013
  • B&W,  Cities,  Daily photo,  Oslo,  People,  Street Photography,  Thoughts

    Norwegian Suits

    October 15, 2014 /

    A missed opportunity for a good photo. I shot too early and failed to frame the guy with the bicycle whose look would have been a nice “counterpart” with the serious attire of the businessmen he was crossing.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Three Sprouts

    May 22, 2022

    Questioning the Referee

    October 8, 2023

    Ghosts

    October 19, 2016
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Rome

    @Rome Maker Faire – 3. Stare Of The Mechanical Man

    October 13, 2014 /

    I’ve always been fascinated by that moment in an exhibition when human curiosity meets mechanical indifference. In this frame, the robot’s gaze — fixed, almost expectant — seems to cut through the bustle of the Maker Faire. There’s a quiet in its stare that stands in stark contrast to the crowded, noisy energy of the scene. I chose to let the human operator stand slightly behind the machine, not in front of it. This composition allowed the robot to dominate the foreground while still including the person who, ironically, brings it to life. The presence of an out-of-focus head in the bottom left was a conscious choice to keep the…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Brain vs Camera

    April 19, 2014

    The Chess Players

    October 10, 2013

    The Lost Battle

    January 11, 2014
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