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Andrea Monti

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  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Visual,  Winter

    Yellow

    December 15, 2014 /

    The photograph hinges on the interplay between colour, geometry, and omission. By keeping the frame cropped tightly, I remove any narrative context — no faces, no full figures, just the assertive yellow of work trousers, the partial arc of a bicycle wheel, and the tiled pavement as stage. The absence of a complete subject forces the eye to wander across shapes and lines rather than fixating on identity. The composition is built diagonally, with the wheel anchoring the right edge and the worker’s feet drawing the gaze upward and left. The black tile bands slice the frame, adding structure and contrast to the more neutral beige of the pavement. It’s…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Businessman…

    February 9, 2013

    Who Dares Wins

    February 7, 2013

    The Misplaced Buoy

    April 26, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Patisserie,  People,  Portraits,  Winter

    The Man Behind The Croissant

    December 13, 2014 /

    It’s not just a title. It’s a layered truth. He’s literally behind the croissants — arms folded, resting gently on the chilled glass counter, smiling with the quiet confidence of someone who knows exactly what he’s made. But he’s also the one behind them in the deeper sense: the early riser, the flour-dusted craftsman, the keeper of recipes that live more in muscle memory than in ink. The Man Behind the Croissant is a portrait of work and warmth. Of a man whose day starts long before anyone steps into the shop. Who rolls, folds, rests, fills, bakes — not as performance, but as rhythm. There’s no spectacle here. Just trays of pastry…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Guru Meditation

    May 12, 2014

    Frank Gambale All Stars – Live@Teatro Marrucino

    November 22, 2023

    Walking at Night, in Milan

    September 30, 2013
  • 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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    Skating at Palais de Tokyo

    June 11, 2015

    Collision Path

    July 5, 2019

    Al Di Meola, Peo Alfonsi, Sergio Martinez – Live @ Teatro della Villa Comunale – Roseto degli Abruzzi

    July 30, 2025
  • 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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    In the backstage

    May 10, 2013

    Christmas Time at Covent Garden

    December 25, 2013

    Stripes in B&W

    April 29, 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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    @ Mediterranean Beach Games 2015 – Italian Female Rowing Team

    October 25, 2015

    When Venus Meets the Moon

    October 2, 2023

    How to Shoot Handball Matches

    April 14, 2024
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Winter

    Portrait with Skewers

    December 6, 2014 /

    I took this indoors, handheld, under mixed lighting, using a short focal length and no modifiers. It’s not a technical showcase. It’s a study in immediacy—an encounter frozen before refinement. The figure stands close, wide lens pulling in distortion around the edges. Face and skewers both sit in the shallow foreground, lit unevenly by ceiling fluorescents and ambient bounce from a warm source camera-left. The colour cast is inconsistent. I left it. Adjusting white balance to neutrality would flatten the artificiality that holds the image together. The context is a real room, not a set. Composition favours gesture. The skewers point forward, catching highlights and pulling focus. His hoodie and…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Everything is ready for the service

    July 2, 2013

    Renovating Milan

    November 18, 2017

    Early Morning Shaving on The Beach

    August 6, 2013
  • 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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    PI Room At Palais de la Découverte

    June 7, 2015

    Lost Bag

    December 8, 2016

    The Stare of a T800

    August 4, 2015
  • 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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    Avvocati. A New Book

    October 11, 2015

    An Antique Shop in via Cadorna

    December 10, 2023

    A ghostly bystander

    September 21, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People

    Pensive, On the Way Home

    November 28, 2014 /

    The man was moving at an unhurried pace, carrying a small bag, focused on the pavement in front of him. His posture suggested habit rather than thought—this was a route he had taken many times, without the need to look up or around. I did not approach or interact with him; I simply matched his speed for a moment, then let him continue. The background is a muted sequence of textured walls: ochre above, coarse grey render below. These surfaces do more than fill space—they set the tone. Nothing is decorative. The architecture is functional and unembellished, which mirrors the understated action in the frame. The vertical pipes and doorway…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Crowd Control

    February 14, 2016

    The Hamlet’s Dilemma

    May 20, 2014

    Street Compass Rose

    September 25, 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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    Out of Focus, again

    October 3, 2013

    Big Brother Enhanced

    May 1, 2013

    A young Iron Maiden fan

    April 8, 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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    Still Together

    April 20, 2013

    An update on the poor Canon EOS-M autofocus

    March 30, 2013

    A Missed Pricetag?

    January 29, 2013
  • 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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    Seeing What Isn’t There

    October 27, 2015

    Much Too Short a Ladder

    October 17, 2013

    The Expired Film Series – Episode 7 – Kodak Portra 160 – June 2015 shot in Oct. 2023

    January 11, 2024
  • 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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    Audience

    February 20, 2014

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

    June 17, 2025

    Is Batman Coming To Town?

    December 2, 2017
  • Autumn,  Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Parks,  People

    Blow Up

    November 13, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    What Lasts of A Workbench

    February 22, 2015

    Antonio Onorato

    August 20, 2016

    Fujifilm X-Pro 2: Does It Worth It? (Lost In Via Del Corso)

    January 16, 2016
  • Autumn,  Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Parks,  People

    Fun

    November 12, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

    January 14, 2013

    Open Window

    February 4, 2015

    Portrait of a Bailaor

    November 19, 2013
  • Autumn,  Bruxelles,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Parks,  People

    Orange Scarf

    November 9, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Sad Harley-Davidson

    August 10, 2013

    Al Di Meola, Peo Alfonsi, Sergio Martinez – Live @ Teatro della Villa Comunale – Roseto degli Abruzzi

    July 30, 2025

    A Street-Skater on the Waterfront

    March 17, 2021
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Fighters,  Fighting Disciplines,  People,  Sport

    Uchi-Mata

    November 8, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    @ Mediterranean Beach Games 2015 – Italian Beach Handball Female Team (and a primer on sport photography, part 3)

    September 30, 2015

    Running On The (Oslo’s) Docks

    September 28, 2014

    Outdoor Aperitif

    April 7, 2017
  • 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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    A perfect match

    February 1, 2013

    Bent

    April 21, 2014

    Rest on the lake

    April 29, 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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    Genta Fukue live@Sakura Terrace – Kyoto

    June 22, 2017

    Dark Cloud Over San Pietro

    August 27, 2021

    WTF Are They Looking At?

    May 7, 2014
  • 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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    5 (random) frames of Bruxelles with a MIR-1B, a Pentax ME Super and a Kodak TMax400

    March 19, 2025

    Free Ride

    October 2, 2014

    YANE – Yet Another Nepal Exhibit

    March 23, 2015
  • 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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    Copyright Foto AFP / Issouf Sanogo - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    A stupid quarrell

    April 7, 2013

    A Rudder

    February 19, 2021

    The Day After The Tide

    December 12, 2013
  • 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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    Conversation

    November 27, 2013

    Guru Meditation

    May 12, 2014

    Questioning the Referee

    October 8, 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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    Moistmaker@Piazza della Rotonda

    July 12, 2018

    Lost in iPhone while the wind blows

    January 23, 2013

    An Altar for the Propaganda Machine

    November 17, 2013
  • B&W,  Boulevards,  Cities,  Daily photo,  Oslo,  People

    Downtown Pulse

    October 17, 2014 /

    This photograph captures the rhythm of a city centre street, a place where architecture and human movement converge. The composition is anchored by the façades: the mix of brick and ornate plasterwork recalls different eras of urban growth, while the signage and shopfronts bring the scene firmly into the present. The café on the left introduces a quieter layer — seated figures just visible through the glass — while pedestrians animate the open space in the middle ground. Technically, the exposure holds balance across the tonal range. The overcast light provides a diffuse softness, avoiding hard shadows and allowing the details in both masonry and pavement to remain legible. The…

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    Andrea Monti

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    On Tips’n Tricks to ‘take you photos to the next level’

    May 29, 2025

    A Panorama

    December 30, 2014

    A Fujifilm X-E1 Annoyance

    April 15, 2014
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