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Andrea Monti

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  • Artists,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Summer

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

    July 30, 2025 /

    Last night I “covered” the Abruzzo leg of Al Di Meola’s tour, where he performed in a trio with Peo Alfonsi (second guitar) and Sergio Martinez (percussion). As a musician, I wore out the vinyl records of his albums through sheer use, and I later met him over twenty years ago when I acted as his interpreter during a tour with Chris Carrington and Arto Tunçboyacıyan—the World Sinfonia Tour, which marked his acoustic turn after epic electric albums such as Elegant Gypsy, Casino, and Electric Rendezvous. Work aside, it was a pleasure to see him again and exchange a few words, even if, understandably, he couldn’t remember anything about that past meeting. The gallery…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Street-Photographer’s eye side effect

    April 8, 2014

    Where Did I Left My Car?

    April 2, 2015

    Staged?

    February 16, 2016
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Summer

    Inside a Master Luthier’s Workshop

    July 24, 2025 /

    Craftsmanship is fascinating. It’s almost magical how we can see things in our head and make them happen. This is true for every bit of wisdom that humans have come up with, but musical instruments – and guitars, in particular – are among the best examples of this skill. There’s nothing more unnecessary than music and musical instruments, but we —well, at least many of us— can’t live without them. So, it comes naturally to those who enjoy an active relationship with music to begin learning how to play an instrument and, therefore, to become familiar with the technical side of the story. This is why, sooner than later, one…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Lost Battle

    January 11, 2014

    Gloves

    October 19, 2014

    Lost in iPhone while the wind blows

    January 23, 2013
  • Artists,  Colour,  Daily photo,  PhotoCritics,  Photography,  Portraits,  Summer

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

    May 29, 2025 /

    I recently asked a friend, who works on the editorial side of the music industry, to share his thoughts on one of my photographs taken during a flamenco concert. His response was a deep and thorough analysis, which I will spare the readers in full. In brief, however, he praised the lighting as particularly effective for flamenco photography, noting how the chiaroscuro effect recalls the classical paintings of Caravaggio. Regarding the composition, he observed that the bailaora’s body fills the frame dynamically, without ever feeling cramped. In his conclusion, he remarked that the image captures the very soul of flamenco. As flattering as this commentary was, I must admit that none…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Uchi-Mata

    November 8, 2014

    A Mysterious Bag

    November 2, 2013

    What Souvenirs Say About Rome (and Your Attitude Toward Life)

    August 6, 2025
  • Artists,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Winter

    Kristina Miller live@Teatro Marrucino

    February 21, 2022 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Just a soccer match…

    May 15, 2013

    Breaking the Fourth Wall

    February 17, 2020

    The Unconvinced Listener

    June 25, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Swimming (Fin)

    Portrait of a Fin Swimmer

    June 5, 2021 /

    Some portraits happen in a studio, under measured light and with deliberate poses. Others — like this one — are pulled from the water, quite literally, in the midst of motion and adrenaline. I caught her just after she emerged from the sea, hair dripping and muscles tense, her expression still riding the wave of effort and triumph. The Nikon D750 paired with the Sigma 150–600 Contemporary gave me the reach to stay back and let the moment unfold naturally, while still pulling in the details — the salt-speckled skin, the flushed cheeks, the tension in her arm as she grips the swimming cap. From a technical perspective, the challenge…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Interplay

    December 22, 2016

    Parachute

    September 14, 2013

    Three Sprouts

    May 22, 2022
  • Actors,  B&W,  Daily photo,  Gear,  PhotoCritics,  Portraits,  Technique,  Winter

    Easy To Shoot?

    December 12, 2020 /

    This picture might look “ordinary” but for the fact that I shot it with a rangefinder film camera (guess which?) during the scene change between to acts of a theatre play. Scene assistants were placing the furnitures, actors were trying to focus on their parts, there was no time (and place) to design a proper composition and set the camera. No autofocus, no real-time exposure and white-balance setting. Maybe I have been lucky capturing the match flame close to the cigar, maybe it was because of “muscle memory”, but I did it nonetheless. Problem is that I could not be sure if I succeeded until, one week later, I saw…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Empty Spaces

    May 23, 2014

    Forza Italia

    July 12, 2021

    Dark Cloud Over San Pietro

    August 27, 2021
  • Artists,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  PhotoCritics,  Portraits,  Technique,  Winter

    The Power of Underexposing

    December 25, 2019 /

    This portrait was built in the shadows. Underexposing by design meant letting darkness dominate the frame, allowing only the essentials — the face, the glint of an earring, the folds of the dress — to emerge. The result is a scene stripped of distraction, where every visible element has earned its place. The composition is weighted to the left, pulling the viewer into the subject’s gaze and leaving negative space to amplify the drama. The rich crimson of the gown benefits from the controlled exposure: under normal lighting, its details might have flattened into uniform red; here, the fabric’s texture and the embroidery’s sparkle gain depth from the way light…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Coffee Doesn’t Need a Table. It Needs a Moment

    June 17, 2013

    Why a Longterm Relationship (with your camera) Makes You Feel Good

    March 26, 2025

    Sweet Dilemma

    November 4, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Spring

    When Heroes Come to Town

    April 17, 2019 /

    The armour clanked softly as he turned. Foam, paint, Velcro, and pride. I took this shot at a cosplay convention. The kind where universes blur together in the corridors and everyone is someone else for a while. He was dressed as Optimus Prime—or something close enough to carry the weight. She stood opposite, painted purple, gold-clad glove raised in mock judgment. Thanos, reimagined with a wink. I shot from behind. It felt right. Not to reveal, but to witness. There’s a kind of reverence in seeing a costume from this angle: the care in the stitching, the scuffs from wear, the illusion holding just enough to be believable—but only to…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Home on the Range

    May 17, 2015

    The Rise of the Mutant Spiders?

    November 4, 2013

    Mirror

    January 17, 2013
  • 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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    Abruzzo’s made Coke??

    March 26, 2013

    A Sailor

    July 28, 2014

    Fujifilm XF 18-120 just snapped in two

    September 10, 2023
  • Artists,  B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Winter

    Marianna D’ama – Live

    December 2, 2018 /

    The stage is barely the size of a rug. The audience—two dozen at most—sits within arm’s reach. There is no spotlight to hide behind, no sound engineer to balance the mix, no roaring crowd to dissolve into. Just a voice, an instrument, and the intimacy of shared air. In this photograph, the singer leans into the microphone with the same intensity one might expect in front of thousands. Her eyes are half-closed, her body wrapped around the rhythm, maracas held like extensions of her heartbeat. The grain of the black and white frame amplifies the sense of proximity—every shadow a whisper, every highlight a breath. House concerts are unforgiving in…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Italian Stardust

    April 6, 2015

    Bent

    April 21, 2014

    The Racers

    December 7, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Seasons,  Shooting,  Winter

    A Shooter

    December 8, 2017 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Franco Cerri. The Last Jazz Living Legend

    August 16, 2016

    Hanging Heart at via Olmetto

    March 31, 2014

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

    October 9, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Restaurants&Bar,  Summer,  Venice

    Damned Pidgeons…

    October 8, 2017 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Three Shadows

    November 11, 2016

    Sales Force

    January 28, 2016

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

    October 13, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Summer,  Venice

    The Glassmaster

    September 4, 2017 /

    I took this photograph in a small workshop where the air was thick with heat and the faint scent of molten silica. The man at the bench was a veteran glassblower, his movements so fluid they seemed choreographed—every rotation of the blowpipe, every precise turn of the wrist, shaped the glowing mass at its tip into something delicate and exact. In composing the image, I wanted to give space to the environment. This wasn’t simply a portrait; it was a record of a craft. The cluttered benches, the brick furnace, the scattered tools—these were as much a part of the story as the craftsman himself. I framed him slightly off-centre,…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Calm Person

    January 8, 2014

    Waiting for the Fish

    December 18, 2021

    The Expired Film Series – Episode 3 – Ilford HP5 400 – Dec. 2010 shot in August 2023

    August 30, 2023
  • Artists,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Summer

    Nick Beggs

    July 12, 2017 /

    Nick Beggs isn’t just a musician—he’s a presence. Capturing him live isn’t about nailing the perfect frame, it’s about riding the wave of his performance and locking it into a split second. I took this shot during one of those dense, layered passages where the light is moody and the mix is full. He stood immersed in the music, double-neck bass cradled like a weapon or a relic, commanding and concentrated. Technically, this photo walks a tightrope. Stage lighting can be merciless—strong contrasts, saturated colours, and constant shifts. I went for a low ISO to preserve detail, knowing I’d have to push shadows in post. The main light hit his…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Copyright Foto AFP / Issouf Sanogo - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    A stupid quarrell

    April 7, 2013

    Hair Cut

    July 19, 2013

    Before The Match

    October 20, 2014
  • Artists,  Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Summer

    Steve Hackett – Live@Teatro d’Annunzio

    July 8, 2017 /

    The photograph captures Steve Hackett in a moment of concentration, his gaze lowered towards the guitar as if the instrument itself were dictating the next phrase. The Les Paul glows under the stage lights, its golden surface reflecting the intensity of the performance, while Hackett’s expression remains measured and inward, suggesting a musician wholly absorbed in sound rather than spectacle. Framing is tight, keeping focus on Hackett and his guitar. The background, blurred yet luminous with stage reflections, provides atmosphere without distraction. It isolates him in the act of playing, the performer reduced to essentials: hands, instrument, sound. Technically, the exposure handles difficult stage lighting competently. The blue tones of…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Fisherman

    December 25, 2014

    Late-afternoon’s snack

    April 15, 2013

    Tough Enough

    January 27, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Summer

    Portrait of a Cosplayer

    July 3, 2017 /

    I shot this in a crowded open-air market during a cosplay event. No studio, no setup, just natural light and a quick pivot to catch the moment before the crowd closed back in. The subject stood out instantly—not just for the outfit, but for the commitment. Every element was deliberate: the scarlet coat, the black waistcoat buttoned to the collar, the oversized goggles perched over an expression of studied calm. And the hat—sharp, theatrical, finished with a red trim that echoed the coat. Stylised but not cartoonish. This wasn’t a costume; it was a persona. I composed tightly to focus on the mid-frame, letting the subject fill the space without…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Couch in the Yard

    November 18, 2013

    A Couple of Windows

    January 5, 2018

    Meaningless

    November 9, 2013
  • Colour,  Court,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Winter

    The Relentless Lawyer

    February 6, 2017 /

    Standing in Court, no matter what! Some portraits are taken in the studio, with light sculpted and poses rehearsed. Others, like this one, are captured in the quiet fissures of reality—moments where the weight of a life’s work shows itself unprompted. The old lawyer’s face carries the texture of decades in courtrooms, each wrinkle etched by cross-examinations, verdicts, and long nights parsing the fine print of justice. His robe hangs loosely now, a little heavier than before, as though the fabric has absorbed the gravity of the battles fought. The light, cool and unforgiving, falls across his profile, illuminating both the weariness and the fire that coexist in his expression.…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Pentax – In Praise of Usability of Cameras and Lenses

    March 3, 2024

    Portrait of a young scholar

    October 28, 2013

    A view of the Bologna’s Station

    April 28, 2019
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Seasons,  Soccer,  Social Control,  Summer

    A Different Passion…

    June 12, 2016 /

    If football is a religion — and for many it is — then what are its rituals, and who are its saints and martyrs? I came across this man during a rally, wrapped in his team’s colours, crowned with blue plastic strands like a DIY halo, cigarette pinched between fingers, gaze lost somewhere off-frame. He didn’t look triumphant, nor devastated. Just worn — by hope, by defeat, by something in between. This wasn’t theatre for the camera. He wasn’t performing. He was just still, in that half-breath between chants or cheers or curses. From a technical standpoint, I shot this with a shallow depth of field, using a fast lens…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Red Dot

    January 21, 2015

    Trial Docks Waiting for the Justice to Come

    April 21, 2015

    When Tilted Photos Work

    December 18, 2019
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Winter

    Portrait of a Law Professor (and Free Climber…)

    February 26, 2016 /

    Some portraits speak as much through their surroundings as through the subject’s face. This image—shot on T-Max 400—was conceived to be less about formality and more about quiet juxtapositions. The professor, sharply dressed in a waistcoat and tie, sits in an office that is anything but stiff: behind him, a large photograph of a free climber grips the rock face with raw, physical intensity. The contrast is the story. The academic’s world is one of precision, argument, and interpretation of law; the climber’s, one of risk, strength, and moment-to-moment survival. And yet, the connection between the two is more than decorative. This professor is himself a climber—an individual who understands…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Financial Times at Night

    October 1, 2016

    Portrait of a Master luthier

    October 26, 2013

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

    March 19, 2025
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Winter

    Portrait of a Gunsmith

    February 24, 2016 /

    No bravado. No noise. Just focus. This is not a scene from a film. It’s a portrait of a gunsmith — hands steady, brow drawn in close. The room is small, functional, the shelves stacked. There’s no display of violence here. No suggestion of power. Only the patient act of tuning metal into balance. He’s wearing gloves, not out of fear, but out of respect — for the tool, for the work, for the ritual. The gun isn’t loaded. It isn’t posed. It’s an object in process. A mechanism being read, understood, maintained. I took this photo in near silence. The only sound was the faint click of a slide…

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    Andrea Monti

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    An Old School Workstation

    September 12, 2014

    Between Sea and Sky

    February 12, 2015

    Floating

    February 5, 2023
  • Autumn,  Colour,  Court,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Projects,  Spring,  Summer

    Avvocati. A New Book

    October 11, 2015 /

    I’ve just finished the project I’ve been working in the past months. Lawyers’ human and private face.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Late Night@Piazza San Babila

    March 9, 2022

    Table Dressing

    July 15, 2015

    @ Mediterranean Beach Games 2015 – Italian Female Rowing Team

    October 25, 2015
  • 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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    Room 17 – VIXI

    March 27, 2015

    Guest Are Welcome!

    December 1, 2014

    Call On The Docks

    August 4, 2014
  • B&W,  Cars&Bikes,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits

    Portrait of The Alfa Romeo Guru

    September 25, 2014 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Waiting for a Future to Tell

    April 18, 2013

    The Audience (Not a Rock Concert, Indeed)

    September 23, 2013

    Portrait of a Perinatal Cardiologist

    July 11, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits

    Portrait of a Perinatal Cardiologist

    July 11, 2014 /

    Salvatore Gerboni, MD, is an expert perinatal cardiologist and a great human being.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Bycicle Ride

    August 28, 2013

    Portrait of a (former) bike champion

    May 3, 2014

    Frank Gambale All Stars – Live@Teatro Marrucino

    November 22, 2023
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