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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    Into The Cube

    November 18, 2014

    Mulberry Street, When Benito II Was Still There…

    July 7, 2014

    Comarketing

    October 10, 2019
  • 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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    A Japanese Luthier and a Fingerstyle Player from My Home Region (and My Past) – A One shot story

    January 22, 2025

    Ghosts of Ginza

    November 14, 2023

    Staring At The Infinite (While Waiting For The Fishes)

    August 1, 2014
  • 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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    Plenty of Chairs in Via Veneto

    December 2, 2013

    The Pulse Of The Town

    October 17, 2014

    Labcoats In A Moment Of Rest

    December 28, 2015
  • 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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    Lost Bottles

    January 27, 2014

    Free Shoes On A Hot Day

    October 8, 2014

    What’s the Time?

    October 8, 2019
  • 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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    Mulberry Street, When Benito II Was Still There…

    July 7, 2014

    Portrait of a politician – 1

    October 25, 2013

    Crowd Control

    February 14, 2016
  • 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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    One Coffee

    December 20, 2015

    Landing

    December 4, 2021

    Scarf’s Meeting

    March 5, 2014
  • 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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    Breaking the Fourth Wall

    February 17, 2020

    The Lost Lock

    June 12, 2014

    Italy, Landscape Photography and the Law – Part Two

    February 23, 2014
  • 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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    Kime in Photography

    June 9, 2013

    A Gull, Posing

    June 17, 2022

    An urgent phone call?

    December 15, 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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    A HDR Experiment

    December 9, 2013

    Ashtray

    February 12, 2017

    Stripes of Light and Decay

    March 2, 2015
  • 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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    Stadio Olimpico, seen from Tribuna Monte Mario

    October 1, 2022

    Max Casacci – Live@Circolo Aternino, Pescara

    January 4, 2018

    Lost in Le Puglie

    December 2, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Portraits,  Seasons,  Shooting,  Winter

    A Shooter

    December 8, 2017 /

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    Andrea Monti

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    Suspicious

    September 8, 2013

    The Smoker’s Golden Rule: A Coffee Always Calls a Cigarette

    July 9, 2013

    Oh…MG!

    July 23, 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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    Silent Among Many Voices

    January 1, 2013

    Skull of Glass at the London Science Museum

    September 26, 2016

    Blackfriars Train Station Banner

    September 22, 2016
  • 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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    How to (Unconventionally) Shoot Track and Field Competitions

    July 30, 2024

    Fast Call

    December 28, 2013

    Too Young to Spend Time Watching the Ducks in the Pond

    October 22, 2013
  • 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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    Efesto’s New Production Line

    September 20, 2014

    What (or Who) Are These Hangs For?

    May 21, 2013

    Belgian Macarons

    November 2, 2015
  • 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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    Silhouettes@Osaka Castle

    June 12, 2018

    Reasonable Privacy Expectation

    April 17, 2014

    An Essay on Composition

    February 14, 2021
  • 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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    Early Morning’s Cleanup

    July 21, 2013

    None of my business…

    March 3, 2013

    From Camera to Print…

    March 17, 2015
  • 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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    Vinyl Never Dies

    September 2, 2013

    Yet Another WDISF Post

    May 5, 2024

    A Rural View

    December 8, 2014
  • 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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    Killing Santa? Really?

    January 25, 2013

    Feuer

    July 10, 2021

    Good Idea

    January 31, 2014
  • 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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    Generations

    February 5, 2013

    Late Evening Break In Piazza Dante

    October 21, 2017

    Drying Clothes

    March 9, 2021
  • 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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    Action shot

    January 7, 2013

    Menu Meditation

    February 16, 2018

    Last Puff Before the Ride

    December 26, 2015
  • 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.

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    Andrea Monti

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    VueScan and the missed Bits-per-pixel

    December 1, 2013

    The last flower

    May 20, 2013

    Another attempt at DLSR film scanning

    January 21, 2023
  • 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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    Portrait with Skewers

    December 6, 2014

    5 frames exploring the Sporting Gun Culture in Italy

    April 15, 2025

    Technogym Milan@Night

    April 3, 2022
  • 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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    Photography and the Importance of a Proper Training

    April 23, 2024

    A Beverage Dispenser

    November 21, 2014

    Labcoats In A Moment Of Rest

    December 28, 2015
  • 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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    A Smoker

    September 2, 2015

    The Hacker and the Photographer

    August 22, 2016

    60×40 Borderless Printing with a HP Z3200ps 24

    May 11, 2014
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