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Photography Does Not Exist (Until the Eye Makes It)
Foreword This post is the first of a series meant to organise in a logical and structured corpus the ideas collected in this blog throughout years of taking photos in various environments. Introduction A preliminary misunderstanding that should be addressed immediately is that a photography does not exist per se. The photograph begins only when the eye intervenes—when it selects, isolates, and organises a continuous visual field indifferent, in itself, to interpretation. This means that an image is not discovered but constructed, and this construction may even fail, as when a narrative is imposed that later proves to be incorrect. From the outset, therefore, photography must be understood as an…
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On Prizes and Awards (a Long and Tiring Musing)
Prizes and awards are ubiquitous also in the photography world. There is an award for everything, and I wouldn’t be suprised to discover an award for the best photo award as well. When we’re just starting out on our photographic journey, it’s natural to think about entering a competition. I am not an exception, in fact I tried a few myself and I also got one honorable mention for the photo featuring this post in a competition organised by a local chapter of the Italian Photoamateur Association (FIAF).
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Autumn, Colour, Daily photo, PhotoCritics, Photography, Spring, Street Photography, Summer, Technique, Winter
Make Sense (or: Meaning is in the Eye of the Beholder)
I am a big fan of Jim Hall. A god of the Jazz Olympus, he was an amazing guitar player and played (i.e. lived) according to a simple but effective maxim: make musical sense. He jotted it on a scrap of paper and stashed it in his guitar case, so, whenever he took the instrument out, he was reminded to follow the advice. And he did it. This is an excellent advice also in photography and I do my best to follow it, also if I don’t always get it right for a number of reasons, the main one being that meaning is in the eye of the beholder as…
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Zeiss ZK Planar T* 50mm F/1.4 – Test Shots and an Unpleasant Incident
I am a huge fan of Zeiss lenses, and I have made sure to own at least one of them for each camera system I have used over the years. To be honest, my only regret when switching to Pentax and ditching Leica, Nikon and Canon was that Zeiss lenses in K mount weren’t as widely available as they are for other platforms. Sure, eBay has plenty of them, but I didn’t want to risk the consequences of overseas shipping. Eventually, however, I managed to get a Planar T* 50 mm f/1.4, and last night I went out for the first time to try it with a Pentax K-1.
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A Few More Shots From An Urban Exploration Trip
Hip-hoppers and skateboarders are often seen together in many urban landscapes. Actually, these performing arts come from different US social and geographical milieus. However, in a world where different paths of life, cultures and traditions matter less and less, and everything is a ‘fusion’, this doesn’t look like an issue. So, while wandering around in search of some subject to test a 50mm Summicron M mounted on a Fuji X-T4, I was fortunate enough to kill two birds with one stone.
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Personal Musing On Monochrome Digital Cameras
I was thinking of exploring the world of black-and-white digital photography so I started looking into the available options. Currently, only the Leica Monochrom and the Pentax K-3 III Monochrom are still the only native monochrome digital cameras availble, targeting photographers interested in maximising the potential for ‘true’ black-and-white photography compared to converted colour images. Many experts in the field justify the existence of this particular camera by citing the same manufacturers’ marketing claims, such as better overall image quality and the superior performance of a custom-built sensor. However, I am a photographer, not an electronics engineer or software programmer, so I care more about the final results than the technicalities.…
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Gravity on Pause
This a casual shot taken while I was wandering around without actually thinking about taking photographs. Setting aside the photographic quality of the image for a moment, I was amazed that it looks far better in black and white than it did when it was initially shot in colour.
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Al Di Meola, Peo Alfonsi, Sergio Martinez – Live @ Teatro della Villa Comunale – Roseto degli Abruzzi
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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Inside a Master Luthier’s Workshop
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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Shooting Sanda (Chinese Kickboxing) Bouts
These photographs were taken during the 2025 Italian Sanda Championships as part of the sports photography course that I teach at the University of Chieti-Pescara in Italy. Initially published by 35mmc.com How the game works Sanda is a Chinese martial art belonging to the kickboxing family. As in kickboxing, fighters trade punches and kicks, but unlike in Thai boxing, they are not allowed to use their elbows or knees. A limited number of throws are permitted, including leg sweeps, reaps and souplexes. Each bout consists of three rounds, and winning two of them is sufficient for victory. However, this is easier said than done: the action is fast-paced, the fighters…
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Shooting an Outdoor Volleyball Match
The 2025 IVVA European Veteran Volleyball Championship took place in my hometown of Pescara last May, so I took the opportunity to get the students on the sports photography course I teach at Chieti-Pescara University to practise. Here are some random thoughts about lessons learned. Initially published by 35mmc.com Focal length One of the main challenges of shooting sports such as soccer, basketball and —of course— volleyball, is the choice of the focal length. The IVVA Organising Committee granted us permission to stay in close proximity to the courts. This allowed the use of a 35mm —or so— lens to take ‘scenes’ documenting the whole dynamics of a ‘moment’. In this case,…
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On Tips’n Tricks to ‘take you photos to the next level’
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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Selling Italian Ice in Boston
Sales culture is one of the most distinctive traits of American anthropology. The foundations of modern marketing strategies date back to forerunners such as P.T. Barnum’s ‘have a little something for everybody’ slogan and Edward Bernays, the father of public relations. It is ingrained in popular culture phenomena such as garage sales, lemonade stands ran by kids and jokes about used cars salesmen. Sales culture is also paired with customer (not consumer) culture, as in the ubiquitous mantra ‘customer is king’, which ‘shapes’ people’s attitudes in terms of demanding fairness and a proper ‘bang for the bucks’. – Initially published on 35mmc.com When it comes to selling, creativity knows no…
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Portraits in Skating
In sports photography, portraits are as important as snapshots of crucial moments such as a win, a loss or an unpredictable event, for they are an excellent way to capture the humanity of the athletes, often and mistakenly seen – especially in high-level competitons and before the start – as soulless cyborgs. Initially published on 35mmc.com The very first moments after the game is over are a gold mine. Athletes are still full of adrenaline and eager to discuss their performance with their teammates. Before they shower, before they change into normal clothes, before they return to ordinary life their focus is on what went right or wrong. And when…
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Shooting a Roller Derby Bout
Of all the disciplines at the 2024 World Skate Games, which took place in Italy last September, roller derby is probably one of the lesser known, but also one of the most difficult to photograph. A contact sport, roller derby takes place in a very small space, in a very short time and at a very high speed. Once combined together, these three factors give the photographer a pretty hard time Initially published on 35mmc.com. Having been given a full access media pass to all the venues and the court, I was able to stay in a privileged position to take the shots. However, although in the past I have taken pictures of high…
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The Stupidity of Being Stubborn
I knew exactly that I was going to fail, but I did it anyway, irrationally thinking that for some not well clear reason the law of physics and optics could be defied by the sacred mission of the photographer. Thus, contrary to basic common sense, a few weeks ago I brought a Nikon 35TI loaded with a Ferrania P33 (ISO160) to a jazz manouche concert of the Tchavolo Schmitt trio at the French Embassy in Rome. The outcomes, as it was easy to predict, were just (euphemistically) poor – Initially published on 335mmc.com Let’s start with a test shot to ascertain if there was some issue with the hardware: Apart…
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Shooting Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA)-like Events
Historical reenactments are everywhere, and the volunteers who keep alive the memory of our past deserve our highest praise. Along with pure re-enactments, where the fate of the participants is already predetermined by history, and HEMA, where athletes compete using European weaponry and armour, there is a middle-ground discipline that is gaining momentum in Italy: Sport Reenactment – Initially published by 35mmc.com In short, SR players take part in reenactment events wearing faithful replica of the coats and arms of ancient Italian, Greek, Celtic and German tribes. But they also meet in forests and mountains to fight following a ruleset but without knowing in advance who is going to win. The…
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Learning to Shoot Boxing Matches
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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5 frames with a Voigtländer Bessa R2, a Nokton 35/1,4 and a roll of an expired Kodak Portra 160
Tevere, the river that divides Rome in two, is one of my favourite places. No matter how much chaos there is in the ‘high places’: walking along the banks of the river puts you in another dimension, where time has no meaning and the pace slows down – Initially published on 35mmc.com Anchored boats stand still, in stark contrast to the fast-moving streets, crowded with cars, bicycles, pedestrians and tourists who have returned in droves once the pandemic is over. This is obviously a mirror image, but it looks as if it has been projected onto a digital screen. And here is what was mirrored: There are a lot of…
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National Road Running Championships 2023 – Portraits
These portraits are taken from a reportage made at the 2023 National Road Running Championships. These sample images are a good example of one possible way of ‘seeing’ sporting action. In some cases, the portrait is completely isolated from the background, revealing a particular ‘moment’ experienced by the athlete, such as extreme physical exertion, rest and recovery after the race, or enjoyment of the location. In other cases, a single person is still at the centre of the image, but the surrounding environment completes and enhances the overall meaning of the photograph. The ability to superimpose different layers of meaning, and to adjust the camera and lens accordingly, is what…
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The Real-Life Lens Test Series – Episode 1: Viltrox XF 56/1,4 AF
This is a series documenting the real-life use of various lenses. The first episode features a Viltrox XF 56/1.4 AF mounted on a Fuji X-T4.
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Yet Another WDISF Post
Yes, this is another ‘why do I shoot film’ post, and no, the answers are not ‘because it slows me down’, ‘because it connects me to the act of taking pictures’, ‘because I love the unique feeling of analogue images’, ‘because the inherent limitations of a film camera inspire creativity’, ‘why not?’ or any of the other common (and perfectly legitimate) reasons usually associated with the question. In addition, the wide range of post-processing options available to make a digital image look like an analogue one, even in terms of film emulsion, satisfies the need to produce an image with the ‘personality’ of a specific film. So, even the idea…
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Photography and the Importance of a Proper Training
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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Actors, Autumn, B&W, Bruxelles, Colour, Daily photo, Fighters, Fighting Disciplines, Photography, Spring, Summer, Winter
What Does ‘Professional’ Mean in Photography?
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…
