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Andrea Monti

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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)

    October 10, 2025 /

    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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    Andrea Monti

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    A Beverage Dispenser

    November 21, 2014

    Stylish

    March 16, 2014

    Waiting For The Elections

    June 24, 2014
  • Artists,  B&W,  Daily photo,  Street Photography,  Streets&Squares,  Summer

    A Few More Shots From An Urban Exploration Trip

    September 20, 2025 /

    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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    Andrea Monti

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    School of Mathematics@Sapienza University of Rome

    November 10, 2018

    Stairway to nothing

    September 18, 2013

    Siamese Boats On the Seine River

    June 1, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Milan,  Photography,  Street Photography

    How Privacy Hysteria Killed Street-Photography

    October 22, 2023 /

    At other times I would have dismissed this image as ‘out of focus’ and unusable. Just another missed shot caused by poor focusing technique on a fully manual film camera. Nowadays, however, I have begun to change my attitude towards these kinds of blurred images because of the privacy hysteria affecting the practice of street photography. There have been cases where people have been found guilty of harassment for covertly taking pictures in public spaces, but street photography has nothing to do with criminal behaviour. There is a huge difference between taking sneaky, random, meaningless pictures of people on the street and trying to freeze sketches of life to tell…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Almost Spotted

    February 27, 2014

    Sergey Krylov live@Teatro Marrucino

    February 21, 2022

    Pure Joy. An Essay in Street-Photography

    May 25, 2014
  • Daily photo,  Portfolio,  Street Photography,  Travels,  Urban Landscape

    Hidden in Plain Sight. A Japanese Journey

    August 3, 2023 /

    Although I have a lot of pictures from my various trips to Japan, organising them into a book is a challenge. The photos themselves are good enough to deserve publication. However, most of them are affected by a ‘déjà-vu’ effect. People on the subway, crowded crossroads, striking contrasts between modernity and the past, or between rural areas and highly urbanised ones, pop culture vs. business culture… no matter how hard I try, every single photo gives the feeling that someone has already done it. I am neither an anthropologist nor an expert on Japanese society, so I have no reasonable explanation for this feeling. Perhaps it is simply a matter…

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    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    The Spanish Sense of Flesh – 1

    June 26, 2014

    Flashes’ Forgotten Powersuits

    April 11, 2014

    Faces in the Façade: A Ghostly Smile in Stone

    November 15, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Seasons,  Street Photography,  Summer

    In the Rain, A Helping Hand

    July 10, 2019 /

    The rain hit fast and hard. Streets turned to rivers in minutes. I was sheltering under a bus stop roof, camera still strapped around my shoulder, when I saw the man go down. Not dramatically—just a slow, heavy fall as he misjudged the kerb under the surge of water. Then came the officer. No hesitation. No fuss. Just a clean, instinctive move to lift him. The Leica didn’t leave my eye. I shot quickly—no time to compose in a traditional sense, but sometimes the moment doesn’t wait for your geometry. The turquoise pole on the left anchors the frame almost by accident. The crossing lines in the background help balance…

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    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Parachute

    September 14, 2013

    Portrait of a young guitar player

    May 4, 2014

    The Shooter’s Dilemma

    July 12, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Milan,  People,  Street Photography

    Caught In The Act… Almost

    October 4, 2018 /

    One of the unspoken truths of street photography is that the act itself is a balancing game between invisibility and intrusion. You work quietly, melting into the scene, but sometimes the veil slips. This frame captures that instant—when the subject’s eyes meet yours and the candid moment becomes a negotiation. I was mid-frame when the man on the right turned, fixing me with a look that could be read as curiosity or suspicion. The keys in his hand, his stance, and the faint tightening of his jaw all freeze into a moment that could unfold in multiple ways. The man in the background remains unaware, his more relaxed posture offering…

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    Andrea Monti

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    EOS-M. Tips and Results For Street-Photography

    August 9, 2013

    The Way Out

    October 20, 2013

    Off Duty

    September 4, 2015
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Downtown,  People,  Photography,  Rome,  Street Photography,  Winter

    The Watchman (Street-Photography Shortcuts)

    January 21, 2016 /

    As every thing under the sun, Street-Photography too has its own shortcuts: freaky street-portraits are one of those. It’s easy to have your pictures noticed when your subject is a 60-years old Brit-Punk, an implausible-color dressed man or whatever alike: these subjects do the work on your behalf and it is very hard to obtain such kind of picture AND conveying actual meaning. Personally I like photos that – alone or made meaningful by a title – can tell a story. This way I can try to (pretend to) make “unique” shots, that stand with dignity in front of the zillions of 500px/Instagram/Flickr’s  great images that are often perfect but…

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    Andrea Monti

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    A Fountain

    May 17, 2014

    Inside a Lost Building

    February 16, 2014

    Pino Ammendola – L’ultima notte di Bonfiglio Liborio@Teatro Marrucino

    May 13, 2022
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Milan,  OutOfFocus,  People,  Restaurants&Bar,  Street Photography,  Winter

    The Street Photographer Dilemma: Film or Digital

    March 21, 2015 /

    To me Street-Photography is digital. I missed this shot because I wasn’t able to properly focus my full-manual kit, as I would have do with an average digital camera. There is no point in wasting film in an highly fault-rate activity such as Street Photography.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Before The Match

    October 20, 2014

    The Guardian

    January 19, 2014

    Trust Us, We Care About You

    March 18, 2014
  • 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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    The Odd Couple

    January 30, 2013

    Cultural Variety In Helsinki

    September 24, 2022

    Raus

    May 12, 2013
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Photo Journalism,  Photography,  Street Photography,  Thoughts

    Italy, Street-Photography and The Law – A Real Case

    October 3, 2014 /

    Last July, members of the Polizia municipale of Rome seized the camera of a British-Brazilian street-photographer, Simon Griffee, while he was documenting the way they dealt with an immigrant. As Simon’s lawyer I’ve filed an appeal and a week ago the Court of Rome revoked the seizure. The battle is not over, yet, but hopefully Simon’s camera will be back on his hands pretty soon. As soon as possible I will release a thorough analysis of the case matched with what the law says, in theory.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    The last flower

    May 20, 2013

    An Old-Style ATM

    April 13, 2013

    Halt!

    December 28, 2017
  • Colour,  Court,  Daily photo,  Photo Journalism,  Photography,  Rome,  Street Photography,  Thoughts

    The Street Photographer Rights In Italy. The Leaflet

    July 10, 2014 /

    Here is an easy-to-carry A4 leaflet to be used in case you are confronted by a law enforcement agent of officer that question your Street Photography activity. Legal issues apart, please remember to always be polite and to help the officer not to look goofy or ignorant (as he actually would) in front of the public. Q. Does taking people’s photography in public spaces infringes sec. 615 bis of the criminal code? A. NO. Under the Corte di cassazione ruling n. 47165/2010 outdoor there is no reasonable privacy expectation, as there is no reasonable privacy expectation in case of tacit – while non equivocal – withdrawal of this right, as…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Man in Trenchcoat

    November 20, 2021

    Late Afternoon Workers

    December 23, 2013

    Half a Bridge

    October 16, 2016
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Milan,  People,  Street Photography

    Street-Photographer’s eye side effect

    April 8, 2014 /

    Seeing the world through the Street-Photographer’s eye makes you more aware of your surroundings both at a conscious and unconscious, Zen-like, level. A side-effect of this state is that you can exploit-it for personal safety when traveling in risky places, like big stations where pickpockets are doing their tricks.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Keep Out!

    November 30, 2019

    Hair Cut

    July 19, 2013

    The Path To Freedom

    September 29, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Paris,  Spring,  Street Photography

    Tour Saint-Jacques, Standby

    March 27, 2014 /

    Paris, the city of light, reflects off the polished chrome helmets of the sapeurs-pompiers. The firemen stand poised, immobile but ready. Their posture does not betray fatigue, nor doubt—it’s the stance of trained patience, of focused anticipation. This image captures a moment between action and calm. The fire hoses lie coiled with potential energy, valves shut, mechanisms still untouched. Behind them, the urban rhythm carries on: buses glide, pedestrians move, the sirens wait. The presence of the firefighters, framed by the bustle of Haussmannian façades and traffic, signals that something mighthave happened—or almost did. The mirrored helmets become metaphors themselves. They do not just shield: they reflect the world around them. Their function is…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Alessandro Blasioli – L’ultima notte di Bonfiglio Liborio@Teatro Marrucino

    May 9, 2022

    Portrait of a (former) bike champion

    May 3, 2014

    Into The Cube

    November 18, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Street Photography,  Winter

    Is This Photo Illegal?

    March 20, 2014 /

    Yes, if it were taken in Hungary. Against the European Convention of Human Rights, Hungary passed a law that by next March 15 will require any photographer shooting in public space to obtain a signed “model release form”. This provision will be bashed by either the EU Court of Justice or the European Court of Human Rights (for the very same reasons I explained here), but it will take time and – first of all – a photographer that sacrifices himself on the altar of freedom.  

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Kristina Miller live@Teatro Marrucino

    February 21, 2022

    A Lost Towel

    July 3, 2013

    My camera’s early test shots

    December 20, 2012
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Street Photography

    Meaningless

    November 9, 2013 /

    Sometimes it’s easier to tell what a photograph is not than to explain what it is. This frame, taken outside a small tabaccheria, is a case in point. It’s not sharp — the slight blur suggests either a slow shutter speed with handheld movement or an unintentional misfocus. It’s not correctly exposed either — the bright areas, particularly the pavement and parts of the foliage, are overexposed, washing out detail and flattening the scene. Compositionally, it struggles to find an anchor. The woman in the doorway and the man at the vending machine might form the core of a story, but the foreground foliage, tilted horizon, and lack of depth…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Three Lamposts

    June 11, 2022

    A cigarette

    September 28, 2015

    Fast Roping

    October 21, 2021
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Photo Journalism,  Street Photography,  Thoughts

    Italy, Street-Photography and the Law

    October 29, 2013 /

    Update – 2 On July 2014 the Polizia Municipale of Rome seized a street-photographer ‘s camera, but the Court bashed the seizure. Update – 1 Here is an A4 leaflet useful to stand your ground if your street-photography work is questioned by somebody else. Introduction* As there are few texts in English dealing with (street) photography and Italian laws, I’ve decided to put my lawyer‘s hat and sketch some toughts on the two main topics involving the Street-Photography: shooting candid and publishing them online. To cut a long story short, Italian law follows a similar approach to other Western jurisdictions and – in particular – of Articles 8 and 10…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    2015 Italian Beach Volley Team – Marco Caminati, Enzo Rossi

    October 29, 2015

    Ultras

    July 20, 2016

    Waiting for the Shinkansen – 1

    June 25, 2017
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Photography,  Street Photography

    Never Trust the Autofocus (not only) in Street-Photography

    July 20, 2013 /

    The more I practice the street-photography, the more I find myself more at ease with zone-focusing instead of trusting the camera auto-focus. This is, in my case, particularly true with hip-shooting where I can only “guess” what the camera is actually focusing. Though not a candid, this photo explains what I mean: the idea was to have the flowers and the small lamp in focus, but the actualization has been the exact opposite. My fault, of course, because I would have given a look at the viewfinder, but the point is that I didn’t feel like I had to since the AF will cares. Another skill I need, Kime apart,…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Mistress Of Puppets

    April 30, 2017

    John De Leo’s Grande Abarasse Orchestra – Live

    February 10, 2015

    Time Runs Fast

    May 21, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  Photo Journalism,  Street Photography,  Thoughts

    The Photo I Didn’t Shoot

    June 8, 2013 /

    Every amateur photographer (and maybe a few professionals) has a shot he chose not to fire. In my case it is a brutal knock-out on a Mixed Martial Arts match. As official photographer of the event I was allowed to wander around the venue with no restriction (but jumping on the ring). During the second round I sensed that something was going to happen: the fighters started trading heavy punches at close distance and the temperature of the match raised suddenly hot. The crowd went mad, inciting the two men to hit harder and harder. All of a sudden, a hook at the jaw shut down the light of one…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    The Casual Observer

    September 5, 2013

    Multiple Meaning

    December 10, 2013

    Barbarians at the Gates

    September 21, 2013
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Street Photography

    When the day is gone

    April 4, 2013 /

    … there are plenty of ways to still make a newspaper useful.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    @Rome Maker Faire – 1

    October 9, 2014

    Harley-Davidson: Chrome And Presence

    December 24, 2018

    A Couch in the Yard

    November 18, 2013
  • B&W,  Cars&Bikes,  Daily photo,  Street Photography

    Forgotten Bike In A Forgotten House

    April 3, 2013 /

    I found the bike in a room whose doors had not been opened in years. Paint flaked from the plaster. Light slipped through a broken pane and laid a clean rectangle across the floor. The bike stood where someone once left it mid-errand, an everyday object promoted by neglect into relic. I built the frame around planes and diagonals. The window sits high and left to keep the eye moving across the shaft of light to the handlebars, then down the front wheel to the scuffed tiles. Floorboards and wall seams act as guides, converging behind the saddle to hold the gaze. I kept a little headroom above the bars…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    A Roller Coaster… A Kind Of

    April 3, 2014

    Smoke is everywhere…

    February 21, 2013

    Yellow

    December 15, 2014
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Street Photography

    Don’t Forget!

    March 27, 2013 /

    It’s the moment between words that makes this picture. You can almost hear the shop owner’s voice, half command, half reminder, as the young man in the doorway glances back. The raised hand, the turned head, the slight lean forward — everything about his body language says, “You’ve got this, but don’t mess it up.” The frame itself is tight, almost conspiratorial. We’re standing just behind another figure — smart jacket, cigarette in hand — as if we’ve stumbled into a private exchange. That foreground figure acts as an anchor and a barrier at the same time: we’re part of the scene, yet removed from it, observing through a filter…

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

    You May Also Like

    Art Auction at Piazza Navona

    February 6, 2016

    VueScan and the missed Bits-per-pixel

    December 1, 2013

    Hair Cut

    July 19, 2013
  • Cars&Bikes,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Street Photography

    Dreaming of a Lancia Delta Martini…

    March 24, 2013 /

    … while driving a Nissan.

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Ashtray

    February 12, 2017

    Relaxed Call at Boulevard du Palais

    March 19, 2014

    Behind the News

    June 25, 2013
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Street Photography

    The Power of Music

    March 22, 2013 /

    The story is all in the child’s eyes

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Fisherman’s Friend

    January 10, 2014

    What lasts of a springtime hailstorm

    June 22, 2013

    Wasted Shot Because iPhone 7 Poor Low-Light Handling

    January 22, 2019
  • Colour,  Daily photo,  People,  Street Photography

    Supporter or Photographer?

    March 21, 2013 /

    Read More
    Andrea Monti

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    Frank Gambale All Stars – Live@Teatro Marrucino

    November 22, 2023

    Davide Grotta – Live

    December 8, 2018

    Good Plan, Poor Execution

    December 15, 2019
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