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  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Fighting Disciplines,  Parks,  Past&Relics,  People,  Summer

    Shooting Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA)-like Events

    August 15, 2024 /

    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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    Andrea Monti

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    The 365th Shot: Between Sacred and Profane

    December 14, 2013

    Labcoats

    December 28, 2015

    Same Space, Different Worlds

    October 18, 2013
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Daily Video,  Gear,  Winter

    The Ferrania Film Series – Episode 1 – Ferrania Orto shot on October/November 2023

    August 7, 2024 /

    This is the first episode in a series documenting the use of Ferrania film in various contexts. Episode 1 features a Ferrania Orto shot with a Nikon 35 TI in Japan, between 25 October and 1 November 2023.

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    Andrea Monti

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    After a Tough Day

    January 30, 2016

    The Chess Players

    October 10, 2013

    Shade of Berlin

    April 23, 2013
  • Autumn,  B&W,  Colour,  Daily photo,  Seasons,  Spring,  Summer,  Technique,  Winter

    Yet Another WDISF Post

    May 5, 2024 /

    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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    Andrea Monti

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    Should I Stay

    November 29, 2013

    Inside the Nazario Sauro

    August 10, 2014

    5 (improbable) Frames with a roll of Ferrania Orto and a Nikon 35TI

    February 28, 2024
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  PhotoCritics,  Photography,  Tokyo

    Creativity vs Originality

    March 11, 2024 /

    Is the photo above creative? Is it original? Well… yes and no. It is certainly original because I ‘in person’ took it, and it is creative because – regardless of the aesthetic result – I took the time to arrange all the elements (composition, light, etc.) in a coherent moment —and I have the film negative to prove it. On the other hand, it is neither original —as in ‘unique’— nor creative because the same photo can be found here and maybe elsewhere on the Internet. Obviously, the linked photo it is not ‘the’ same as mine, because it is clear that they were taken at different times and places (mine was…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Partner in Glam

    May 3, 2023

    A new camera and the quest for the missed information

    December 18, 2012

    One Shot Story: Behind the Fence

    January 3, 2025
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Rome,  Streets&Squares

    5 (improbable) Frames with a roll of Ferrania Orto and a Nikon 35TI

    February 28, 2024 /

    The photographer is a peculiar type of social being, characterised by a ‘rules are meant to be broken’ attitude in the search for the perfect exposure. So, sooner or later, all the dogmas about composition, hyperfocal, zone system, rule of thirds, etc. will be put aside to try something ‘different’. This is what happened with these five images, taken at night in Piazza Venezia and Via Salaria in Rome with a Ferrania Orto on a Nikon 35TI; a rather strange choice given the inherent limitations of an orthocromatic film and a 2,8 35mm lens of a compact camera in this scenario. Against all odds the 35TI performed well (especially in…

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    Andrea Monti

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    On Photography and Self-Delusion

    September 4, 2022

    Two Beers, One Cigarette

    April 23, 2014

    In Hoc Signo

    August 20, 2015
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Photography,  Rowing,  Technique,  Winter

    An Exercise in Composition (was: Rowing Boats)

    February 18, 2024 /

    Initially, I took this photo to document the poor state of a rowing teams’ dock. The idea was to praise the passion of this small group, who in the indifference of the general public, keep this discipline alive in a town, where soccer reigns supreme. However, when I saw the photo, it was the composition that attracted my attention: a classic example of the use of converging lines to drive the eye of the viewer. My only regret is that I failed to frame the small boat on the right, missing its bow. Had I been shooting digitally, I would have checked the result and retake the photo. Film, by…

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Restorer’s Nest

    June 27, 2013

    Who wants to live forever?

    June 15, 2013

    Late Afternoon Shopping

    March 1, 2014
  • Autumn,  B&W,  Boulevards,  Daily photo,  Marketing,  Rome,  Seasons,  Urban Landscape

    Iphone 15 Billboard in Via XX Settembre

    February 14, 2024 /

    This is an attempt to exploit the limitations of an orthocromatic film. Shadows and highlights were deliberately pushed, as was the contrast. This isn’t about the billboard. Not really. Yes, there’s a giant child smiling over Rome, her face stretched across several metres of vinyl, captured “with an iPhone 15,” if we’re to believe the tagline. She’s luminous, playful, part of a campaign you’ve probably already seen before you’ve even looked at it. But the photograph is something else. This was shot on orthocromatic film—intentionally. Shadows are carved in deeper than they should be. Highlights flare and collapse detail. The tonal scale isn’t flattering, and it isn’t faithful. It’s limited.…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Arriba El Mexico!

    July 3, 2014

    A (Out-of-Focus) Break Between Lunch and Supper

    December 8, 2015

    A Rusted Window

    September 11, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  Nagasaki,  People

    Nagasaki Biker

    February 13, 2024 /

    Sometimes carrying a camera with a slow autofocus, slow shutter and low ISO can be a hindrance. Had I had a better camera and a faster film, this photo would have been much better.However, it is the eye that is to blame, not the old Nikon 35TI. I realised too late that what I was looking at could have been an image and had to react within a few seconds. In those conditions, the camera did what it could, but if I had been aware of my surroundings, I would have been ready at the right moment. So I paid the price for my bad habit of relying on gear…

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    Andrea Monti

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    Interplay

    December 22, 2016

    A new camera and the quest for the missed information

    December 18, 2012

    Blackfriars Train Station Banner

    September 22, 2016
  • Airport,  Autumn,  B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Photography,  Technique,  Tokyo

    Different Stories

    December 30, 2023 /

    Taking ‘static’ pictures, such as those of buildings and other architectural structures, can be quite challenging, as it is easy to fall into obvious, already seen compositions that rob the shot of any individuality.One of the things that can make an otherwise dull image more interesting is the presence of some kind of action that blends in with the stillness of the environment.In this case, the woman on the phone is in exactly the same position as the model on the billboard. Only they are telling two different stories.

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    Andrea Monti

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    Skating on the Riviera

    November 9, 2018

    Is Iron Sky just a sci-fi movie?

    May 5, 2015

    Merleria Livia

    February 14, 2015
  • Autumn,  B&W,  Boston,  Daily photo,  Photography,  Tokyo

    As Seen on Ferrania Film’ Stories section…

    December 4, 2023 /

    A selection of the pictures I took this year in Boston and Tokyo has been published on the official Film Ferrania website, in the ‘Stories’ section.

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Hands of a Drummer (Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez)

    April 24, 2013

    The Chess Players’ Summer Nest

    July 31, 2014

    Dreaming Of Giulietta (sprint)

    September 24, 2014
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Tokyo,  Winter

    Ghosts of Ginza

    November 14, 2023 /

    Another shot from my last visit to Japan, taken with a Nikon 35TI and a Ferrania Orto in the corridors of the Ginza subway station, Tokyo.

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    Andrea Monti

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    5 Frames from our Tragic Past Shot with an iPhone 14 Pro Max

    April 4, 2025

    Red Cross

    October 26, 2017

    Portrait of a politician – 1

    October 25, 2013
  • B&W,  Daily photo,  People,  Tokyo,  Winter

    Isolation in public spaces

    November 10, 2023 /

    This photo is an interesting representation of what it looks like to isolate oneself from one’s surroundings. In close proximity, inwardly each of the three people could not be further apart, each in a peculiar state of mind. The photo was taken with a Nikon 35TI and a Ferrania Orto in the Tokyo subway. Admittedly, the Orto is not the film of choice for street photography due to its harsh contrast and blue sensitivity. But then, rules are made to be broken, aren’t they?

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    Andrea Monti

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    Ugo Pagliai – Romeo e Giulietta@Teatro Marrucino

    March 29, 2022

    Merleria Livia

    February 14, 2015

    Is The Sky Falling On Their Heads?

    August 1, 2013
  • B&W,  Boston,  Buildings,  Daily photo,  Docks,  Downtown,  Parks,  Streets&Squares,  Summer,  Travels

    From Waltham to Boston

    August 4, 2023 /

    ‘From Waltham to Boston’, an offshoot of a bigger project on documenting Boston’s pulse, is now available on Amazon as a Kindle e-book.

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    Andrea Monti

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    The Abused Balcony

    February 17, 2014

    A cigarette

    September 28, 2015

    Flashes’ Lost Powersuits

    April 11, 2014
  • B&W,  Boston,  Cars&Bikes,  Daily photo,  Streets&Squares,  Summer

    UnortORTOdox (Ferrania)

    July 22, 2023 /

    This is an unorthodox use of an orthochromatic film (namely, Ferrania Orto.) It is not supposed to be the first choice for reportage or travel photography, but rules are made to be broken, aren’t they? As per the photo, it was taken in North End, Boston’s Little Italy.

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    Andrea Monti

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    When Venus meets the Moon

    October 2, 2023

    Questioning the Referee

    October 8, 2023

    The Aperitif

    October 5, 2017

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