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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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Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135/4 – A Demanding Use Case
For shooting Rossini’s The Barber of Seville at Teatro Marrucino, I took a Carl Zeiss Jena 135/4 lens as a backup for long shots. Master Adriano Lolli replaced the original Contax mount with a Fuji X mount, saving me from the inconvenience of using an adapter, thus extending the lens up to around 200mm because of the crop factor.
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Relentless – A One Shot Story
When in Tokyo, I don’t go to Shibuya unless I have a specific errand to run. Least of the usual ‘things are not what they used to be’ lament, the place never struck me as it deserved more than a cursory glance. This time, however, I had a specific photographic objective: to capture the Shibuya backdrop, i.e. things and people that keep the place running ‘smoothly’ which are in plain sight but go unnoticed by tourists, residents and passers-by. Crowd management and safety control are two such things.
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Don Giovanni@Teatro Marrucino
Yesterday night I was on the (back)stage of Teatro Marrucino for the premiere of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Director Paul-Émile Fourny had a brilliant idea: to portray Don Giovanni as a vampire. This choice was essentially coherent with Don Giovanni’s ‘predatory’ attitude, while maintaining a visual style for the mise en scène that was consistent with the time in which the story was set. The lighting design by Patrick Meeus and the video design by Mario Spinaci created a dark overall mood without losing the play’s main characteristic: the alternation between drama and humour.
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Saturday Night Fight Fever
On October 18, I was ringside to shoot the European Boxing Union‘s female super-lightweight European title fight. The crown vas vacant and the two contenders were both Italians. Silvia Bortot, a former two-time European champion, and Sonia Fracassi, the Italian champion. The match was pretty intense. All along the 10 rounds of the bout, Fracassi put her opponent under a great deal of pressure, and she responded with equal energy. Ultimately, Bortot emerged victorious. However, the close referee scores (96-95, 96-95 and 97-93) show that the two fighters were closely matched, and that Fracassi could have won if she had thrown a few more punches, or if the match had been…
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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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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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Shooting Italian 5 birilli
Thanks to the support of the Italian Federation of Sport Billiards, I had the opportunity to access the playing area of a billiards national competition with the students of the sports photography course I teach at my university. It was a very good opportunity to learn how to take photographs in an unusual environment for people more used to outdoor or ‘traditional’ disciplines. Initially published on 35mmc.com.
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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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5 Frames with various cameras – Ferrari On The Road(s)
Sports car photography usually happens in specific settings such as motorshows, official events, race tracks etc., where lights, crowds, fences and limited access to restricted areas are an issue. Doing the same on the street, however, is no less challenging as things happen unpredictably and, unless taking photograph of parked vehicles, there is no time to compose – Initially published on 35mmc.com In this photograph of a Ferrari F8 Tributo, the framing makes the car the focal point, and even though the door on the left adds a bit of visual clutter, it doesn’t detract from the overall result. The following image illustrate the trade-offs of reacting in real time…
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A Japanese Luthier and a Fingerstyle Player from My Home Region (and My Past) – A One shot story
I took this photo at GuitarPlanet, in the Ochanomizu district of Tokyo, because I was intrigued by the different bracing of the guitars’ lower backs. The picture in itself has no particular value, but on closer inspection it revealed a story linking a musical instrument, a Japanese luthier, a region of Italy (Abruzzi) and my past. – Initially published on 35mmc.com Pixel-peeping the photo, I noticed that the lower back in the middle bears the mark of Morris Guitar, a renowned Japanese acoustic manufacturer. The name rang a bell, so I went to their website to see what caught my eye. After some wandering around I landed on the page listing the…
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7Artisans 35mm 0.95 – Testing this Fujifilm X Mount Lens in a Demanding Environment
So far I have been very happy with the 7Artisans 35mm 0.95 in X-mount, but I have only tested it in non-demanding conditions. Although the results were promising at first sight, only a real test could give a definitive verdict (at least for me). So I decided to put it on trial last December 13, shooting ‘La Cenerentola’, Gioacchino Rossini’s melodrama at the Teatro Marrucino in Chieti (IT), together with the ‘battle-tested’ Fujifilm XF 18-120. Initially published on 35mmc.com Did it work out? Let me spoil the conclusions: I really like this lens in absolute terms and not because of its value for money. The colour reproduction is excellent, the resolving…
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A Night at the Opera – Plays and Opera Photography
This is an abbreviated version of a talk I gave to a local chapter of the Italian Federation of Amateur Photographers (FIAF) on the challenges of photographing in a Teatro all’italiana environment. A word to the wise: this post has just a few pictures because it talks about what happens behind the camera and not about what happens in front of it Initially published by 35mmc.com To approach professional photography in Italian-style theatres, it is essential to understand and deal with a series of difficulties and critical issues that characterise this particular environment. The Italian-style theatre, with its architectural structure, lighting layout and show dynamics, imposes a series of technical and…
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Colour, Daily photo, Downtown, Nagasaki, Osaka, Photography, Streets&Squares, Thoughts, Tokyo, Travels, Yokohama
Why You Should Only Shoot in Your Backyard (or ‘The Art of Belonging’)
What do these pictures have in common (apart from having been taken in various places in Japan)? No, they don’t have the same look and feel, composition or use of light, nor they convey a particular meaning. What they have in common is that they’re just dull and boring —meaningless, indeed. This picture of the Yokohama’s Chinatown Dragon is hardly different than the others available on the Internet. Initially published on 35mmc.com It shares a similar fate with this one, taken last Mid November in Osaka, and, as Google Lens mercylessly shows, with this one, shot in Omura, near Nagasaki. One can hardly say that this is a never-seen-before view of Tokyo’s Kyu-Shiba-rikyū Gardens, or of…
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Gioacchino Rossini – La Cenerentola@Teatro Marrucino
This is part of a reportage I did on December 13, 2024 for the Teatro Marrucino in Chieti (IT) during the performance of Gioacchino Rossini’s La Cenerentola. Gear: Fujifilm X-T4 and X-T5 cameras, Fujinon XF 18-120 F4, 7-Artisans 35/0,95 X-Mount Find out more at https://andrea.monti.photography
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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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How to Shoot Stand-up Paddle Competitions
Shooting Stand-Up paddle is complicated because, like in motor sports, things go on largely even until, all of a sudden action erupts. In other words, boredom is the first and foremost enemy of the photographer: it shuts down concentration because it is not possible to keep the focus (pun unintended) for too long. It may worth shooting a single athlete, for instance capturing an intense moment or a fall. However the final result will become more interesting if there is something (or somebody) else in the composition. The first key moment in an SUP challegne is the start. Once the signal is given, the athletes start running a few steps…
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How to Shoot Handball Matches
Photographing handball matches presents an array of challenges, requiring a high level of expertise, quick reflexes and a deep understanding of the sport’s dynamics. Central to the art of capturing these fast-paced events is the fundamental principle that the ball is the focal point of every shot. Failing to capture the ball likely produces a picture lacking relevance and impact. The presence of the ball not only indicates the focal point of the action, but also gives the image a sense of purpose and narrative coherence. Handball’s court is a hive of activity where players are constantly jostling for position, trying to break through defensive barriers or thwart an advancing…
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Creativity vs Originality
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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An experiment with Dall-E, ChatGPT and a Nissan S8
This is an experiment based on a picture of a Nissan S8 taken at the Nissan Crossing in Ginza.First, I asked Dall-E to describe what he ‘sees’. Then I started asking questions to locate the place where the showroom should be, being careful not to give any hints.ChatGPT did not give a correct answer on the first try, but eventually it did. Me: Describe this photo ChatGPT: This photo features a futuristic-looking race car displayed indoors, presumably within a showroom or an exhibition space. The car is designed with an aggressive aerodynamic shape, with large, protruding front winglets and an expansive rear wing, characteristic of high-speed, high-performance vehicles, possibly a…
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When Venus Meets the Moon
I made this photograph with the Fujifilm X-T5 paired to the XF 150-600mm, working handheld in the early evening. The Moon was already high and bright, its craters crisp in the cold winter air. Venus, to the left, shone as a pinpoint — a bright, almost stubborn presence against the vastness of black space. Compositional balance here was straightforward but demanded precision: the Moon anchored on the right third, Venus sitting low and left, with the negative space not just filling the frame but defining the mood. The sheer emptiness is as much the subject as the two celestial bodies. Technically, the exposure leaned toward underexposing slightly to preserve lunar…
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Serva padrona @ Teatro Marrucino
LED banding is a major problem when using electronic shutters, and the Fuji X-T4 and X-T5 are no exception. In the specific conditions of this piece, I found that setting the shutter speed below 1/100s tamed the problem. However, there is one major drawback: the number of ruined shots increases. This is particularly true of the moments when the actors are waving their limbs or moving randomly. In this case, the slower parts of the body remain in focus, while the peripheral parts do not. Unfortunately, there is still no post-production technique that can eliminate this problem, which makes it difficult to achieve usable results. Of course, using a mechanical…
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On Composition. Or: the eye sees what the mind is prepared to comprehend
This shot, taken during the Italian Road Running National Championships, is a fair application of the French philosopher Henri Bergson aphorism to composition: the eye sees what the mind is prepared to comprehend. In fact, although there is not a direct, cause-and-effect relationship between this image and renaissance painting, the learned observer may find some connection with works such as, for instance, Michelangelo’s Battaglia di Cascina. The connection between present and past may be loose, but this does not affect the principle. When I framed the shot I something ‘clicked’ in my mind and I instinctively decided to press the button. Photography (at least in all its variations, such as…
