My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done, to try and love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return – Maya Angelou
Women’s project: Samanta [Parma, 2013]
Category: portraiture
Women’s project: Cecilia [Parma, 2013]
She has her dignity, a soft heart and she is such a sweet soul
Women’s project: Serena [Parma, 2013]
There is no weapon in the feminine armory to which men are so vulnerable as they are to a smile – Dorothy Dix
Women’s project: Maria [Parma, 2013]
In early 2013 I decided to organise a photographic women’s project. The main purpose was to show the exceptional beauty of our regular “imperfection”. At the same this was meant to be a manifesto of female preciousness and a praise to women’s active contribution in our community. Quite a big bunch of ladies accepted to be part of it. These sessions were taken in Foto Studio Carlo Urbani (in Parma) between January and March 2013. Enjoy beautiful Maria‘s shoot!
INNO ALLA DONNA di Alda Merini
Stupenda
immacolata fortuna
per te tutte le creature
del regno
si sono aperte
e tu sei diventata la regina
delle nostre ombre
per te gli uomini
hanno preso
innumerevoli voli
creato l’alveare del
pensiero
per te donna è sorto
il mormorio dell’acqua
unica grazia
e tremi per i tuoi
incantesimi
che sono nelle tue mani
e tu hai un sogno
per ogni estate
un figlio per ogni pianto
un sospetto d’amore
per ogni capello
ora sei donna
tutto un perdono
e così come vi abita
il pensiero divino
fiorirà in segreto
attorniato
dalla tua grazia
Women’s project: Martina [Parma, 2013]
I met Martina in early 2013, via a mutual friend. At the time I was working on a photographic women’s project about their strengths and she bravely accepted to be part of it. We all have points in our body that we don’t appreciate (weak points?!) and this seems to be an almost universal established law. Said that, I don’t think that Martina has many 🙂 She is beautiful, even today. She has very expressive eyes, a nice, agile body shape and has a witty, strong personality! Marti, enjoy this memory!
Portrait session [Parma, 2012]
A black & white serie (which I cherish!) taken in Parma by Ph. Carlo Urbani on 28/11/2012
Francesca [Parma, 2012]
During a portrait session, we normally get the best shots at the end of the shooting, as the beginning represents the awkward phase. The selection is a struggle for me and I don’t enjoy that part of the work. I never had the habit of culling backwards and I still don’t do that today however, for once, I have forced myself to go against my natural instinct of visually narrating Francesca’s session from start to finish and uploaded the tail end of our shoot. Enjoy these memories dated November 2012 and her beautiful face features!
Francesca [Parma, 2012]
This shooting started in a professional way (corporate style) but then, towards the end, we added some magic to it! It was lovely to have sinuous and elegant Francesca as a model in the studio for an hour or so. When I look back at portraits taken in the studio, I realise how much I love shooting indoors, having the power to control the lighting. Enjoy these memories!
I really love the 2 shots below, Francesca your smile is gorgeous!
Giving a different orientation to this one…
Butterfly!
It flew around!
Portraits serie in the living room [Hamburg, 2012]
In October 2012 I flew to Hamburg to catch up with friends. This was also an occasion to spend some time with the family I had been Au Pair girl. The father of the little one shares a passion for photography and he created his own little studio in the living room (a principle which I cherish and is one of my plans in a near future). He offered to take some portraits of me. Find below the results, yes, it went a bit crazy with the very wide angle lens!
Girls in the park [Parma, 2012]
About that August evening of 2012, I remember that we got a beautiful golden hour light. It was warm, but not crazy hot. The year before, I had taken some photos of Matilde, so she had asked me if she could invite a friend of hers. I said yes and the 3 of us met at Parco Ducale. They were 17 years old at that time. I like taking pictures of young people because, usually, they pass on to me their fresh enthusiasm for life. Having said that, I remember that both of them had a strong character 🙂 Enjoy their photos!
Anne [Parma, 2012]
I met Anne in 2009, during a Master’s course in Poitiers. We have stayed in touch ever since. She can be loquacious, she is cute, she has a stature of a tiny ballerina but she has a big personality. I have always admired her fearless, relentless vitality. She is a blue-eyed babe who has two babies now! She came to Parma to visit me in 2012, and we organised a portrait session in the city center (with Parma’s glorious summer sky, at its best) where she captured my attention with her meaningful expressions. I know that I shouldn’t say that (Malraux ladies!) but I I have a soft spot for her!
Below the welcoming committee…
My favorite shots below, I don’t mind if they are blurry!
City center
Photographer and subject together (it looks like the lens cap has not been removed!)
Her determined gaze!
Maria [Parma, 2012]
I have known Maria since… I think it was 2011. She is also from Parma and is a vibrant artistic young woman. She is brilliant, she is incredibly forward thinking and has an inspiring impact on me. Over the years, I have taken several portraits of her and it always was fun. The theme of this shoot (dated August 2012) was Marie Antoinette 🙂 Don’t ask me how and why we chose that! Probably because we both were impressed by the movie by Sofia Coppola that had recently been released. And maybe, also because Maria was wearing a very feminine, elegant pink dress who gave her frivolity and lightness. The location was the dried up river bed of the river Parma. Enjoy these delightful memories!
My 2 favs below!
Sporty [Saint-Omer, 2012]
Gosh, to be a July morning, it was chilly! I had the pleasure to take some portraits of this sporty and young gentleman in a field near Saint-Omer and to chat with him. The sky was grey and the rain was on and off but the result the result was gratifying. Enjoy this photo memory!
Angela’s styled shoot [Paris, 2012]
Angela, Angela, what can I say about her…Photographs tell more than words! Angela is from Naples but has lived in Paris for two decades now. I met her through mutual friends while I was having an internship there and we did a couple of shoots over the years. These are the very first photos I took of her, dated early July 2012. Angela is beautiful, her sparkling soul is all in her eyes! She is alive, she is always on the go and is surrounded by a genuine enthusiasm that involves other people. The theme of the shoot was “Charleston dancer” of the Roaring Twenties.
We were hosted by a friend (Thanks, Francesca!) who lived in an evocative, very Parisian flat in Montmartre. There were also Francesca’s lovely cats roaming around (who got extra cuddles)! Back then, I realised how vital can be the pictures of the details, taken during the preparation phase. Enjoy this visual memory!
The cats in the bathroom ♡
WOW, charmers!
Angela’s joie de vivre!
You, beauty!!
My favorite below
Impossible NOT to finish this serie if not with this one…
Katell [Paris, 2012]
I met Katell in 2010, whilst doing an internship in Paris. We kept in touch since then, even although we haven’t met for several years now. I took these portraits of her in the spring of 2012. We were in a park in Paris (but I don’t remember which one!). Katell is a warm and welcoming person, open to others, with a hint of shyness so I really appreciated her willingness to pose for me as a model and a muse! What did these images reveal? Herself! : her unveiled spontaneity, her sweetness, a radiant, artistic side of her personality and… also a sensual one!
And now folks, the crazy part of the shoot…the lake with the swim fins!! She didn’t dive into it, though.
I love this one!
Elena Arvasi Portrait Photographer 