2013 – Elena Arvasi Portrait Photographer

Myriam [London, 2013]

29 April 202425 June 2024Posted in portraitureTagged 2013, digital photography, headshots, london, women photographyLeave a comment

These are my last shots of 2013, but the first ones I took with my Nikon equipment. When I started getting involved in photography in 2009, I used a tiny compact Lumix. In spring 2010 my parents (thanks to their Esselunga Fidaty points 🎉) offered me a Canon Eos 510 which was a real big hit for me. I was a Canon shooter until fall 2013 when I skipped to Nikon, then in December 2023, guess what?! I came back to Canon!

But now let’s return to Myriam and to our shooting! We met in 2005 at Uni Rabelais during an Italian translation course (it was my Erasmus year) and we stayed in touch since then. She is a happy and good fun. She is a warm leader whose smile is contagious and brings joy arounds her. She is an intuitive entertainer with a natural, magnetic charm. I am always thrilled to be filled with her positivity, initiatives and curiosity! Whilst I was working in Newbury, she came to visit me and we organised an escapade to London. Along the banks of the Thames we found a good spot and I took some headshots, as she needed them for her cv. It was a late December morning and the winter light combined to the water reflection allowed us to get the best out of this session!

Alessandra & Domenico [Parma, 2013]

27 April 202425 June 2024Posted in weddingTagged 2013, canon, digital photography, parma, weddingLeave a comment

Alessandra & Domenico tied the knot on 19/10/2013. I was the solo photographer to shoot their wedding, it was one of my first ones and I was obviously nervous. The bride and groom had seen some of my photos taken during a ceremony earlier on that year, liked them, so they decided to hire me. The weather of that October’s morning was nor promising: it was foggy, coldish and the brightness in the brides home and inside the church was not flattering. However, Alessandra and Domenico made it real easy for me to work for me as they had every characteristic of a perfect couple: the were trusting, energetic, relaxed and very much in love! They were truly uncomplicated. I admired Alessandra’s wedding dress. Also, their families and guests revealed to be amazing and the venue they had chosen was stunning, an old villa on the top of a hill, just outside Parma. Enjoy these memories!

Family shoot [London, 2013]

26 April 202425 June 2024Posted in Kids & familiesTagged 2013, adele and daniel, digital photography, englandLeave a comment

In late September 2013, I went on a one-day visit to my friends Adele and Daniel, who were living in London. These shots show me the warmth of a family…and it so sweet! They have always been close and it has been a pleasure for me to catch some of the speedy moves of their little ones, who were 1 and 3 years old at the time. Adele, Daniel, Joshua & Lucia, thanks for trusting me!

Elena seen by Mohammad Sadat Larijany [Hamburg, 2013]

26 April 20243 August 2025Posted in portraitureTagged 2013, digital photography, friends, hamburgLeave a comment

Photographers, how often have you worked under a challenging light or in a tiny and gloomy environment? Models, have you ever posed inside a ship? I had never done it before and I clearly had no idea how pitch dark it could be inside there! While visiting friends in Hamburg, an acquaintance asked me to pose for him on the gorgeous Rickmer Rickmers and it was all a revelation to me. I found out that I like soft lighting, not only of B&W photos but also of photos where dark, sombre tones and black predominate. The outcome was a photo shoot that tasted of an early 20th century Atlantic atmosphere. Thank you, Mohammad, for these lovely memories!

Week-end in Hamburg [2013]

25 April 202425 June 2024Posted in Travels and landscapesTagged 2013, digital photography, friends, germany, hamburg, travelsLeave a comment

Hamburg is…echt toll! Unfortunately, my German knowledge did not evolve far enough to enable me to write the rest of this article fluently auf Deutsch 😚 This city is so elegant, open to the world, rich, sophisticated and full of art. Heading back, even for just a week-end, is always a pleasure for me, especially after I was an Au Pair there in 2009. Enjoy these snapshots dated late September 2013.

Bournemouth [2013]

25 April 202425 June 2024Posted in Travels and landscapesTagged 2013, bournemouth, daily trip, digital photography, england, summer 2013, travelsLeave a comment

I love the sea and I like living near the sea, so a daily trip to Bournemouth was a must! It was a hot August day and people were relaxing on the beach, close to its attractions. Here’s the summary of my day…

Winchester [2013]

25 April 202425 June 2024Posted in Travels and landscapesTagged 2013, canon, daily trip, digital photography, england, winchesterLeave a comment

Living in the south-west of England for a year allowed me to discover how beautiful this part of the country is. Winchester cathedral enchanted me as well as its small characteristic streets in the town centre with their floral decorations, and their lovely shops. I got the feeling, at times, of living in a romantic past!

Elisabetta [Marore, 2013]

24 April 202425 June 2024Posted in portraitureTagged 2013, canon, digital photography, marore, portraiture, summer, women photographyLeave a comment

Elisabetta and I, we have known each other since we were babies. She is one year younger than me and our families were neighbors, so we grew up in the same building and when we were little, we played together an awful lot (a few old memories pictures added at the end of this article can prove it)! Even tough, over the years, we did lose touch a little, I did not miss the opportunity to ask her if she wanted to pose for me and she accepted.

We met in Marore in a late July morning. It was warm and the light was not ideal as it was strong, direct and harsh however, we still got a glowy effect. I like these outcomes: Elisabetta’s portraits are neat, spontaneous, non-sophisticated and I find that her gaze reveals dignity and determination.

Below my favorite…

…but I cherish also this one!

and now a blast from the past! Photos taken between 1987 and 1989…

Elena seen by Matthew Bishop [Newbury, Berkshire, 2013]

23 April 20243 August 2025Posted in Personal & others, portraitureTagged 2013, berkshire, digital photography, matthew bishop, matthew bishop photography, nikon d700Leave a comment

This post is not to forget that, yes, we can! It is also meant to be a reminder to always thank ourselves for all the good stuff, the ideas, the braveness that we can have, for each meaningful action that we do, during each day, in every phase of our lives. One of my nemesis is to show-up and to share valuable contents. When I am going to write an article or to prepare a post, I always ask myself: “Shall I do it? Is it worth it?”. If I can inspire or motivate someone, or my words might have a positive impact on someone who is sharing even a slightly similar aspect during his journey or might be able to relate because of a personality’s aspect, then my purpose is fulfilled.

Posing in front of a camera is always intimate, it is hard and when they say that the first 15-20 minutes are awkward, they are completely right. It was summer 2013, I had moved to England (Newbury) a few weeks earlier, I was recovering from the end of a relationship and…look at it, I just got a drastically-short haircut! I felt the need to have some nice images of me, plus I wanted to document this period of change. Browsing on the web, I found Matthew Bishop and fell in love with his work, so on a late afternoon he came down from London, in order to take some portraits of me in a forest area, close to the Kennet canal. The glow of that evening was simply breathtaking. I felt comfortable working with him, because of his calm and also because he had a vision, about what he wanted to achieve. To this day, I am still grateful to him for these lovely outcomes. That’s why I hired him, a few months later, for a winter session in London 😁

Sporty [London, 2013]

22 April 202425 June 2024Posted in portraitureTagged 2013, elena arvasi, london, men portraits, photography portraitureLeave a comment

In 15 years as a photographic artist I have worked with many more women than men, it is no mystery. Based on my experience, it is more difficult for a man to willingly pose, in a laid-back manner, in front of a camera! And in some ways it is a pity, not least because, when I reviewed these shots (dated July 2013) to publish them on the blog, I realised that this guy looks real good on them!

Anne [Parma, 2013]

20 April 202425 June 2024Posted in portraitureTagged 2013, canon, digital photography, elena arvasi, parma, women photographyLeave a comment

Anne came to visit me in Parma, during the summer 2013. It was a hot July day, however that didn’t stop us from taking some portraits. The first part of the shoot took place on the banks of the Parma Creek where, under the bridge, there were some graffitis that matched with Anne’s dress! Whilst the second part took place in the city center. Anne has a supple and agile body and her blue eyes are magnetic!

Daniela [Parma, 2013]

19 April 202425 June 2024Posted in portraitureTagged 2013, digital photography, elena arvasi, golden hour, parma, women photographyLeave a comment

Photography, from ancient Greek, means “writing with the light”. I believe that this principle was fully realised during this photo session. The golden hour light on that late June afternoon was simply breathtaking: it was warm and delicate, and there was a breeze! It was not difficult to describe through a serie of photographs Daniela’s soul. She is sparkling and her proverbial smile comes before her. Thank you for posing for me, Dani!

Photos taken on 23/06/2013 on the banks of creek Parma.

Alessandra e Lorenzo [Sabbioneta, 2013]

4 April 202425 June 2024Posted in CouplesTagged 2013, friends, italy, weddingLeave a comment

Alessandra and Lorenzo tied the knot in June 2013. I was not the official photographer and this allowed me to combine the useful with the enjoyable, stress-free! I have known Alessandra since she was a toddler, as our parents were friends and we took several holidays together. On their big day all worked well: it was sunny but not too hot, Alessandra was simply breathtaking in her gown (future brides, she chose it at the Atelier Emé in Mantua!), the flowers and the decorations plus, there was an extra surprise at the church entrance (with an unexpected bride)! The choir in the church, the venue with its fancy restaurant.…It was indeed a day of love and friendship. Alessandra & Lorenzo, re-enjoy your photo memories!

Raffaella [Parma, 2013]

23 March 202426 June 2024Posted in portraitureTagged 2013, canon, digital photography, elena arvasi, parma, women photographyLeave a comment

I first met her in 2011, when I went to her shop as a customer. Raffaella is a beautician (girls, just follow the link!) and it did not take long for us to connect and we have been close friends, especially over the past few years. I admire her loyalty, consistency, perseverance (she is a warrior!), her ability to listen and her compassion. Enjoy this lovely photo memory, dated April 2013!

Giulio [Parma, 2013]

21 March 202426 June 2024Posted in Kids & familiesTagged 2013, canon, children photography, digital photography, parmaLeave a comment

You are taking pictures of a super busy two and a half year old kid, you just turn around for a moment, and suddenly you wake up, realizing that now this boy is a thirteen and a half years teenager! Photographers, how many times did this happen to you?! It was a pleasure to capture these shots of little (and back at that time he really was!) Giulio, the son of my friend and also photographer Francesca. What struck me was his inexhaustible energy, his stubborn determination, his focus on what he was doing and…within a few seconds, the expressions on his face would change in a pronounced way! Enjoy this lovely memory!

Shooting dated April 2013, in Parco Martini