At around 4:30 pm of the 13th of April 2022 you left us, Dad. Friends and people who knew you, when they were informed about your death, were in shock. I clearly remember the dates related to the last vortex of your earthly journey. 30th of January, we got the diagnosis which left us no hope and our world shuttered. 15th of February, the results of the gastroscopy confirmed the gravity of the cancer. 11th of March, you caught Covid and this did not allow you to start the medical treatment. 30th of March, you were taken into the hospital. I flew from Edinburgh on the 8th of April and I saw you on the 10th and the 12th (at that time, the Covid’s protocol in Italy allowed only one member of the family at a time, one hour per day). I remember your expression when I popped into your room, you repeatedly said : “What a lovely surprise!”
I don’t have any regrets but it was SO overwhelming to see your pain and to accept that there was nothing we could do to help, apart from being there and praying. April 13th to me is a day to open up to life, to celebrate your life and to remember all the good things and moments you have experienced. You have lived, dad, and I know that you are alive even now. You are in our hearts and thoughts. You loved us, you were loved and now you are love.
Time flies and we are almost at the end of this year. Trying to make an assessment of the past 11 months, I can say that 2022 has been a rough year in a concentrated season of life.
On the family side, it was high-pressure and tiring. My granny passed away on the 4th of January, then Dad was diagnosed with a 4th stage cancer a few weeks later. February & March were frantic months where his pain and our fears echoed his medical appointments. In April I flew back home and had the chance to spend some time with him before he died in his sleep. The next step was supporting my mum to accept her loss and grieve. Last but not least, sorting the bureaucratic stuff was challenging too.
On the professional side, I hit a high level of unhappiness with my job. My rational-thoughtful side made me hesitate about making a career move. Between October & November I took a 8 weeks hiatus from work. I was burnt out: it was both a psychological and a physical fatigue. To bounce back from this burnt-out phase, I needed to take action. I took time for myself: it was not “an empty space”. On the contrary it was a unique opportunity, an enriching time to re-focus, re-balance, re-define myself and my needs. I realised what sucked the energy our of me and what can fire me up, what can inspire me. Before writing this article I asked 6 people who have known me for ages whether they think I am a patient person. All 6 answered: Yes. I have been waiting for a long time to come to the decision of changing my line of work and to be brave enough to go for a completely different job which I will start in January.
On the photographic side, 2022 was the least productive of the past 13 years. I shot only 8 portrait sessions + 1 wedding. I haven’t done any Marketing at all to self-promote. Also, my blogging was reduced to the bones. Weirdly enough, I am not worried about that. I believe that a stagnant period can be the prelude to a new blooming season.
On the personal side… Some of my fears have been faced and dissolved in the light of rationality. I have felt worried, defeated, weak but also loved, understood, supported and cherished. I have grown and changed. The illness and the loss of my father pushed me to reconsider & redraw my life and to review some of my choices. I am more aware of what I want to achieve, what/who I am looking for in my private and professional life. Generally speaking, I consider myself a brave person, however now I am learning to put the action first. I believe that 2023 will also be another tough year but… I know that I am in the palm of His Hand and that He is leading me through this journey to self-determination and to fulfill significance.
I have been taking photos of these two since they were little girls, and now… they have grown into two beautiful teenagers, with their own opinions and tastes! They are always beautiful, and together with their mum, they are even more so! They loved Edinburgh to pieces, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up studying in the United Kingdom in the future!
In Beatriz and Damian’s wedding, love and friendship triumphed! I still remember when Beatriz called me to ask me to shoot their wedding and said: “It will be our big day, but we also want you to photograph our friends!”. I did my best to satisfy her request! The preparations and ceremony took place at The Village and it was just a cozy and family atmosphere! It was challenging but also enjoyable for me, and I got a lot of joyful vibes from the bride and groom and their guests too!
Marvin was 17 years old, he was tall, clever, shy and with a beautiful big, wild hair! His mother asked me to take some portraits of her son, in order to remember that stage of his life. Here is the outcome! The location was Holyrood Park.
I was happy to gather with Laura in the studio and finally meet her little and much-desired Ludovica! In Laura’s eyes, I could see the tiredness of the last few months of pregnancy and of the childbirth, but there was also so much joy, happiness, hope, and and love for her little girl! Ludovica was relaxed and slept most of the time and was not bothered by the indoor lighting. The outcome was tasteful as we got shots that convey sweetness, strength, love, and elegance!
After Martina took some tremendous portraits of me, I was eager to get to know her and her work a bit better. She willingly agreed to be interviewed…Anglophones, scroll down for the EN translation!
1) Martina, dicci qualcosa di te e del tuo background / percorso artistico.
Sono un artista fotografa. Sono nata a Parma, dove (legata al disegno e alla pittura fin da bambina) ho cominciato i miei studi al Liceo Artistico, per poi proseguire il mio percorso all’Accademia di Belle arti Bologna. L’interesse verso la storia dell’arte e la costante ricerca artistica personale, mi hanno spinto ad esprimermi attraverso diversi media nel corso degli anni: dalla grafite alla fotografia, nata dall’urgenza di catturare immagini intime e la sfuggente poesia del quotidiano.
2) Fotografia o pittura? O entrambe?
Ogni emozione ha bisogno di un giusto strumento per essere descritta. Pittura e fotografia sono due mezzi di espressione e di comunicazione. Sono due tecniche tanto diverse ma che alla fine parlano la stessa lingua e che vanno di pari passo con la ricerca. Come artista e come donna, ho necessità di pormi continue domande, di superarmi e di ricrearmi ogni volta. Penso sia dunque la mia necessità di espressione e il mio percorso personale ad avermi condotta a sperimentare questi diversi media.
3) Quando e come hai iniziato a scattare?
Negli anni accademici, la macchina fotografica (una Nikon compatta) era lo strumento attraverso il quale progettavo i miei dipinti. Nel corso degli anni, con la nascita dei miei figli la fotografia è diventata sempre più presente: era un modo per fermare il tempo. Con la prima Fuji xpro1 ho imparato in quegli anni ad osservare i momenti di quotidianità che nella loro dolcezza sapevo non sarebbero tornati. “Poesia nell’ordinaria realtà” che vado ricercando ora nei miei servizi fotografici.
4) Chi o che cosa ti piace fotografare di più?
Mi piacciono gli sguardi intimi, quei gesti delicati e quei momenti che durano una frazione di secondo ma che racchiudono secoli di sguardi e di gesti raccontanti nella storia dell’arte.
5) Che cosa ricerchi in una fotografia, che cosa ti colpisce in una fotografia?
Mi colpiscono le fotografie che comunicano. Le immagini che parlano sottovoce o a squarciagola. Mi piace quando una immagine mi apre lo sguardo e mi conduce altrove, lontano. Questo è quanto ricerco nella mia fotografia: l’immagine è solo un punto di partenza da cui parte la fitta rete del processo creativo e immaginativo.
6) Che cosa ti motiva ad avanzare nel tuo percorso artistico?
Credo sia la voglia di migliorare, la fame di conoscenza, la necessità di imparare e il bisogno di superarsi; alla fine non è altro che la “ricerca” ciò che fa sentire vivo un artista e lo spinge ad andare avanti.
7) Che cosa è difficile nell’organizzare uno shoot?
Sono molto metodica nell’organizzare un servizio, mi piace partire con una scaletta e delle idee chiare, anche se quello che ho imparato negli anni è che durante uno shooting tutto può succedere. Penso quindi che la bravura di un fotografo (e la sfida più grande in questi casi) sia quella di riuscire ad adeguarsi ad ogni circostanza cogliendo il meglio e facendo propria ogni situazione.
8) Quali fotografi o artisti ti ispirano?
Ad essere sincera trovo difficile fare dei nomi, sarebbero troppi.. Credo, con gli anni di analisi e studi artistici, di avere immagazzinato nella memoria profonda una grande quantità di raffigurazioni, dettagli, colori e costruzioni di immagini a cui il mio subconscio va continuamente ad attingere e a rielaborare personalmente a seconda delle diverse suggestioni. Il mio sguardo è debitrice alla storia dell’arte e alla storia della fotografia, dai maestri del passato ai grandi e piccoli artisti contemporanei.
9) Che cosa consiglieresti a una persona che sta iniziando a muovere i primi passi nel mondo della fotografia (come fotografo freelance)?
È il consiglio che do a me stessa: non avere paura di mettersi in gioco, sbagliare e imparare dai propri errori. Essere una spugna di nozioni e di informazioni, interessarsi e apprendere il più possibile dalla contemporaneità e, non meno importante, tirare fuori senza timore la propria unicità.
EN version of the interview
Martina, would you please introduce yourself and tell us about your artistic background & practice?
I am a visual artist. I was born in Parma, where I grew up. I obtained my A Levels at Liceo Artistico Paolo Toschi, then I graduated at Accademia of Belle Arti in Bologna. Since my childhood I developed a strong connection with drawing and painting. My interest in the history of art and my artistic research led me to express myself through different forms of media over the years, from graphite to photography. This last artistic form allowed me to capture intimate images and to describe forcefully and urgently everyday’s elusive poetic moments.
2) Do you prefer photography or painting or both equally?
Every feeling needs to be described through the use of the most appropriate instrument. Drawing & photography provide both useful ways of expression and communication. They are different disciplines that ultimately express the same language and can equally be considered a form of development. As an artist and a woman, I question myself all the time. I feel the need to continually improve myself and my work. On the one hand there is a need to express myself while on the other my personal journey has pushed me to experiment with different forms of media.
3) When and how did you approach photography?
During my years of studies a compact Nikon camera was the instrument that helped me to visualise and prepare in my mind for my paintings. Throughout the years, after the birth of my kids, photography became more and more a permanent presence in my life: I enjoyed it as a tool that would eventually allow me “to stop” the inexorable passage of time. With my Fuji XPro1 I learnt to observe and capture daily moments in their sweetness as I know that they will never return. Photography to me means to see “poetry in ordinary reality”. This is what I am looking for during my shoots.
4) Who or what do you like to photograph most?
I love to capture intimate feelings, delicate actions, moments that can last a fraction of a second. These fragments of life keep in themselves centuries of glances and unique gestures as they can also be admired in the History of Art.
5) What makes you fall in love with a picture? What grabs you the most?
Photography is communication, therefore I love pictures that are expressive. I cherish images that speak softly or loudly. I like it when an image opens my mind and leads me elsewhere, far away. This is what I am striving for in my artistic journey: the image is the starting point where the dense network of the creative and imaginative process begins.
6) What drives you to push your limits?
I would say it is, above all, the desire to improve myself and the “hunger” to reach a broader knowledge, the need to learn more and to better develop my skills. At the end of the day, I believe it is the crave for a search that makes an artist feel alive and drives him forward.
7) What do you find challenging in the organisation of a shoot?
I am very methodical in organising a shoot. I tend to approach it, knowing already what the project is about and having a clear idea in my mind, even although what I have learnt over the years is that anything can happen during a shoot! The golden skill for a photographer (and the biggest challenge in these cases) is to be able to adapt quickly to every circumstance by capturing the best moments and handling every situation in a personal way.
8) Which photographers or artists inspire you?
Honestly it is difficult to give names, there would be too many of them. Throughout many years of artistic analysis and studies, I have observed and stored in my memory a vast quantity of depictions, details, colors and the construction of images. My subconscious is constantly looking back at them and evaluating them, according to my own personal taste. I have a massive debt towards the History of Art and of Photography generally, towards the masters of the past and all contemporary artists.
9) What advises would you give to someone who is just getting introduced into the world of photography as a freelance photographer?
The same piece of advice that I give to myself: don’t be afraid to get in the game and to take a challenge, make mistakes and learn from them. Be a sponge of notions and information, take an interest in and learn as much as possible from the contemporary world and, no less important, fearlessly bring out your own uniqueness.
Martina started following me on Instagram, I followed her back, that’s how it started. We did not know each other even though (weirdly enough) we are both from Parma and we were born the same year! I checked her portfolio and loved ALL of her shots, so I asked her to take some portraits of me.
We met one evening at 6 pm in some fields outside the city. It was a clear blue night, with a powerful dry heat (33 celsius!). I enjoyed posing for her. Being a photographer myself, I decided literally “to shut my mouth” and follow her lead. She was in charge & I was the subject. I was impressed by her preparation. She had clear ideas of what she wanted. Also, she had already prepared part of the set before we started to shoot (a romantic chair on the side of the field, with a white sheet hung from a tree) . She is polite, determined, clear-minded and massively focused on details.
At the end of the session I was dying to get a sneak preview but did not dare to ask. A couple of days ago I received a selection of 18 photos & collages. I cherish all of them: they are so elegant! I find that there is a mix of poetry and painting in them! This is what fine art photography means to me.
I truly believe that she captured my inner-self. These shots are delicate and I consider myself a gentle soul. They have an inch of sweetness and malinconia. They are powerful in their beauty…and I have discovered a sort of charme of the 50s in them! Last but not least, they make me feel so young!! Thank you, Martina!!
You can visit Martina’s portfolio on Instagram or you can reach her out via the website Matrimonio.com!
I have known Laura for 20 years. We met at University in 2002 as we chose the same department, the Faculty of Foreign Languages, and became friends. Even after the end of our studies, we stayed in touch. So many things have happened in our lives over the past few years!
Now Laura is pregnant and we are excited about her baby coming in the summer! I could not be happier when she asked me to take some portraits of her and her bump. We had a quick photo session in Cittadella. The light was good and we played with the many shadows created in the trees and on the wall.
I cherish all the pictures that we took. Laura was glowing, spontaneous and expressive! In her eyes I could spot the happiness of a mum-to-be and a beautiful & typical contentment of an expectant mother!
With sadness we announce the passing of my father, who departed this life on Wednesday 13th April 2022, during the Holy week. This article is in his loving memory
Maurizio Arvasi (Parma, 21/05/1950- 13/04/2022)
“Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went inside, and he saw and believed. They still did not understand the Scripture indicating that he must rise from the dead” – John 20: 8
Even during a funeral, nobody really wants to hear talking about death. We are sick and tired of talking about death and the bad, as this appears daily on the tv and in the newspapers. There are battles going on all across the world but we also experience them on our personal journey. There are people we know and love who are dying for many reasons and yet we struggle to accept human suffering and death.
I am Christian, even although I have doubts in my faith. However, even as a Christian, I can’t perceive pain as a blessing, I rather see it as a curse. Having seen my father recently pass away, following a short but very harsh fight against cancer, I am sure that there is no logical reason nor a rational explanation behind and beyond human pain and suffering. What we can do, is somehow justify or accept pain and death through love. We can live it to the end, being unable to get any answers to our questions.
God is not acting like we would, but it is also true that: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord” – Isaiah 55: 8.
Death and by extension the evil cannot “imprison” God. I believe that God is present amongst us. He exists and is working silently, under all circumstances. My family and I, we experienced a sort of “caring comfort” continuously, during the illness of my father as we experienced a serie of “favorable circumstances”. We had the impression that “an invisible hand” was, somehow, holding us and leading us through it. Throughout the dark time of his illness and also after he died, we have been literally surrounded and constantly supported by the presence and affection of friends, family, acquaintances. We have been lifted up in a way that we would have never imagine. This let us feel loved and gave us mental strenght.
“I, the Lord, have called you for a righteous purpose, I have taken you by the hand” – Isaiah 42: 6
I took the below above the day before dad passed. It is a meaningful memory to me, as it remembers how our Heavenly Father holds our hands, as we walk through an hard time.
I have seen my father suffering from a string of physical illnesses throughout his life. This was accompanied by a long period of depression, that began when I was a teenager. It wasn’t unusual for us to see him struggle emotionally or to accompany him to medical check-ups or to follow-up appointments. Over the years, he underwent through several surgical procedures. But he always fought hard and bounced back, in his weaknesses he was brave, and firm in persevering and in respecting the life he had been given.
In spring 2021 he showed mild signs of feeling unwell. The main and only symptom was, for months, an uncomfortable diarrhoea. By autumn he had lost weight but was still active and engaged in his activities.
In the beginning of January 2022, when I saw him, days after his mother (my granny) had passed, I had to admit to myself that something bad was ongoing, under the surface. He had lost his appetite and the weight’s lost was now worrisome.
On 21st January he had an emergency chest MRI. I should have flown to Edinburgh on 22nd January but, due to a prolonged bronchitis (providential plan of Fate!), I was forced to stay in Parma until early February. On 30th January we got the results and that’s when the world shuttered down for us. The diagnosis was overwhelmingly grim: stage 4 of gastro-esophageal cancer. As of today, I clearly remember how my father rolled his eyes when he heard it was a tumour.
A wicked waiting game started, as I moved back to Edin: I was unaware how the events would unfold and when the worst could happen. The phone calls to my parents became a daily routine and the prayers were incessant. So MANY people prayed over Maurizio. He was supposed to enter in the hospital on 12th March to start a chemotherapy cycle, but he caught Covid. Two nurses were coming at home a couple of times a week to administer medication. My mother, as a form of self-defence, was wrapped up in a denial phase, and was acting like dad had a flue.
On 30 March, turning point date, he was admitted to hospital. That day, after speaking with my team leader, I booked flight return tickets for 8th of April. During his first week in hospital, he still sounded responsive on the phone, with his beautiful sense of humour and his warm voice. Then I heard him fading away and I really felt out of control.
Back home, it was time to see him. Covid procedures were still in place at the hospital, so my mother sent me in her place, as it was only possible to enter the ward every other day, for 1 hour, 1 person at a time. I saw my father twice before he died, on the 10th and on the 12th of April, 1 hour each time.
These visits were special times that I will cherish forever. I remember the look on his face, the amazement when he saw me enter his room, dressed up in Covid’s protective clothing, saying and repeating: “What a lovely surprise you’ve given me, what a lovely surprise!”. I had time to hold him tight and to tell him that we loved him the way he was and that he was part of a project of love.
On 13 April, I was at home with my mother. In the afternoon we had had a friends’ visit and in the evening, we would have dinner with my father’s cousins (they were going to pick us up by car). At around 6:10 p.m., we received a call from the hospital. A doctor informed us: “Maurizio’s condition has worsened. We ask you to come here as soon as possible, in order to discuss the situation”. I remember well the shock that ran down my spine. I tried not to think and silently prayed to God: ‘I know that You are there.’ You are there for us, You are here, among us.
The rest is history: my cousins literally flew to our house and accompanied us to the hospital, where the doctor told us that my father had passed away shortly before, around 5 p.m. His heart had given out in his sleep. I can’t remember exactly what I felt at that moment, perhaps on the one hand I felt lost, on the other relieved, because his situation had become unbearable. In his last days, dad was pumped of morphine (he told me he couldn’t feel anything inside his body). He was lucid until the very end, but he was bedridden, his body was unrecognisable and was attached to a multitude of tubes.
In the aftermath of his death, my mother and myself, we did not feel alone, we pretty much felt part of a community (of friends, family, believers) who was there not only to support us but also to celebrate my father’s life.
His tumor taught me a lot about trust and resilience. I discovered a strength and an agency I could not imagine to have. I have seen the light shining through the cracks.
Jesus never sugar-coated what this life would be for us. He was honest, in fact he told us that we would face many obstacles and trials. Our bodies fail us, relationships fails us, our well-made plans too, but there is One that won’t. What I have learn so far from this very painful experience, is that “bad” and “good” are linked together in a mysterious, invisible way. Just after the struggle. comes the peace.
We have been redeemed. Humanity has been redeemed by His sacrifice, over and over again. And even when darkness seems to prevail, it won’t. Life beats death, death must not have the last word over life : this is the Easter message. Christ’s risen!
We wish you to be in peace, papà. We are grateful that you know now the perfect love, as you are close to Him, and part of His love. A piece of yourself lives in us. We love you and we are proud of you. Ciao, Capitano!
In the spring of 2022 I had the pleasure to take some portraits of Nara, a young student and artist, shy and talented. We gathered at the Royal Botanic Garden and in my mind I related the spring’s blossoming that was happening with Nara’s young age and current stage of life. Thank you for trusting my photographic skills, young lady, I wish you the Best of luck!
I spent a lovely afternoon with Aylya, Nihat and little Atilla (yes, his name reminds of the the famous King od the Huns!). Even although it didn’t happen often to me to work with newborn babies, I was always amazed to notice how much they are perceptive and alert regarding what is happening near them. Atilla spotted immediately that something unusual was going on (there was a big camera clicking and a tall, curly girl was standing by, talking to him!), so that he never slept during his photo-session! He is a lively, healthy boy with gorgeous cheeks and my guess is that…when he grows up, he will have the same beautiful hair color shade of his mum!!
Aylya & Nihat, thank you for trusting my capability and for letting me “invade” your cozy flat, moving (temporarily!) the furniture. I really look forward to meeting all of you again shortly!
This life frame is crazy. 2022 started abruptly. Just about everything has been turned upside down. The last 4 weeks have been a rainfall of positive & negative events falling one after the other, in a rapid succession.
On January 4th when my 90 years old granny suddenly passed away for a massive heart attack. I flew back to Italy on January 7th but just missed her funeral by a few hours. I had already booked my tickets for those dates in early December, when we were unaware of everything. Was it destiny? I don’t think so. I have spent most of the time with my family, and catching up with a few friends. It was heart-warming and sad at the same time. Dad’s health is now giving us cause for serious concern.
I got the chance to pose as a model for a talented friend (a photographer who I consider to be a sort of an “Edgar Allan Poe of the camera”) Stefano Cavazzini. With my immense pleasure, he has already forwarded some early shots to me and I am in love with them! The day after I caught acute bronchitis and, because of that, I had to cancel my flight back to the UK. That is the first time in my life I have had to cancel a flight because of sickness.
In the meantime, a couple of my recent pics were published in PhotoVogue (this is always good for my self-esteem and provides a great and remarkable encouragement to keep on with my photography)!
I have felt lonely, worried, angry, uplifted, hopeful, rational & irrational, passive & pro-active, lost and so much loved. Things are changing quickly, this is a fact, and whilst one side of me looks forward to this, the other part is scared. As somebody told me a long time ago: “Only from time of crisis we can expect good things to come out”.
Ho avuto il piacere di conoscere Stefano nel 2015. Se ricordo bene, avevo visto delle sue foto su Facebook, che mi avevano colpito e gli avevo chiesto di incontrarlo. All’interno del suo portfolio artistico si coniugano liricità poetica, un forte senso della geometria e della tecnica. Credo di poterlo definire un “EdgarAllan Poe” della fotografia. E’ dotato di una personalità curiosa, eclettica, intelligente, è “alla mano” e di un’umiltà che spaventa! Nel corso degli anni mi ha fatto alcuni ritratti, di cui vado fiera così mi sono permessa di fargli alcune domande sul suo percorso, cui lui ha gentilmente risposto…
Come e quando ti sei avvicinato alla fotografia? Presentati brevemente…
Sono nato nell’aprile del 1954 a Collecchio un grosso paese a vocazione agricola e artigiana che si trova ad una decina di chilometri a sud-ovest di Parma. Secondo di sette figli, di una modestissima famiglia di grandi lavoratori, ho vissuto in campagna tutta la mia giovinezza per poi trasferirmi a Parma città nei primi anni ’70, dove vivo tutt’oggi. Ho cominciato ad avvicinarmi alla fotografia verso i venticinque anni, dopo diverse esperienze in altre arti grafiche, in particolare disegno e pittura.
Hai mai pensato di farne una professione?
No, sinceramente non è mai stato un mio desiderio. Il mondo della fotografia professionale, come quello della fotografia amatoriale di alto livello, si scontra con il mio carattere che è piuttosto riservato e di indole solitaria. Ciò non mi ha comunque impedito di realizzare diverse esposizioni, personali e collettive, in gallerie d’arte e location di varie città del nord.
Chi o che cosa ti piace fotografare?
All’inizio mi sono impegnato quasi esclusivamente nella fotografia naturalistica e di viaggio ma da un po’ di anni ho intrapreso nuovi percorsi e progetti tra i quali un reportage a chilometri zero alla ricerca di testimonianze della vita contadina del passato nel mio territorio, riscoprendo nel contempo anche la fotografia naturalistica interpretata utilizzando la magia e le grandi potenzialità del bianco e nero. In realtà questo non si può definire un vero e proprio progetto ma più semplicemente il frutto di una naturale disposizione d’animo verso ciò che non ho mai smesso di amare – la bellezza in tutte le sue manifestazioni – che sia opera dell’universo o del genio dell’uomo; ne è nata una raccolta di fotografie che raccontano di tanti incontri emozionanti che solo in piccola parte possono definirsi fortuiti, e soprattutto della bellezza del ritrovare e del ritrovarsi. Sono molto affascinato anche dalla fotografia concettuale e creativa e dalle ricerche e sperimentazioni riguardanti tutto ciò che ha a che fare con l’illusione ottica che poi traduco in immagini.
Cosa o chi è più difficile per te fotografare?
Sicuramente le persone, infatti nelle mie fotografie l’uomo è poco rappresentato, anche se poi lo è in senso antropico, tramite i suoi artefatti e l’influenza che ha sull’ambiente. Ho sempre pensato infatti che l’umanità si possa benissimo testimoniare anche in sua assenza, a volte persino in maniera più originale e potente.
Chi o che cosa ti ispira? Cosa ti motiva per un nuovo progetto?
Ho la fortuna di essere particolarmente attento e sensibile agli stimoli che provengono dall’esterno e ancora più dall’interno, dal mio dentro più intimo e profondo. Spesso mi annoto frasi che leggo, concetti, idee o qualunque cosa mi colpisca in modo particolare. Queste annotazioni sono come semi che se di buona qualità al momento opportuno, quando meno te lo aspetti germogliano e mettono radici. Ma sono convinto che le idee migliori siano quelle contro cui “inciampiamo” per caso, quelle che si manifestano come una vera e propria rivelazione.
Quale o quali sono i grandi fotografi che ti ispirano o che ti hanno ispirato?
Sicuramente Weston e Salgado assieme a tanti altri nomi meno conosciuti per quanto riguarda la fotografia, ma prendo molta ispirazione anche dalla pittura e qui dovrei citare diversi nomi: Picasso, De Chirico, Magritte, Bosch, Escher solo per citarne qualcuno. Inoltre sono molto affascinato e influenzato dall’arte orientale a partire dalla concezione che hanno gli orientali dell’arte stessa e, come dicevo prima, anche dalla letteratura o da quello che io stesso scrivo.
Hai un tipo di equipaggiamento (corpo macchina e obiettivo) che preferisci utilizzare?
Quando ho iniziato col digitale avevo una full frame professionale con obiettivi di buona qualità, poi ho utilizzato per diversi anni una vecchia reflex con solo il 50 macro. Attualmente posseggo una mirrorless leggera con 2 obbiettivi zoom. Personalmente penso che piuttosto che in una super attrezzatura bisognerebbe investire di più nella cultura fotografica, leggere molto sull’argomento, frequentare mostre, estendere l’interesse alle altre forme d’arte, stimolare e nutrire la curiosità che spesso resta solo latente dentro di noi.
Analogico o digitale?
Ho amato e utilizzato l’analogico per tanti anni ma oggi scatto solo con apparecchi digitali. Ho abbandonato l’analogico quando il digitale ha raggiunto una buona qualità.
Being an artist implies talent, however there can be differences of opinion regarding preferences in editing! Being a photographer myself, I wonder whether it is “ethical” to edit the pictures of an other photographer, but as both Stefano and I are good friends + are both photo-amateurs, he was happy to shoot these portraits of myself on the original RAW images, in order to allow me later to take control on the editing phase…and my editing’s outcome follows:
Elena Arvasi Portrait Photographer 