Rita is one of my favorite persons and I had the honor to take some quick shots of her on her civil ceremony back on 14/02/2015. I was disguised as an unofficial photographer, and I was even a guest!
Rita on her wedding day [Parma, 2015]
Tag: nikon
Silvia [Parma, 2015]
I don’t exactly remember how Silvia discovered me on the web but I do remember her email, where she asked me to take some shots of her, as she was loved the way I would look at women and capture them with my camera. She is married to the great Florentine photographer Corrado Sacchi, who I deeply admire, so my first question to her, once she got off the train from Florence, was: “Why would you like me to take your portraits?!”. She nodded, smiled and we started the shooting. The location chosen was Parco Ducale, which turned out to be good, because it allowed us to work between light and shade. I particularly am proud of the B&W shots: I see in them her brave, non-conformist soul, with a touch of a French style!
Minù [Parma, 2015]
Minù was a little furry witch. She was curious, funny, intrusive, touchy and played a role…basically with everything that was around her! I loved to spend some time with this little devil who, apart from being cute and mischief, was also adored by her human mum Laura!Enjoy these memories!
Simone [Parma, 2015]
Photography’s purpose is not only to capture others but it also a medium that allows the photographer to meet, understand and to listen to his subjects. I never get tired of looking at a person’s expressiveness, especially as, in this case, you find yourself in front of the lens a young guy who has many interests and a great desire to do.
Andrea [Parma, 2015]
“No alarm clock needed. My passion wakes me” — Eric Thomas
I had the pleasure to take these shots of keen rugbyman Andrea in January 2015. I am still particularly satisfied by the B&W ones.
Marion [Parma, 2015]
Marion is Austrian but, many years ago, love led her to a southern detour (Italy!) and, since then, she has lived in Parma. She is a straightforward woman, who thinks in an uncomplicated way and she will tell you things to your face! She is an optimist with an active personality. Also, it is difficult not to surrender to the charm of her blue eyes!
Francesca [Parma, 2014]
After having photographed a couple of times Giulio, I had the pleasure of taking a few shots of his mum Francesca, a long-time friend. I believe that her mental strength and her irony come through in the photos below. Enjoy these winter memories, taken in a freezing December morning!
Laura [Parma, 2014]
I find that Laura’s beauty is algid and iconic. She likes fashion and knows how to dress with gusto, in all circumstances. I am always keen on working with her and she has always been happy to pose for me as a model, perhaps because we both feel like we are going back to the past, when we played together as children. These shots were taken in Carlo Urbani Foto Studio, in December 2014.
Twice as nice [Parma, 2014]
The world of twins has always fascinated me, although working with young children is a double challenge! These cuties were conceived one after the other, they lived in their mom’s belly together, they came out and … Look, they are different, not only physically but they also displayed different personalities! One was a little more introvert, the other a little bolder, one dared to take a few steps alone, the other needed his mother’s support. For sure, they were both mama’s boys, to whom they gave great satisfaction! Once they realised that the studio was not a mystery place, they put on big smiles and the hard part of the job was achieved, even though I was left with the doubt of…having taken out too many toys!
Arianna [Parma, 2014]
Arianna was easy to deal with, she was personable, she smiled like an actress and, for being her age, gosh!, she was super confident! As she enjoyed being photographed, this shooting was a simple and quick task for me.
Giulio [Parma, 2014]
It is not a given to take pictures of kids in studio, partly because their expansiveness does not fit well in an enclosed space that tends to be shaded, and partly because indoors it can be more difficult for them to comply with the photographer’s instructions😁 Besides that, Giulio’s shots that follow below were taken in December 2014: they are colorful and funny, and reflect his spontaneous, lively and strong-willed personality. Enjoy these photo-memories!
Silvia & the bump [Parma, 2014]
Now back to Memory Lane in December 2014, with these archive photos of Silvia, taken at Carlo Urbani Foto Studio, whilst she was expecting her first girl. I love when photography shows aspects of the personality of the subjects. Reviewing some of these images, I smile observing Silvia’s lively wit, her enthusiasm and excitement about upcoming baby Matilde!
Cousins photo shooting [Parma, 2014]
“Girls will be girls, boys will be boys”, exactly as the song says! It was a real delight to capture some spontaneous moments of playful and affectionate connection between these cousins, both lively and determined in mastering their activities! Also, their mommas are 2 stars 🌟🤩
A side of me that you don’t see [Parma, 2014]
Nigel: “Excuse me, can we adjust the attitude? Don’t make me feed you to one of the models” – “The Devil wears Prada”
As a child, I was never a super girly girl: I did not crave for pink, purple, sparkly, shiny things, I didn’t use to play with little jewels nor looked for twirly dresses or tutus. I was more into pets, I loved to swing and to bike 💕 I began taking pleasure in dressing “in a certain way” in the high school, even though it took me a few more years to overcome my legendary shyness to pose in front of the camera.
What I have recognized, over time, is that there is a silent and vibrant beauty in me and that I know how to dress tastefully. All this can be a strength, a power which sometimes…freaks me out! Have you ever felt scared because you felt real pretty or real good at something? Uhm, you will say: “Elena, this is contradictory and sounds crazy”, and I cannot blame you! The other aspect of my personality that you might ignore, as it is quite underlaid, is the level of ambition and competitiveness that I can have: it’s like a driven force motivating through events and situations, pushing me towards goals achieving. Sometimes I feel it is a bit unbalanced and maybe insane 😅 Last but not least, I confess: in my no longer girlish fantasies, I have dreamt ending up on the cover of Vogue magazine! And there is photo evidence to prove that!!
At this point, as I have already opened up too much, I am finishing this article with a big Thanks to my friend Maria who is a talented artist, who patiently took these portraits of me in 2014!
Claudia [Labenne-Océan, 2014]
Claudia was a colleague, we worked together for a few weeks on the construction site. I still remember her genuine laugh and her simplicity. When she knew that I was into photography, she asked me some questions about my activity, I asked her to pose for me, she accepted and…we met in Labenne-Océan, where I lived. My place was real close to the Ocean, one of my dreams that became true (even though for a short while)! It was an unusually hot October afternoon, we were not far from 30 degrees. The beach was beautiful and relatively quiet, and the golden hour was just around the corner…
Trying to get serious but, hey, a few photo-bombers dived in our shooting!
Elena Arvasi Portrait Photographer 