For my 40th, I treated myself to a photo session with the highly talented Parma-based Martina Biasetti. When I look at these pictures, I think: “They are wonderful!!”. They are stunning and a valuable piece of art, I find. Martina captured the best in me. With these shots, she valued me a lot and that’s not just because she did a clever editing. In the poses, using light and shadows, out-of-focus effects, the choice of colours and use of black and white, she has brought out the best in me. I don’t recognise my usual faults 🙂 I LOVE this photo-shoot! And if something is beautiful, it’s worth sharing…Thank you, Martina, you did such a great job!!
I feel honored to consider Stefano Cavazzini as a friend. He is an outstandingly talented photographer (even though he has never worked as a professional). He is also shy and humble. I believe that his work shows a stroke of genius and as an artist, he is a visionary, who goes out quite easily from a “commonly shared path”! His images remind me, somehow, of Francesca Wooodman’s photography. These shots were taken in August 2017, just before I quit Italy for Scotland. When I received them, I was blown away by these results! Grazie, Stefano, for sharing your talent and for your big heart!
Before reading the article, you can find just below the Vimeo web link of a SUPER CUTE video advert made 10 years ago by brilliant film-maker Alice Carcelli, who is a friend mine. EAP stands for Elena Arvasi Photography and I am pretty sure that nowadays, this ad could pass for a “vintage” thing 🤪 Oh man, I still love so much that tune! My Italian accent whilst speaking English a bit less!! In your place, I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to watch it!
Between 2012 and 2014 I seriously considered working as a freelance photographer. At the time this thought caressed my mind on several occasions! However, after careful reflection, I realized that this wouldn’t be an appropriate or fitting choice for me, on a long term basis. I believe that being a freelance is a matter of character. When you do this kind of job, you need to have the ability to financially support yourself. You have to be willing but also naturally predisposed to fight all the time, and this is a constant. You must be driven and an inner energy is pushing you towards reaching your goals. You need to establish a solid business mindset to deal wisely with numbers and pricing. You have to believe firmly in yourself but you also have be lucky when it comes about making good encounters and establishing purposeful connections (people or customers).
In hindsight, I do not regret my choice of keeping photography as a side hustle whilst my first income comes from a stable office job. I no longer feel the bitterness and the sense of frustration that hurt me years ago about the fact that my life’s purpose was not matching with my dream job. Over the last decade I have evolved, I have become more aware of myself and I have even discovered other passions! Don’t get me wrong, a big part of my heart is in photography and this activity gives me a purposes, it is a devotion, a kind of “service” that I am doing to other people. I have understood and accepted that the fact of not earning my life by “living the dream” doesn’t diminish my qualities or my talent nor label myself. Most of us, we have some form of artistic talent or skills, the important thing is to bring it out, somehow, to make an enriching experience it, to share it and to let it enlighten us.
Young freelancers, please note that this article doesn’t mean to discourage any of you from embarking on a beautiful and challenging career’s type. On the contrary, I admire, respect and cheer for some of you, but at the same time this is a realistic invitation to reflect on your character and needs, as life’s call demands us to discover ourselves and to open up to the world, to understand who we are and what our deepest, truest meaning is, staying honest and loyal to ourselves.
About the photo below, although you cannot see Alice’s face, hidden behind the camera, you can tell you that she was smiling!!
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!
As previously mentioned on my instagram account, in 2022 my old photo archive was sort of miraculously rescued, thanks to Syntex Informatica, so now I can finally try to get everything together: the old & the new stuff on the same website (www.elenaarvasi.com will replace elenarvasi.com). This will be my final effort to UNIFY my work!
Curiously enough, he oldest image I found (catalogued under January 2011, even though I had taken it in 2009) is not a pretty landscape or a gorgeous portrait. It is a snapshot of the title of an article by Chiara Lubich, the founder of Movimento dei Focolari. Not highly artistic but it is worth sharing it, as her words are still powerful and beautiful.
“Sono Grazie” = “My name is Thank You. When I come knocking at your door and you ask my name, I won’t tell you my name. I will just say: My name is “Thank You” as I am thankful to you, forever and for everything”.
The past few years I have been through a rather trying phase of my life. I have been questioning myself, my choices, my future and my photographical activities. I haven’t really been active with the camera but I never gave up. Recently I sold most of my Nikon equipment with the refreshing intention of transferring to a mirrorless Canon (R6 Mark II you are on my bucket list!!).
A friend (Antonia!) told me once that I should combine my photography with my blogging so here I am back. And, hey, I am happy to receive any comments about this old photo (taken at the end of Uni) even though it looks like it was stolen from my high school photo album 🙂
Elena Arvasi Portrait Photographer 