The sensation of being stuck persists. You know when a photo seems to capture your state of mind? The one below (taken yesterday with my IPhone) sums up pretty well this period: finding myself in a tough time, with signs of hope and improvement on the horizon!
I am focusing on rebuilding skills, trying to be practical whilst taking decisions. I want to be more consistent in my daily routine.
I had an afternoon of shopping last Saturday and came back to buying jeans again (gently but firmly pushed by Raffaella!)
The furry babies (hidden by momma’s body in the foto, and close to their aunt), who should join me at home in June, seem determined to grow up healthy and really sweet, as their brilliant breeder is confirming!
We are being blessed by an incredibly beautiful spring time, with crystal blu skies often peaking out over the Cathedral. The flowering season is in full swing and the shades of green on the meadows are stunning!
I’d been wanting to record a conversation about my photography for a long time. It’s something I labeled as a “personal project to empower me to express myself”. Coming from a background of thick shyness, I’ve always acted more as a careful listener than a talkative chatterbox. I feel extreeemely uncomfortable about being filmed, which is why I’ve always opted for writing. However, I believe that “some kind of a chat/interview made with friends” might be a suitable form of expression for me and who knows, I might I might get started with podcasts😝
Alice and I met at the park yesterday: we hadn’t prepped for this talk, she didn’t have a list of questions, I hadn’t any reply ready on my end. Before diving into it, we had a long chat about our lives in this very moment (it’s a messy time for both of us, for different reasons). We laughed in front of the iPhone, little pause, then we went through it and…I discovered that I liked it! I hope I’ve been brief and clear and that the outcome we got is a deep, enjoyable conversation, maybe even too deep😅? Now, I am seriously tempted to add in the next days some photos of Alice’s daughters to this article…
P.S. EN speakers, feel free to activate the subtitles using the platform’s automatic tools
This article might sound like a “sick” 😆 story, it is about the cameras and gears I have had over the past 17 years. Before writing it, I asked myself: “Will somebody want go through that, honestly?!”. This could sound like an awkward therapy session! It could be handy though for a young budding photographer in search for inspiration and could be useful in order not to waste a lots of money, as I did…
I entered the world of photography in 2009 with a modest, tiny Lumix Panasonic DMC-FS3.
I started to get serious thanks to a Canon EOS 1000D: this was a present that my mum gave to me, thanks to her Esselunga (= Nectar) points. In 2012 I skipped to Canon 5D Mark II and then, in 2013, to a Canon 5D Mark III. I loved those 2 bodies.
However, I wasn’t fully convinced with the warm colors of Canon sensors (and their yellowish-orangy-reddish nuances), so I decided to change and to buy Nikon in early 2014. I used this brand for 10 years. My “Nikon family” was composed, over the years, of more digital bodies: D700, D650, D800, D200, D300 and D750 + 2 analog cameras, F801s and F5. Within Nikon, my biggest love was the D700 that I think is one of the best digital bodies ever made and is a cult for portraits. As for lenses I had many of them, the ones I used the most were a 50 mm F1.4 and a 85 mm F 1.8.
Guess what?! I moved back to Canon in late 2023!
I decided to go for a mirrorless body, so I picked up the Canon Eos R6 Mark II and I discovered that…I pretty much dislike mirrorless technology!! It seems like taking photos with a computer.
I am therefore gladly back to DSLr cameras. Now I have one Canon Eos 5D Classic, one 1Ds Mark III (the very last purchase, “a tank” with a weight of 1.4 kilos, without lenses!) two 5D Mark II, one 5D Mark III. As film cameras I have one AT-1 and one Eos 850.
Based on my experience, what I have learnt is:
1. Figure out what you like to photography. This will be of help when you chose the camera body with the proper gear.
2. I ‘d rather focus on a single brand, remaining loyal to it and growing with it over time, rather than wasting lots of energy and money looking for the “perfect” kit or formula. The desire to improve is human and smart, but don’t let it become a tricky, triggering mechanism inside your mind. It goes without saying that it is the photographer who makes the photo and not the camera.
3. Take responsibility for your taste and for your choices. Focus on them.
4. Trust your instincts when making choices, but also analyze the results of your work: Do you like the texture, the colors of your pictures?
5. If you’re lazy like me and you are not going to read the manuals 😜, there are plenty of videos on YouTube that you can watch and that will easily allow you to learn. I would recommend the ones by Cesare Ferrari, in case you are a Canon user.
The other day I asked AI: “Does it make sense to keep a photography blog in 2026?”
The answer was:
Overall, I agree with AI’s reply. I believe that human beings are looking for connection and need continuity. Blogging can become a positive bond that still works in 2026, allowing photographers to be known and to get in touch with more people, as well as it gives them the opportunity to be contacted.
On the other hand blogging is currently a niche phenomenon. It can be effective, but only for enthusiasts or connoisseurs who are interested in a specific sector. Unfortunately, and I say this with regret, nowadays the most popular form of communication happens on social medias, as limited and, at times, as stupid as they can be. On these platforms there is a very diverse audience which vary from enthusiasts to experts.
With a blog, you reach now fewer people but they are of more quality. Blogging turned out to be a constructive experience for me. I opened my first photography blog on WordPress in the spring of 2012 and kept it running for 3 years. It helped me open up to the outside world, bringing out a side of me that I wasn’t aware of. t has helped me discover a love for communication and meeting people, the pleasure of feeling part of a community, albeit a virtual one, of photography lovers. It also made me realise how driven I can be in working on myself and in succeeding. That blog helped me gain an initial audience, and I believe that a large part of my success is linked to it. My problem is a lack of perseverance, but that’s another topic, perhaps for a future post!!
On Friday morning, I was captured by the intensity of the colours of dawn, it was a quick escalation of deep, glowy yellows, oranges and reds. It felt like I was in the desert, and yet I was in Via Mazzini!
That same day, I received tarot cards from my friend Daria, premises of good tidings (underneath the video).
Cards drawn: • Three of Pentacles • Temperance • Four of Swords (reversed)
These form a very clear pattern: cooperation → balance → recovery from strain.
General reading (overall direction): this is a repair phase for Elena, not a resolution phase yet. The foundation is being rebuilt. The main dominant card is Temperance which is one of the strongest cards for stabilization and healing.
Overall meaning in the coming weeks: • Emotional balance returning • Situations improving slowly but steadily • Conflicts cooling down • Recovery from a stressful period • Rebuilding strength in multiple areas of life
This is not a chaotic or destructive period. It is a controlled healing phase.
I am late in publishing this post, which marks the end of 2025. I feel like I am into a slow phase, even though it is the contrary indeed as a lot of stuff is happening.
2025 was a year of action and turning points. It was relentless, fast, hard but good. I believe I reached a wider maturity and self-awareness. Some of the blessings were a renewed courage and the enormous and uplifting love and support received from many friends throughout this season. On many occasions I felt accepted and cherished, I could also express a part of my inner-self while working with kids, with a positive team’s impact.
At moments I felt stuck, however there was always something, there was always a chance around the corner and something was about to happen. I spent most of this year trying to treat an inflammation (which has not yet completely gone away), taking cortisone and experiencing blurred vision in my itchy left eye, thanks to the after-effects of a nasty viral infection of the cornea. Let’s just say that I can now ask to 2026: “Please, give me the boring!!”
In spring I moved to Parma, where I stayed for 6 months, then left for Bristol and returned to Parma by the end of the year. Not having found my way yet, and dealing with my mother’s concerning symptoms, memory wise (now also under a physical stand point, as she broke her femur in December) were painful mark points that led me to take practical decisions “under fire”.
The end of the year came with a busy schedule and I had to manage my emotions whilst handling obligations. The past weeks were mentally noisy and emotionally tense. I lived this period with a sense of strain, worry, unclearness. But I believe that this situation is temporary and NOT a catastrophe!
In this very moment progress is slower than I want. I am juggling more demands and I am not having a clear mind to be able to think about myself. I need to give myself priorities, balancing support for my mother and with my own life, without feeling overwhelmed, lost, empty. I want to trust my instincts, not letting fear distorting my daily life. And I believe that I can stay on top of things, even when overwhelmed!!
Earlier on today I spoke on the phone with a friend who said to me: “What do you plan to do with your life? You are meant for great things, but at the moment you are not building anything”. And I replied to her : “You’re right”. And I don’t love that, over the past 10 years, I haven’t carefully worked out myself and that I have lost time in projects that I haven’t fulfilled but it is a privilege to BE HERE NOW. I hope that the “dark ages” of my life are finally gone and I know God has good plans for me and I trust that whole heartedly.
Now it is the moment to pause and to chose a direction. It is rather about planning than acting. I need to weigh options carefully and to look beyond the current mess. May 2026 be to me a year in pursuit of significance, a call for stability and of a time of positive encounters! I pray that I will have the courage to choose something (and someone) that is suitable for me and that I will commit to last.
Over the years, I have realised that the photographer becomes “invisible”. It is the she subject to emerge from the shots, whilst the camera can be a medium and an alibi for the photographer to “hide”. However, my theory is that although the photographer is not seen, he emerges from the photographs, not only for his style, but also for the ‘content’, the colours, the ideas behind a project and for what he choses to emphasise and the way he communicates it.
I am very happy that I was not afraid to show myself and that I had the honour of being photographed by such a powerful, resourceful, perfectionist, well organised and determined artist as Martina Biasetti! Thank you, Martina, for these candid portraits, as I cherish them!!
In a summer that is hardly ending, a pillar of our family left us last month, my aunt Angela. She was a woman full of integrity, gifted by an upright and trustworthy personality. Her long, quite often challenging, existence was not about her: she devoted it to her family and her work. She was one of the most self-sacrificing persons I have ever met. She was genuine to her core, a silent giver, resilient and courageous. The fond memories I will keep of her are her vital energy, her laboriousness, her warm hospitality, her culinary skills, her gusto for telling facts and describing people. She played a key role in our family and was respected in her community. She was unwavering in leading a generous life, and her love has strengthened us in ways that are more powerful than we can imagine. We all have learnt something from her.
“So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” – John 16:22
I don’t celebrate many anniversaries but I decided that this one was worth not ending up under the door! Yes, I entered the world of photography 15 years ago! I also wanted to share some photos of my first real camera, a Lumix…I still have its battery!
f I had to describe myself with positive adjectives, I would pick: artistic, dreamer, idealist, open minded, communicative, relational, socially aware, cooperative, genuine, reserved. Now I can confirm that “artistic, communicative and relational” have been substantially enforced thanks to my photographic adventure.
Quite often big things start small, in a quiet, unplanned way and this was my case…Photography was and is a journey. When I started in early May 2009, I was taking architecture and street photography snapshots during my spare time. I was unstructured and NAIVE but I still believe that being naive to high possibility of failure is what pushed me forward. Honestly, I feel more nervous and fearful before portrait sessions now than I was years ago! I did not stick with a plan nor did I had a vision. I did not hope for success and I never imagined that I might be THAT successful one day. However, I was dreaming of producing pictures that gave me goosebumps. Photography was a pastime that became an increasingly valuable hobby. It made me feel less lonely and more fulfilled. It pulled out of me an acting capacity. It contributed to reinforce my self-confidence and it allowed me to open up more and to discover a RADIANT side I was unaware of. It is a platform that still CONNECTS me with other people.
It took me TIME to realise that what fired me up most are people, especially family dynamics. Even though it has never been a profession for me and I doubt that it will ever become one day as, from my character point of view, I have always felt the need of financial certainty and economic cornerstones that a freelance activity would not give me, this activity takes a big part of my heart and makes me thrive as I feel myself fully into it.
Photography taught me:
1. To overcome the fear of making mistakes and to learn by experience. I took a photography course in 2010 and, since then, I have exchanged with many photographers, but I don’t hold a photography degree. I learnt more and way faster “on the field” trying and making mistakes, especially by shooting manually. Photographers are the ones who do the work and shoot manually…. not the camera.
2. Quality wins. It is priceless to give someone beautiful images that they will cherish for a lifetime.
3. As photographers, we will use our personality to SERVE clients. I have received a lot of appreciation, affection, good marketing 🤗 from people I have been working with in the past 15 years, but I have also GIVEN them a lot in terms of time, commitment, vision, adaptability, understanding their needs, putting them as 1st during the shoot, willingness to improve.
4. THRIVING in what you do is a game changer. Hey, there must be joy and a funny factor! It is not only a question of delivering good pictures, it is the whole experience that matters and the positive impact and connection you can establish with people!
5. Last but not least, DEDICATION is prized…always!
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.
The feeling of belonging and acceptance, in my original home, came from my father. From him, I felt accepted and loved in an unconditional way, without limits and, above all, without judgment. he gave me his presence and granted me a huge amount of his free time. He was a great playmate and a friendly presence throughout my childhood. Growing up, he always would be reachable to me, he would listen to me. I was always able to talk to him: we understood each other because we were tuned in to one another. Our relationship wasn’t all roses and flowers. I judged him, I saw his weaknesses, the difficulty he had in accepting himself with his problems, I criticized these. But, in the end, he was a genuine person and, I would say, intellectually honest. He always protected me. He was proud of me. And I hope that now he is praying over me. Dad, may you be content and finally free and at peace. I love you!
PS I cherish so much this drawing (isn’t it a vintage one?) dated 19/03/1993. You can bet from what side of the family my artistic vein comes from…
Here I am with an old portrait dated September 2012. I had super long hair and, back in those days, I was in the silly phase of “Fake it till you make it”. I was never deeply in love with my physical appearance and at that time, as I still had acne, I used Photoshop extensively to soften my skin. I also was a huge fan of hair clips (a passion for which I have not completely forgotten!). More than a decade has passed and I I’d like to share a few thoughts that I would have liked to be aware of, 12 years ago, and that I should have repeated to myself every day in front of the mirror:
Don’t be afraid, girl, you can make it happen!
Accept yourself and embrace your imperfection, that is more appealing than your idea of perfection!
Trust your guts in order to realise your projects without further ado, you are a good decision-maker!
Don’t waste your time (which is the ultimate and irreplaceable value), get straight to the point
Open your mouth to tell what you think, at the right moment
Act more, do not fall in the overthinking’s tunnel (that’s always a sensitive issue!)
Comparing to others is a loss of time, as you really don’t know what is going on in their lives
Don’t neglect your body: also your appearance contributes to your psychological well-being
Be honest about yourself, do not fear to be judged by others
Stay warm and open to others, be compassionate
And finally: Keep going, girl, you are enough! Your achievements with photography over the past decade have been impressive 🙂
Each stage of life is different and life can challenge us at all stages but obviously there are rougher times. Shall I resume my last decade, the words that come to my mind are “slow, tiring change” and “prolonged battle phase”. This decade proved to be the busiest, toughest and most challenging period of my life. My fears and insecurities have come to the surface and seemed to overwhelm me, more members of my family have passed and I have also experienced some minor health issues. I have felt more difficult to love myself and to accept my limits. I have felt stuck, emotionally and physically, and I have felt ashamed of this.
That challenging time isn’t over yet, however I have now got the hopeful feeling that this oppressive and overwhelming phase is slowly fading away and I am regaining courage to open up to life.
Would I be in the position to give some advice about how to pass through difficult times? I can say that I have learnt that almost often growth happen in silence and in the small, annoying difficulties that we experience in everyday life. These kinds of hardships, repeated in time, will make us endure over time. During these past years, accepting myself for who I am and accepting to surrender to slowness has been hard, especially for my overachiever, rebellious side who wants to reach an idealistic image of myself that doesn’t exist. Accepting hard times or situations is difficult, but it is also dealing with those inner parts of ourselves that we perceive as weak or faulty.
I have allowed myself to find some peace of mind and to focus on my needs by acting, giving myself new projects. We cannot really change our nature but, if we are mindful, we can work on it, we can smooth it. Hope and will are meaningful motivational factors.
Dark times are the true “teachers” in our life, and that every person we meet or every event that we face have a meaning in our journey. Even in my darkest moments I have always been aware that there was a joyful sparkle in me, this little something was pushing me forward. There is beauty in a bad life chapter as this prepares us to something positive that will come next. And finally I pushed myself and took part in a Marketing webinar for photographers 🙂 Happy new year folks!
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.
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!
Elena Arvasi Portrait Photographer 