Tag: photographers

Interview of ph. Martina Biasetti [Parma, 2022]

Posted in PhotographersTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

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

  1. 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.

Intervista a Stefano Cavazzini [Parma, 2022]

Posted in photographersTagged , , , , Leave a comment

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.

Eudora Welty [article written in 2020]

Posted in PhotographersTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Eudora Welty was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1909 and there she died, almost a century later, in 2001. She was a writer and a photographer. Her father, an amateur photographer, passed on the camera’s passion to her, and Eudora started taking pictures in the late 1920s. A relatively prolific writer, she published short stories and novels for various magazines and she worked also as an advertising agent and a radio operator.

In my utter ignorance, I didn’t know her at all. I didn’t even know that she had won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for her novel “The Optimist’s Daughter”. I discovered her portfolio recently, whilst I was doing some research on Afro-American portraiture in deep South, and I bought a book with her photos (see photo below). At first glance her photos made quite an impression on me: I was struck by the spontaneity and the unconventional situations she managed to capture. However, on a second viewing, I noticed a certain lack of technicalities in lighting, composition and framing.

She had a streak of genius and the sacred fire of art was within her. I wonder whether she considered herself a real photographer. As Aries, she was tenacious and did not lack in courage. In fact she was a rebel and a pioneer, for the type of photos that she took and for the subjects that she chose: mainly people of color and the poor classes around the Great Depression (30s), through to the 60s. Taking the camera in her hands allowed her to document the struggles and aspirations of the under-classes that were invisible and ignored. I don’t believe she had a constant self-confidence, even though probably she didn’t let others know this. But at the same time, I don’t think that she really cared what other people thought about her and her work.

Well done, Eudora, your qualities are an example to us all!

Interview to William Martinez Bosch [2020]

Posted in PhotographersTagged , , , , Leave a comment

I believe that art reaches our sensibilities and can touch invisible strings in our soul. So many people have an artistic vein and many are not fully aware of it! I met William Martinez Bosch (see the beautiful model in the previous post!), through work, a couple of years ago. After following him on Instagram, I was delighted to discover and admire his travel and street photography shots. I find he is incredibly talented! I like the sense of geometry, shapes and curves that you can find in his images. I decided to ask him a few questions about his personal and photographic journey, as an amateur, and he kindly accepted!

William has two Instagram accounts, you can find the first one by clicking here whilst the second one is there!

– Tell me a bit about yourself and your story…

I grew up and lived most of my life in the Netherlands. Lost my father after I turned 18 which brought the family closer together and since I came out to my family during this time as well, I started becoming my own person more and more. After high school I started studying law but gave that up very quickly because I didn’t feel like I belonged there. I ended up doing a degree in North American Studies for which I spent some time in New Orleans. That was the first time I was away from my family for an extended period, and it allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the world. After my return, the feeling I’ve always had of not belonging in the Netherlands grew stronger and upon finishing my degree I started looking for another master’s degree abroad. After almost a year of deciding where to go and withdrawing my enrolments from Universities in the US and Australia, I was made aware of Edinburgh by a friend whom I met during my time in New Orleans. I decided to apply here and was accepted. I always feel that though my first degree didn’t provide me with excellent job opportunities, it did lead me to where I am now, and I am very happy it did.

– When and how did you take up photography?

I can’t really tell you the moment I took up photography as I always had an interest in it. As soon as smartphones started to have decent cameras, I played around with it. I didn’t have a proper camera till I turned 25 which I first used it on my travels through the United States. It was after this that I actively started to take photograph and develop my Instagram.

– From your portfolio, I can see mainly travel, street photography and architectural images: do you have any preference?

I don’t really have a preference as it often depends on the situation, I find myself in and the mood. Photography, for me, is very instinctive, you could say. It has to feel right for me. Especially when it comes to my Instagram account, the decision to upload a picture is based on how much I feel the photo matches the aesthetic of the rest of my portfolio. If I had to pick one, I would go for street photography because I really love candid and unposed photos. Relying on the moment and the photographer’s ability to capture it.

– Do you prefer using your mobile or camera?

For convenience’s sake I’ll have to say mobile. Capturing photos, editing, and posting can all be done on the same device which makes it very useful when you’re out and about and you want to share it straight away. Quality wise, though my iPhone does have a very good camera, I have to go with a proper camera.

– You have a strong sense for geometric shapes and form. Have you previously studied art or architecture?

I can’t say I properly studied art or architecture, but in high school I did study art and art history was part of that. Despite that, I was never really good at drawing or painting realism. I often reverted to the abstract which included geometric shapes. Architecture would have been my other choice of degree if I didn’t pursue my current one. Ever since I was a little kid, I used to draw houses and was interested in architecture so I guess you can see that come back in my photography.

– What does photography mean to you?

For me it is a form of artistic expression that enables me to portray objects/people/scenery in a different light. It also allows the viewer to stop and take in/appreciate the beauty of things.

– Do you think you manage to express a part of yourself through your shots?

Not sure about this one. I don’t really feel that I’ve found my true self in photography yet. I feel that I’m still figuring out what it is that makes my photographs inherently me or what makers my photographs stand out. I also believe that I need to delve into photography more. Read and study about it and take up some photography courses as soon as life returns back to normal.

Malick Sidibé [Edinburgh, 2020]

Posted in portraitureTagged , , Leave a comment

I had not heard of him. I looked at one of his pictures in one of my phootgraphic books and was just fascinated. I wanted to discover who had taken this original and communicative image and I started to research him.

Malick Sidibé (Soloba 1935 – Bamako, 2016) was one of the first Malian photographers to work professionally from his own studio. Coming from a small village, he came to the big city (Bamako) where he started to work as assistant photographer in 1955 and he eventually opened his own studio in 1962. During a highly productive career he took thousands of photographs and worked progressively until old age. He has been identified as “la fierté du Mali et la mémoire du continent africain” (the pride of Mali and the memory of the African continent), as a journalist defined him.

I watched videos on the web, trying to collect as much information as possible and also went through some articles. Many people who knew him or his work say that joy is a predominant element and in his photos you can see this joyful and playful attitude towards life. He was also involved in documenting the social, economical changes that were happening in his country at the time (the way of dressing, the way of behaving, the status-symbols). He testified to the post-colonial awakening in the 60’s.

Sidibé has been described as a sociable person with a generous, outgoing personality who was able to empower his subjects while they were posing in an informal manner in front of his camera. Having a photo session in his studio seemed to be a social act, it was definitely a pleasant time spent together. I really think he had a good eye for capturing people in their lives and had an expertise for directing. He had many original ideas and a lively mind.

Thank you, Malick, for you contribution. Even in your black & white shots, you give color to photography and make it cheerful!

Inna Modja’s video, “Tomboctou”, inspired by Sidibé’s photography :

Photographer’s interview:

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/malick-sidibe-interview-with-malick-sidibe?fbclid=IwY2xjawL9bmlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETB5TUU0dVVoVlVDalc2cnhIAR7ED8XmwxZPTNEYuKO5AbPBjzWF_Uf4Yz8TmunLbmymdVOqB-WY6a5eGX5fMA_aem_drqDHugqQ8zaezw6BnisBw

EAP Video Ad [2014] + a life choice

Posted in Personal & othersTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

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!

https://vimeo.com/109308997

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!!