I have only met Assunta a couple of times but “the thing” that I connect to her, it’s her smile. In the photos below, don’t you find that even when she is not smiling, she is actually…smiling?! I believe that this is a reflection of an inner, charismatic side of her personality. What also struck a cord with me about her, it’s her vitality, her lust for life. Enjoy these memories, dated September 2014!
Martina is a sales person who loves her job and is committed to it, she is good at it. However, shall something not work out any longer on this direction, I can tell that she could make a living as a model! She has beautiful features, a good body shape and she knows how to dress. She is also quite relaxed in front of the camera. In 2014 she happily agreed to pose for me as a model, while Alice was making a video advert to promote my photography activity. That evening of September we got a magic Golden Hour light! Enjoy the results…
Delphine is from Normandy and is a cousin of my friend Claudia and she visited her in Parma. We met for a quick portrait session in Marore (just outside of Parma) one morning in September. After getting over the “awkward phase” (aka the first 10, 15 minutes of the shoot are the most strange and uncomfortable for the subject), everything went according to plan and we managed to have some lovely portraits as final results. Her eyes were beautiful and there was so much in them!
“Humility is one of those virtues that if you have it, you think you do not have it“. The quote is from Italian writer Mario Soldati (1906-1999) and also applies to Maria. She is a humble, vibrant soul. She has a strong artistic talent flowing in her veins like torrens of rain pouring down from the sky. I am touched by the massive positive feedback we got from the pictures she took of me in Parma last week, and I feel grateful to her. It was not the first time we had worked together so, just for…“revenge”, please enjoy a couple of portraits I took of her back in Parma in 2014!
My favorite below
The time you spend with somebody you love and admire is never wasted. Laura and I are the same age, we met at high school, although we were not in the same class. Laura is a Doctor and loves her job, which is also a vocation, but she also has a strong artistic inclination. Can you believe that, during our teenage years, we were both part of the school’s drama group?! That was a lot of fun!
That morning of September 2014, I went to her house, we had coffee, chatted and went out in the park close by, where we took these pictures. The purpose was not to make some serious photography, rather to entertain each other and I hope that, as of today, she can confirm to you it was fun for her also! I love these images as she is spontaneous, being her lovely self and guys, have you noticed her mesmerizing deep-blue eyes😍?! This old memory is a form of joy and inspiration for me, and a form of life too. Enjoy!
I took these portraits of Raffaella in April 2014. As location we chose a green area along via Budellungo. During that afternoon the weather was chilly and quite gray. However, this did not prevent us from taking some portraits, neither this stopped me from playing with some leaves around in order to create a blurry effect 🙂 Raffaella, you are so pretty and spunky too!!
“I will spend the rest of my life assembling my own mind and my own soul. I will take care of my body carefully, not that it may any more please a man, but because it houses me and therefore I am dependent upon it” – Pearl Buck
I am thrilled to “undust” from my digital archives and to share on the blog some portraits of gorgeous Viviana, taken in April 2014 in Marore. Enjoy these memories!
It was with great pleasure that I took some headshots of Ana Maria, whilst I was in England. Her vibrant, active and caring personality pops out easily from these images!
These are my last shots of 2013, but the first ones I took with my Nikon equipment. When I started getting involved in photography in 2009, I used a tiny compact Lumix. In spring 2010 my parents (thanks to their Esselunga Fidaty points 🎉) offered me a Canon Eos 510 which was a real big hit for me. I was a Canon shooter until fall 2013 when I skipped to Nikon, then in December 2023, guess what?! I came back to Canon!
But now let’s return to Myriam and to our shooting! We met in 2005 at Uni Rabelais during an Italian translation course (it was my Erasmus year) and we stayed in touch since then. She is a happy and good fun. She is a warm leader whose smile is contagious and brings joy arounds her. She is an intuitive entertainer with a natural, magnetic charm. I am always thrilled to be filled with her positivity, initiatives and curiosity! Whilst I was working in Newbury, she came to visit me and we organised an escapade to London. Along the banks of the Thames we found a good spot and I took some headshots, as she needed them for her cv. It was a late December morning and the winter light combined to the water reflection allowed us to get the best out of this session!
I believe that photography is so important not only to allow us to have beautiful pictures and to receive a rewarding image of ourselves but it also functions as a collective memory, documenting the different stages of our life. December 2013, I had been in England for 5 months and was recovering from a difficult time. I wanted to shine and prove to myself that I was making it, that I was taking care of myself and that my efforts were fulfilling a valuable purpose. However, when I look at these pictures I still think: “Gosh, how skinny was I!”. I had worked with Matthew Bishop, who to this day he remains one of my favorite photographers, a few months earlier and I asked him to take some winter portraits of me. We met up in London on a cold December morning, we had a coffe and he led me through the shooting. I cherish these photographs: I see myself as elegant and also with a somewhat French style!
Elisabetta and I, we have known each other since we were babies. She is one year younger than me and our families were neighbors, so we grew up in the same building and when we were little, we played together an awful lot (a few old memories pictures added at the end of this article can prove it)! Even tough, over the years, we did lose touch a little, I did not miss the opportunity to ask her if she wanted to pose for me and she accepted.
We met in Marore in a late July morning. It was warm and the light was not ideal as it was strong, direct and harsh however, we still got a glowy effect. I like these outcomes: Elisabetta’s portraits are neat, spontaneous, non-sophisticated and I find that her gaze reveals dignity and determination.
Below my favorite…
…but I cherish also this one!
and now a blast from the past! Photos taken between 1987 and 1989…
Anne came to visit me in Parma, during the summer 2013. It was a hot July day, however that didn’t stop us from taking some portraits. The first part of the shoot took place on the banks of the Parma Creek where, under the bridge, there were some graffitis that matched with Anne’s dress! Whilst the second part took place in the city center. Anne has a supple and agile body and her blue eyes are magnetic!
Photography, from ancient Greek, means “writing with the light”. I believe that this principle was fully realised during this photo session. The golden hour light on that late June afternoon was simply breathtaking: it was warm and delicate, and there was a breeze! It was not difficult to describe through a serie of photographs Daniela’s soul. She is sparkling and her proverbial smile comes before her. Thank you for posing for me, Dani!
Photos taken on 23/06/2013 on the banks of creek Parma.
I first met her in 2011, when I went to her shop as a customer. Raffaella is a beautician (girls, just follow the link!) and it did not take long for us to connect and we have been close friends, especially over the past few years. I admire her loyalty, consistency, perseverance (she is a warrior!), her ability to listen and her compassion. Enjoy this lovely photo memory, dated April 2013!
Ignite the mind’s spark to rise the sun in you – Florence Nightingale
Elena Arvasi Portrait Photographer 