Faces of Cambodia

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Khmer people look peaceful and joyful but it’s like there is something that is hidden, out of reach for any outsider. Academy awar winner Haing Ngor in his memoirs “Survival in the killing fields” wondered how could people so respectful of the traditions show so much hatred and violence against their own people during Khmer rouge regime. This may partly confirm the mistery in Khmers’ looks but there is much more.
Unfortunately I have not stayed long enough to earn their trust and understand them better. The these shots are a mere attempt to capture something more of their essence.

 

Andalusia mi amor

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After having a grasp of Andalusia one could wonder why on earth would people leave this musical, tasty and friendly land? Many experts would give their own insights about the economic and social aspects that could explain such phenomenon.

What I wish to convey with these snaps is the colorful and joyful experience I had and how valuable simple things in life can be.

The Moustache Project

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The Movember idea is born in Melbourne, Australia by two mates discussing fashion and recurring trends, they question where the Mo had gone and joke about bringing it back. Together, they decide to talk their mates into growing a Mo with them. They choose the month of November renaming it Movember.

For the second year I am growing a moustache to promote men’s health! This year I want this to become my “moustache project” which entails daily photographs about my tache world.

“It perplexes. It fascinates. It amuses and it repulses. Glorius is the moustache!”

Have a look at my Movember profile: http://uk.movember.com/mospace/8366061

What is Peru?

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One may associate Peru with Macchu Micchu, the Incas, the lake Titicaca, the ceviche, Vargas Llosa or any other aspect that means Peru to the world. It is in my opinion only partially true. For me Peru is broader, more complex and incredibly fascinating. It’s a world of strong contradictions, between ancient traditions and a fierce eager to catch up with the western world.

For me Peru is a world of images and peculiar stories, the kind that have moved me, far from my ordered routine world. One of my favourite photographer is Werner Bishof who always intuited the subjects to get the shot. His last and fateful trip, to the Peruvian Andes, produced a variety of images that have a formal beauty and that speak to, tell me a story, that show emotions. One and may be his most famous photograph is the boy playing a flute walking to Cuzco. Where is he going? Why is he playing the flute? Who is he? What is his past made of?

What I try to do is similar to what Franck Capa defined as the “photography of concern”, focusing on people, on feelings and trying to be a storyteller. These emotions, eyes, postures, smiles, faces mean Peru to me.

 

 

Boxing moments

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Sports are an exaltation of mankind, of how men and women can overcome their physical and psychological limitations and get closer to greatness. This is why the ancient Greeks invented the Olympic Games in honour of Zeus. Boxing was one the original events and the use of leather straps weighted with metal made it brutal. The match ended until one of the pugilists acknowledged defeat.

In modern times boxing became the noble art after the Marquess of Queensberry introduced twelve rules that specified that a fight should be “a fair stand-up boxing match”.

I am not a specialist at recognizing boxing styles or technical subtleties but the boxing tournament held every year in Sequals, Italy to pay tribute to the boxing legend Primo Carnera, the only Italian to ever win the heavyweight championship, entails some kind of thrilling and exciting sports moments. I tried to capture them to the best of my ability and hopefully you will feel the same raw adrenaline I felt when watching them fight for pride and glory.

 

16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1600 – 19mm – f/5,6 – 1/100
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 22mm – f/8 – 1/50
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1600 – 55mm – f/6,3 – 1/80
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 50mm – f/6,3 – 1/60
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1600 – 55mm – f/6,3 – 1/80
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1600 – 38mm – f/8 – 1/60
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1600 – 26mm – f/8 – 1/60
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 58mm – f/8 – 1/50
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 58mm – f/8 – 1/5016-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 85mm – f/5,6 – 1/100
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 85mm – f/5,6 – 1/100
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1600 – 42mm – f/5 – 1/100
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 50mm – f/5,6 – 1/125
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 85mm – f/5,6 – 1/125
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1600 – 62mm – f/5,6 – 1/100
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 50mm – f/5,6 – 1/80
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 50mm – f/8 – 1/125
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 30mm – f/8 – 1/80
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 50mm – f/5,6 – 1/100
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 50mm – f/8 – 1/100
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 38mm – f/8 – 1/80
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 32mm – f/8 – 1/80
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 20mm – f/5,6 – 1/100
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 42mm – f/5 – 1/200
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 42mm – f/5 – 1/200
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1000 – 56mm – f/5,6 – 1/100
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 1250 – 85mm – f/5,6 – 1/125

 

What is a mask?

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Trying to unveil one’s emotions at a certain moment of life trying to transcend nature leaving aside what Sociology calls social facts is fascinating but is it really conceivable? Values, cultural norms and social structures exercise social constraints on people and shape behaviours and facial traits such as a smile, a sneeze or a look.

Is it really possible to divide individuals from their environment and lower its impact on how they feel, smile, walk and interact with others? In my opinion, people have natural masks and conscious ones. For example, people tend to adapt to a different environment by changing their behaviours on purpose. One will be acting differently whether he is at the office, with its closer friends or at the supermarket. In this sense the Carnival is a peculiar experience. Some theories argue that this was a social safety valve to allow lower class people to challenge the powerful and release any antisocial behaviour that could threaten the social status. What I see is that people during Carnival physically wear masks and this allows them to release and transcend individual conducts.

Are they closer to their natural instinct? May be but this is certainly a grotesque and folkloristic attempt!

The following photographs have been shot in Venice during the Carnival 2012.

 

16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 400 – 34mm – f/4,8 – 1/40
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 400 – 65mm – f/5,6 – 1/80
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 400 – 46mm – f/8 – 1/40
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 320 – 52mm – f/5,3 – 1/60
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 400 – 65mm – f/8 – 1/50
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 400 – 72mm – f/8 – 1/40
16-85mm f/3,5 ISO 400 – 34mm – f/4,8 – 1/40

The Tiger Camera Contest 2014

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This year’s theme is family so I tried to focus on what this means to me and try to take time and to understand if I still pursue the values that family entail. A dear friend of mine is going through one of the toughest challenge in life and I hope things will improve and I pray for a miracle to happen.

http://www.tigercamera.com/photographer/5858

Life is movement

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Panning refers to the rotation of a still camera in time with a moving subject. By keeping the subject in the same position of the frame for the duration of the exposure the background gets blurred. The length of the exposure must be long enough and is function of the distance from the subject and background. The faster is the subject the shorter will the be the shutter speed. This is why I used 1/20th for this photograph whereas for a runner around 1/40th would be sounder.

What I enjoy about panning is the perception that the subject becomes completely disconnected from its environment and becomes physically self-explanatory.

ISO 320 F22 1/20