Dark Season

February 15, 2024

Shooting (mostly) in complete darkness to challenge ourselves.

In search of spaces to accommodate current anxieties.

Channeling Blade Runner’s film-world in a visceral, immersive darkness.

Model: Georgia O.

(Liverpool, 2024)

Solitary Dystopia

November 03, 2020

They are here to stay: the fear, the uncertainty, the unknown, the unpredictable - looming like rare diseases in a body tired of waiting.

Escaping routes covered in shattered glass.

And Say the Animal Responded?

August 23, 2020

*It is obvious how much I missed visiting a gallery by how suddenly I fell in love with ‘And Say the Animal Responded?’ exhibition at FACT Liverpool this week.

An extraordinary body of work that inspires and intrigues, from hydrophones used to record whales and dolphines, to a colony of leafcutter ants ‘scratching’ music in the gallery and an incredible choreographed performance of ape’s gestures.

I did not want to leave.

Most exhibitions are ‘living organisms’ that breathe, and speak, and transmit, and even absorb from their surroundings - but this one even more so.

An extraordinary (and fierce!) mission to expand the limits of our understanding when it comes to the world of animals - and, at the same time, the beautiful result of a passionate confluence between art and technology.

Exhibition is on until December 13th, 2020 - and I will definitely go back for a second visit!

More HERE

My Favourite Photos in 2019

December 30, 2019

Despite the fact that 2019 has been a year I dedicated more to work than to personal projects, it has been surprisingly a successful one - and here I am, looking back, and trying to choose not necessarily the BEST photos in photographic terms but the ones that mean something to me, beyond the technicalities, framing, or the subject matter. I appreciate that people still pay me to take photos - and that fact in itself kept me away from getting a job in an office, as I intended to at one point. That’s right: my clients are more often than not the catalyst of my work, and the more difficult their projects are, the biggest my satisfaction at finally managing to help them obtain what they want. Here are the photos I loved seeing while looking back through my folders and what they meant to me:

I am happy when I am outdoors - And even got some new boots - which are exactly the same Timberland boots like the overused old ones, and I love that they keep me safe and warm no matter if I am on top of Snowdon or on the coast, on a muddy path in Wales or up the hills in Lake District. Boots are an important investment for every lover of the outdoors and I was happy to review this photo I took in Wales while visiting Bodnan gardens.

2. No year without PUFFINS - This is now a golden rule! This year they were difficult to capture, despite me being in two different places to photograph them. Finally, I managed to get them at a sunset fiesta at Bempton cliffs, probably hours before they left the UK. I love looking back at this photo and all that it tells me.

3. The Turnpike Gallery - If you are in Leigh, visit The Turnpike Gallery. There is always an incredible exhibition on! This year I had the chance to witness incredible performances and artists at work, fabulous opening nights and inspiring workshops. I am grateful for being part of the team and also for bringing me more work opportunities, like collaborating with creative directors Al and Al on their Fire Within exhibitions in Wigan.

4. My friends are still my anchor - Florian (TalksToTrees) in Germany on a lovely day with dramatic skies and many photo opportunities.

5. Starting working for Hey Saturday (dating photography) - confirmed once again I love taking portraits of people. Not without challenges, this is probably one of my most favourite projects at the moment. Here is Suborno, my first client, in Northern Quarter, this autumn, right before our photoshoot started.

6. This autumn has been amazingly colourful - And I didn’t mind having to travel to Wales to capture it in all its beauty.

7. I love my new Ricoh GRIII camera. Geared mainly towards street photography, my Ricoh is amazingly inspiring, and I still learn about it every time I use it. It allowed me to get closer to my subjects and to take photos everywhere. This one is taken at Tate Liverpool in August.

8. I cannot get enough of stormy waves! Haven’t witnessed too many stormy giants waves this year but will definitely try to photograph more of these in 2020. There is something compelling and truly mesmerising about all that force developing in front of me, which humbles and strengthens me at the same time.

9. I loved Marseille! And Marseille loved me. Took loads of photos in Cassis and Les Calanques but still enjoy this shot with an overview of the old part of the city.

10. This guy is still my hero! After 13 years, Dominic is still my lighthouse, my inspiration, and my most passionate supporter; he still writes and reads with the same seriousness with which he does his daily job, he swims and wins all the badminton matches, he kicks anxiety in the face, helps me with my business, and takes me to places where I wouldn’t always want to be alone. Thank you, Dumpling, you’re the best!

True Colours

September 09, 2019

For how long can we postpone the inevitability of autumn - and do we really want that?

The physical leaves, the metaphysical leaves.

Let’s see what it is and nothing else:

us balancing between the seasons and reasons, and for once, not being afraid to fall.

Fall then fly, you say - now that is an idea: defy gravity and everything you’ve learnt; we’re in front of this white, clean, shiny canvass, we’re inventing the colours we’ll bury our soul into. No shame, and no express checkout.

As if these minutes are made of elastic, we pull them in and out, and burn the margins of time, painting our faces with its ash, like warriors.

I hold a camera but you held my hand.

I lift the sky to find the sun - but you are not afraid to look at it.

You show me those true colours that form when summer and autumn hold us still, in a painful, invisible embrace.

_____________________

Model: Chris Canuel - Media City, UK

Fae and Dan Wedding Day @Oak Royal, Chorley

August 30, 2019

**I have always liked to say that I have not been lucky with many things in life apart from one: and that is meeting lovely people, again and again, from whom I learnt things, with whom I shared things, people who make life more colourful and joyous.

And that is no exception when it comes about my job.

I have the feeling my clients are special (well, they are my clients, so they should be!) in the sense that they make my job easier by adopting an all natural air around my camera, thus allowing me to capture their events and moments as I like it the most: candidly and unobtrusively.

I fought a stomach bug the days and night before but luckily woke up all fresh on the wedding day. A lovely August day. The sun was shinning bright (a bit too bright for some of the photos!) and everything ran smoothly.

Fae warned me that Dan didn’t like posing - and that we should respect that; we took a few posed shots (Fae was stunning, as the photos show!) and although I would have wanted to take more photos of them, I focused on recording the atmosphere of the day, the funny moments, the emotions, the lovely kids and the smiling guests, deciding on giving them a break, and tried a couple of more shots later, when the sun wasn’t that bright, and they were more relaxed.

I am glad my clients are happy with the results and that I witnessed their big day and met so many lovely people and happy kids! :)

Here are a few photos:

Ricoh GRIII: In Love

August 04, 2019

There are many things I have been shooting recently - exciting projects and encounters, some challenging, some filling my heart with the joy of doing what I love the most. I am grateful to all the people who pay me to do this job and to all my friends who listen to me rambling for hours about photography, especially when things don’t go quite as I would want to.

But nothing compares to the excitement of shooting street again. Street photography is my first love, and it is a pity I have been neglecting it for a long while. I have still taken street shots with my phone but not consciously, not with an idea in mind - just as I was moving from one location to the other. A selection of my mobile phone street photography is here: Our Streets

Armed with a new small and compact camera (Ricoh GRIII) that I still learn how to use as it is such a different experience from my heavy D5, I did a test street photo session yesterday, and let me tell you: summer has never looked so good!

Can’t wait to share more and start working seriously on street photo projects!

Feel free to follow me on Instagram at VoidIsTheNewBlack for more!

Fallen Angels Rehearsal @The Turnpike, July 2019

July 25, 2019

Food Photography @UberEats

May 21, 2019

**I don’t seem to post too much of my food photography - although it is quite an important part of my work at the moment. I think that is because I haven’t ever considered myself a food photographer per se - but rather becoming one while trying to adapt to the demands of the market. It has probably been one of the most uncomfortable “Yes” I said in terms of photography - just to challenge myself and to see if I am able to do it. I feel I am still learning with every new session. Every setting, every restaurant table, every plate is different - and that requires of me to think quickly, be creative and organised, adaptable, flexible and understand the work flow in a restaurant kitchen.

The best part is always meeting people as passionate about food as I am passionate about photography. Don’t get me wrong: I love food, too - but probably I love for it to look great more than anything else! I feel that food cooked with attention and love deserves respect and, thus, a great photo.

There are strict guidelines that I have to follow - so there is limited room for creativity. I try to be quick and ‘functional’ - although, when I can, I spend more time than normal with the shoot, simply because the setting or the food inspires me to do so.

I enjoy colourful food, with loads of green and red in it, on simple or textured backgrounds, with natural light, if possible. I like to keep things simple and clean, although, at times, you can see me adding napkins and cutlery, then taking them out of the frame, only to add them again at a different angle, so experimenting, too, if there is time for that. I am grateful that chefs, kitchen and restaurant staff as well as business managers are always patient and enthusiastic, and I enjoy talking to them, finding a bit about their business, their views and ethos, things that I try to reflect in the photos, as much as I can. **Food looks much better with natural, filtered light but I use artificial lighting, too, because there are dishes that really deserve to ‘shine’, and sometimes the light from a window can’t provide that.

Being hired again for freelance work for the same business, either for their website updates, social media or promotions, is always nice as it confirms the clients were happy with the results and they trust me for the visuals of their new food project or advertising.

Here are some examples of my most recent work: