My first contact with photography
My first camera was a disposable camera, in the mid 90's, when I was just over 5 years old. I don't know if it could still be called a passion (I really don't think so), the fact is that at that time I was creating my own little compositions, posing my toys or photographing my cat, producing blurry and meaningless images, but which I still carefully keep in my family albums. Over the years I later got a few point-and-click cameras, with film (how I loved waiting for developed photos to arrive in the mail) and later digital, which allowed me to experiment with photography to the best of my (low) ability. The whole thing was also strongly supported by my father, also a passionate photographer since his youth.
My connection with nature
My first contact with nature was at an early age, practically since I was born. In fact, I consider myself lucky to be able to call myself a country boy (who later moved to the city). I grew up in a very green area in the south of Switzerland, and both my parents were and still are passionate hikers, and they used to take me through mountain paths and woods very often. I used to spend my afternoons after school in the woods below our house, building wooden huts and climbing trees, learning about the flora and fauna of the area and feeling more and more in touch with it. This path of mine led me to choose a nature-related career path, training first as a landscape gardener and later as a landscape architect, and I am currently finishing a master's degree in sustainable urban planning, hoping to one day contribute to the union of the merits of nature and city towards a more sustainable urban environment that preserves the wilderness of our amazing planet.
The union
It wasn't until 2015, however, that my passion for photography really took off. In fact, after my father bought a Canon 70D, I became interested in how a real camera worked, having been up to that moment only a point-and-click camera owner. I listened attentively to my father's "lessons" on the use of shutter speed, aperture and ISO sensitivity, trying to better understand their meaning, which at the time seemed to me a very complicated thing. It was only later, thanks to field tests and hours spent in the woods, rivers and mountains of my region, that I learned (if I can say so... I believe that you never stop learning photography, not even the basics) to shoot in the various modes, trying to avoid the automatic mode. For me, the process of learning photography is extremely enjoyable, especially when it comes to nature photography. Spending my evenings immersed in the songs of the birds, the rustling of the leaves, or the pouring of the rain has a magical side to it that I never tire of, and capturing these moments fixes the magic in images that take me back to that moment every time I look at them. In fact, in my opinion, photography is first and foremost about living in the moment, whether it's in the very moment of taking the shot, or when you look at the photo in the future, letting your mind travel back to the past.
Today
Today I can define myself as a passionate nature photographer (landscapes and wildlife), who aims to make photography a second job. I'd like to think that I may join the many photographers who, through their images, bring to the viewers a piece of experience of their lives, making the moment of the shot live in their minds too (at least for me it's like that, when I look at a well-made photo). Anyway, even if this does not happen, I will continue my photographic journey, which every day brings me to have a different look at the world, and to appreciate nature for what it is, from the largest and most majestic landscape, to the smallest and most “insignificant” grass or insect.
Awards and honors
2022
/ Fotomaraton Helsinki Ylioppilaskamerat ry 2022 - 2nd place
/ IPA 2022 - Land, Water, or sky ? – Honorable Mention
/ IPA 2022 - Land, Water, or sky ? – Official Selection
/ IPA 2022 - Lightning – Official Selection
/ IPA 2022 - Veins – Official Selection
/ EPEX 2022 - Land, Water, or sky ? Act 2 - Honorable Mention
/ EPEX 2022 - On the alert - Honorable Mention
/ BIFA 2022 - Veins - Gold Medal
/ BIFA 2022 - Gaze from above - Honorable Mention
2023
/ FAPA 2023 - On a cold and misty autumn morning - Nominee
/ FAPA 2023 - On the alert - Nominee
/ FAPA 2023 - View of the Swiss Alps from 8000 meters - Nominee