Inle Lake Sunset, Limited Edition 1 of 15 Photograph

I was born in Viareggio (Italy),November 15, 1954. My approach to photography began in 1976 and like anyone, I believe, in the case of photography, I took lots of pictures, any kind of subjects, and because I liked to manage the process involved in the realization of the image, most of them were in black & white. I was also fascinated by the darkroom for developing and besides at the time, the color was much more complex. It was 2004 when I started doing digital photographs, defensive and skeptic at first but realizing the great potentials of the new technology. In fact, once I overcame my doubts, it was like being able to express whatever before the digital was in my mind but unable to bring it to reality. A new horizon opened for me. Certainly we lost some of the poetry since now the computer took the place of the darkroom, but we gained enormously in image management. During recent years I've visited many parts of the world, I've always liked to travel and took thousands of pictures. I believe the journey starts in our minds with the curiosity and desire to get to know other cultures, and the reality we find in places we visit is often very different from what we expected, which in my opinion is a motivation to increase our craving for knowledge. When I visit a new Country I hardly ever shoot for the first few days, unless something really catches me. I always go where the locals are, I spend time with them, I try to understand how to get around, how to meet people and for me the local market is the best place. There you find colors, aromas, expressive faces, even unpleasant sensations. But it represents the reality of a world very much different from ours , different ways of life, astonishing but which excite curiosity at the same time. In time, photography became a passion, a necessity to express what I see and feel through the lens. Even if only once I am able to communicate all of this, I've reached my purpose. A beautiful picture always begins with an emotion! I've traveled all through Europe, but my preference goes for faraway places, and I don't mean only geographically, but far from our world, where traditions and customs are still untouched by civilization and tourism is very marginal. I consider myself a traveler, not a tourist, having no desire to let someone show me only the nice ,hiding awkward situation and reality.