{"id":11614,"date":"2013-05-15T02:00:10","date_gmt":"2013-05-15T09:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=11614"},"modified":"2013-05-09T11:43:34","modified_gmt":"2013-05-09T18:43:34","slug":"capturing-the-melancholy-of-new-york-city-ny-diary-by-federico-chiesa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/05\/15\/capturing-the-melancholy-of-new-york-city-ny-diary-by-federico-chiesa\/","title":{"rendered":"Capturing the Melancholy of New York City: “NY Diary” by Federico Chiesa"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Eric’s Note<\/strong>: Federico Chiesa<\/a> was born in a small town in Tuscany, Italy, in 1979. He studied commercial photography at “I.E.D” in 2005 and now works as a professional advertising photographer and retoucher. Street photography is one of his favorite vocations. See his “New York Diary” project and his thoughts on street photography below.<\/em><\/p>\n

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1. Can you share how you first got interested in street photography?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I guess I’ve always been interested in street photography. Ever since my childhood, I was amazed by dark rooms. Later in my twenties, I started to print my film myself. I wanted to be an illustrator, but I never learned how to draw. Therefore I thought photography was an easier way to express myself.<\/p>\n

2. Who were some street photographers who first inspired you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I met Francesco Zizola<\/a>, a former Magnum member, during a workshop when I was 20 years old. This gave me a chance to work for sometime close to him which inspired me.<\/p>\n

I also started to collect photography books. I’m interested in many kinds of photography. I don’t just focus on street photography. Even movies inspired inspire me to see in a different way.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, I am still inspired by the masters such as Cartier-Bresson<\/a>, Koudelka<\/a>, and Basilico<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. When you started street photography, what were some initial difficulties you had?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I grew in a small town in the Italian country, without any chances to find creative jobs. My parents were concerned about my ideas of becoming a photographer at first. But after moving to Rome and studying commercial photography, I’ve been lucky enough to start working as soon as school ended.<\/p>\n

Now my main occupation is working in advertising, but street photography is what I love to do. I remember that my love for photography makes every difficulty less hard to surpass.<\/p>\n

4. When it comes to your street photography work in NYC, it shows a very dark and grim version of the city. How much of this is your own feelings about the city versus what you saw?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Reviewing all of my street pictures I see that my point of view is always a little sorrowful. While I love the city and I was really happy to be there, I was attracted by people who looked lonely and full of despair.<\/p>\n

When I’m shooting, I’m looking for a certain feeling to come out. I try to spot people who are waiting or heavy thinking. My B&W is a little dark, I love this noir look. I prefer a “serious” kind of image.<\/p>\n

I guess that all of this is my natural way of seeing things, it’s not something i impose me to do. I’m a melancholic person, and my pictures reflect that.<\/p>\n

5. Can you share how you shoot on the streets and some insights on the technical settings you use?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For “NY Diary” I used a Leica M9 with a Voigtlander 25mm f\/4 lens. I try to use f8 and above, setting my focus to 2meters. I try to use the fastest shutter speed possible.<\/p>\n

I try to be unnoticed by people, sometimes I shoot without looking in the viewfinder because I started to learn how to frame with my mind (this is what I learnt from Francesco Zizola).<\/p>\n

I’m a big boy, very tall and very heavy, so i need to act quick and don’t hesitate, because other people can “smell” your fear and become suspicious.<\/p>\n

6. Can you share your three most memorable images and tell us why they are special to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This first image is my favorite one. It reflects my thinking about living in a big city. Many people walking their path, without any chance to collide. I love this because it’s like a portrait of myself too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Love this one because I’ve been able for a second to really see this woman’s thoughts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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This make me think of “No Country for Old Men.” I always take photography of older people. I’m fascinated by their way to approach this fast paced world.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. What are some projects you are currently working on, and what can people look forward to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This year I’m moving to Toronto, and I can’t wait to start shooting there. I’ll be back in NY too, and hope to visit California during summer.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile I’m working on many “advertising style” project. One of this, for example, is called “Reality Revisited.” I started compositing things i shoot compulsively to create “movie frames” I had in my mind. You can check that on my Behance page.<\/p>\n

8. Who are your favorite contemporary street photographers you recommend people to check out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I really dig the work of Trent Parke<\/a> and Elliot Erwitt<\/a>. I like the approach of Bruce Gilden<\/a>, while i’ll be never able to shoot like him. As for photography in general, I love the works of Gregory Crewdson<\/a>, Erwin Olaf<\/a> and Eugenio Recuenco<\/a>.<\/p>\n

9. What is some advice you would give to\u00c2\u00a0 street photographers starting out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Just take your camera everywhere . Try to focus on the things you like. Don’t be mad about having the best camera around, because you can take brilliant pictures just with an iPhone.<\/p>\n

Follow Federico<\/h2>\n