Photography

A gaze that began in 2008

When I close the code editor and disconnect from server deployments, I switch to the camera's viewfinder. Photography has been my outlet and a discipline of mindful attention for more than fifteen years.

My visual journey began formally in 2008, when I started documenting cities, travels and everyday details on Flickr, a platform where I have close to 300 published photographs. What started as a technical curiosity to understand lens aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity soon turned into a constant search for geometric framings, oblique light and hard contrasts.

The fascination with asphalt and urban photography

Street photography captivated me from the very first moment for how demanding it is: there are no second chances. Capturing a decisive moment in the middle of the street requires anticipation, discretion and a quick reading of urban lines, reflections on wet pavement and the shadows cast by buildings.

Over the years I have walked cities by day and by night, looking for that point of tension between the solitude of the individual and the architectural immensity. I am especially drawn to urban night photography, where neon lights, sodium-vapour streetlamps and the streaks of traffic create cinematic atmospheres.

Speed and adrenaline: Motorsport photography

As a motorcycle enthusiast and former amateur racer, the natural step was to take my camera to the speed circuits:

• Panning technique: Working with slow shutter speeds (1/60s or 1/125s) while tracking a bike at over 200 km/h demands a surgical pulse and weeks of practice to make the background convey motion while the helmet and fairing stay sharp.
• The detail in the pit lane: Beyond the track, the atmosphere of the pits, the wear on the soft-compound tyres and the concentration of the riders offer portraits with an unmatched dramatic charge.

My gear and current philosophy

Over the years I have drastically simplified my gear. While on the track a telephoto lens is essential, in the street I prefer fast prime lenses (35mm and 50mm equivalent) that force me to move, to look for the angle physically and to interact with my surroundings without being invasive.

For me, photography shares a great deal with software architecture: both require mastering the technical fundamentals in order to then improvise with elegance, discarding everything superfluous until only the essential remains.