Enjoy this informal talk with Mauro Martignoni, the photographer who produced #Freshness!, a tribute to Homa's passion for food.
A visual composition that exalts freshness, thanks to harmonious colour combinations and unique layouts that enhance the peculiarities of each food, a collection of genuine shots inspired by art and nature. ( enjoy our post #FRESHNESS! click here ).
How did you get started as a photographer?
Mauro Martignoni, 52 years old on the identity card although I still feel only 20. I have been involved in photography for a long time, in fact I worked in Polaroid Italy for more than 8 years as Service Manager for the South Europe Cluster, then I set up my own business 18 years ago and looked for new stimulating challenges. Photography has always been a passion for me since I was a child when my father used to take me photographing and I am delighted that my dream has turned into a rewarding and profitable profession.
What does photography mean to you?
I think photography is just a mix with 30 per cent technique and 70 per cent if not more artistic component. The most difficult thing in photography is not using the camera but knowing how to handle light. Light is everything and this has always fascinated me a lot. Light changes the subjects and the emotions, think for example of photographing a landscape on a cloudy day or the same landscape at sunset. The subject is the same, but the emotions that the two photographs convey will be completely different. In English we say, "Take a picture" but I personally prefer to describe my work with the term "Make a picture" that is "create the photograph" that will be unique and unrepeatable. In fact, for advertising photography you must create everything from scratch, choosing, for example, the model to possibly match the product, the make-up, the hairstyle, the clothes, the environment to shoot in, the light to be used, the pose, the framing, the various accompanying props, the mood, and the message that the photograph should convey. This is the beauty and magic aspect of creative photography that makes the photos unique works that still speak of the photographer, his ideas, style even if the photographer is not the subject and is on the other side of the lens.
What is the most rewarding part of being a photographer?
Beyond the economic aspect, which for a business is always important, the thing that gratifies me the most is being able to reinterpret a subject in a creative and innovative way to the point of moving and intriguing the viewer. Creating emotions is my company's mission. Whether it's a piece of jewellery, a motorbike, a hamburger, screws or bolts, or a dress worn by a glamorous and sexy model, my goal is to create unconventional images that don't go unnoticed, that catch the eye and excite.
Can you describe how your photography reflects your culture?
Photography is closely representative of the culture and era in which we live, one only has to look at how images have changed over the last fifty years in tandem with ideological and religious changes. Especially today where we live in a society based on aesthetic culture and in the world of social networking, photography is synonymous with the idealisation of reality. It is said that a picture is more powerful than 100 words, and it is true, our mind is more affected by visual perception and that is why all advertising campaigns do not limit themselves to a simple textual claim but always use a carrier image that strikes and attracts the consumer's attention. I like to think that my photographs reflect my 'culture of beauty', that is, beauty, elegance and refinement, rather than my ideologies. I also like to convey our Made in Italy culture, a culture that makes us famous in the field of art and fashion all over the world and that we Italians have in our DNA.
Which photographers have influenced you the most?
I have always been fascinated by the black and white photographs of Ansel Adams, a landscape photographer who revolutionised B&W photography by creating the zonal system that allowed for images with incredible detail in both blacks and whites. In the field of fashion Helmut Newton, David LaChapelle, Tim Walker have always inspired me with their alternative artistic vision. I have also always admired Oliviero Toscani to name a great Italian photographer because he always created a stir with his images, a non-conformist visionary. Another great Italian artist was Giovanni Gastel who unfortunately died a year ago.
Five characteristics of your style and way of photographing
1. Top quality: As well as being a creative person I am a perfectionist and often the two come into conflict, however I focus on ensuring that quality serves creativity by always using top of the range equipment to deliver impeccable images in terms of resolution, contrast and colour.
2. Contemporary, modern style, in step with the times: Fashions change, and one should not stick to old patterns, one should always stay up to date with trends and try to innovate.
3. Understanding the client's needs: Every client has his or her own brand personality, it is important to understand this and to understand how he or she has communicated in the past, what his or her values and strengths are to be able to reinterpret them in a shoot and let them shine through in the photographs to consolidate their principles.
4.Lateral thinking: i.e., trying to portray and show a product in an unconventional way, thus finding new perspectives and points of view to intrigue
5.Harmony and elegance: an image must always be harmonious, beautiful, and refined and convey a sense of well-being.
What will be your next project?
We have several interesting projects in the pipeline, both in the food sphere, such as the shooting of a social campaign for Autogrill, and in the fashion sphere for a shooting of a clothing brand that will take place in India in an exotic location, but with a strictly 'Made in Italy' flavour and style.
Copyright HOMA 2022- Issued By Homa Marketing dept. on October 2022
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