© Copyright Stephen Wilkes

Kira Pollack, director of photography at TIME Magazine declared that "ten percent of all photographs made in the entire history of photography were made last year - an astounding figure. More than ever before, thanks in part to the cell phone technology, the world is engaged with photography and communicating through pictures" [...]

So I want to close this 2012 with the Top Ten Photos according to TIME magazine, with the hope of having excellent photo opportunities in next year.

Of course here I don't want to present all photos: a great shot that I think is rising above the others is the one I attach here, a sort of "The Day After Tomorrow" movie poster...but terribly real.

If you want to see all the shots follow this link:
http://lightbox.time.com/2012/12/27/a-year-of-photographers-in-the-picture/#1

Happy New Year to you all! See ya in 2013!

However you choose to celebrate this time of the year, I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone who views this blog a happy holidays season.

So best wishes to you all, hoping that the new year brings growth and happiness...we really need it!

Have fun with family and friends and do find some time to play! Take care!

I think the most difficult thing to photograph is the thing that's around us everyday.

My new book represents an experiment of visually exploring an urban landscape in constant movement with the simplicity and charm of instant photography.

Follow me wandering around my hometown for this urban exploration with instant eyes.

At this link you can find a sneak preview and...if you really love it...you can also buy it! :-)
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3769347

Enjoy!

Even the photo taken quickly from the car, of course not technically perfect, just because may remind something to us, it's worth to be fixed in our mind.

You know my attitude to match songs and photos...this one is the combination of one of 1000 thoughts in my head in that particular moment....

Do you think is matching properly? :-)

There's a place out on the edge of town, sir,
Risin' above the factories and the fields
Now, ever since I was a child, I can remember
That mansion on the hill
In the day you can see the children playing
On the road that leads to those gates of hardened steel
Steel gates that completely surround, sir,
The mansion on the hill

At night my daddy'd take me and we'd ride
Through the streets of a town so silent and still
Park on a back road along the highway side
Look up at that mansion on the hill

In the summer all the lights would shine
There'd be music playin', people laughin' all the time
Me and my sister, we'd hide out in the tall cornfields
Sit and listen to the mansion on the hill

Tonight down here in Linden Town
I watch the cars rushin' by, home from the mill
There's a beautiful full moon rising
Above the mansion on the hill

(Bruce Springsteen - Mansion On The Hill - Nebraska)

The first cold descent of the year coincided with the start of meteorological winter and with the arrival of the first snow here near where I live.
With this premise, I think this winter we will reserve many surprises...we have just to wait and...look out of the window!
"Winter start" is the new photo of the month on my website. Enjoy!

Although I do not have a keen interest into botany and gardening, I have always been fascinated by carnivorous plants.
These plants always arouse curiosity among people, bringing to mind depictions of fantastic "man-eating" plants and the environment, in which many of them live, the mysterious tropical forest, has helped to magnify what I've just said.
There are many hundred species of plants that attract animals to consume as food: some specialize in attracting insects with sweet scents, others use a leaf swift closing mechanism, some use a tubular type leaf with a small amount of digestive enzyme in the base.
There is something wonderfully unsettling and mysterious about these plants that feasts on animals: nature always intrigues us with his own artistic creations, a fascinating world made up of colors and evolved into ingenious traps.

Tech data: Canon EOS 5D, Tamron AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di MACRO, tripod

Seems so far the times when you spent hours and hours in front of a not-so-intuitive photo editing software, trying to learn how it works, perhaps with a good paper guide at your side.
Then first came editing software for mobile devices such as iphone and ipad, and in the end was...Snapseed turn!
Snapseed - by Nik Software - makes every photo extraordinary. You can easily enhance your photos, add amazing effects and share them eveywhere.
Snapseed puts the power of photographic enhancement at you fingertips, with great accuracy and range, providing manipulation tools and filters for every need.
You just have to try! See more at: www.snapseed.com

iPhone 4s and Lo.fi Instagram filter

Suddenly autumn with its incessant rain washed away memories of a Mediterranean summer that seemed to never end.
My hometown awakened drowned by water that continued to fall from a dark sky full of gothic piles clouds.
Then, at the end of the day, the clouds drove away and the last remnants of the sun inflamed the world around me, before the darkness come back once again, now in this short autumn days.

Take a day outside, wandering in the woods, with your camera and a keen eye.
This combination makes me always slow down and look more intently than I normally would; you might be attracted by hidden things, always present for all careful observers.
Such as the bark of a tree and its knots, natural and concrete elements, transformed into unexpected looks of a living forest.
"Someone's watching you" is the new photo of the month on my website. Enjoy!

Whenever I have new gear, I really like to take some time for myself and wandering around with my camera looking for some opportunities for great shots. But that's not an easy task, of course is more simple to get inspired during a travel or on special occasions.
When we are near home everything sems so ordinary compared to the other places we visited around the world. The more I grow up, the more I got myself familiar finding great shots nearby.
Maybe because when you get old you look beyond the surface of things and find the deeper messages in the moments of everyday life.
Howevere there are certain factors, such as time of the day, weather, etc.. that can contribute to the photograph you want to make. Keeping in mind that "you can't turn the ordinary into extraordinary, you have to find the extraordinary that's already there".

Some classic landscape you can find around my hometown: fog and hills...

... and Po river stillness

Vintage...stuff!

Mirrorless cameras are nearly half the market in Asia and I believe they are the future. There's no doubt that in image quality they are catching up to the APS-C sensor-based cameras. They're also catching up on better low-light performance and they are catching up on value as well.

After shooting with my brand new OM-D for over a week now, I can sum up my whole experience that this simply the best Micro Four Thirds camera money can buy. The OM-D is a bit pricy, but I believe it's worth the extra cash. (thanks Dad! ;-)

So what do I think?

The camera is small and feels great in my hands, it’s light, quick, and so far a blast to shoot with. The autofocus is one of the quickest I’ve seen on any camera and the 5-axis stabilizations… yes it’s a great feature, awesome if you use some old manual lens. And last, but not least, I really enjoy the great quality of the pictures!

So why would you carry a heavy camera when a lighter one would do the same job?

Historic Fiat Topolino car  - iPhone 4s and Lo.fi Instagram filter

Photography mainly acts on emotions, causing different sensations and considerably more intense, on the contrary of written words. Is for this reason that, despite being in some way against social networks, or rather their bad use, I decided to get into Instagram and use photos in this simple way to show the various steps of my life. Instagram is an application that lets you take pictures, make them spectacular through the application of one of the many proposed filters and share them with others.

Yes I know, at this point you could open the debate on instant photography, snaps taken with the cell phone, on the death of traditional photography...etc, but there is time for that.

In these days I open up my Instagram shots gallery (see the link at the main page of this blog...) and in a short time a book will follow! Stay tuned!

Have I become social? I'm simply a photographer... ;-)

I am still fashinated by the prospects of photographing something unusual. I think that anything that is old, abandoned and disused, just like buildings and places, have its own charm. There's something haunting about that stuff, a feeling both creepy, melancholy and deeply intriguing at the same time. I like to think and imagine how many stories, moments of life there may have been behind a building in decay. It's fashinating to see the way our man-made structures decay and how nature reclaims our handiwork.
Modern ruins is the new photo of the month on my website. Enjoy!

Ålesund scenic view - Norway

The Coast Road is a stretch of road that hugs the shore along the entire coast of Western Norway. En route, every bend opens up  countless gems – small towns and villages, spectacular bridges, new vistas of sea, fjord and mountains that will take your breath away. There is no better way to get a taste of Norway than to travel the outer coast, exploring cultural attractions as well as the beauty of the land. Apart from the traditional campsites, you can find self-catering accomodations such as cabins and fishermen seahouses in many places along the route.
Because most of West Norway is sparsely populated with limited public transport, a car provides superior freedom and flexibility. Because some roads are narrow and steep, travellers are advised to calculate plenty of time for driving... keeping in mind to arrive just in time to take the last scenic ferry of the day!

Tempura is a typical dish of Japan cuisine and has the peculiarity, unlike our fries, of being light, delicate and digestible, thanks to the particular method by which it is prepared. Another traditional dish are the uramaki, which differ from classical maki because the rice, usually inside, is outside and the nori, the alga which is usually wrapped outside, is in this case inside.
Now think of the delight of a dish made of Japanese tempura combined with uramaki: you got the uramaki ebiten, rice roll stuffed with shrimp tempura inside, sprinkled outside with sesame seeds and grnished with wasabi and ginger. The taste is full and intense. The shrimp stand out and fried taste is softened by rice. Mmmmm....slurpilicious! :-)

The Space Needle, the major landmark of the Pacific Northwest and the symbol of Seattle

There are days when surely many of you would like to be somewhere else, maybe in somebody else shoes, try other lives, situations, emotions. In those days it's nice to play with our minds nad leave it free to think...it's funny to daydream sometimes! Today is one of those days, when I find myself surfing the web without a specific purpose other than to browse at Google and play with the maps of its digital atlas (actually it was one of my obsession in the era of paper as well...). So today I would like to be...in Seattle, sitting on the harbour and playing with the seagulls, breathing the scent of the sea and the spices of the Public Market. And you...where would you like to be today?

I'm starting off the weekend with something fun. Over the week I was playing around with a newely discovered iPhone app, cinemagram, with lots of potential for interesting image animations. You just have to start creating video clips while out, shooting specifically for cinemagrams or, if you have an iPhone, is also pretty fun to use on its own. Just try! Have a great week-end everyone!

There was a place that I have visited during my last holidays that remains clearly impressed in my mind. It was the Bonifacio Marine Cemetery, at the extreme south of Corsica. The Cimetière Marin, the city of the dead that lives in harmony with the city of the living, is a place of great charm. Maybe because is a windswept place, overlooking the sea; maybe because, although it is a cemetery, is strangely pleasant, with funerary chapels that remind sort of villas. It emanates a quiet and serene atmosphere, it is a place for sunsets and a temple of silence and beautifully disturbing at the same time, in front of the cliffs of Bonifacio. "Peaceful overlooking" is the new photo of the month on my website. Enjoy!

Tech data: Canon EOS 5D, Canon EF 17-40 mm f/4 L
Location: Palombaggia beach - Corsica

I'm back from my summer holidays. In ten days we wandered around the south of Corsica in search of secluded beaches, some famous some less. Every day there were no clouds in the sky and temperature of the sea was really comfy. The village of Bonifacio really impress me with its white limestone walls, the rest of the holiday was a full immersion of sea&sun! ;-)

The Corsica flag, with its traditional Moor's Head in black, wearing a white
bandana above his eyes.

This Sunday I'll leave for my summer holidays with my love and a couple of friends. Destination: Corsica. Approximately ten days looking for sun, sea and wandering around the various villages of the Île de Beauté. We hope to relax, have fun, eat some good food and make lots of photos. Happy Holidays to you all...if you are planning to leave! See you by the end of August!

Tech data: Olympus E-PL2 - Olympus Zuiko ED 14-150 mm f/4-5.6
Location: Casies Valley, South Tyrol - Italy

Although the mountain trip lasted only a weekend, my dog Jasper did not lose the opportunity to roam free on the trails, enjoy some fresh weather and...dive into the first pool of water he has found...You could read the smile in his eyes! :-)

[...] He walked in with a salty sway
Lookin' like Blackbeard in his day
A brother in arms just like me
I was born a son of the sea
I can't be still, I can't be tied
The only time I feel alive is

When the wind fills my sail
Riding on a lifelong swell
Let my heart take me where it wants to go
That's the soul of a sailor, the soul of a sailor [...]

Words and music by Kenny Chesney.
While dreaming about the sound of the sea and listening to this song,
take a look to the new photo of the month on my website. Enjoy!

Summer is definitely the season for open-air concerts, I really enjoy to attend many of them, especially because of their many photographic opportunities. This evening....hats off to the unique, inimitable, original Emilian Rocker, Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. LITTLE TAVER, the most crazy criss-cross between Elvis, John Belushi and Little Tony, never appeared on the planet earth!

When I was little child I remember I had an illustrated book depicting the four very different seasons; on that book there was a picture for summer section that reminds me very much this photo I took few weeks ago during the harvest near my home. I think that this picture represents also very well this hot summer season. I would really like to find that book .... but, unfortunately, you are child only once...

Also this year, even if only for one night, I did not want to miss a good concert, that can ideally carry me on the banks of the Mississippi River. Of course I'm talking about Roots n' Blues Festival, good food combined with great music. Here are some shots from that night. Enjoy!

Latvian Blues Band

Roberto Luti

Latvian Blues Band

Latvian Blues Band

Close your eyes and breathe deep: here, senses and sensibilities converge in a way only Provence reveals. The fine stalks wave in the wind, blue prairies stretched as far as the eye can see.  Is this all a dream? An extravagantly beautiful dream, for sure, and so, in celebration, I invite you to walk with me along these intoxicating rows of lavender fields..."In full bloom" is the new photo pf the month on my website: for photographers and painters alike, this is a subject you can never weary of. Indeed!

This picture has nothing special, probably not even worth publishing. But I love this particular wood, these textures, these old doors, these vivid contrasts; I think they are fashinating. I have many images of these kind, but perhaps it's time to clear my setting: be patient, it's only the externalization of an evening photo. Then pass.

I'm back from a wonderful long weekend in Provence. As usual, this region never disappoint me, great food and wine, delicious farmer's markets and dramatic drives that leads you along narrow, corkscrew mountain roads, past the valleys and bluffs of the Alpes de Haute-Provence region. Moreover, if your hotel with swimming pool awaits for you with the sound of cicadas in the background, nobody can ask for more. Here some shots from my last unforgettable experience.

Sunset in Gordes

Light and shadows in Roussillon

Roussillon village ocre

Bonnieux and France's iconic car

Coustellet farmer market

...I really like to escape for some days to France with my love. And so is this year...I'm leaving for a long weekend to Provence in search of some good food, relax while wandering around beautiful perched villages with the sounds of cicadas in my hears and...hopefully a little bit of lavender. See you at the beginning of next week!

Tech data: Canon EOS 5D, Tamron AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di MACRO, tripod
Location: My house

I do not have a very large garden, but every time I venture there with my macro lens, I find details and nuances that might not otherwise be noticed. Macro world is fascinating and mysterious at the same time...such as these "treasures in the garden", the new photo of the month on my website. Enjoy!

As a BBQ fan I really like to try new recipes with friends. Last weekend I had the opportunity to use for the first time a Weber BBQ, an experience somewhat different from the usual open BBQ in my garden. For the occasion, I wanted to experience Kansas City Style Sweet & Smoky Ribs, the obsession of the novice griller. The preparation is quite complex and delicate and becomes impossible without a suitable cooking device. A few steps but crucial. Fundamental are the proper management of temperature and dosage of the amount of smoke. And be prepared to a looong 5-hours cooking, so you will be busy with sauces and rub already from your morning breakfast! :-)

There is something magical at the seaside during the shoulder season. Breathing deeply the salty air as the sun is warming up is a priceless feeling and also the signal that winter is nearly over. With crisp air and beaches almost deserted, on the waterfront you do not meet freaks tan but people who choose the sea as the background of their favorite activities. There are those who can not wait to walk barefoot on the beach, other ones who like to stroll along the seafront, where you can stop at one of many bars, for a good coffe or a snack. In short, whether you have decided for a day of sport or total relaxation, few thing are more refreshing than the scent of the sea and the first rays of warming sun in your eyes...

...that challenges the harshness of the mountains and its slopes, and that connects Italy and Switzerland, which has become the highest alpine transversal in Europe and one of the steepest railway in the world. This extraordinary route begins in Tirano with the famous "Bernina Red Train", and sitting comfortably in panoramic carriages with 360° view, you can climb up the 2253 meters of the Bernina Pass and descend towards St. Moritz, the Engadine 's pearl. I experienced this adventure last weekend with a friend, and apart the nasty and wintry weather (so much snow), I enjoyed every minute of this ride, most of all the beautiful and high efficient Switzerland spas!

When I have some free time, I really enjoy wandering around my hometown, even without a precise destination, perhaps with some friends, just to relax and try to get some good shooting. In the past days I waited for a spring storm to end and then I went out in search of the right light. "Urban frame" is the new photo of the month on my website. Enjoy!

Tech data: Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 - Olympus Zuiko ED 14-150 mm f/4-5.6
Location: Parma

Over the years and growin’up as a photographer, become automatic, even when not shooting, to pay attention to all the visual elements around me. Wandering around my hometown or jogging with my dog, in some place of my brain I register the direction of the shadows or the particular shape of a cloud and doesn’t matter if some times I don’t have the camera with me. In this way, my iPhone came to rescue me several times, and did its job very well! “Look, don’t see” is, in some ways, my life. I walk around watching the details, I notice high contrasts and dark shadows, and, if you are a photographer like me, know that our approach to things is different from other people. When you “look, don’t see”, you can certainly try to find a visual solution and try to fix it into your mind or on paper, of the ever changing puzzle that is our world.

Spring equinox passed away not so long ago and after a quick taste of summer, the weather has taken definitely an ugly turn and, never mind the calendar, has returned us into a depressing fall panorama: lead-coloured sky heavy with rain, 12 degrees temperature and the Apennines range on the horizon unusually snow-capped. Looking forward for blue skies and temperatures more appropriate to the period, in the meantime I enjoy a good blended whiskey, some photography books and the company of family and friends.

Duesseldorf - Milan. An hour and a half flight. Just enough time to read reluctantly a newspaper, to consume fat snacks offered by flight attendants and browse the in-flight magazine before landing. But every time I can not avoid taking a snap of the Alps in all their glory on a cold February morning. The amazing white range helps me to get absorbed in my thoughts…until a dull sound brings me back down on Mother Earth.