Interview with the photographer Chiara Vitellozzi

Introduction

Today I’m going to be interviewing Chiara Vitellozzi. A brilliant inspiring 26 year-old photographer from Carrara, Italy. Vitellozzi’s photography, which is her companion and her way to reach and connect with reality and the people around her, mainly revolves around natural light portraiture and monochrome photography. Her work has been exhibited and published in many magazines.

As a photographer, how did it all start for you and who or what was your muse?

It all started pretty much while playing about with my compact digital camera, which helped me look at reality from a different point of view. I went on like that for a couple of years, when I felt ready for a leap forward and purchased my reflex cameras (both analog and digital).
My muse is little things.

What do you shoot with: SLR or rangefinder?

Nikon D300, Nikon FM, and Nikon F75. I’ve always been a Nikon user.

What lenses can mostly be found on your camera mount and why?

50mm or very wide angle lenses. The first to reach the inside of people I portray. I love the shallow Depth of Field and the tight framing. The second, to put my subjects in context and allow them to interact with what’s around them and to involve the observer, or at least try to do so!

Looking at your photos, one can clearly see the simplicity, sincerity, and utter beauty. How do you tend to make that happen in every shot?

That’s a tough question. I try to convey my feelings, or actually to convey what I see at that very moment. I don’t think too much, most of the time I feel like the picture is already there and all I have to do is set the parameters and push the shutter button. It’s a bit like lightning. Like the wind. Like things that never come back once they’re gone.

What do you like to shoot most and why?

Mostly people, especially in their own environment. I like stealing shots, even when I’m doing commission work. I’m not so much into studio portraiture with too much work behind it.

What exhibitions have you held? And what are some of their themes?

I took part in several collective exhibitions exploring a wide variety of subjects. My first personal exhibition, "La camera Chiara" (organised by Mentindipendenti and held in Gubbio in November 2009) was focused on a series of portraits where the human figure went through various stages, from shadow, to hint to predominant subject of the picture.

What do you aspire for? What are your dreams as a photographer and an artist?

Photography is my passion. I don’t want it to become a regular job. I’m studying to become an architect, and that’s what I want to do professionally. Photography is what helps me let off some steam, it’s some sort of freedom I take and leave whenever I want to. I’m really not interested in making it slip into some sort of routine.

What advice would you give to photographers who look at you as their role model?

I’d tell them to learn a lot, trying to master the technique and then feel free to take distance from it. I also believe that measuring yourself against the really big names is good, as well as keeping an open eye on everything and experimenting. I personally like the feeling of being "one step behind", it pushes me to look for something more, to learn more. And obviously, paramount is having fun and letting creativity loose!