Can’t take this lockdown!

Here we go again, locked in and out of society once again. Whereas we’re promised solutions and vaccines, it seems the virus keeps travelling faster than ever… and we are kept locked up.

There’s so much need to produce art, any form of it, in order to overcome mental anguish that could lead to chronic problems such as depression. And photographers are no different: they must keep clicking, pushing that little button, catching a moment, framing an image… or they risk to fall ill.

That is why I made sure to continue – surely respectful of all rules and measures – to create.

Here are some of the latest works and publications.

Should you feel like talking to escape solitude or boredom I’m here. I’ll be happy to have a chat!

Meanwhile, keep creating. The world needs us!

A CHALLENGE IS ALWAYS ON!

When I heard @Vogue set up a challenge to create pseudo covers using past work I felt obliged to take it upon me and publish a week’s worth of Vogue inspired covers.

Photo taken during the Hong Kong Fashion Week

I’ve managed to revisit past work from some of my dearest sessions and managed to re-render them in a vogue-ish version, emulating their very distinctive iconic style.

Photo taken during a masterclass held in Italy

I found incredibly cathartic the act of seeing again my past work with a brand new eye: it is indeed true that observing things done in the past with a totally fresh point of view lets us bring out of them a new essence.

Photo taken during an editorial in Italy

What I also found is that I can be a real jerk to myself: I tend to be a lot more critical about my own work after a while… but also that I manage to find brand new jewels, completely taken for granted up to that point!

Photo taken during an editorial in London

I’m really happy I accepted the challenge: it was like rummaging the old crate trying to find the perfect clothes to wear at a party…

Photo taken during an editorial in London

What have I learnt from all of this?

That I should do this more often: leave my work behind for a while and then go back to it trying to look at things differently and… have a bit of fun with it!

Photo taken during London Fashion Week

DIDN’T KNOW HOW GOOD FEEDING DUCKS MAKE YOU FEEL!

Regent’s Park

Every day I’m out and about in my local park taking pix of the fauna available for posing… so I realised I was stealing images without remuneration: I started bringing along sunflower seeds, stale bread and even peanuts for the squirrels. I can’t stop now!

Regent’s Park

I’m absolutely amazed at how intelligent they all are: they hear the noise of the plastic wrap from afar and they know whether they’ll like it or not. They walk (the squirrel) with plenty of suspects, and they run (the ducks) without a worry in the world. Then there are the pigeons: damn the pigeons are the real mobsters

!!!

Regent’s Park

Then there those who just look at you, they kinda study humans as if we were the ones behind the cage in the zoo. And I love it. I feel like the situation has fully reversed! Anyway, it’s becoming a real ya it and I’m hoping I’ll keep it till this #covid19 madness and #isolation will finally disappear.

ONE MORE DAY, ONE MORE WALK

Regent’s Park

I went for a walk again, to my local park that is. It’s funny to see how the runners are the ‘die-hard’ during this whole #pandemic , maybe because they feel invincible (just for being healthy) yet they don’t know whether they harbour any pre-existing condition that might take them to an early grave. Or maybe they don’t know they can be just a vehicle and pass it onto older folks and kill them without even realising. Or again they might be totally right. Who knows. I feel like one of those storks, watching the world go by and waiting to understand.

Regent’s Park

And sometimes I hide my head under my own armpit and pretend I can’t see what’s going on. Surely I’m not as classy as the swans, but sometimes we just need some rest, some #isolation , especially during the madness of a #virus that is claiming far too many lives. Nothing wrong with taking a little break…