Rita Vita Finzi Photography

www.ritavitafinzi.com

www.flickr.com/photos/ritavitafinzi/

www.blurb.com/my/store (my books)

www.redbubble.com/explore/rita+vita+finzi

500px.com/rvfinzi2012

 

What kind of equipment (camera body, lens, filters, flash, tripod, cleaning equipment other) do you use?

 

I don’t have any very “rich” and sophisticated equipment – and, actually, I don’t think you really need it. I have a very good camera – Canon 7D – and some very good lenses: Canon 70-200mm f/4, Canon 85mm f/1.8, Sigma 35mm f/1.4, Tamron 90mm f/2.8, Sigma 10-20mm 4-5.6,  Canon 17-85mm 5.6; an old Manfrotto tripod and no filters – they will be my next purchase (e.g. for more and better long exposure experiments).

What do you like and dislike about your equipment, specially your camera, and how would you improve it?

 

Honestly, the only reason sometimes I think about changing my camera is that with high iso it is annoying noisy – therefore the idea of a Canon EOS 5D Mark III is tempting me. But more than this, at the moment I am thinking/dreaming about a “step back” to analog photography (+ home printing) because I think that it is absolutely unique especially for black and white photos – so sharp, rich in tones and details and precious. I think this is my next “challenge” – yes, I think this would improve my equipment and my photography a lot. 

 

What is your favourite lens, and why?

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4: it is simply “perfection” – unbelievably bright and sharp, excellent for so many subjects – architecture, details,  nature, close-up, and highly performing even in the worse light conditions. And nothing to envy to the Canon one, but really less expensive.

 

When you travel, what is in your essential photographic kit bag?

 

It is always difficult to organize my photo kit bag when I fly, but I couldn’t go without my 35, 85 and 70-200; recently I take my 10-20 often with me, if I hadn’t it in Calatrava station (Liege) I would have cried 🙂

 

What kind of software/tools do you use for post-processing, if any?

 

I bought Aperture sometimes ago, and I am quite satisfied by it (for quick and easy post process); then Photoshop CS5, for more sophisticated works (what I call my “artworks”). 

 

How long have you been taking photographs? How do you find inspiration? How do you take your pictures?

 

Photography for me is a quite recent discovery – I bought  my first camera in 2007 – a tiny but lovely Konika Minolta DIMAGE A200 – then one year later my first Canon (Eos 350D), then a Canon 40D and now a Canon 7D. Before 2007, I didn’t even know what photography was …
About inspiration: difficult to reply – what I love is, more than subject itself, to be able to “see” things with different eyes, or, at least, to try it; what inspires me can be a particular light, some shadows, shapes or colours – a particular bokeh, or a situation, things like these. Anyway, first of all I am fascinating by architecture, geometries and composition (“urbanabstractions”) and I find inspiration from the world around me, travelling or just walking around; as much, inspiration comes by great “masters”, contemporary and not, and, why not? from the photo communities on the internet, that have had a very important role in my photographic development.

 

Which style of photography do you like the most, and why?

 

Minimal photography – can be architecture or nature – is one of the two things I love the most. There are many reasons for this, one for all is that taking photographs means to me the attempt to go to the “core” of something, to catch the mistery, the harmony, the music, the meaning, the feeling  and the vision. “Taking away” to arrive to the essence, yes, I think this is what I point to.
Another thing I love is creating “artworks”, taking inspiration and  starting from a shot of mine, and transforming it into something completely different – process  that allows my mind to fly.

 

What goal are you working towards within your photography and when will you know you have reached it?

 

Well, difficult to answer this question: I think my principal goal is “enjoying” (that means silence, concentration,  observation, even contemplation, time) and together with it learning – I still have a lot to learn, and improving, day by day. Therefore I am going on enjoying photography and the very special pleasure it gives to me. Anyway, at the moment I am into a sort of “transition moment”:  looking for new challenges, as I wrote above: black and white + people (portraits and street shots), this is what I am looking at.

 

Looking at your own work, which piece is your favourite? Why? Please provide a link to the picture.

 

Gosh, this IS difficult, and no, not because I think I have plenty of masterpieces!, but just because many shots take me back to some situation, or feeling, or particular moment. This said, may I provide more than one link? Just three, that can somehow represent my photography:
1. Architecture – Santiago Calatrava’s breathe: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ritavitafinzi/6958548603/in/set-72157622803581807
2. Nature – “On the motionless branches of some trees … : http://www.flickr.com/photos/ritavitafinzi/6254445893/
3. Artworks – http://www.flickr.com/photos/ritavitafinzi/4425219843/

 

“TREES”  – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6q3Yf_KnVw

“DREAMS IN PROGRESS” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J8G7XIqFV0
(here my postproductions in progress, from the original shot untill the final creation)

“SANTIAGO CALATRAVA’S BREATH” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfGgMDE8LR4
(Calatrava’s Guillermine Station in Liege, Belgium)

Does your work fit into any one or more distinct genres (nature, landscape, long-exposure, black-and-white, infra-red, urban, artistic, macro, vintage, vernacular, social, street)? If other, please specify.

 

The links I provided above are referred to my most special interests: architecture, nature and artworks. But I am interested in all possibilities, genres and subjects – everything can be inspirational and everything can offer a different side and sight.

 

Are there any photography websites that you visit regularly?
Fickr has been the very first one – I joined in in 2007, and it has been my first “window” on photography world: I have learned a lot;
then 500px, Red Bubble; I also often visit many great master galleries, photo tutorials (e.g. on youtube, very usefull), canon community.

 

What is the one most important lesson that you have learned since you started taking photographs?

 

That everything, even the most tiny and apparently insignificant thing, can be viewed into a different perspective; that photography is a matter of time, soul and concentration; that every day you can get surprised if only you are open to surprise yourself.

 

And finally, what other interesting photographers would you like to see in this blog?

 

1. Gianni Galassi (http://giannigalassi.typepad.com/), a master for architecture and urban abstractions
2. Tom McLaughlan (http://ministract.com/), an inspiring ministract artist
3. Alberta Dionisi (http://www.flickr.com/photos/albertadionisi/7186788945/) one of the more sophisticated photographers I have met on Flickr
well, this list can be really longer!