Fly me to the Mood
Photographer: Riccardo Mattei
1. What significant life experiences or events have influenced and shaped your artistic vision?
Actually, I don't think there are any remarkable experiences or events which I could link my visual expression to. It is most probably the sum of all: travels, landscapes, encounters and possibly a little bit of my privileged point of view into technology, as a sat-com engineer.
2. Collaboration often sparks fresh creativity. Can you share an example of a collaboration that led to an unexpected and exciting artistic outcome?
Sure! This is exactly how this very editorial came out! Genevieve and I got together for a stock photography photoshoot in business look. My amazing friend and colleague Robinson Méndez offered his precious help and I knew a very interesting location (suggested by a fellow photographer and friend), so we were all set for a nice, relaxing photographic afternoon! Genevieve showed up with an amazing red suit and breathtaking white polished high heels. For the first part, I could direct her into standard commercial business poses, but the fact is that Genevieve has fashion in her young blood and kept on giving me incredible striking poses! The warm afternoon light insight and outside the building was phantastic, the location, the outfit, everything was yelling at me to let it flow! And so was it!
3. Walk us through a specific project that challenged your creative boundaries. How did you approach it, and what did you learn from the experience?
I am really pretty new to this fashion world and I am not ashamed to admit that I have little experience in the commercial photography. I remember having a collaboration with a fitness center last year, just to gain some practice. It was my very first time. At the beginning, none of my planned shots was working, I was completely blocked. On the point of throwing in the towel and send everybody home without a single pic, I went to the toilette and looked in the mirror for a moment. I decided to just start shooting, no matter what, even if just plain, boring lighting and composition. This was enough to get the engine started: it went on with amazing pics with great lighting and even smoke! So nice that the gym’s management used them for advertisement! So, what I learnt is that it might take a while at the beginning of a photoshoot to get into the flow; just acknowledge it without worrying and keep shooting! And the initial “boring” pics? They became bestsellers on stock photography platforms!
4. In the ever-evolving art world, what do you believe sets your work apart and makes it unique or groundbreaking?
It is my opinion that everybody’s work is, in a way, unique, most of all artistic work. This having being said, I remember with affection that once, during my education at Linz’ school of photography (“Prager Fotoschule”), one of the teachers, a lovely smart woman, commented my reportage homework in a very positive way, adding that I have a “soulful” way to photograph. This stays with me since then.
5. As you reflect on your journey, are there any specific goals or milestones you've set for your artistic career in the coming years?
Oh yes! The first one is to finally have a homepage! (Laugh)! As a part-time photographer, I know it is difficult to cope with my ambitions. For sure, I’d love to travel to wonderful places and have workshops with the best photographers out there and have important commercial assignments, but I know that I have to be patient!
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Photographer: Riccardo Mattei
Model: Genevieve Nonome Themanou @Naelia.mgmt | @First Model
Photographer: Robinson méndez