www.andreacalandra.com

Interview with Andrea Calandra

My name is Andrea Calandra, I was born in Rome, Italy in 1985, and I have taken photos of the world since 2000

Please introduce yourself

My name is Andrea Calandra, I was born in Rome, Italy in 1985, and I have taken photos of the world since 2000. I love to observe things of the world through the camera and this vision is always with me. My path never crossed any institute or school of photography. Instead I studied natural sciences at university. In the last years my attention has been focused on the human condition. Actually all my projects converge and concern human society.

www.andreacalandra.com

How did you get interested in photography?

My interest in photography was born spontaneously. There hasn’t been a precise moment, it’s always been something I felt. Probably when my father gave me my first used camera at the age of 15, I began to understand the potential of the medium.

www.andreacalandra.com

Do you have an artistic/photographic background? 

I’m just a very curious person. I devour a large amount of books and films; the stories fascinate me. Music for me is fundamental and I listen all genres.

www.andreacalandra.com

Which artist/photographer inspired your art?

I think a lot of things have contributed to my education. If I have to think of a photographer, and in particular of a single image, it is surely William Albert Allard, and his “BASQUE GIRLS RUNNING HOME” which completely represents what photography means to me. It is a photo that I never tire of looking at, I find it so full of sensations that it amazes me every time. I have an autographed print of it near my desk. Even music, so effective to generate emotions, I think plays a role in my way of seeing things. I love R.E.M. and the atmosphere of “happy melancholy ” created in their songs. Thinking about cinema, the film that gave me most and that I keep watching, is Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner”. There are so many levels of reading in that film that I never tire of watching it and it excites me every time. To finish with a book is “Confessions of Zeno” by Italo Svevo, a book that for me was an epiphany in my conscience as a human being.

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How much preparation do you put into taking a photograph?

I try to study the subject as much as possible. The web is a very important source of knowledge. When I’m on the field, however, I shoot quite freely. If during the preparation I did the right things, then in some way, this passes to the photographs.

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Could you please tell us something about your technique and creating process?

I use small apertures on Olympus Micro 4/3 system. This allows me to use the background which is very important to me. I am a color photographer, but I don’t like when the color becomes too intrusive, so I always tend to reduce it in the post-processing phase. I really love to print my shots and always prefer rough papers. In particular, the Canson PMK Rag is the one I use mostly.

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What do you do in your life besides photography? 

I’m a full time photographer. Mostly work with commercial assignments and also teach photography. In 2018 I founded “Immaginificio” a space hosting courses, meetings and events related to the world of photography. As for my hobbies, I have been practicing martial arts for more than twelve years. It is a discipline that has helped me a lot mentally, in work and in the good life in general.

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What future plans do you have? What projects would you like to accomplish?

I have in mind an ambitious project on music, linked to people. A journey that touches various continents. It’s a big project and to make it happen I am collaborating with DooG Reporter, an agency I’ve been part of since 2019, founded by the talented photojournalist Gabriele Orlini.

Website: https://www.andreacalandra.com/

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