Darkrooms Uncovered - Matteo Franchi
A peek into a photographer's mental creative darkroom
What does your creative ritual look like? Do you have specific habits or conditions that spark your creativity?
I don't think I have a sort of ritual. While I have habits when preparing for a shoot, like a checklist to be sure I won't miss/forget anything, I let creativity come and go and just follow the flow to see where it will bring me
When you're feeling creatively blocked, what's your go-to method for breaking through?
I have to say that when I feel blocked, that's a tough wall to get through. I feel I'm in a sort of loop where the less I produce, the less I feel motivated to produce and so on. When it happens I just try to focus on something completely different (last time for example I switched to some coding activities, just for fun and learning) and then get back to my photography with a fresh mind.
Describe a moment when your creative perspective shifted dramatically. What triggered it?
I'm not sure about this one. I mean, I also wrote a dedicated newsletter about my work and how I feel I have never created THE image I love. Though I am generally happy of what I make, I don't think I have yet produced anything to be considered a masterpiece. Nothing that makes me surprise to the point I can say THIS IS IT!
What recurring themes or elements do you find yourself naturally drawn to capture?
I am a portrait photographer. I love to make images of people because in each of us there's an entire world of emotions. Each model in each set is completely different because we are all influenced by our lives. This reflects in the images I create and it makes every set a unique experience. And this is amazing.
What non-photographic influences (books, music, films, etc.) most impact your work?
Uhm, I think my photographic work develops from other photographic work. Music, movies and books are for me another form of entertainment and, at least consciously, I don't think of them as a source of inspiration/ influence. I guess, however, that my brain records what I see, listen to and read and then mixes up everything regardless I want it or not. And that inevitably ends up in my photos.
What photograph of yours feels most personally revealing, and why?
I can't say there's a specific image. I would say there's more an entire project that mostly reflects my idea of photography, which is my "Be Yourself" project. In this collection of images I ask my models to basically stop modeling to show me their emotions. With no filters, no guides. I usually spend the initial part of the set, each set actually, just talking to them, so we can get into their current mood. In particular, for this project, I try to go deep in how they feel, how life is treating them. And then come the emotions. This is what I love the most.
Find out more about Matteo Franchi
Website: www.teofranchi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teofranchifoto
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