honorable mention
Francesco Mussida italyPhoto © Francesco Mussida
title
In-Difesa (in defense)
This photograph was taken in Abruzzo (Italy) wandering through wild fields and observing archetypal forms of adaptation and resistance such as thorns, mucrones, and armor. Some plants communicate a posture of defense; they have become warriors, hardening themselves to protect their fragility.
For example, in the sharp forms of thorns Rubus Ulmifolius expresses the promise of a laceration, the pain of a wound that is enough to create a necessary and vital distance with predators.
No plants were cut, the shot was taken on site with natural light.
For these works he chose the form of the portrait as a method of all-encompassing observation towards light, subject and air. Each portrait is made in the field with the precise intention of respecting environmental influences.
He chose a totally analog approach, using exclusively vintage cameras and following the methods of manual processing of film development and printing.
The mission behind this choice is to preserve a natural space between observer and observed subject, avoiding any kind of digital interpretation and always keeping involved natural variables such as light, time and emotions. Since 2016 he has been teaching film development and analog printing techniques and runs a blog entirely dedicated to analog culture www.stampaanalogica.it
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entry description
This photograph is part of In-Difesa (in defense), a photo series investigating the techniques adopted by certain plant species to protect themselves from predators or cope with harsh environmental conditions.This photograph was taken in Abruzzo (Italy) wandering through wild fields and observing archetypal forms of adaptation and resistance such as thorns, mucrones, and armor. Some plants communicate a posture of defense; they have become warriors, hardening themselves to protect their fragility.
For example, in the sharp forms of thorns Rubus Ulmifolius expresses the promise of a laceration, the pain of a wound that is enough to create a necessary and vital distance with predators.
No plants were cut, the shot was taken on site with natural light.
about the photographer
Francesco Mussida is an Italian photographer with deep knowledge in silver gelatin printing. His works on plants reflect deep attention to the way nature expresses its language through forms, movements and propagations.For these works he chose the form of the portrait as a method of all-encompassing observation towards light, subject and air. Each portrait is made in the field with the precise intention of respecting environmental influences.
He chose a totally analog approach, using exclusively vintage cameras and following the methods of manual processing of film development and printing.
The mission behind this choice is to preserve a natural space between observer and observed subject, avoiding any kind of digital interpretation and always keeping involved natural variables such as light, time and emotions. Since 2016 he has been teaching film development and analog printing techniques and runs a blog entirely dedicated to analog culture www.stampaanalogica.it
back to gallery