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<\/p>\nHe could have become a stationmaster. He could have spent his life watching the trains go by, a motionless traveler, kepi screwed on his head and whistle at the tip of his lips. In the end, Luca Carmagnola chose another form of travel. That of photography, a vast and rich universe to which nothing predestined him until the day when, with his first wages as an apprentice station manager in his pocket, he bought himself a camera. At the first click, young Luca was smitten. I was 17,” he recalls. I immediately understood how things worked. The passion was obvious. After six months, I wanted to change direction, I knew I wanted to make a living out of it. In addition to the pleasure of shooting, there are the sensations of the darkroom. The smells of the baths, the emotion of revealing the image… The irresistible charm of film… Luca finishes his first apprenticeship and starts a second, this time in photography. “I went from earning CHF 1,300 to CHF 250 a month”. But it doesn’t matter, when you love it you don’t count. “My pleasure has increased tenfold! <\/p>\n
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Following his apprenticeship, Luca became an assistant at the prestigious Vevey School of Photography. In 1992, he set up his own studio on the outskirts of Vevey. The best way, after all, to live his passion as he sees fit. What I like best is photographing people,” he says. I like human contact, looking for what a person wants to portray about themselves, and managing to bring out their personality. A photo is only really successful when the subject recognizes himself and is pleasantly surprised. Over the years, Luca’s style has evolved. He increasingly appreciates spontaneity and working with natural light. Through his lens, he succeeds in praising reality. And to think that this talent could have remained on the station… <\/p>\n
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Photography vs. watchmaking<\/strong> Photographers to (re)discover
\nBy Luca Carmagnola<\/em>
\nTIME: “To take a good photo, you need to be in the right place at the right time. Depending on the type of image you want to make, you need to be patient. You need to scout the location, watch for a particular light or wait for your model to be in the right mood to pose.”
\nTECHNIQUE: “As in watchmaking, technical mastery is essential. It’s what enables the professional photographer to react instantly to situations as they arise. He’ll know which settings to apply, which point of view to take. Nothing is left to chance, and only solid experience can ensure quality results. Photography is a profession”.
\nPASSION: “In watchmaking as in photography, passion is the key. Every morning, I know I’m going to enjoy doing what I love most. Photography is much more than a job. It’s natural, like a matter of course.”<\/p>\n
\nTheir names are bound to ring a bell. They’re geniuses of the 8th art. Mentors, obvious sources of inspiration whose work inspires Luca Carmagnola in his daily life. Helmut Newton for the power of black and white portraiture, Robert Mapplethorpe for his extraordinary lighting… He also admires the universe and madness of David LaChapelle. Or the exceptional mastery of fashion photographer Mario Testino. The names of these artists line up like so many books of photographs collected by Luca Carmagnola. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","blog_category":[484],"class_list":["post-179301","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog_category-passion-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n