Mario Zanaria is predominately a black & white photographer. He shoots with a range of cameras in both formats digital and film. He lives and works in Milan, Italy. While his photographs have been viewed across all of Europe and most of Asia, North America, and parts of South America. With countless comments on each of his photographs Mario has built a fan base full of intelligent and thoughtful people who give him wonderful feedback. That continues to push his limits in the realm of photography. As a photographer and a person I can only wish we all can be as fortunate. My friend named Gary V. has said time and time again, “Legacy is greater than Currency.” Mario is building his Legacy right now as you read with each snap of his shutter. I am pleased to give you my interview with the wonderful and talented Mario Zanaria.
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Who introduced you to photography and what was the camera you learned on?
When I was twelve my mother gave my father a Canon A1 as a gift. He never used it, so I started to take pictures with it. Luckily enough at the same time an older friend of ours. Who is a great photographer came to our house often and gave me some lessons. I owe much to him and the funny thing is that I found him recently on flickr after years, his name is Luca Rubbi, check his work, he is great.
Have you been able to shoot with Luca Rubbi since finding him years later?
Unfortunately not yet, we are both very busy and it is difficult to find the good moment. But I am sure we will meet in future. I don’t know if we will shoot together though: shooting is a very personal thing for me, I need to be in the situation and stop thinking as much as possible, letting the feelings guide. I don’t know if I could do it with somebody else is there with me shooting, I am afraid I would feel embarrassed or annoyed.
Can you list your gear in order, most commonly used?
First I want to say that I really think gear is the least important thing in photograpy, maybe except when you are doing really technila works as sport or close up.
You can take good or bd pictures with anything, To me the important thing is that the gear become transparent, you don’t have to think of it. This said I am now in a transition period, so I have wuite a wide range of cameras and lenses.
I prefer using Leica (M8 and M6) with 15, 28 and 35mm lenses. I also use quite often a Canon 5D mainly with a 24mm or a 24-70mm Lens. The Leica is the camera with which I am more accustomed to and I feel I take better pictures with it, the rangefinder give me a greater control on the scene, I am into it and I have a strong connection with the subject. The Canon, on the other side, is much faster and precise and provides better files especially in low light.
I always have in my pocket an old Minox 35 GT-E which is by far my favorite camera and I sometimes use an Holga. Last I have bought an old Hasselblad 500 which I use for my naked truth project
Whatever happened to your father’s Canon A1 is it still in use today?
No, it was sold not long ago on ebay, it had been collecting dust for years and I felt sad for it not making happy anybody else, so I preferred to let it go to somebody who will enjoy using it.
Most of your images are black & white. What draws you to shoot a lot of black and white photography?
I am a black and white guy, I started taking pictures in black and white and I still love it so much. I think it allows you to concentrate on the essence of things. I find colors are often distracting: you have to be an extremely good photographer to control them and use them to enhance the sense of a picture. It is really rare to see a picture that in color is better than in bw: many people shoot in colors just because they are there. I don’t think it is a good enough reason But I do appreciate color pictures: when you see the works of people like Lachapelle or Araki, for instance, it does give a sense to colors.
What are some of the common places you go to when looking for inspiration?
Mainly books, exhibition, obviously the Internet.
Many woman have reserves about being naked in front of a camera. When working on the Naked Truth did you in counter any of this and if so how do you handle it?
This is true, I faced many refusals to this set. but I don’t really see it as a problem, this pictures work if there is a common will to take a portrait gettig rid of everything (dresses, of course, but also poses, roles, and so on) If a potentially interesting person don’t want to do it there is not much to handle… On the other side I have seen that many women are really actracted by the concept when they see the pictures and hear the idea behind it, but may not want private parts to be seen publicly.In this case we agree to chose together the shots that they consider appropriate. It is much a question of confidence and, especially with people who decide to pose for the first time crossing a big border for them, it is also much responsibility for the photographer
When would you consider a photo complete, when it hits the internet or goes up on a wall?
Good question. The true answer is: the moment in which it has been shot, the story could end there. Then, of course, I am happy and curious to see the results so I turn everything on the pc. Once they are edited (as I would do in the darkroom), to me they are complete Sharing is a further step, which I enjoy very much, but a photo is complete even before that.
If you can hope to leave one impression with your photographs what would that be?
True.
I don’t really care if my pictures are technically perfect or absolutely original or whatever. I want them to be true, to reflect what I really see and feel when I shot someone or something.
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I want to thank Mario for sharing with us here at Photograview.
