NEWS

Settimio Benedusi was born by the sea in the sixties. His first memories are the Italian songwriter Fabrizio De Andrè’s and Genesis’ albums, Fellini’s movies and his Pentax K1000, loaded with a llford FP4 that he processed in his own darkroom. He dreamt of going to Milan and to become a photographer of fashion, beauty and advertising. Today he lives in Milan and he replaced his darkroom with a digital Canon. He is the only Italian photographer who has been cooperating for seven years with the celebrated South African magazine for swimwear “Sports Illustrated”. On the account of it, he shot pictures at Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius and Malaysia. He collaborates with Max and he is the official photographer of Sport Week Magazine. He carried out several advertising campaigns travelling around the world. Settimio is constantly looking for beauty. He frames the subject and shoots. “This is the only way to catch those unique moments that could otherwise get lost  like tears in the rain”. Pop into his website www.benedusi.it to get an idea of his work.

You were born in a town by the sea, and this seems to be a recurring element in your recent career. Where does this sort of osmotic relationship come from?

My first picture was taken in Imperia, my town. From that moment on I began studying photography on my own, experimenting every day facing the sea till the moment I decided to collect the most meaningful shoots in a folder for drawings. I left for Milan where I knocked at many advertising agency doors.

Any recent funny good story?

There are so many, the most recent happened on the occasion of our arrival at the British Virgin Islands to shoot the first number of Sport Week dedicated to swimwear. A policeman, at the customs of Tortola airport gave us a warm welcome and whispered my name almost fascinated as if I had been a prime minister. Since then we had been treated as special guests. An unforgettable experience.

How important is for you to find a contact with your subject before taking a picture? How can you do it?

It’s fundamental because my only subject are people. The subject must allow the photographer to play, to enjoy himself. An easy trick: you need to talk a lot with the subject, to know him and then shoot him. It’s almost a chemical reaction.

What is the most significant element you try to bring out of a subject when you take a picture?

Talking about female beauty the eyes are for sure a sort of priority access into the soul. I always ask my subject to stare at the camera and above all I want the subject to be as much active as possible making her feel cuddled and protected at the same time.

See you in Cannes Settimio.

I can’t wait.