Mauro Metallo's photostream

I am a photographer and a writer who feels equally at home in Italy and in Canada, .

My interest in photography is split between social documentation and aesthetic investigation into the medium itself, so instead of just “finding” subject matter randomly, I prefer to create images based on my own emotional states or ideas which, if I’m so fortunate, are able to evoke thought and wonder. I also consider myself a minimalist and, as such, I choose to work in black and white only: I think that keeping my images monochromatic makes them majestically heavy and paradoxically closer to reality.

I operate in the analog domain. I’m convinced that film-based imagery is ineffably nearer to the way the brain perceives a scene, rather than the way the eye sees it. Digital images may seem (arguably) more accurate, but the film ones render a more harmonious “whole” that evokes the way the scene “felt” or how it was mentally discerned. In addition, I believe that digital gear has made it easy to take thousands of thoughtless pictures (hoping that maybe one will be decent), with no care whatsoever for the process of what makes a good photo. I have, consequently, opted for a film camera, because I believe that taking less photos makes me remember the situations behind each shot and my images become encapsulated in stories... So, I proudly work with a Leica M4-P, which I consider to be the logical camera, the very essence of precision mechanics and a masterpiece that opened my eyes to a world of memorable experiences from the very moment I bought it.

I also use a 50mm Summicron as my only lens. I have had it for a very long time and I am now extremely used to it: I can anticipate the shot even before I frame; I can “see” what it “sees” ahead of time, thus improving my concentration on the subject and, consequently, the final result.

All that said, writing about everything becomes simply consequential…

To find out more, please check out my publications:

www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1217552

www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1966805