Ciao! My name is Riccardo, I was born in 1985 in Marsciano, a small city in the Umbrian province of Perugia, where I still live to this day. I’ve been drawn to photography ever since I was a small child when I would flip through any magazine I could get my hands on. Given my love of travel and all the beautiful things the world has to offer, in 2004, I graduated as a technician in the field of Tourism Services. This led me to go on and obtain a degree in Advertising Communications at the University for Foreigners in Perugia. My thesis focused on the use of photography to raise awareness and appreciation of the medieval city of Todi and its historical, artistic and natural heritage. My first approach to photography as a hobby was thanks in large part to my university courses. Then, in 2010, I had the immense fortune of being able to transform this passion into a job, decidedly narrowing my subject down to wedding photography.
I love what I do, being a photographer is one of the most beautiful jobs in the world. It allows one to express one’s own sensitivity, to see and interpret anything (be it concrete or abstract) and tell a story about it through one’s own pictures. The intrinsic and magical power of photography is its ability to move people. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to fulfil this mission.
A while ago, my brother showed me a video on YouTube of Gianluca Gotto, a young Italian writer he follows. I’d like to cite an extract from it that really struck me: «Have you ever had that feeling – and I’m sure many of you have – when you get to work, look at your watch, see that it’s 09:15 and say, “Damn! What I wouldn’t give to make the next eight hours fly by, use them up and be able to time travel to this evening, when I’ll be free to do whatever I like.” I think that, from a work point of view, I’ve found my ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese word meaning, “reason for being”; it’s a person’s life objective, their reason for getting up in the morning and living. According to the Japanese, ikigai is the intersection of four aspects: what you love, what you know how to do, what you can share with others (maybe as a good deed and to make them happy), and what you can do to earn a living – to pay your bills, buy a house and so on. Perhaps this last one is the most important: being able to turn ikigai into a job.» From the moment I managed to turn my passion for photography into my job, I stopped wishing that time would fly by quickly. I wake up in the morning and wish that my days would slowly linger by, in order not to waste a single one of them.
Passions play an important role in my life because they are also the stimulus for my professional life. I am convinced that in any creative job, stimuli are very important. I am first and foremost a lover of travel and good food, so traveling while savoring local cuisines is a real treat for me. Obviously, I’ve never gone on a trip without my camera. Below you will find the link to the website of my second brand where I focus on architectural, corporate and landscape photography. I’d be thrilled for you to look at it: www.intothelight.it
Music is also an important stimulus for me, as well as a passion. Since I’m lucky enough to spend hours working alone on the computer, I get to listen to a lot of music every day. If you were to ask me which musical genre I preferred, I probably wouldn’t be able to answer you precisely. I like to switch from genre to genre, based on my mood. But I can say with certainty what my two favorite songs are: “Don’t Look Back In Anger” by Oasis and “Loud Like Love” by Placebo. I do have a favorite musical instrument, however: drums. In fact, I have a set at home that I play every now and then. Sometimes I even organize jam sessions in recording studios with friends.
In recent years, I have discovered a great passion for the most beautiful accessory ever invented: the wristwatch. I like reading up on the latest releases and increasing my knowledge of wristwatches and vintage watches. I currently own a collection of watches that vary in style and type. Those who know me never see me without a watch on my wrist; it’s just part of who I am. I practically only take it off when I go to bed.
During Covid-19 lockdown, I’ve developed an interest in bartending. When guests come over, they’re well aware of this and know I like to pamper them this way. My liquor cabinet is well-stocked with various kits of the trade, allowing me to make around 50 cocktails. Occasionally, whenever I decide to prepare myself a cocktail, I always say I should try something new, but I never manage to betray my classic Negroni, undoubtedly the best cocktail in the world.
Last but not least, I am an animal lover. In fact, Maddalena and I (my partner since 2016) have two adorable cats at home, Ron (affectionately called Ronny, from the Ron Weasley character in Harry Potter) and Undi (“El” in English, after the character Undi/El from the Stranger Things TV series).
Awards, Recognitions and Collaborations
In September 2016, I worked with Lunargento publishing house, the Region of Umbria and Umbria Tourism to put together the Love Me In Umbria magazine, part of the Love Me In Italy series which promotes romantic tourism in Italian regions. Some of my photographs were selected as content within the magazine and, most importantly, one of my photographs was chosen for the cover page. During the magazine’s launch and promotion, that photo was applied to the sides of the famous “vaporetti” in Venice and happily navigated the canals of that beautiful city for several weeks.
In November 2018, I won the Best Italian Wedding Photographer award at the Italian Wedding Stars event held at Tenuta Monacelle, a magnificent location in the region of Puglia.
In April 2019, one of my photographs was chosen to dress the Region of Umbria & Umbria Tourism stand at The National Wedding Show in London, one of the most famous international events in the wedding industry.
In April 2019, the FIOF (International Photography Foundation) gave one of my photographs Honorable Mention in the “Wedding” category at the FIIPA Awards, one of the most important and renowned international competitions for professional photography.
In November 2019, Elio Martino Villa (highly experienced professional photographer and journalist from Milan) chose twelve of my photographs for his project entitled Dentro L’inquadratura: Comunicare Con La Fotografia (Inside the Shot: Communicating with Photography). The book is a cultural journey dedicated to the language of photography consisting of various themed encounters aimed at explaining how photographs communicate, tell stories, bring out emotions and how they should be read. My photographs were chosen for the lesson on “Wedding Photography” because Elio felt that they accurately captured both the image as well as strong emotional engagement.
In January 2023 some of my photos of a wedding planned and created by the wedding planner Giulia Barabani – that I had the pleasure of photographing – have been published in ELLE SPOSE, the most loved magazine by Italian brides.
