ABOUT ME: EXPLORER OF NATURE, PHOTOGRAPHY AND LIFE
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time
T. S. Eliot
Artist Statement
I am inspired by natural mountain landscapes as a place of existential rebirth, spiritual resonance and artistic evolution. I express my vision through images of great depth and purity that lengthen the duration of the gaze and resolve the perception of contrasts in materializing and dissolving of the elements.
My works are distinguished both by the strong lyrical and spiritual character, due to the practice of poetry, the Daoist approach to life and ancient Chinese landscape painting, and by the naturalistic scientific attitude to observation and exploration.
Starting from the importance of silence, emptiness and solitude, the themes of my poetics develop:
- celebrate the sacredness of nature that exposes human beings to the ultimate truth of life, and invites them to travel to the root of their Self, opening up to the mystical meaning of their existence and preparing for death;
- recognize the union between nature and all beings by unhinging the common sense of separation, valuing relationships and interconnections, to reawaken people's awareness of their being part of a universal whole and therefore called to preserve natural balances , preserve the memory of places, take care of nature, as of oneself.
My style is characterized by the search for the essential - compositional, formal, aesthetic - given by the emptiness that flows in the relationship between things and in the synthesis between awareness and vision, by the relaxation of time and the opening of space that brings out the infinite, in which everything is born new and unique in a breath of eternity.
Thanks to emptiness, I can have an authentic and pure gaze that recalls the depth of the Daoist landscape perspective, but enriched with aspects of the romantic sublime.
A few irreplaceable landscape elements make up the image and go beyond their boundaries, creating the moment and place where opposites harmonise.
The immanent and the absolute come together at a point between the end and the beginning that contains every possibility, where photography pauses for a moment to discover the mystery of love.
The natural landscape is revealed in its aesthetic, poetic and spiritual value and photography opens up to listen to the deep feelings of acceptance, union, freedom and energy.
Immersed in this intimate dialogue of amazement, discovery and gratitude, I realise the symbiosis with the landscape as a foundation and expression of creative vitality and dynamic balance.
In my works the mountain reveals its forms, its history, its mood in the continuous atmospheric changes, in the palpitation of natural forces that ignite vibrant plays of light and shadow.
My approach to the image then goes beyond Edward Weston's "great wonder of revelation", and the deep contemplation of the natural landscape is the recognition of my own inner landscape in a new perspective of looking: free, present and aware.
Photography, then, arises from a need of the spirit, from being a participant in Life in its continuous evolution, from the joy of setting out on the road, from waiting and trusting in the universal creative energy.
Thus an exploration of acute sensitivity takes place that naturally flows into black and white or colour, into the experimentation of both digital and analogue supports and techniques, to communicate the emotional essence, the tonal richness, the face and personality of the mountain, restoring a tangible sensation of concreteness.
In this context of expressive research, the mountain embodies my personal experience from which my artistic vision of an absolute landscape sprouts - which embraces the divine of existence - in which my works are an act of love for nature, and a gift for today's and tomorrow's humanity.
Biography
◾ Born in Siena, she spent her early childhood years between the city and Monte Amiata in Val d'Orcia (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites) and grew up surrounded by the
masterpieces of the most famous artists in Italian art history and the priceless landscapes of the province of Siena.
◾ She showed a precocious aptitude for drawing, a strong plastic intuition and an innate inclination for poetry, which, together with the study of music, contributed to increasing her passion for
art.
Growing up, she was attracted by the expressive potential of photographic language, and began to create her first works on film and with ancient techniques, experimenting in the darkroom.
◾ Her great love for nature and frequenting mountain environments prompted her to pursue graduate studies in Natural Sciences to understand and protect the ecological relationships between
biotic, abiotic components and human beings.
◾ The desire for solitude and silence accompanied her path of spiritual knowledge, and she found affinity with the Eastern sapiential traditions in rediscovering the intimate unity of all nature. She was thus able to mature her own sensitivity, creativity, ability to listen, respect for others along with the curiosity and openness towards the world that characterize her.
◾ She obtained the Qualification of Photographer (recognised in all European Union countries) at the International School of Visual Communication in Florence (Italy), born from the collaboration with the Alinari Foundation. At the final exam she presented her portfolio of fine art landscape photographs and the thesis entitled "Photographic
printing techniques. Printing processes from salted paper to Cibachrome" which also included seven prints made by hand on various types of paper (salted, albuminated, cyanotype, Van Dyck, gum
bichromate, polythene with silver salts with and without selenium toning).
◾ She has participated in various photography courses and workshops, in particular at the Advanced Training School di Fondazione Modena Arti Visive, where she also exhibited in a group exhibition.
She continues to enrich her artistic and photographic education with constancy and enthusiasm by studying, visiting exhibitions, fairs and events, taking professional refresher courses, but also
by delving into the most varied topics and interests.
◾ She is a qualified trekking instructor and practices challenging mountain hiking - from the Apennines to the Dolomites, from the Alps to the Himalayas in
Nepal - which leads her to discover new places, meet people and share with them the experiences of life in nature.
She has traveled as a pilgrim the Via Francigena and the Via di Francesco, crossing Italy on foot with daily stages up to Rome and Assisi, where she received the corresponding Testimonium.
Vision and Values
I particularly care about the conservation of the natural world, of animal and plant species, the protection of ecosystems and lands, the transmission to new generations of the importance of the relationship that binds human beings to nature and other living beings.
Photography allows us to discover a deeper way of perceiving ourselves and the world, to come into intimate contact with everything we are and of which we are part.
Through the union of art and nature my work wants to be a declaration of love for our planet, it wants to tell the embrace full of gratitude to be part of such absolute beauty, contemplating the flow of change in the exchange of energy that perpetuates life.
Each individual photographed subject has an infinite value in the relationship with others and the environment, and a sense in the global balance.
Every moment is a new beginning, unrepeatable and precious, each shot is an act of participation and welcome.
With my work I want to increase in each person the knowledge, awareness, gratitude, empathy, sensitivity and responsibility to live in peace and harmony with the natural environment and with ourselves, and to protect our Earth.
Living immersed in art and nature gives me the opportunity to grow as a human being and an artist every day. It allows me to refine sensitivity, listening, curiosity and awareness, to look with wonder and gratitude, to give value and respect everything around me.
I feel close to movements and non-profit organizations that share my same values, including: Nature First, Leave No Trace, Protect our winters, The Photography Ethics Centre, The Nature Conservancy.
To learn more about my values and commitments you can read my Statement of Photography Ethics and my Sustainability Statement.
Skills
I seek to continually develop and deepen my skills and I'm happy to share my insights and experiences with people interested in photography, nature and hiking so that everyone can benefit from them.
I have developed a working and teaching method that is the result of experiences gained in the field, during the development and processing of images, as well as matured from countless hours of trekking alone and in company.
Photographic skills
I make use of artistic, philological and interpretative techniques and skills to develop services and products with technologies related to the photographic realization of images and related analogical and digital processing.
I continue to update myself, acquire new knowledge and delve deeper into the various aspects relating to fine art landscape photography, ancient techniques and alternative techniques through experimentation, reading and attending exhibitions.
Knowledge of photographic materials and equipment
Knowledge of the technical compositional problems of an image or a series of story images
Knowledge of techniques of visual storytelling and psychology of perception
Creative creation of landscape images
Digital image management, workflow and photo editing
Knowledge of the treatment of works of art, film and digital images, archive and catalog photos
Creative creation of portraits and image campaigns of a product
Development of an entire advertising project for a product
Knowledge of the history of photography and the history of art
These skills allow me to meet the needs, tastes and goals of those who want in a personalized way:
- to learn new techniques, deepen their photographic knowledge and express their creative talent
- to decorate their living spaces with prestigiuos fine-art prints
- to promote their business and their image
- to enhance the natural heritage and local traditions
Hiking skills
I trained as a trekking instructor becoming a sports national technician CSEN/CONI (registered in the Official National Register of CSEN Technicians, id number 2799559), specialized in teaching trekking and able to managing every aspect of the hiking activity.
I continue to update myself, acquire new knowledge and delve into the various aspects of hiking through courses and webinars.
I assiduously practice challenging excursions, especially in mountainous environments.
Planning a trekking in a natural and mountain environment, choosing the type of itinerary, the differences in height, the time of year, the degree of difficulty
Knowledge of meteorology, topography, cartography, orientation, use of the compass and GPS
Knowledge of the territory and its peculiarities from a naturalistic, ecological, historical, cultural point of view, and environmental education
Knowledge of clothing, necessary equipment and nutrition during trekking
Knowledge of sports walking techniques, human anatomy and the muscular system, posture, breathing and stretching
Fundamental notions of prevention, safety and emergency management, and first aid
Identification of individual hiking preparation level, leading a group during the trekking, communication and group psychology
Knowledge of basic survival techniques in a natural environment
Recognition of traces of the presence of wild animals belonging especially to the Italian fauna
These skills allow me to offer a personalized and qualified service to photography lovers who participate in photo trekking and want:
- to be protagonists in exploring new places in conscious, sustainable and experiential way or rediscovering them with new eyes, doing a sporting activity correctly and safety
- to regain psychophysical well-being thanks to the revitalizing effect of an ecological and holistic approach to one's self and nature which gives balance to mind, body and energy
- to experience the territory in a responsible and respectful way deepening their knowledge of the environmental and cultural characteristics, of the local populations and traditions
FIND OUT WHAT I DO
Frequently asked questions about Delphicaphoto
If we talk about digital photography, I photograph in RAW format on a fullframe sensor: this allows me to record a lot of information about the scene and develop the files in a personal way
by managing the different image parameters.
I don't like to intervene more than necessary on adjustments in postproduction. I love simplicity and I always try to work best when I am in nature in order to participate in the intimacy of
a meeting.
I create my works both with single shots and by composing multiple shots which can also vary in exposure (especially when I have not used Graduated Neutral Density filters) and/or in depth of
field to create the final photo.
A useful technique in landscape photography is in fact the one called HDOFR (High Depth Of Field Range) which allows you to extend the depth of field using multiple images taken with
different focuses (Focus Stacking).
First of all my legs and my eyes! I met the most precious and sublime places by walking and observing with an open heart. Nature continually gives us its beauty!!!
I always carry with me the analog compass, the altimeter (integrated in the watch) and the topographic map of the area at the scale of 1: 25000. These tools allow me to better choose the path
to follow both in preparation for the trekking and when I am on the way.
There are also many websites and applications to download on your phone that allow you to consult all the information you need for trekking, such as weather forecasts or the position of the
sun and moon.
The tools available to a photographer are really many and constantly evolving!
The ones I usually use are: Photopills, Google Earth, Windy.App, MySnowMaps.
But I don't want to be a "slave to technology" and, beyond the technological supports, certainly useful, I especially like to rely on my instinct, to follow the free spirit that pushes me to
explore.
All this is possible thanks to physical training and mental preparation, technical competence and experience, the right equipment, common sense and prudence, always!
This name is inspired by the figure of the Delphica sibyl, in particular in the depiction given by Michelangelo Buonarroti in the Sistine Chapel (Vatican City).
The Delphica sibyl, in the ancient Greek and Roman tradition, was a woman who acted as an intermediary between the human being and the divinity giving responses to human destiny.
Delphicaphoto takes inspiration from the wisdom of the sibyl and wants:
• help discover and realize the true essence of each of us and the hidden talents that make us unique;
• bring to light the beauty that surrounds us and bring out in photography the unity between Nature and the core of every human being through profound meaning of existence.
I chose to train as a dog educator with a cognitive-relational approach becoming a sports national technician CSEN/CONI (I am registered in the Official National Register of CSEN Technicians id number 2799559) in order to help owners to create, grow and
mature with joy and serenity the relationship with their dogs, putting in the first place listening, empathy, correct communication and respect for personalities, motivations and needs of
these extraordinary life companions, and teaching all those behaviors useful to improve mutual understanding also in view of employment in sports and recreational activities.
I also achieved the title of operator in didactic zooanthropology at the Zooanthropological training Institute SIUA in order to
combine love for all other animals with the desire to pass on to the younger generations the importance of an authentic and profound knowledge of the relationship that binds human beings to
other animals; of the enormous benefits that this entails in the development of personality and interpersonal relationships; of the positive consequences, on the whole of society and nature,
which are generated by hospitality of other life forms by accepting and valuing their diversity and their unique characteristics.