What inspired you to start taking photographs, and what have been some of the most important milestones in your career up until now?
MV
I've been taking photographs since I was 12 which for the time was quite unusual, but really my current project only started in 1994. It was then when I decided that I really wanted to photograph what I wanted and not what others wanted me to do.
MW
How do you approach editing your work, and what advice would you give to others about evaluating their photographs?
MV
The main approach to editing is to shoot very little. Just to give you an idea, in the past 20 years I have shot less than 5000 negatives. Even now with digital I only shoot the bare minimum number of shots and I immediately skip bracketing,HDR alternative versions. I know exactly what I want before so I can more or less shoot just one or two more shots for safety. Obviously when I started, I was using large format cameras and it would have been impossible to use a different shooting agenda. Therefor for me editing has never been a problem because I have a very clear idea beforehand of what picture I am going to take. That way I keep my hard disk unclogged!
MW
How do you decide on new projects to work on? Do you always shoot with a concept in mind or do you wait to be inspired as you go?
MV
Of course I shoot with a concept in mind and I must say it's always very tight and thoroughly researched. Digital or non-digital, I always use an 18 foot scaffolding structure from which to take my pictures and it's not so easy to move it around a lot.
MW
What ways have you found successful for promoting your work and finding a receptive audience for it?
MV
Being recognizable, in the sense that people in a fair might not know your pictures or your name, but have to recognize your style.
Spargi Cala Corsara, 2013
© copyright all images Massimo Vitali, all rights reserved
