Filippo Zonta Fine Art Photography
Biography
Filippo Zonta is an Italian photographer.
Since 2004, following his burning passion for nature, he has undertaken many travels and expeditions worldwide.
Lands of extremes and far-off places such as Patagonia, the Himalayas, the glaciers of Greenland and Antarctica, the Sahara, the Gobi and the high altitude deserts in the Andes – to name but a few. His intimate photography of remote landscapes and his fascination for winter mountaineering and ice climbing are inextricably intertwined.
Wakahn Corridor, Afghanistan (2016)
Artist Statement
In the Dolomites, an 'home' studio, he has been spending more than 10 years chasing the winter lights glistening in one of my favorite streams. Sources of inspiration are beauty, purity, brightness, geometry, lines and shapes such as wings, faces, hearts – all existing in the surrounding landscape itself.
The photography style is contemplative, yet made of a thorough study of light and details and of an exhausting wait in very harsh conditions to pursue the most vivid expressions of the beauty of nature.
A contemplative eye blends the scientific study of the landscape with a poetic reading of the earth’s surface and the sky’s vault, as it focuses on both their physical and emotional features and on the complex relations of lines, angles, surfaces, solids, fluids, lights and shadows.
In Zonta's visual poetry, these elements are almost personified, so as to embody the inseparable travelling companions of his art. And his artwork turns into archetypal journey representing, in its powerful concise poetry, the quest for identity.
Being scientific as well as poetic, landscape photography is here but another word for feeling.
Zonta becomes an explorer capable of the most delicate alchemies. He patiently and lovingly observes nature as his own world, in its enigmatic spell and beauty, resonant colors and silent rhythms.
Studio
Style
The main approach to fine art photography is through the view camera.
It's complex in all the photographic phases, from the transport and setup in the field, to the search for the right composition to the image capture and post processing.
It's physically and mentally demanding, but it's perfect for artistic works
The view camera is coupled with a high-end digital back – the essence and state of art being thus immortalised and elevated in terms of excellence and image quality.
Dolomites, Torrent
Expedition
Style
The digital back provides the unique flexibility to switch from a studio optical bench to a portable AF reflex camera system (Phase One). This feature is essential in expeditions and backpacking in remote regions.
Wakahn Corridor, Afghanistan (2016)
Film era
Zonta used for a decade large format film cameras (4x5, 8x10) , despite the complexity of their and transport, even for traveling in exepedtions.
Indeed they seamlessly operate in extreme conditions (e.g. no electricity, cold, ice, sand) delivering stunning details along with fine art uniqueness, unmatched control of perspective, and flawless depth field and composition.
In addition to daylight and twilight shots, they are remarkable for night photography, able to transform the landscape into a surreal world magically filled with stars and moon trails.
Dolomites, Torrent.
