Interview With Stefano Pellegrini From Italy

I did not study photography. I learned the basics thanks to some online tutorials, then I improved through practice and in-field training.

My first real shot was the milky way over the Furcia Pass in dolomites. I spent the night there in a tent only to have that perfect shot. Of course, looking at it now, it was not so impressive.

I use mostly a Nikon D850 + Tamron 15/30mm.

My mission is to translate what the eyes see and often the camera can't. I use stacking and combine different exposures, only to reproduce reality in all its art, without fictions and replacements.

"You are an inspiration." "You made me feel like I was there with you.”

I always follow what I like: I started shooting everything, then I discovered that I preferred shooting nightscapes. Now I discovered that I like to add some light painting in it. It’s an evolution more than a storytelling.

Dark, real, creative.

I’m very grateful to have received the award.

The photo was the incredible result of a crazy night. Last January, I decided to hike to Cir Pass to capture the winter milky way in this amazing location. Going up was a bit hard: at the beginning (Gardena Pass) there was not much snow, but as soon as I reached a higher altitude the snow became very deep and proceeding was difficult. Also, the path was not beaten so I had to find the way up by myself. Once on top, I found out that at midnight a winter arch was possible. So, I prepared for the shot. My idea was to frame my little tent lost among the huge rocks with the complete arch above. The only problem was that, while shooting, the wind started to rise, and it became so strong that it blew the tent away despite the 25kg backpack acting as a ballast and the two ice-axes planted in the snow to hold it back! Due to the wind, the carbon poles that hold it together broke, and in order to be able to use it at night I had to tape them back together. On the other hand, I had an incredible clear sky that gave me the opportunity to frame all the nebula of the winter arch, without a star tracker (that I didn't used because of the condition).

Fabio Antenore

Bruno Pisani

Enrico Fossati

“For me an excellent picture consists of 30% planning, 30% technique and 30% post-processing. The remaining 10% are luck – mother nature always has the last say.” cit. Fabio Antenore

A lot of planning and a lot of trying.

A lot of planning and a lot of trying.

None of my picture were made without a lot of "pre-production" (scouting, planning, scratches...).

A lot of my pictures are "second attempts".

I’ll stop learning when I’m dead. Till my eyes close forever, I will try to learn and improve.