“We had so many projects and dreams together…and now everything is gone,” says photographer Andrea Pizzini to the Phoblographer about losing his best friend and creative partner, Christian. “I have no idea what to do…and sometimes I wish I could change my life completely and become a carpenter or grow potatoes somewhere. Just do something that has nothing to do with photography.” You probably recognize Andrea as one of the most prominent writers in the photography world. But outside of tech, he’s also part of a big project called the Cube. The photographs that him and his partner made were something incredibly special that must be experienced in person to understand.
The Pandemic separated people like never before. And while lots of things can absolutely be done remotely, true photography is something that must be experienced right in front of you. I’m speaking about prints — prints must be put in just the right lighting to have them shine and be their best selves.
Christian wouldn’t want Andrea to give up, though — and now he’s on a journey to express himself in a different way. In October 2023, Andrea and Christian’s photographs will be exhibited for the public to experience and bask in.
Back in 2013, I met Andrea personally when he was starting to take photos with what’s called The Cube. It’s a giant camera with reflective exteriors that shoots positives at more at 3 feet by 3 feet large. “…the images that came out with the Cube camera were always stunning, much more impressive than we could have imagined,” Andrea recounts. “They look so vibrant and profound, we had a lot of fun photographing different subjects. Our drive was curiosity!” After shooting photos of all the things, they realized that the best subject was the sea. So they set out shooting tons of images of the sea.
Lots of those photos of the sea will be on display at the new exhibit. And those are something that truly needs to be seen in person. Hopefully, Andrea will return to the US to show them off as well.
Maybe I’m too optimistic, but I see potential in a return to film photography. To photography that is slower, but more authentic. You can always prove with ‘chemical proof’ that the shot you took is real. I own a Mamiya 7 and plan to work with a new 3D printed large format camera as well. I’m not sure if this will work out, but I’m inclined to go down this new path.
Andrea, a fellow publisher, has some fascinating thoughts on AI for photography. He’s not afraid of it. “I know people who are average photographers but amazing Photoshop editors, and this digital world seems to mostly reward (those) who (are) able to use a digital workflow,” he says. “Which means to create a highly modifiable and duplicable product.” Those words, unfortunately, hit really hard as it’s part of the sadness that takes creativity and joy out of photography and instead makes it algorithmic.
You can see the project if you happen to be in Italy. These photos are truly something special, and simply talking about them here in a magazine doesn’t do them justice. They’re pieces of art and breath taking experiences that must be felt in-person.
