ELENA FORTUNATI
Are you vegetarian/would you like to be vegetarian?
Yes, it’s about a year, it was one of the best choices in my life. I think it’s very subjective and I don’t blame anyone for not being so.
Did you study photography in school?
No, never. I’ve started as a self-taught photographer, looking at works of those I admire.
A picture that you would love to take
I would like to have taken magritte’s passport-size picture. Black and white, with his eyes closed. There is everything in that one single shot.
Do you sell your prints online? Why?
I never thought about this option… maybe one day, who knows? For now, it’s an option too far from my point of view.
Have you ever attended photographic workshops?
I’d like to, but I never found one that I should be inspired by.
Do you like looking at your old pictures?
Rarely. The relationship I have with them is comparable to a relationship with another human being. It is a weird feeling, full of emotions as well as very delicate.
Do you have prints of your works hung on your walls?
I have to say no, it’s the first time I think of this possibility. I cherish all my printed pictures in a room that I use not so often.
What social networks are you using? Are they working for your career?
Facebook for personal use. And flickr, tumblr, Behance for my photos. I do not know whether it will be useful for a hypothetical career, but for sure it’s useful to have exchanges with people interesting artistically. In this way, we can learn and grow a lot.
Do you believe in horoscopes?
No, but it’s funny and relaxing to believe, just for a while, that everything is calculable and predictable.
A picture that is very important for you
I like to collect portraits taken by old photographic studios where everything is calculated: pose, set, costumes. But my favorite is a picture of my mother when she was a teenager. A black and white photo, minimalist, in which she is wearing a white blouse and she looks at the camera, with an irregular haircut. I can see a lot of me in this shot. Who took that picture certainly did not know that it would have been this important in someone’s life.
Your comfy food
One simple toast with butter and jam and a glass of orange juice can change my day for the better way.
Are you currently planning any trip?
I came back yesterday from Eindhoven and I think a short time will pass before I will start to plan another trip. I have many friends to visit in the most beautiful cities in Europe and many places to see by myself.
The photographer you would like to spend time working with
There are many photographers that I admire and with whom I would like to talk about photography, I’d rather work with someone who works with images under a different approach: visual artists, painters, videomakers. I think this way I can really try to experience something new.
What is the best photographic book you have seen and why.
it’s hard to mention a single book, however if I have to choose one, I will go for “Illuminance” by Rinko Kawauchi: the one I wanted more, and I keep it very carefully. It was a very emblematic book for me.
tumblr: http://elenafortunati.tumblr.com/
behance: http://www.behance.net/elenafortunati
email: fortunatielena@gmail.com
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elenafortunati/
