Per il secondo capitolo della nostra rubrica dedicata a fotografi e filmer emergenti abbiamo scelto un giovanissimo ma ispiratissimo fotografo e skater, viene dalle parti di Lugano e si chiama Enea Auberson!

Ciao Enea! Benvenuto su candiesmag! Dopo tanto tempo che ti seguo su FB e Flickr finalmente un dialogo un po’ più articolato! Intro di rito – da dove vieni e quanti anni hai?

Ciao Carlo!Ho 17 anni e vivo a Lugano, in Svizzera.

Ricordi ancora la tua prima foto? Cosa ti ha spinto inizialmente a prendere in mano per la prima volta la macchina fotografica e cosa ha fatto si che diventasse una parte – immagino – predominante nella tua vita?

Beh, la prima foto che ho scattato no, però ricordo che la prima volta in cui ho trovato una soddisfazione per una foto che ho fatto è stato in montagna, nel 2009 credo…correvo nel prato con la reflex di mio padre cercando di fotografare un insetto che saltellava in giro, e dopo circa mezz’ora di inseguimento ho ottenuto ciò che volevo! È stato in quel momento, credo, che ho iniziato a vedere la fotografia in un altro modo.

Dopo un po’ di tempo poi ho provato ad abbinarla allo skate e da lì è nata la grande passione.

Cosa c’è nel tuo zaino fotografico attualmente? Stai pensando anche a qualche upgrade?

Allora…visto che in prevalenza faccio foto di skate non posso farmi mancare della cera, delle stringhe e dei cuscinetti (sarebbe peccato perdere uno scatto per della cera che manca o per un cuscinetto che si rompe!) …per il materiale fotografico invece ho: Nikon D90, Nikon 50mm 1.8, Nikon 10.5mm 2.8, Nikon 70-200mm 2.8, 2 flash (un Nikon SB900 e un Canon 430EZ), Canon EOS 1dmkII, Canon 20-35mm, Cactus V5 e 2 cavalletti Manfrotto Nano.
Riguardo all’upgrade si, appena avrò i soldi vorrei cambiare il corpo macchina! I nuovi modelli che ha sfornato Nikon sono dei gioiellini, però sono un po’ lenti per poter fare delle sequence decenti, e tutti quei soldi per avere gli 11fps della D4 non ce li ho! Ahah…non mi resterà che andare sull’usato e cercare una D700 o magari perché no, una D3!

Sfogliando il tuo portfolio non si può che rimanere impressionati dall’incredibile progressione fatta rispetto agli esordi. Sapresti dire quali siano stati i fattori che più ti abbiano aiutato a crescere in questo senso?
Vero! A volte riguardo le vecchie foto e mi metto a ridere…anche se però allo stesso tempo mi dico “beh, se vedo tutta questa differenza vuol dire che ho fatto passi avanti!”. Diciamo che questo miglioramento è dato soprattutto dai miei amici che mi hanno sempre dato la possibilità di provare e riprovare e hanno fatto da “cavie”…all’inizio molte volte capitava che per arrivare ad un risultato decente rifacevano il trick decine di volte!
Penso che la cosa più importante se si vuole avanzare è non aver paura di provare cose nuove. Magari all’inizio i risultati sono scadenti e anche demoralizzanti, ma c’è da ricordarsi che si impara dai propri errori e la prossima volta si farà meglio!

Hai avuto diverse collaborazioni in diversi ambiti, da gruppi musicali a skaters, quali sono stati ad ora i lavori che più ti hanno dato soddisfazione, o comunque le collaborazioni più importanti?
Beh, nell’ambito skate diciamo che un mio grande traguardo è stato la pubblicazione di alcune mie foto sulla rivista di svizzera Whiteout! È stato sempre il mio sogno e alla fine ce l’ho fatta! Prima di questo però ho pubblicato diverse foto online come report di contest per marche diverse, sul giornale locale, o stampe di flyer per eventi.
Per i gruppi musicali invece ho fatto diverse foto promo, alcune finite su manifesti, altre sul giornale locale e una su 6:00AM. Tutto sommato sono molto contento dei lavori di questo ultimo anno!

Fotografi innumerevoli tricks alla bowl di Lugano ma non è raro vederti in clips e foto mentre te la skatei. So già la risposta, ma quanto è importante nell’essere un buon fotografo di skate essere anche uno skater?
Trovo che sia una delle cose fondamentali per uno scatto ben riuscito! Spesso vedo foto su giornali fatte da fotografi professionisti che però non sanno niente di skate…a livello di illuminazione si nota la qualità del professionista ma poi tutto cade quando si guardano inquadratura e resto…li mi rendo veramente conto di quanto sia importante conoscere un po’ da vicino la disciplina! Se sei uno skater vedi tutto in un altro modo e stai attento a dettagli che magari un fotografo “normale” tralascerebbe come la rincorsa dello spot o l’atterraggio che molto spesso possono determinarne la difficoltà! Per non parlare del timing in cui vengono fermati i trick…se ne vedono di tutti i colori!

Dato 100 il tempo dedicato ad una foto finita pronta per la pubblicazione, come suddivideresti percentualmente il tempo che solitamente dedichi a scelta dello spot, dell’inquadratura, della composizione ed infine della post produzione?
Secondo me se una foto è ben pensata e sviluppata in partenza l’uso della post-produzione diventa veramente limitato, mi verrebbe da dire un 70 alla preparazione ecc e 30 di post produzione.
Anche se però in certe situazioni si è limitati proprio dalle prestazioni del materiale fotografico a disposizione. In quel caso trovo che una corretta post produzione possa fare molto! Personalmente scattando in raw do semplicemente una regolata a luci/ombre, contrasto, bilanciamento colore e curve.

A proposito di photoshop. Dopo essere finito nel frigo, in una lavatrice, ed anche in un WC (Enea è un ottimo manipolatore di immagini, N.d.A.) ci dici a tuo parere quanto sia importante al giorno d’oggi per un “buon” fotografo, essere anche un capace utente di Photoshop etc.?
Come ogni cosa ps va usato nel modo giusto e non eccessivamente, però essere capaci ad utilizzare un software così potente può essere vantaggioso!
Molti lo criticano, ma io trovo che ormai photoshop sia diventato un elemento chiave nella fotografia digitale. È uno strumento di lavoro in più che ci è stato dato dunque perché non usarlo?

Parlare solo di skateboard sarebbe alquanto limitante, siccome hai ottime foto un po’ in tutti i settori. Tu personalmente quale preferisci? Pensi ci siano ambiti dove la creatività è più stimolata rispetto ad altri?
Allora…tralasciando lo skate la cosa che preferisco sono i paesaggi! Abitando un po’ isolato dal mondo e in mezzo al bosco ho la fortuna di poter vedere tramonti e altre situazioni stupende! Ogni volta rimango stupito e non posso fare a meno che prendere la macchina fotografica e immortalare il panorama.
Penso che i momenti più creativi siano semplicemente quelli in cui provi a fare qualcosa di nuovo…in quell’istante tutte le porte sono aperte e le possibilità sono infinite! L’unica cosa che ti limita è la fantasia e la capacità nell’usare il materiale che hai a disposizione!

Giri spesso con gli skaters del team Warriors; stai attualmente collaborando a qualche progetto particolare con loro?
Per il momento nulla di particolare…siamo tutti molto presi e abbiamo sospeso per un po’ la rivista online “Wagazine”…continuiamo sempre con i cataloghi per i nuovi vestiti e sia io che l’altro fotografo siamo pieni di materiale pronto per l’uso!

Cosa ci dici a riguardo della tua formazione fotografica? Hai seguito corsi, o comunque investito in qualcosa di specifico o anche tu un adepto del DIY?
Qua in Ticino purtroppo non ci sono molte vie di formazione per la fotografia, dunque ho optato per il DIY. Basta solo avere un po’ di perseveranza e pian piano i risultati arrivano!

Hai dei “mentori” o comunque fotografi a cui ti ispiri per i tuoi lavori?
Non posso proprio dire di avere UN fotografo a cui mi ispiro, però se devo dire un nome penso a David Tur. Tra l’altro un grandissimo grazie va però ad Alan Maag, che da ormai quasi 2 anni a questa parte continua ad aiutarmi e darmi consigli senza stancarsi mai! THANKS ALAN!

Pensi ci sarà spazio per la fotografia anche nel tuo futuro? Credi sia (ancora) possibile farne una professione, seppure con tutte le contraddizioni che stanno nascendo in questo ambito?
Spero di si!! Farne una professione è possibile, ma qua in Svizzera non credo si possa campare di fotografia…magari in altri posti si!

Grazie Enea per il tuo tempo! Seguite i suoi lavori su Flickr e 500px!

UnderExposure is our new section dedicated to emerging photographers and filmers. Words, pics, ideas, inspiration and stories told through the words and not only through pixels. There were a few names to choose from, and we decided Sergio Pontillo because he’s totally new on this mag and we’re a bit curious!

Hi Sergio, welcome on Candiesmag! It’s raining cats and dogs while I’m writing. Cool! Let’s make a quick intro to present yourself to our readers:
Hi, my name is Sergio Pontillo, I’m 20, I’m afraid of driving alone, I know some Italian cities better than the one where I live (Napoli) and I like cooking. Skateboarding is the source of all my satisfactions, successes and failures, thoughts and ideas of my last 7 years. I take pics from 5 years.

It’s strange how I run across your pics for the very first time. I bought a trigger Cactus V5, I took a look at the attached sample and I saw a beautiful skate pic made by an Italian.. and with an entry camera like the D60..I immediately looked for your profile on flickr and your pics were the best presentation possible. How did you pic arrived on that flyer? Do you still use the cactus triggers? 
It was unusual for me too when an Italian wrote me for my pic on the Cactus flyer (and great too!) I’ve always used them since I bought my second flash. I used to use the v3 but after that publication they sent me a couple of v4s, and it’s what I’m using now.

Let’s going on with your equipment… The photographers’ backpacks are really heavy. What’s in yours? And most of all, what could never miss in your backpack before a shooting session?
My backpack is surely heavy: inside there are – besides a second pair of socks, laces and a seven of diamonds – a Nikon d60, a totally manual 50mm f1.4 and 35mm f2.8 Nikon, a 55-200mm Nikon, a fisheye Tokina 10-17mm, a Cactus v4s, 2 non-TTL flashes , an analogue compact Canon, colored jelly and other filters, a Sony TRV900 with fisheye, grip, batteries and extra minidv. Before every session I watch whatever clips with Ryan Ticknor, my favourite skater. It became quite a rite.

There’s always a story behind every photographer. Can you remember what was your first picture? Was it a random approach or a weighted one?
At the beginning I was using my father’s compact camera, just to take pics with family and friends. I’ve always loved keeping memory of my days, I think past is very important and it’s also the only sure and real thing we have I think my first skate picture was in the parking lot of the Centro Direzionale, I had my father’s old flash which couldn’t be synchronized with the camera, so I used to push the flash button with one hand and the camera with the other… the fastest fingers in the west.

You’re very young but with a great portfolio. What are the highlights in your career as photographer?
It’s funny how my few highlights come all from flickr! First of all the appearance on the Cactus flyer. Then the cooperation with a German brand of street culture (H1pnuz) – the guy came to Naples to shoot with the brand’s t-shirts. I made with a few others an advertising spot in stop motion for some watches. Three of my pics were published on 6:00am, and finally you

What can you tell us about your schooling? Did you take part to classes and courses or you learned it all by yourself?
DIY since the beginnings. I learned watching pictures on flickr, reading a lot on the web and taking tons of pics, experimenting and failing too. Last year I joined the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, the only school I attend with joy. So now I’m studying photography, cinema and tv.

A lot of photographers decide to specialize as videomakers and I know you realize some clips every now and then. Are they two complementary fields or you had to start from zero?
Surely they’re two very close fields. If you can take pics you can also shoot with a videocamera. With the new cameras you can even do it all with just one reflex. The coming of dslr in the field of skateboarding clips is a revolution. A lot of people criticize them because it’s deeply different from the combo vx1000 mk1. But in the right hands also a dslr can produce good clips, it’s simply another way of filming.

Your blog is great starting from the name: http://serialchillers.wordpress.com/ . Tell us something about it.
The name is an idea of my friend Antonio (Romanelli), the guy I run the blog with. Serial Chillers because we live skateboarding to the fullest without being trapped in the negativity and competitiveness of many other skaters. Skateboarding it’s not about how many stairs you can ollie or how many flips you can do, otherwise nobody could talk about skateboarding except Rodney Mullen. We think skateboarding is few but good friends, a pavement and beers with lemon

Besides skateboarding what are the other subjects you like capturing?
Faces, mouths, noses, eyes, eye circles, eyelashes, teeth, hair, scratches, smiles. I love photographing people, both the known and unknown ones.

Another subject I like is postproduction: yes/no/maybe. What do you think about photoshop, use and abuse, and about the complexity of a software which is often taken lightly even by the pros?
Like evey powerful thing, it can be good and bad. I hate the pictures with too much postproduction. I personally use it only to adjust contrast/level/curves, color balance and rarely to erase the rumor. I think that textures, flares and fake lights don’t make a picture better but simply more fake.

This was a year full of high tech news, with Nikon that tried to make FX filming accesible to everyone. Do you already know what you’ll buy in the future?
Nothing, but if I earn some money I’ll take the d600. I’m waiting for it by Nikon, a full frame that films too so I could use the 50 – my favourite lenses – to the fullest, I could film in HD for the Serial Chillers film and I could make sequences with the 5,5 fps I’m a bit upset cause Canon is superior in terms of filming…

What do you think about the fact that “everybody is a photographer nowadays?”
I really don’t care, everybody can do what he wants. What surprises me is the amount of young people who succeed into makin new and fresh things and nobody cares about them. On the magazines I see always the same few names, or people who’ve taken pictures for less than a year and they’re on a mag only because they’re with “famous” skaters.

How’s your arm? There’s a very important link between photographer and photographed subject. Do you think that a good photographer should be also a rider?
Now my arm is good enough to skate If you want to photograph skateboarding you have to be a skater, absolutely… otherwise you can’t capture a difficult trick in the right way, or an easy trick in the right place because you don’t understand it to the fullest. Somebody who doesn’t skate can’t see the difference between a trick and the other and this is evident in pictures where the skater is placed in the middle and you can’t see where does he come from neither where is he going…

Sergio thank you a lot for your time, last space is yours as usual:
Thank you for this interview Thanks to my family who always supported me in what I love doing, to all my friends who believe in me and I spend incredible days with, to Antonio Romanelli because he bought a pair of Janoski from his iPhone while he was with me in the hospital, to Vittorio Guglietta, Penni, Ed Templeton, Jackson Casey, Briggs Ogloff, Matt Price, Alex Burrell and everybody who inspires me with his art.

yo! Follow Sergio on his blog [http://serialchillers.wordpress.com/]
and flickr! [http://www.flickr.com/photos/serskater/]

Skateboarding in Turin is amazing. You probably already guessed it from our last article in the city (wandering in Turin) and now you have the confirmation. Here you find a photo gallery sent us by the photographer Alberto Della Beffa (check out his flickr here!). The pictures come from the skate spot in Valdo Fusi and the Keep on Skate contest in the skate plaza and feature the riding of: Edoardo Maule, Roberto Stamerra, Jacopo Carozzi, Toty Leone, Francesco Spinolo and many others. Enjoy!

Pictures: (c)Alberto della Beffa – Follow him on Flickr

Two years already passed since we started working on the Candiesmag project! Our page is still here and it’s growing day by day. We’re pretty happy with the result and – of course – we’ll work even harder in the future!

Have you ever thought about what it takes to run Candiesmagazine?

- 730 days up online
– more than 1’000 articles published
– something like 500 GB of pictures in our hdisks
– endless nights on photoshop, illustrator and wordpress
– 24/7 glued to all freestyle news worldwide
– about 60 EXCLUSIVE pro interviews, featuring the Helgasons, Andreu Lacondeguy, Alex Barbero, Manuel Pietropoli, Hana Beaman, Simone Kid Barraco, The Hatebreed, Camila Harambour, Joni Malmi,Dean “Blotto” Gray.
– Dozens of major events covered live with exclusive footages, like Winter X Games, Vans Off The Wall Spring Classic, Un Tranquillo Weekend di Paura, Torino Street Style and many more
– a view over the most important – not only European – spots and resorts for freestyle sports such as Barcelona, Whistler,Les 2 Alpes, Venice Beach, Berlin and more
– more than 350 video reviews!
– daily updated Facebook, Twitter, Google+ pages!

And do you want to know what is the most important thing? We’re still HAVING FUN!!!!!

We made a short 1:30 clip that resumes all the best moments we had in these last 2 years, in pictures! Enjoy it!

We also would like to thank: all the skaters, snowboarders, surfers, bikers, and all the crews we met and rode with us, all the bands and artists, all the crazy photographers that contributed in the last years – men, love for you all Nicola Debernardi and Doberman Production, Yanis Ourabah, Alessio Scaccabarozzi Photography, and also those who helped us in the past – we’ll never forget, kids! All last but not least our fans, friends, supporters, Candiesmag enthusiastics, you’re the only reason that keep us doing! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANDIESMAG!

<3

Silvia & Carlo.

Last Sunday I had a daytrip to Turin to shot the Torino Street Challenge – I supposed you already checked out the crazy 365 bmx contest full report, isn’t it ?!

I’ve obviously been to Turin many times, but I never “explored” the city. This time I had some free time before the contest and I just started wandering around.

What I found in my opinion is an incredible city – totally different from the place I live even if it’s just 150 km far! – The buildings are majestic, huge spaces and endless squares ( in the one where the Street Challenge was held we have a bmx park, a free climbing area, a flying disc field, mtb tracks, and even more!)

…no to be mentioned my uneasiness being almost the only one not riding a fixed bike, but just walkin

I also found strange, unknown sign painted on the street…I never saw them in Genoa

After about an hour of walking, and spotting a couple of mindblowing book stores, I headed towards the Skate Plaza Valdo Fusi, where the “Cash For Tricks” event was attended.

Was pretty funny to walk the streets with the reflex on, I feel like an American tourist being in Italy for the first time, but, well, I can’t resist to take some shoots here and there

What can I say then about the skateplaza? I don’t know very well its history, I started hearing rumors about it in early 2010 but just by reading on the web, some people told me the project took years to be approved and then executed. However I can say the result is amazing. It’s a place where you can skate almost on everything…

…but still people can walk by or just chill.

There are many structures there, banks, hips, benches, rails, nothing too huge, I think the purpose was to make the spot skateable to anyone.

Too bad that day I took just some random shots, being that the real “Cash for Tricks” event was in concomitance of the bmx contest I had to attend. Anyway, I guess you got the point – what a sick location! -

We proudly present you our new collaborator, Simon Profanter.

With the well known crew, the “Panettone Bros”, he’s one of the responsibles for the King Laurin Snowpark, Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi, Südtirol/Alto Adige. King Laurin is one of the hugest winter snowpark in Europe, giving You Pro, Int and Beginner areas, tons of rails and even a wood rail line, shaped daily with fanatic geometric love, just amazing!

We personally tested the park last winter and we can assure you, without any doubt that is AWESOME!!! Every day you find it perfectly shaped, nothing is missing or is omitted, the guys are always kind and helpful. During winter You could get some serious contests and photosessions, including the superfunny epic “10 Spots Mission”, a place to be for sure!

[©Simon Profanter, rider: Simon Gruber bs180 nose]

Simon is also in deep love with photography, confident with the sickest riders action in the parks but also with the quiet and beautiful silence of his mountains. Surely you’ll enjoy his amazing pictures, that ever have to communicate something to the observer.

Hi Simon, thank you to cooperate with us in the Candiesmagazine.com project.

. How old are you and where do you come from?

First of all I wanna thank You guys! For the nice introduction and for asking me into ur team. I think it’s a great idea and I appreciate people ready to do something for their passion!

Well, I am 25 years old. Living in Kastelruth/Castelrotto, a small town closed to the Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi…

. Try to describe with some words (and maybe a picture?) the wonderful place in which you live.

I am really glad – and may even a little proud – about living on the barrier to the Dolomites. Seeing the Schlern/Sciliar from my balcony every day, when I wake up, never gets boring. Of course I enjoy traveling a lot and I love to see other places: The Provence, Sardinia, Norway… amazing and incomparable!

But there is no place like home… and the Dolomites really are my home.

[©Simon Profanter]

. Are you a snowboarder, a freeskier, or both? Since when?

Hmmm… I usually prefer saying I am a Freestyler… I am snowboarding since a was 13 years old, the best trick I ever did was a BS 360° indy… unfortunately there is no prove of it.

Two years ago I started skiing as well… I got an old pair of freestyle-skies from my brother. I am not really able… my heart is with snowboarding.

. Tell us something about the King Laurin Snowpark and the Panettoni’s

The Panettone Bros actually was a crazy idea of a bunch of really passionate guys. They founded the club in the 90s and where always very committed for building up some kickers and rails. Over the years they got more and more a back up from the elevator owner Mr. Rabanser (THANKS!!!!!). So about 8 or 9 years ago the King Laurin Snowpark was officially opened for the first time. The name comes out of the name of the elevator “Laurin” and the legend of King Laurin from the Rosengarten/Catinaccio (http://kinglaurinpark.it/#report).

The popularity of the King Laurin Snowpark was growing over the years and so was the Park itself. More kickers, more rails, more boxes… now we have a 1,5 km long Snowpark, with some 50 obstacles,a triple kickr line and a special wood line, shaped perfectly every day. Over the years the Snowpark won several prices: Most beautiful European Snowpark 2007, Red Bull Snow Palio 2008 with Shaper Richard Neulichedl (Snowcat) and Johannes Goegele (headshaper). Big events took place on the Snowpark: Burten AM, Forum Young Blood, O’Neill Garden of Roses… and the well known Subject Schlern (also known also as Montenegro Contest).

Tell me when it gets boring…

[©Simon Profanter]

. Is there something you’d like to change in it?

Nope… wait I really think we need some big ashtrays in the Chill-Zone.

. When does your love for photography begin? Can you remember what caused it?

I have always been interested in Arts and Photography. About four years ago I got my brothers Sony DSC-F828, a Digital Still Camera. Actually it was a very good digital camera with a great lens. Anyway… after two years I wanted to have more flexibility and so I bought a new Digital Reflex: Nikon D300.

I started with a Tamron AF 17-50mm 2.8. Last year I bought a Nikon 70-200mm 2.8… an amazing lens!!

. What is/are your favourite lens?

I use the Tamron much more, because it is something like a reportage lens. Mostly I shoot with 17mm, I love the wide angle. The Nikon is perfect with sports and portraits.

[©Simon Profanter]

. Is there a kind of lens which you are really looking for and that you’re going to buy sooner or later?

…. hahaha… there so many!! My Tamron is very dirty inside the lens… because of bad workmanship dust goes in very easily. So I really would like to by a new one, with more or less the same focal length. On the other side I really would like to go for fixed focal lengths. And of course I would love to have a Marko lens.

. Can you tell us something about the ‘Fotografie Club Schlern’?

In spring a friend of mine and me were thinking about founding a photography club.

We wanted to bring together people who like photography, to talk and discuss about everything around the issue. The idea was that more people would have more ideas, that they could gather more information, that you get more feedback about your own shots…

And so we founded the Fotografie Club Schlern. Actually it seems that there are not so many people interested in it, but we don’t care and so we go on meeting every two weeks to divide our passion.

. Are you currently studying/working?

I am doing in PR, marketing and project management.

. What are your plans for the future?

At the moment I think a will go on like it is… of course I will go on with photography and one by one I will increase my equipment. I think having to many plans to go for, to many goals to be after is not a good thing. We have to life the moment and not to chase the future.

. How’s your relationship with Nature? How do you see the resort in which you live? Are you afraid that the turistic speculation will do some damage to the environment?

You know…. it is really difficult to answer to this question for me. Let me say it in this way: I think that mankind can’t go on like this… NOWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!

[©Simon Profanter]

. What’s your favourite kind of music? Some groups that you want to suggest to our readers?

I really don’t have a favored kind of music… I am going for classical music, as well as for heavy metal. I like punk, indie, rock, surf, dub, reggae, ska… but also jazz and blues, songwriters staff and melancholic music… May I should tell you some musicians/bands which formed me or which I just like: The Doors, Johnny Cash, Sublime, Cake, Nicolo Paganini, Die Ärzte, Rammstein, The Kooks, Noir Desir, Radiohead, Django Reinhardt, George Brassens, Madness, Elbow… ok, I would never finish!

. What do you think of Candiesmagazine.com? Would you like to suggest us something?

I think its great to help build up a platform for freestyle sports. I like the layout of the website and that it is mostly english… so it is more International. I may would suggest to add climbing as a category

. We said that you are a rider, a park manager, a photographer…are you involved in some other activities?

I am honored

Well… I like climbing/bouldering, hiking, slacklining and swimming a lot. I really love to travel and to see new things. I love Arts and Music/Concerts, Theatre and Cinema (well… I don’t really like most Hollywood productions). I really go for cooking and eating afterwards, I enjoy a good glass of wine and discussing about the world, humanity…

. Well Simon, thank You very much for Your time. We look forward to have some news from Your side.

Thanks!! Have fun!!!!

Readers could in the meantime check out Your Flickr’s album here . Cya!


We’re glad to present you today our new contributor and photographer, Luca Piras! You have already seen some of his images here, and now you’re knowing him a little bit more with an interview in pure Candies-style.

Hi Luca, first of all I want to say thank you for the passion you show for Candiesmagazine.com. How old are you and where do you come from?

Hello everyone, I’m 20 and I’m from Turin…

*How long have you been loving photography?

…I’ve been loving photography for almost 3 years, since when I started shooting with my first compact camera…

*What triggered the spark?

…surely it was also thanks to my father’s passion for photography and also the fact that I’ve always loved extreme and less common sports…

*What’s that passionate you the most into sports photography? And what are the sports that you love shooting the most?

…Sport is an endless resource of images that can be shooted and moreover sports photography is real and spontaneous…Till now I’ve had the opportunity to shoot at some downhill and bmx contests…If I had the chance, I would like to capture any extreme sport…

*What’s you equipment? Camera body, lenses etc?

….Currently I’m using a Nikon d3000 with 18-55 f3,5/5.6, 50mm f1.8, 18-200 and an old sb-24

*What are your favourite lenses among those that you already own?

Surely the brightness of the 50mm f 1.8

*If you could choose the lenses you want without caring of the price, what would you choose?

… I’d surely choose some creative and funny lenses, a fish-eye or also a bright tele it wouldn’t be bad…

*Your favourite brand?

…I know that someone won’t agree with me, but I prefer Nikon….

*What do you do in your life, are you studying/working?

… I’m looking for a job, but unfortunately it’s not easy….

*Your plans for the future?

…To become the photographer of some magazine should be nice…we’ll see

*What sport do you practice?

…some snowboarding during winter and downhill during summer…

*If you were obliged to choose, snowboard or downhill?

…downhill foreva!….

*What kind of different sensations give you those two sports, so differents but both bond with mountain?

…the opportunity to leave the city and to come in close contact with the mountains using what they offer to us…

*Your favourite bike spots? And the snowboard ones?

…for the bikes I say Prali, it has a lot to teach and it can be a good to practice, but also Bardonecchia offers a lot of fun…talking about snow I love the snowy peaks of Montgenevre…

*Park or pow? Be careful, this could be a compromising answer

…I’m not a champion but I prefer the pow

*Do you think that a thousands euros equipment is essential to take good pictures?

..well I think that it can help a lot, but without fantasy and a good hand they are wasted

*What do you think about Candiesmagazine.com? Suggestions/advices?

…Candiesmagazine .com it’s a great idea to support all these expandig sports

*Coming to end, you have the floor. What would you like to say to our readers? Is there anyone you’d especially like to say thanks?

… Surely I thank you of Candiesmagazine for the nice opportunity you’re giving me, and I hope it’ll be the beginning of a future career…Thanks…And hello everyone!!