LAURA ZAMBELLI, BLURRING THE LINE BETWEEN REAL AND VIRTUAL

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Passionate since her childhood with painting and sculpture, its photography that Laura chose as a medium to express emotions, charm and poetry of what she experiences. A huge travel-lover she visited many countries considered as “the third world” and faced the social realities of their people. In 2010 the artist undertook a trip alone in the Sahara desert resulted in a series of shots which were exposed in her native Italy. Starting from 2012 National Geographic have been publishing her images on their web site. In her work Zambelli draws inspiration from the great beauty of the unspoiled landscapes and female characters. Her style features existential romanticism and conceptual research of a unique moment, interesting blend of social unconscious and personal perception.

How did you creative journey start?

Studying at the Liceo Artistico in Venice was fundamental for me, because it allowed me to express all the inventiveness I felt within me. It is within this institute that my creative journey began. Since then, not a day goes by without my living on photography.

What was the turning point in your art career as a photographer?

When I moved from pure landscape photography to one in which I also included female figures. At this point I said to myself: “Here we are”.

In your recent portraits you combine physical and digital, how did you come up with this technique and how do you perceive the current rise of the AI in art?

Nowadays if a photographer has a creative mind it becomes, for him or her, rather complicated to transform her photographic idea into a real shooting, this due to issues of time, location, outfit, something easily achievable thanks to the AI, because you can create a desirable image while standing in front of the computer. AI will be, for me, the future.

Let's get a little bit dipper into the universe of AI and all its perspectives. Don't you believe that when we create digital images, as beautiful and perfect as they can be, we risk to loose the ‘soul' of our model, as it probably resides in her imperfections and uniqueness which the AI cannot catch?

Real and virtual photography are two completely different worlds, which cannot be compared. The artist who uses AI does so out of “selfishness”, because he wants to obtain, in the most perfect way possible, what his creative mind imposes on him. So the soul of the creator speaks and not the soul of the model.

Among the incredible projects you made such as for National Geographic or "PhotoVogue" of "Vogue Italia" on-line edition, or your personal exhibits, or even your works presented in Photo Biennale in Venice, what was the one which you feel most proud of? Which was the most challenging?

Definitely the 2012 photographic shot, which represents a heron with its wings spread in a naturalistic oasis. This frame then became the cover of a book by the American philosopher Thomas Nagel, purchased through the ART commerce of New York which represents the greatest photographers in the world. It took me a year of work to make that shot.

Outdoor vs studio work, what do you prefer and why?

I definitely lean towards outdoors, as I love the beauty of natural light, I love nature… unpredictable and sometimes difficult to manage. We think of the wind, the rain; these conditions often lead to a total change in the project we had in mind. When these circumstances arise, we photographers are put to the test, both mentally and technically.

How would you define beauty?

Elegance, good taste and a touch of personality. If there are these ingredients in an environment or person, I rediscover my beauty value.

In your IG account one can find exclusively female portraits, is there any reason why you somehow privilege to work only with women?

Women are for me a great source of artistic inspiration. They can dress in any way, face any danger, they are always strong, ironic, they adapt to any situation, even the most unpredictable. Women have an edge over the male gender.

In my professional and private life I met and collaborate with different photographers, some of them manage to catch my personality on the pictures while on others', we can't really recognize me. How is the shooting process going in your case?

Being told by a colleague that your style hasn’t changed compared to physical shoots, now when I use AI, is very gratifying. However, do not think that creating artificially is so easy? On the contrary. Maintaining good taste, as in physical reality, is not a trivial matter. Before an AI photo is exhibited by me to the public, it goes through a tough selection. I am very exigent to this. Physical and digital must match each other in beauty, to ensure that whoever observes the shot asks the question: “Is it real or virtual shot?”.

Do you feel the model you are about to shoot?

I feel it when I frame her on camera, not when I meet her in person. There are models who in everyday life do not seem to express photographic potential, but when they strike a pose they leave you breathless. It is a gift that few have and when I perceive the right mood it is difficult for me to stop photographing it.

How do you get into her personality to catch its essence which we can then observe on your images?

I never ask the models for particular poses, I let them move as they please as they would in everyday life. Thus, naturally, without anything constructed, the photographies become pieces of art. I observe them, I frame them and I always manage to grasp their best side, both artistic and interior.

What would be an advice you share with the young creatives who are just starting their career?

To work hard, with humility and passion. To listen inside because photography, like any other type of art, is a journey inside ourselves and the more we are able to listen to ourselves, the more unique our works will be.

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