Carlo Cozzoli
TIFA 2024 Interview with Carlo Cozzoli
1st Place winner in Analog / Film, Professional, “Revolution In Myanmar”
Q: What drew you to the specific genre of photography you specialize in? Was it a personal experience, a mentor, or something else that sparked your interest?
The place where I was born is a very small country town. I have always had an interest in travelling and seeing new places. It’s a calling, it’s something that calls you. Movement is life.
I have always had an interest in reportage photography, the stories of past centuries, the great wars, and telling the aspects and nuances of the human being in the present are part of our history.
Q: How do you approach a new photography project? Can you walk us through your creative process, from concept to execution?
My recent works always start in an area where something is happening that also has a historical value that is important in the history of the human being. A new photographic project is born from the combination of two phases:
The first is to look for the images that I have in my head, often with personal references, experiences, cultural, or cinematographic, to find a dimension in real life situations. Reading and informing myself is a good part of the job, finding contacts and understanding how to get to a place is part of the job, you have to foresee the situations you are looking for, this is the first phase, organizing the trip.
The second phase is the practical one, on the ground, the plans are changed. For example, in Myanmar, every day of the trip there was an unexpected surprise that completely disrupted the day’s plans, an almost total absence of internet and radio complicated communications, and even looking for a person or finding out news from the front was difficult.
You need to have a project structure with the awareness that it will change during production but always with an artistic vision of the work.
Q: Your winning project stood out to the jury for its unique perspective. How do you ensure your work maintains originality and authenticity in a competitive field?
The important historical events attract my personal interest, but since this is a job, for freelance photographers, it is difficult to have space in newspapers when a story is already covered by TV and newspapers that buy photographs from agencies or correspondents, such as the situation in Syria today. I and the photographic collective Memora of which I am a part are committed to exploring realities more in the shadow of the news.
Q: As a photographer, how do you balance technical expertise with artistic vision? Do you lean more heavily on one, or do they work hand in hand for you?
For me, technique and tools are only important to arrive at a result for my artistic vision. Recently, I have been very interested in the support for fine art prints.
The skills lead you to arrive and find the story that is already an artistic vision of what you are looking for, the place, the situations in which you put yourself.
Q: What role does post-processing play in your work? Do you consider it an extension of your creativity, or do you aim to keep your images as natural as possible?
Editing and post-production are very important because it is the moment in which you select, exclude, and have the power to direct your reportage. It is a sacred moment.
When I have selected the important photos so that they are in tune with each other, I can post-produce the files by tracing the important details of the photograph, accentuating the “tastes and flavors” of photography.
Q: How do you stay inspired and motivated in an ever-evolving industry? Are there any specific sources—books, films, or other art forms—that fuel your creativity?
I get inspired by everything, often by paintings from old things. I don’t follow particular rules, in the creative part, I observe everything and get inspired by the details. I often love to make references to cinema, in the sense that the people I photograph often surpass the imagination of cinema, they are real. Reality is much larger and more absurd than cinema.
Q: Winning this award is a significant accomplishment. How do you plan to leverage this recognition to further your career or make a greater impact in the photography world?
This award certainly honors me and spreads my reportage in Myanmar by bringing to light a story far from the spotlight and news. I am happy that your award leaves room for the attention and professionalism of the jury. Winning this award is also important for me to make more people aware of the reality of Memora, the collective of photographers that I founded together with other photography companions with whom we create projects, fine art prints, and photographic exhibitions together.
Q: How do you approach connecting with your subjects, especially in projects that require a deep level of trust and intimacy, such as portraits or documentary work?
Often in war situations, like in Myanmar, you have no time to take a photograph, just few minutes, seconds. It’s a matter of details, you have to pay attention to details when you relate to a person, often you live situations together without having a good photograph, you have to create a relationship, talk, empathy.
Q: In what ways do you believe photography can influence societal change? Have you worked on projects that aim to raise awareness or advocate for a cause?
Yes, during the Covid pandemic, for example, I shot first aid in homes in Italy together with doctors and rescuers, showing the seriousness of the situation in many areas in Italy. Later, I did a photography project on the mental health of nurse workers post-covid.
During the first months of the war in Ukraine, I saved a woman with my medical kit injured by the explosion of a Russian missile that fell a few meters from us, and then I took the photos.
Q: What advice would you give to photographers about finding their unique voice in a crowded industry? How can they stay true to their vision while appealing to a broader audience?
You definitely need to study, read, inform yourself, be curious to experiment, have an open mind that knows the world we live in. When a person is spontaneous and sincere with themselves, people recognize this, you need to follow an idea, a project, and not just follow the aesthetics of a photograph, a photograph must have a message, it must communicate.
Check out Carlo Cozzoli’s photographic collective, MEMORA, that he created and is also a part of.
