The Italian Job

The aim of this photographic project is to give a flavour of the nuances, personalities and vastly varied scenery that Italy has from its northern tip down to its southern island. It was also to give the viewer a different take on spaces and scenes that can instantly be recognised as distinctly Italian. It’s definitely Italy - but not quite as you know it.

As a documentary photographer, my aim is always to try and make the ordinary - extraordinary. To look for the personality and character in the every day life around us.

Visiting Italy in November, during what would be considered the “off season” meant that there were fewer tourists around and a lot of the towns I visited were less crowded. The perfect time to allow the quieter details to be captured. Between the immaculately dressed locals to the vastly varied architecture, steeped in history, The Italian Job was a joy to photograph.

The journey started in Treviso, and toured from Venezia, Catania (Sicily), Taormina (Sicily), Firenze, Milano, Como, Bolzano to Cortina d’Ampezzo and finally back to Venezia. The drive through the Dolomites from Bolzano to Cortina was without doubt one of my most enjoyable days as a photographer. The roads were virtually empty and as it was pre-ski season, all of the mountain top towns were deserted, but still covered in snow. A surreal and incredibly rewarding experience. The final image of the lone house in the pitch black was taken in the middle of a heavily snow covered field in silence - which for me added to the whole photographic experience.

This series was entirely photographed using traditional film photography on a mixture of 35mm and medium format.

© 2023 Mark Forbes.
Using Format