Francesca Zama

“In every single shot there is a part of me”

Intercru: Where are you from? Where do you live and work now?

Francesca: I was born and raised in Italy and I am still living here while finishing up my studies at university. I am a law student and I am in the first year.

How did you get started as a photographer?

I was introduced to photography at 17, three years ago. Initially I bought the camera to take self-portraits; but then I started to enjoy it, so I decided to develop my hobby more.

I started working in a club as a photographer, there I learned how to calibrate the camera. Then I decided to make photography something personal and I began doing portraits.

Are your photos very planned out or do you prefer to be spontaneous?

Usually I create a small mood board for my photos, so I don’t arrive unprepared for the shooting. But in the end, I almost never follow it because the model gives me different inspirations and I follow my imagination.

What do you do to find creative inspiration?

Books are my biggest source of inspiration. I am a great reader; I read everything and based on this I imagine the shootings and the person I want as a model.

It often happens that I plan a shooting after reading a good book, because photography and books are the same: both need a good dose of imagination to be interpreted.

Sometimes, however, the inspiration comes without a real explanation. It can come while I’m out drinking with friends, or studying, or walking. This is why I always carry a small diary with me.

What’s your favorite part about photography?

My favorite part of photography is definitely the relationship I establish with the model. If the model does not feel comfortable it makes no sense to do a photo shoot. I believe that human interactions are the basis of photography.

I love to chat a lot with people, in fact when I shoot I talk a lot with the person in front of me, both before and after the shooting, because I want to know as much as possible about them. Usually after the shooting I take the model (if they want) with me for a coffee or a drink.

With the photos you make, what’s the main feeling or emotion you try to convey?

The photos I take are born from my emotionality- it is an outlet of my soul. If it’s a bad time, I take photos covered with a veil of melancholy, and sometimes you can also see it from the color. But if it’s a good time in my life, my photos are incredibly light. I don’t like to show and tell people when I’m not feeling well inside, and photography is the only means I have to communicate it.

In every single shot there is a part of me.

In your opinion, what makes the perfect photo?

The famous “Moment” is difficult to explain, in simple words it is the exact moment! It means being able to find the moment in a story that differs from the others, a detail that is difficult to explain, capturing a small piece of time that tells the story without the need to explain it.

Sometimes, when the “moment” is found, the photograph will be beautiful even if the technique is not exactly perfect.

Photography is not about taking what you have in front of you, but capturing the exact moment and being able to tell it to those who haven’t seen it at that moment.