Isabella Lanaro

“I really love the idea of clearly seeing the expressions on someone’s face and seeing the uniqueness of everyone I photograph”

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

Isabella: I was born In Venezuela and moved to South Florida when I was 6.

I have Italian roots through my father, and as a young girl I would visit Italy often. Even from a young age, I felt a strong connection to the Italian culture and its history of arts, so it felt natural to pursue my artistic career in Florence’s Accademia Italiana.

I’m currently living and working in South Florida, but I’ve maintained my strong ties to Italy and I travel to Florence often for work.

Why do we love seeing photos of other people?

Personally, I love seeing photos of other people and imagining myself in that frame. I think people in general like seeing photos of other people because we love seeing beauty, but also because we subconsciously see ourselves reflected in the photos.

What is it about portraits that you find special?

I enjoy portraits probably the most out of any other style of shooting. I really love the idea of clearly seeing the expressions on someone’s face and seeing the uniqueness of everyone I photograph. I remember in university I always loved seeing Nan Goldin’s work. She’s not exclusively known for portraits, but there’s something so genuine about the way she photographs her subjects. You can tell through the photographs that she knew her subjects on a deeper level.

There’s a certain challenge with portraits to capture the story someone is telling through their expression. I’ve always loved that and I try to emulate that in my own work, even if the subject matter is completely different.

How do you connect with your subjects?

I’m a pretty easy-going person, so I usually connect with my subjects on topics they enjoy. I always try to find something very early in the shoot that somehow connects us and go from there. I’m usually talking the entire time we shoot and often try to make my subjects laugh and get the in a comfortable more relaxed state of mind. There’s something special in finding that thing that makes a person light up, and I’ve always felt like that’s what brings out a person’s most genuine self in front of the camera.

What kinds of moods and emotions do you show to find in your subjects?

The emotions I try to get from my subject really depends on the project. These days I’m doing a lot of work with models for either their books or for swim brands, which usually require a more relaxed mood in the model. For example, on beach shoots when it’s just the model and myself, I usually tell them to pretend I’m not even there. I don’t care much for the unnatural poses. I try to make everyone on set laugh as much as possible and get that reaction on camera from the model. The mood always depends on the specific project.

Where do you find your creative inspiration?

Growing up, I remember both my parents watching old movies and listening to music from older generations. There was always a tie to the past in everything I enjoyed, whether it was music and listening to records on a vinyl instead of an iPod, or older movies as opposed to the newer ones. My entire family is like that so I’d say a lot of my inspiration comes from them.

My sister Alessandra Lanaro (who is an artist herself), was always a huge inspiration for me. Before I started shooting models, I would always use her as my subject, which was fun for me because of the bond we had and the level of trust between us. She never truly cared how I was photographing her so she would do anything she felt like doing. That kind of spontaneity is exciting for a photographer, and it gave me the freedom to try new things as well in my work. My sister always photographed beautifully and still does.

For you, what makes the perfect photo?

Is there a perfect photo? My favorite photos always have the subject’s personality coming through. To me there’s nothing more unique than capturing someone’s energy in their expression, whether it’s through a smile or when they fall quiet.

I want my subjects to come back to me saying they really feel like themselves in the photos. It’s special when you have someone saying they truly feel they’ve been captured on camera. Those kinds of photographs are moments that last forever, and it’s beautiful to look back on them and see someone captured exactly as they are.