PERSEVERANCE (27.11.07)

©retoalbertalli Berlin: Mauerpark, selling photos from the DDR era.

My dearest visitors. I'm sorry not giving you any news. As every year this period is without assignments. I have some goals set in my mind. There are answers I'm waiting for. I have dreams. I have visions. I even have some answers but I will nomore tell about until things are beeing done. It seems that beeing too positive on the outside brings bad luck. So...

But wish me all the best, pray for me or do whatever you think could make a difference.

I'm really thinking of shutting the blog down but the number of visits is still surprising, and I don't have a website. I hope that retangolo will become much more interesting very soon... that would mean that I am on an interesting reportage somewhere out there... Pray for me.

(I'm really doing very well... I'm full of positive power and trust! By "praying" I mean "wish me all the best" and it's related to my jesusrockers project... Have Fun too my friends!!!)

NOVEMBER RAIN (11.11.07)

©ralbertalli - Stones on the floor in Berlin where the wall stud, as memorial.

November rain in Berlin? Grey snow! It's 9.30 in the morning and it feels like 5 pm. Gosh.
I'm not having a look at my blog since a while now... By the fact that I receive alerts in my mailbox each time you leave a comment and because of the nuber 3000, wich represents the visits (NOT the page views... the VISITS! wow) reached today (let's party!), I was reminded that sometimes somebody takes a look at retangolo! I was really surprised as I realised that two friends of mine ;) passing by at the agency's party in Lausanne is somehow due to the blog also... Hmm I almost couldn't tell news about myself on my "short trip" through sweetserland 'cause everyone had an idea of my projects and worries, as everyone drops by here every now and then.
So now... This blogging thing isn't really useful to my photo projects... dangerous, as I was told, because I speak to much about my clients (?) and probably to self centered... And: it will not replace human discussions in front of a beer. The stupid thing to me is that you now find retangolo by googleing my name, and pretty on the top. Wich isn't giving a very professional image of me as a photographer. Maybe. And of course my english is pretty bad but the only way to keep in touch with everyone (italian, french, german or english speaking).
I'm now willing and motivated to DO. I want my attitude to be active and positive. I'm doing things I was thinking about since a long... I'm not exactly happy or proud but that's probably the best way to feel. It has to be strictly normal... one step behind the other... bam, bam, bam, ... The wall project, the jesus project, the trucks project... my own health project :)... inventing projects... No more sprints! Just one way of beeing. Constantly and efficiently but normally active. I think the gratest metamorphosis I went through is taking the complete responsability for where I stand and what I am. So not only no more anger due to others but also no expectations anymore. No agency will find a job or money for me. And if they don't sell my stories it' because I don't give them good stories. E basta. I'm no more expecting to find motivation in a group of friends or collegues (see Meta or else). Motivation has to be there, inside. Audiobooks can help a bit or a good metal-core or trash-metal sound blasting your ears if you have a same activation level as mine :))) So dearest friends... in the end that's the way it is. This blog is about me because that's what a blog is about, I'm sorry if too selfcentered. Probably I should get myself a web page for my pics and that's it. No more blshit but just facts an results! Yeah no doubts!!! Yeah big scary tattoos on a worked out body!!! Color pics of smiling silicone dolls!!! Who wants doubts??? (food enough for comments?) ;)

photo-diary of my tour-de-suisse (HERE)

COME OUT AND PLAY (23.10.07)

in the photo: JeusFriends rok-praying around covered billiard table ©ralbertalli

I spend most of my hours photoshopping a wedding, I want it to be done by after tomorrow... because then I will leave to Geneva.

There I will stay at Julien's place. Finally I'll get the chance to see the exhibition of his wonderful work on ambulances (Julien Gregorio " CARDIO! " site Cluse-Roseraie, rue-du-Crest 24, 1205 Genève). So as Christian Lutz's " Protokoll " (infos HERE).

On saturday we'll have a huge one-day-reunion at Strates agency in Lausanne and I guess a party in the evening. On sunday I'll see my buddies Thierry and Jenny after almost one year! Elia? Will be great... Then... I decided to dedicate one complete week in Ticino for starting a project wich is on my mind since years now. I'm really trying to work on my mental those days. I have to change some habits wich are really blocking me... I am a positive person, I believe in myself... but I suffer of a total lack of autodiscipline! I have to find a way to get things done NOW. I always think I have to wait for a cosmic inspiration... I find excuses and get myself occupied with bootless stuff (on the computer most of time)...
So I try to work a bit on that... the ten days of masterclass somehow inspired me. If somebody sends me out I will do whatever necessary to bring good work home. But that doesn't happen in life normally. Not in my job. If somebody asks you to do something it will mostly be somethng you dislike. You guys will probably laugh but I came to the point of downloading an umbelievable amount of crappy self-aid audiobooks with exhilarant titles as "ways to succes" "believe and achive" or "I can sell snow to eskimos" (GOSH!!!)... It's really terrible and it gets you an insight view of how the well dressed SUV driving superior race thinks and acts! It's about the american way and big egos. But I let them play while photoshopping. I guess I need advices, really, and I stand alone... in the worst case it will have been exercice for my english. I sometimes tell my girfriend about and we laugh loudly, but now and then a good trick seems to appeal to my brain and I write down a note. I don't know but today I finally brought the bottle of whine from Piemonte to the editor of this huge international magazine wich helped me soooo much with my portfolio editing, I walked along the traces of the wall for thoughts, I shot some pics, I bought myself folders and paper stuff, a new agenda and finally went to the fitness club for infos about prices. Now I take time writing on the blog because I really believe it's important... I think that it's important writig about doubts and not only success. I take the time doing it and then: BASTA... I will NOT come back on it fifty times for checking the visits... until maybe next week. That's the way it has to be. I don't want my life to be changed (no need of becoming idiot) . I just want to be more efficient. That's it. I don't think audiobooks will help any of us doing betther... But to modern life problems (sitting whole day long in front of a screen) I think I must admit to need modern life solutions such as f**king fitness clubs or internet coaches... It's a bit sad probably. So I now really want to spend more time on the outside. Walking and shooting. Bring my fat ass on the outside and just have fun with my camera.

If somebody is interestes in the audiobook thing I should probably recommend Russell Simmon's "Do You!" (google it), he's a kind of guru in the hip hop industry, he struggled up from nothing to the top, and it's not just the banking manager's positive thinking while driving in his mercedes... Not all he says makes sense to me... but some advices stimulate creativity in my brain. So...

some short news (here)

DO OR DIE (12.10.07)

Siddharth (images HERE), the indian participant of the masterclass in Piemonte (images HERE and HERE), just left Berlin after a couple of days of drinks and discussions about what we learned during the last days. Same discussions I had also with Igor in Lugano and then again with Giovanni here yesterday. It's about passion, dreams and goals... it's often about getting serious, now. We can have thoughts about going to crisis zones, about sacrifices to do for doing photojournalism or photoreportage on a high level... Well in the end it all comes down to the same conclusion: start doing something and step by step you'll soon be somewhere without knowing how you got there. In my case it's really about DOING. I see now clearly that it's not enough having the talent of looking through your rectangle. Images might look great but it's about storytelling. It's a lot about editing (choosing pictures among your contact sheets). And it's about personal vision.

But unless you are not outside walking through rain or sand or cold with your camera it's no use having great theories. So again in my case it's about getting outside and getting things simply done. Done the way I feel it, the way I want it... so probably black and white even if no magazine is gonna publish, probably blured the way I like it even if no magazine is gonna publish... and probably I should really do more weddings and less magazines because it get's me confused... And in the end the big magazines will probably publish my work and money will flow in as well, if I keep it sincere. Now I am in Berlin, and I have a couple of ideas of subjects and I just should go for it, in my way. I know myself... I'm lazy. But if I don't do things now, I never will and then I really will have to deal with frustration.
I'm a bit confused after this masterclass... I know now that I have to focus on what I really want to do.

My work on nightlife in Monferrato (HERE)

ASTI (26.09.07)

I m sitting in an internet cafe in Asti. It s 21.15. I got the assignement "night life" in Monferrato. Yesterdaz night I walked around until one in the morning and had a couple of good pics but as zou can imagine here at night it's dead. And probably you can imagine that we got that theme exactly for this reason. I saz we... there is a girl also on that topic. I must admit that it is a bit frustrating cause she access to almost everzwhere with her big smile and probablz i have underestimated the situation a bit. By the fact that she hadn't a very good feed back during the poretfolio review she s totalley motivated... My situation is alwys the same. They tell me I can shoot, that I m NOT enough patient and I feell that i reallz dont know where to go. I see this war photographers, nice guys, hard guys... they have what we call success... but do they live a successfull life? No home, no warmth... just nightmares where the corps they ve seen look at them... they have lived more horror and desperation that their cameras could fix. Is it what I m looking for? Why do I admire them? why does their work appeals so much to me? They say: move, travel, go and see the world... leave the confort and do your job. Stop doing colored magazine. Do what you feel. Stop thinking that the photographers go to crisis zones for winning award ore theyr ego. They the world to know. And they are excellent storztellers. If zou are not nobodz will listen. Hmmmmm... As Stanlez would say with hes american accent: voilà (ooalaa) food for thoughts. And what thoughts. Ok now I have to show that I can stay up until seven. I will do a great job. I have an appointement at a night club, I got permission taking pictures inside... you imagine? Permissions I didnt get cause I thought it was impossible.... I got bz walking in last night with my army shoos, my leather jacket, my uncut beard and the camera hanging on my shoulder... in the middle of rich clients and awesome russian beauties I think I was the one to picture in that moment. Haha! So: wish me good luck for this cold and rainz night... and if zou got ideas of topics into night life.... write it in comments down HERE

ACE OF SPADES (17.09.07)

Informations about the workshop I was selected for (HERE)

My very good friend Julien Gregorio is visiting me here in Berlin with his 4 months old son and his girlfriend. It's about drinking and talking photography, about his newborn hero, about life going on and energy for new projects. It's a moment full of happiness this days here in Berlin. he sun is shining as if it was summer, we hang around and let life be and things seem to happen.
A couple of young "Christ Rockers" (I change the name here for several reasons) finally invitated me for doing the pictures at their wedding. It was really great. They were dressed classic, the bride in white, he in black, out in the german nature, big grey clouds and the sun shining through... and a punk-rock band playing meanwhile!!! beautiful!
In the evening coming home late I found the e-mail telling me that I was chosen for the workshop among a lot of young talented photographers. I was on a waiting list and one selected person couldn't participate so I got his place. Just awesome. It will be so great!!! Stanley Greene (infos) will coach us with Kadir van Lohuizen (infos) and some editors, journalists and "who knows" will drop by... and this in Piemonte. It'a dream. Really so great. I'm so happy and it means so much to me. And I have to thank so many people for this (I will, privately). WOW.
Then an association saw some pictures of mine in a magazine and want me to do similar ones for them. It's just what you dream hearing one day! And perfectly when coming back from Piemonte I probably have a wedding near by my parents place. So I'll make some money for my living and my projects. What a week!!! Only last week I was depressed hanging around in front of my computer while the sky was grey. Thanks for keeping on reading and leaving comments! The batman movie isn't serious photographer's work and I hope that some of my clients and friends reading will not judge me for this. That's also photographer's life!!! ;) CIAO

STRAFELICE (16.09.07)

caro,
ho buone notizie. Uno dei prescelti per l partecipazione alla
Masterclass, è impossibilitato a partecipare, e quindi si è aperta la
disponibilità di un posto.
Sei ancora interesatoa apertecipare? 23 sett/3 ott
Fammi sapere al più presto, in caso afermativo possiamo metterci
d'accordo per i dettagli.
Aspetto notizie,
grazie

Director

Focus on Monferrato Masterclass

This mail I received yesterday really made me sooo happy! :))) I was choosen among a lot of young agency-photographers to be part of an awesome workshop in Piemonte, starting in just one week. I was on the waiting list until now... maybe some of you remember the first mail... if not click (here). It's soooo great!!! Yuhuuuuuu!!!

Misfit: (dall'inglese) Disadattato, Pesce fuor d'acqua... Spostato!

RESILIENZA (31.08.07)

Sfogliando qua e là... (copiato/incollato)

Cosa significa Resilienza? Questa parola non é molto conosciuta perció conviene andare a consultare il vocabolario

Se consideriamo questo concetto in rapporto alle Scienze Sociali, possiamo dire che “la resilienza corrisponderebbe alla capacitá umana di affrontare le avversitá della vita, superarle e uscirne rinforzato o, addirittura, trasformato” (Grotberg, 1996).

La resilienza é piú della semplice capacitá di resistere alla distruzione proteggendo il proprio io da circonstanze difficili, é pure la possibilitá di reagire positivamente a scapito delle difficoltá e la voglia di costruire utilizzando la forza interiore propria degli essere umani. Non é solo sopravvivere a tutti i costi, ma é avere la capacitá di usare l´ esperienza nata da situazioni difficili per costruire il futuro.

Sono sempre particolarmente contento quando vado a cercare il significato di quelle parole che nel testo sorvolo perché ho capito l'insieme del messaggio. E poi scopro che in realtà ho capito la metà :)

KAUF DIE BILD NICHT, KURT (29.08.07)

click (HERE) to see what they did with my 200 pics sent urgently until 5.40 a.m saturday night. (the whole story again HERE)

BEOBACHTER (27.07.08)

My mom sent me this publication. Pictures made during my stay in Ticino. The night passed at Paradiso Notte with Greg and Nana... and the rest: or you did read it before I cancelled it or you can imagine it. I have only one thing to remember: the smell of acid vinegar.