Ettore Moni

Where are you from/based now?

I’m based in Parma, a town in the north of Italy, halfway between Bologna and Milano.What is your


What is your background in Photography? What keeps you interested?

I attended the art school in my city, then I became interested in photography as an autodidact. I started with photographs of musicians, that led me to work for the Repubblica magazine. I then started to do fashion photography which brought me to live in New York, on my return to Italy I abandoned fashion photography and started researching the areas I've always liked, but I think I have arrived here after experiencing the other disciplines.


What equipment do you use?

I now use only the large format, I have a Toyo 4x5 and a 4x5 Shen-hao, for my research.
I also Hasselblad, Mamiya, Pentax 6x7 and 6x45, and Nikon


What do you look for when you are out shooting?

When it comes to a project, sometimes you do not know exactly what you are trying to achieve, it was inspired by a subject and everything is born at that moment. Other times you go in search of a particular subject and continue the search until you think you have finished. I always try to leave with clear ideas but on the day I let myself be influenced by what I see, what I like and I evaluate whether the subject is strong enough to create a story.


How often do you go out shooting? 

I do not have a particular rhythm, it may be that I don't go out shooting for weeks and then I'm out for two or three months continuously shooting everyday.


Is there a particular photographer, site, set of images or a photo book that you keep coming back to for inspiration? 

I've been a collector of books on photography for many years, and there are many photographers who, for one reason or the other, affect my eye. I especially like Basilico, Sternfeld amongst many others. One of tmy favourite books is by Anthony Hernandez, "Waiting, Sitting, Fishing and Some Automobiles" a book begun in 1973 and completed in 1983.
Certainly now with the internet it is always easier to discover and inquire about what's happening in the world of photography, but I particularly love the ones that still snap in analog.

Are you working on a project at the moment?

Yes, I will start a new project in a few days, which is  about the landscape and the human hand, I have many  ideas and am always on the hunt for new ones.


Are you planning on exhibiting any work in the near future?

I would like to exhibit my work more often and maybe even overseas, this year I exhibited at the International Festival of reggio emilia, I believe that to exhibit the photos to the public is the end of any project.

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