“Of course I want to capture beauty first of all, but I also try to tell a story or just a single instant feeling, with a single picture or a series of photos.”

Italian photographer Alessio Albi comes from a painting and drawing background which you can feel a lot in his work. His portrays seem like paintings you stand in front of in museums, watching them closely and wondering what the portrayed person thought in that moment or what stories she has to tell. But it´s not just the story of the subject, at times the real subject behind all of it can also be himself, such as in the series “Missing”, that expresses his struggle to find a direction in work, relationships and fight with depression. His photographs touch and stir the viewer up and are like a homage to the human´s soul.

Alessio, where does your love for photography come from?

Most of it comes from other forms of visual arts, like drawing and painting. I grew up drawing and painting and I continued till my 20’s. In the last two years I put aside drawing and dedicated myself to photography only.

You photograph incredible stunning portraits. What fascinates you about that theme?

First, portrait photography helped me so much to improve my relationships with people. I used to be a very shy and introverted guy, had some difficulties in establishing contacts with people (mostly girls) I didn’t know. Portraits changed everything in this regard, because there is a mutual exchange of respect and trust between photographer and model; we are both totally open and guard each other at that moment.

Second, I loved to draw men faces when I was younger, but I wasn’t able to draw women. In photography I found an incredible tool to do what I couldn’t do before.

And what do you want to capture in your pictures?

I tend to approach a single image like a painting, from shooting phase to post-production. Of course I want to capture beauty first of all, but I also try to tell a story or just a single instant feeling, with a single picture or a series of photos. The passion for storytelling comes from my love for cinema and books.

Once you said: “Even if the subjects are mostly different women, the real subject of the series is myself. I see myself through them, with the feelings that have played a part in the last years of my life” Can you explain?

That was maybe referred to my favorite series, “Missing”. In these series, women lost in almost surreal (never manipulated) environments represent a difficult phase of my life, when I was struggling to find a direction in work, relationships and I was fighting with depression.

Color is one of the things that you love the most about your photography. What do you think is the difference between black and white and colour photography?

I love both color and black and white, but if you ask me to choose, black and white represents to me synthesis, and I have so much to say and so much I have to leave behind without colors. Then, of course, I have an aesthetics preference that goes to color, with some sort of obsession for the use of complementary colors and color phases of my work, based very strongly on my current mood.

Could you live without the internet?

To be honest, no. At the moment Internet is my first source of work. It is even a big source of inspiration, even if this aspect can be noxious if overused and can lead to creative blocks or loss of artistic direction.

Favourite book?

The Neverending story

Where do you see yourself in about 10 years?

I can’t reply for tomorrow, let alone 10 years :) But who knows, country doesn’t matter, I’ll be 40, so maybe more stable than now with a family, or maybe just with more doubts.