“Photography gave me the power to show others my perspective, and made me realize the importance of details. I can see beauty everywhere now, photography gave me that.”

With open arms on the back of a friend´s bike, like embracing the whole world, the pink sky above above their smiling faces. It is one of Paolo Raeli´s images that is so characteristic for his whole work. It´s those unforgettable moments. The ones from us being young and in love. We talked to the South Italian photographer about what freedom means to him, why he prefers to photograph friends and how he found his magical place at home after travelling the world.

What moment made you fall in love with photography?

It was a very quick process; it grew on me almost immediately as I discovered the actual power of photography. It gave me the power to show others my perspective, and made me realize the importance of details. I can see beauty everywhere now, photography gave me that. I fell in love with photography as time passed, as I realized how powerful this medium is. One moment in particular was with two friends in my aunt’s bathtub, days before she sold the house. After that I realized how photography actually has the power to capture things forever. Sometimes I still pass close to that building and smile.

Your images transmit so much freedom – what does freedom mean to you?

As trivial as it sounds, having no alarms set in the morning. Just letting the sun wake you up. I felt the most free when I was 18, experiencing that shiny feeling of youth mixed with the “you are an adult. You can do things now” kind of feeling. I had finished school, photography was still a new world for me to discover. Being free has always been having the possibility to control my time.

It is important for you to capture strong emotions in your work. How do you manage to get that from your friends in front of the camera?

I always bring my camera with me, so my friends grew used to it, and since they like what I create they like when I take pictures of them. It’s a great way to get intimate with people, and I feel very grateful I had the chance to experience such amazing situations with photography. I can be very shy at times, so taking pictures of strangers isn’t my thing. The emotions in their eyes just don´t feel right compared to pictures of friends and people that love you.

“That what makes a picture special to me. To compare it with your life days, months, ages later.”

In one insta-post you wrote: “Please take pictures of your friends. Take pictures of your friends when they laugh, and when they are happy. And when they are sad, too. Take pictures of them partying, studying, eating, or sleeping in your bed.” You collected so many images already. What makes a photograph long-lasting and do you ever go through your “old” pictures with your friends?

Most of the pictures I like the most happened in very casual situations, and sometimes I didn’t even like them at first. I often go through the archives and find “gems” that got more and more special as time passed and how different my life is compared to that peculiar moment. That what makes a picture special to me. To compare it with your life days, months, ages later.

Another main theme in your work is love. Besides the love for your family and friends, are you currently in a relationship?

I am! I met my boyfriend on the subway in Rome, we were on the same carriage. You know when you have a crush on public transportation right? He definitely was my crush. We got off at the same station, walked down the same road, when he stopped right behind me as I was opening the door of the building I lived in in Rome I smiled, asking him jokingly if he was following me. Turns out he was visiting a friend who lived in the same building as me, and we later found out (his accent got me wondering) that we came from the same town. The rest is history :)

I also love to read all your wonderful captions along the images you post on instagram. How much time you need to create an instagram post?

Writing has always been a form of freedom to me, so before photography that was my personal way of expressing myself. I also feel like photography really goes well with writing, so combining the two just feels right to me. I usually decide which pictures to post and a caption that goes well with that concept, either mine or from another artist’s perception. I have many followers so it’s nice to share the love by tagging other artists when I use their writing under my post. It takes me around 15 minutes to create a post, a little more when I get indecisive about which picture to post first :p

“Inspiration is like a wind, it comes and go, and I can’t deny I get quite depressed when I don’t feel any.”

What is the biggest challenge of being a photographer?

Inspiration is like a wind, it comes and go, and I can’t deny I get quite depressed when I don’t feel any. When I feel like I captured a good moment I get a crazy flow of endorphins, so it kind of feels like a drug to take nice pictures. Hope that makes sense. laughs. Working-wise this industry is quite saturated, and even though healthy competition is good I can’t deny the pressure always makes me feel a little bit hopeless. I always feel like there’s space for everyone’s art, and I am grateful the internet gave us the opportunity to view so many incredibly talented artist. It’s great for inspiration too. Yet it can also make you feel like you don’t matter, or you’re not good enough compared to others.

Where is home for you?

I had the opportunity to travel around the world thanks to photography, all the way from south Italy I ended up in New Zealand, passing through Dubai, South Korea, getting lost in Berlin on a snowy day, feeding the swans in Copenhagen, and bathing at night right next to the Santa Monica pier.. Just to name a few. But all these beautiful places feel dull compared to the mountain behind my house; it’s a magical place, all the way up there’s a small house where a hermit lives, and he covered all the walls inside his house with mosaics. The first time I went there the sun was setting; clouds seemed like they were just a few feet up above the top of my head, the Tirrenian see was behind me and my hometown was right in front of me, all light up preparing for the evening. In that moment I really felt like I was part of the universe.

What pictures do you have on the wall in your bedroom?

There’s an entire wall of pictures I’ve taken behind my bed. I feel like it’s very important to print all the pictures you’ve taken, as to have them physically is another experience than seeing them on a screen. Plus if your hard disk decides to go on vacation your heart doesn’t break (happened to me before, when I lost 20gb of pictures! Never again)

Whom would you love to photograph?

I never asked myself this question to be honest, I’m quite content with the people that surround me, and I absolutely need to create even a small relationship with every person I worked/met when it comes to photography, otherwise the energy just doesn’t feel right. Speaking of someone famous, I would have loved to meet Amy Winehouse.

“I had the opportunity to travel around the world thanks to photography. But all these beautiful places feel dull compared to the mountain behind my house; it’s a magical place.“

You´ve done already so many interviews. Any questions we should have asked you? And your answer to it? :)

What is your relationship with sadness? Art is a wound turned into light.

Where do you see yourself in let´s say 10 years?

I can’t guess. Hopefully in my own house planting “enfants de France” roses on the balcony of the kitchen, surrounded by light and music, anywhere is fine, as long as I am not alone. :)

What is the best advice you ever received?

Be the type of energy that no matter where you go, you always add value to the spaces and lives around you.