National_Geographic_Traveller_UK_June_2017

TRAVEL GEEKS
HOW I GOT THESE SHOTS
PORTRAITS IN PUGLIA
NICO AVELARDI, PHOTOGRAPHER OF OUR PUGLIA FEATURE ON P.92,
EXPLAINS HOW HE CAPTURED THE SPIRIT OF THE REGION THROUGH
HIS PORTRAITS OF THE LOCALS ON THE SALENTO PENINSULA
LIKE THIS? READ MORE
Similar features can be found in our free,
digital-only Photography Magazine. Issue 8
out now. iOS/Google Play/Amazon
I travelled south from Bari around
the heel, looking to capture its
fine landscapes, fascinating towns,
amazing food and, of course, the
locals that make this region so
unique. I tend to include people in
most of my shots — they’re the
soul of a destination and culture
— and Salento was no different.
When I see a potential subject,
I visualise them in a close-up
portrait. I approach them and
make conversation about the
place we’re in, what I’m doing or
more casual topics.
For close-ups, I set a wide
aperture — up to f5.6 — as I want
a shallow depth of field to make
the subject stand out from the
background. I shoot at a 50-70mm
focal length, so I can work more
When the subjects are
comfortable, I start
shooting and get
physically very close
in order to fill the
frame, but it’s
important to detect
if and when the
connection ends
intimately with them. I fine-focus
on the eyes to create a connection
with the image, while emphasising
details, such as wrinkles or
defined eyebrows.
I never start shooting straight
away; I spend time with the subject
to allow them to get used to me
— it can take any time from one
minute to hours. I also use this
time to find the best light and
angles to work from. Once I feel
the moment is right, I ask for
permission to photograph them.
These two portraits are a great
example of how I adapt my
approach to different situations
and subjects. I photographed the
man with the glasses in the town
of Calimera while I was searching
for elders who still speak Griko
— a local dialect of Italiot Greek.
He was comfortable with me
taking his portrait fairly quickly.
On the other hand, for the man
with the cigarette in the town of
Nardò, it took over half an hour to
even approach him. He was part
of a group of men relaxing in the
main square. He was very quiet,
so I spoke to his friends at first
until I could get him involved in
the conversation.
I don’t direct my subjects at all,
leaving it up to them to show me
who they are. And I never
overstay my welcome — if I feel
they’re becoming uncomfortable,
that’s my cue to stop.
nicoavelardi.com
@nico.avelardi
162 natgeotraveller.co.uk