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I rarely watch television, but lately these last Sundays at 21:30 I am glued to the seat watching IL RESTAURATORE on RaiUno, with Lando Buzzanca and Martina Colombari. And I like it very much! How could this happen? Its happening because last summer Martina Colombari suggested I’d follow her on the set of this television series, in Belgrade, were they took most of the interior and exterior shots, reconstructing in an incredible way an entire neighbourhood in Rome. It was my first time on a set of that caliber, and it was marvellous. Amongst other things that surprised me was that to make it look exactly like the original Rome they rebuilt everything perfectly well, and then they hired graffiti writers to spray on the walls things like viva roma/forza lazio.. I mean only those defects that could make true the fake!

I took a few shots that were needed for the production on set. And then, one day that there was little to shoot, Martina and I went around taking pictures, freely like that.

Martina is amazing. She is really a great model. All models, beginners or not, should learn some lessons from her: she abandons herself to the lens, she lets herself go, we shot without hair nor make up, without styling, without anything… only for the pleasure of doing so. Perhaps the result will be unpleasant, but in a very “amateur photograph” kind of way, that is only for the sheer pleasure of going around shooting.

And this is the result:

But my desire to tell stories always takes precedence, and when, going through the messy maze of studios, we found two men that were cooking some peppers on the grill and drinking beer I immediately imagined our super elegant and super chic Martina Colombari could live in a ramshackle trailer as some sort of modern saraghina..

In my opinion this is the photograph of that day: going around taking pictures can be fun, enjoyable and can also give good results, but having a story to tell is always the thing that works more…

Martina Colombari, you are extraordinary!

The sportweek winter edition dedicated to lingerie: its already been out for a while, but, between one thing and another, I haven’t had the chance to write about it. I am going to do it now, with this post which will include the whole production.

A work that meanwhile has already been released a bit everywhere.. But, for my devoted twenty five readers, I will start by telling you the story and showing you a little thing that has never been seen or heard (I know too well that this will change your life: you have to do with them a reason.. ).

When we were given the task to continue the SPORTWEEK DREAMS summer adventure with the winter version of course it was inevitable going to shoot in the mountains. But in the mountains, in contrast to the tropical beaches where we set the summer version, the weather can be bad and cold. Very bad and very cold. and if you have to shoot girls, or worse the rock star skiers in lingerie how are you going to accomplish it?!? You must have a plan B. and I had it! I bought on the internet (!) a beautiful mountain landscape, and I made a big print on PVC, so as to have a nice sunny landscape if it were necessary. But we have never needed it! In fact we have always had a wonderful sun! But since we had built and brought the whole shebang I wanted to still use it, in a futile and surreal way.

Or perhaps not futile, so I can introduce you to our two models:

Her name is Alessandra:

Her name is Ditta :

However, fist things first.

The first, by name and by fact, photoshoot was with the rock star skier Lindsey Vonn. We went to Austria where she trained. She was very nice and kind, but for logistic reasons, we had exactly two hours to make it all happen. Among other things, I decided to go on a glacier more or less nearby and in the end I did the work in forty minutes, remaining in exactly the agreed two hours…

The cover is above, here are a few more shots:

It was a lot of fun to give a sexier version to a super athlete, and I think that she also had a lot of fun.

Here is a backstage photo:

And a backstage video:

After Lindsey we went back to Milan to shoot our models in the Agorà ice rink together with the Milano blue and red hockey players. Also here I had to be quick, for both logistical reasons as well as not to let our models freeze to death (the temperature was at zero degrees!): we took two hours to do the whole job.

Here are the opening pages in the magazine with some original photographs:

And the backstage video:

Congratulations to the models whom have stoically endured without blinking: well done!

Done with the ice skating we went back to the mountains in Cortina, to finish the job, with the two models from the beginning of this post.

We created the first editorial in the beautiful lodge Piè Tofane. Here are the opening pages with some original images:

And we also have a backstage vdeo, made by Pasquale Ettorre as all the others:

And finally the last editorial, made by going to look for the snow, on top of the Giau pass. Also here the opening pages of the magazine, as well as some original photos and the backstage:

For the whole production of this issue of sportweek winter, special lingerie edition, I had the help of:

Styling by Luca Stefanelli

Hair & make up by Niky Epifanio @ Coppola

Pasquale Ettorre, assistant and video backstage

Francesco Scontrini, assistant

Production by Daria Longinotti

olè!

The incredible location where my exhibition was inaugurated in Florence last week, on the last floor of the Excelsior hotel.

At least there was definitely something beautiful: the view…

Art Director Andrea Bandiera Robilant agency

Backstage by Fabio Ranfi