I'm very happy to get a ribbon during the WPL conference final. My teammates helped me so much in picking the right image.
As usual I love to explain how this shot was born: I planned the shooting session on Sunday morning at dawn. First I called a model (the same of my Day & Night shot) and I searched for helium-inflated balloons. I went to a toy shop on Friday and ordered 10 red balloons for the late afternoon of Saturday (otherwise the balloons could deflate). Then I called an assistant, Marco, my nephew (I'm a young and funny uncle ^_-). My idea was using a small ladder I wanted to place under the water surface to convey the idea of a person walking on water. I talked with my friend Ugo and he said he had a chair without back - that was perfect for my idea! I woke up at 6 in the morning and turned on the phone: well, there was a message from my model who said she couldn't come because she was sick. Oh my God, the world seemed falling on me. I spent money for unuseful balloons, woke up early in the morning and above all I couldn't contribute to my team. But my nephew had already left his house to reach me so I had to invent something. While my wife was sleeping I began searching for shirts and jeans and scarves and so on. I rarely like to be model for my shots especially when planned something different.
When we reached the sea the situation was REALLY hard. A lot of wind and the chair kept falling because the waves were too strong. I used boots to go into the water, but in 5 seconds they were full of water. Even if here is not Iceland, it's December and it's NOT hot!
But I wanted to try it for my team!
I found a wooden crate on the beach and I used it. The result was awful. The waves were too strong, no way to get a decent shot. I was really cold, I had been in the water for at least 15 minutes and my legs were red. In the meanwhile the sun was rising and I was wondering if a contre-jour shot was possible. I set the camera and asked Marco to hold the release botton in order to use continous shooting. After several tries (at least 50) I was tired (I have a problem at my right knee, so I couldn't go too far with that). I tried once again to shoot a different image while we were going back home, but it didn't satisfied me.
I was shivering and sure that I had got a bad cold.
We went to have breakfast and I bought a croissant for my wife who had just got up when I was back home.
I was pretty disappointed. I couldn't do what I planned.
I downloaded the shots on my computer and found a couple of images that were not too bad.
I began editing them and sent to my teammates. I liked my outtake more but they immediately said that the flying one was much better. I trust them so much that I had no doubts in submitting that one.
That's why I have to really thank my teammates and especially Dennis who was sure I was going to ribbon as soon as he has seen the photo.
Congrats on such outstanding image, Alex! That's the soul of an artist - even when things don't go as planned or all efforts seem in vain, they produce such a fine piece work...
Congrats Alessandro. Your hard work paid off.. next time place the model in quarentine and make sure she does not get sick before the shoot. I think you lost .5 because you are in the image ;)
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