Beautiful and sad like Rome

Tempus Captum – captured Time.

A Project of Photographic Analysis and Exploration held in the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum.

Beautiful and sad like Rome

by Mattia Calogero

The realization of this project arises from the idea of ​​telling the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum through an intimate, melancholic, and decidedly unusual perspective. The condition that best represented this vision for the author was that of rainy days when the subject presents itself in a less inviting attire for a common visitor but certainly more evocative for a photographic eye. It is a strong and decisive countercurrent choice that is made, which invites not only observation but also flowing with all the senses of the images. It is with the sound of rain in mind, with its smell and its lack of color that they must be experienced. The sadness suggested by the title is a meditative, contemplative sadness aimed at transcending the boundaries of the visible.

The water droplets falling on the lens create “stains” on the images and at the same time give some shots a “noisy” effect that amplifies the melancholic impact of each individual shot. From the meditative solitude that the photographic step brings with it, a desire for escape also emerges, thanks to the presence of stage elements, in focus and out of focus, that evoke something unattainable and distant. The appearance of animals such as pigeons and seagulls, captured with different exposure times, sometimes motionless without the possibility of escape, and other times almost fleeing from the frame, contribute to this desire. The choice of black and white then becomes the ideal tool in the photographic vision to evoke such suggestions, avoiding the distraction of color and allowing the observer to focus on the emotions.