Italian commercial and editorial photographer Carlotta Cardana elaborated on her practice in today's lecture, most importantly discussing her journey as a photographic practitioner. Carlotta introduced us to her story by referencing her earliest work, which took place in Italy. By photographing performances, shows and weddings during her time in education, she began to build her technical capabilities as a photographer as well as improving both her networking and social skills. Throughout this discussion Carlotta emphasised the importance of people skills within photography, implying they are just as necessary as the visual and technical strategies employed when making images.
Aside from her commercial practice, Carlotta devoted substantial time to her personal practice. One of Carlotta's first projects "Buenos Aires" documented the 2001 economic crash of Argentina's capital city. A lot of this work was shot on film as this was the most affordable option at the time. Following this Carlotta continued developing her commercial practice, moving to Mexico City to work for magazine publishers. The shots featured within these publications included portraits, interior design, fashion and live gigs; although during this time Carlotta felt this work did not suit her personality and brand.
To expel this feeling of displacement Carlotta moved to London to pursue the development of her next personal project titled "Modern Couples". The work was produced over two years, 2012 to 2014, and looked into the themes surrounding identity. Carlotta described this series as her first successful publication, which helped her get recognised and commissioned for further work. This balance and codependency between commercial and personal practice was reiterated often by Carlotta throughout this lecture.
This discussion was concluded with Carlotta's reference to her most recent, and currently developing, collaborative project "The Red Road". The work acts as a way for Danielle Seewalker, Carlotta's friend and partner, and other individuals with native american heritage to reconnect with their culture. As a native american, Seewalker relays her first-hand experiences of this culture whilst Carlotta translates these stories into visual images. This work has been in production for 8 years and can be explored further at https://redroadproject.com/
Carlotta's description of her journey as a photographic practitioner was very insightful. I believe the most notable thing mentioned today was the importance of patience and organisation as it took Carlotta almost a decade to reach the point she is at now.
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