DPReview: Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

The foggy bridge - Dublin, Ireland. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

Giuseppe Milo credits his interest in landscape and architectural photography with helping to shape a series of street photos he calls 'Faceless.' His fascination with the interaction between humans and the built environment are a common thread through the series, a project he calls 'endless' with new additions every week. Take a look at a selection of his photos and learn more about his history with photography. You can see more of his work at his website and Flickr. 

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Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

Advanced selfie - Chicago, United States. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

Tell us where you're from and what your history with photography is.

I'm from the Amalfi coast, Italy, but I've been living in Ireland since 2010. It's in Dublin that I started to take more pictures and study photography. I've always loved photography and initially I spent a lot of money on gear; then I realized that buying books and reading articles would have been more helpful so I started doing that. In 2012 I became addicted to street photography which is the genre I like the most.

Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

Dancing in the water - Valletta, Malta. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

What do you shoot with now?

For the past 2 years I've been shooting with a Sony a7. When I shoot on the street I generally use a Sony FE 35mm F2.8 lens. 35mm is my favorite focal length. I love this combo because both the camera and the lens are very compact and light and the image quality produced is amazing. I also own a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III which I like as well, but the image quality is not comparable with the a7.

Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

Another working day - Chicago, United States. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

How did your 'Faceless' series start and how has it evolved?

A few weeks ago I was looking at my street pictures and I realized I was very passionate about silhouettes and images of people who are not recognizable. This is maybe because I'm not really interested in people in the pictures I take but I'm more interested in the composition, the light, the interaction between man and environment.

Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

Bryggen - Bergen, Norway. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

(cont.) I don't really like to shoot people randomly and look for expressions or characters. I want to communicate a feeling with every picture I take so I always pay attention to composition and light, natural contrast, balance. Faceless is still evolving: it's actually an endless project, so you can check my website weekly for new pictures.

Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

Raining - Chicago, United States. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

How do you think your approach to street photography differs to others'?

Most street photographers are interested in expressions, funny moments, people interaction. I started photography shooting landscapes, so maybe that's the reason why I'm more interested in compositional elements. I also try to give my pictures a cinematic look: this is why I've chosen to use the 16:9 format for most of my pictures. This is the way I like street photography. I think everyone has to find his personal style and I guess I found mine.

Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

Stairs - Lisbon, Portugal. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

What have the challenges been in creating a book for your project? 

Creating the book was actually a very straightforward process. Both my wife and Lightroom have helped me a lot but the most important thing about the book creation was that I had a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve: I just had to create the layout. 

Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

The path - Dublin, Ireland. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

What advice would you give another photographer interested in self-publishing a book?

Use Lightroom and Blurb. It makes book creation very easy, and you can also choose to sell your book on Amazon. I think there are other options but my experience was very good. I like Lightroom, so it was fun to work on my book with the same software I use for editing my pictures.

Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

Opera house - Oslo, Norway. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

What are some of your favorite locations to shoot?

Everywhere there is a good light and contrast. I don't mind the location if there is a fantastic light. Otherwise, if light is not very good, I try to pick a location that allows me to create a good composition. I like architectural photography as well, and that's why some of my street shots are a mix of the two genres. I also like to explore new places. I happen to travel often for various reasons, so I can always change the location of my pictures.

Readers' Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

The photographer - Dublin, Ireland. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

What's the best advice you've received as a photographer?

Learn how to see the light. Light makes a big difference in creating a beautiful or an average picture. I've also learned to spend money on books and education. When you've learned enough, pick the camera you like to shoot with. Photography is about light, composition and balance, not about the gear. The moment I realized this myself, I really started to take better pictures.

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