In conversation with ...... Nicola

[Donald]

Name: Nicola
Location: Tuscany, Italy

CiC: Thanks for agreeing to take part in 'In conversation with ....' here on CiC.

I’m honored to participate, simply because I really like CiC and it makes me feel much more “inside” this community.


Perhaps we can start by you telling us something about your general back-ground. What about your work history – anything interesting?

Unfortunately, for readers and (above all) for me, I’m neither a VIP nor a cartoon hero. I do not live a fabulous or incredible life in some kind of exotic island or castle… so I can only bore you with my profile:- I’m graduated in electronic engineering, a few years ago, but I really don't like (in fact, hate) electronic engineering. But I recognized it only when I was already in the middle of the University career. So, on the first Monday after gaining the degree, I found a job in an automotive factory! I’m working as a testing engineer, so I can balance a bit of electronic and a handful of mechanics! And I like it, also because of my colleagues and chiefs - They are so funny to seem crazy! A few of them are also photographers, we started a one year long photographic challenge among us!


And what about your family life?

Oh.. don’t ask me that… I could write a book! To be short, I’m the younger person of my family, I’ve 4 sisters and one brother, they gave me 4 nephews and 4 nieces, and, believe me, it’s hard to remember all these birthdays! You should see the smile this puts onto the faces of my parents - to see all these grandsons/granddaughters! And they still have to wait a bit for my contribution!!


If you were staying in tonight, what would you choose as one of your favourite books and/or films to keep you entertained, and what you be having as a favourite meal?

Hard question to answer, there are many good books or films… When I’m looking for “pure entertainment” I read books of adventure like E. Salgari and J.Verne’s ones (I hope they are known quite worldwide to let you understand) or watch comic films such as Benigni’s. When I’m more “thoughtful” I watch films like “Hotel Rwanda” or read books as D. LaPierre’s. Recently I really appreciated his “The City of Joy”. Finally, I can say that I dislike fantasy or similar: I don’t like Harry Potter or Twilight… (hope you don’t mind)!

EDITOR'S PICK #1

OK, photography is a given, but what about other hobbies or personal interests? Sports and open air activity. A big “slice” of my life has been spent playing several sports. I practiced athletic and rowing at high level, but in the last few years I abandoned competitions. At present day I love the sport activity in the open air without challenges: I love cycling, I’m a MTB instructor, and for a summer I led tourists in bike trips. I spent some holidays crossing the Alps with MTB. My goal is to do the Lhasa – Katmandu journey by bike, as one of my friends did last year. I also love playing soccer with friends, volleyball, sea-kayak, hiking, skiing… Every week-end I wake up early to go out, in every kind of season!


Let's get on to photography - how long have you been a photographer, and what got you interested in the first place?

Am I a photographer? No, I don’t think so. I started my interest in photography when I left sport competitions, in 2009: I bought my first digital camera, a Lumix FZ-18. Starting from that, this passion became stronger and stronger, so in October 2010 I bought my first DSLR and in December 2010 I joined CiC. CiC community makes my skill growing faster than what I imagined, and now I’m surprised to see what improvements I reached! (I hope also you are seeing my improvements …!)


What type of photography are you interested in, and why?

Up to now, landscapes. It is the main subject I shoot. In fact my girlfriend forbids me to shot portraits of models or even friends!! So I can practice portraits only with her, but she don’t want to appear on CiC.. so, how to have criticisms to improve on that matter?? And since I really love her, I can’t do anything else than respect her will! I like sport and wildlife photography too, and with my project 52 I want work more on these.


Any particular photographic influences?

None, or everyone. I really don’t know, sorry. I like watching pictures here and there, but sincerely I’m still ignorant about photography and its icons…


What do you hope to achieve through your photography - or what have you achieved already?

I want to have fun! It’s a beautiful way to “watch” the world. It seems to me that I’ve a new pair of eyes since I started my photographic experience. I really enjoy taking pictures and sharing them with people. Above all, I love to take pictures to share with my family. To be honest, in the last few weeks I’ve started thinking it could be good to earn something from photography just to afford some new gear.

EDITOR'S PICK #2

What you think of CiC? Any way it could be improved? Where should it go from here, in your opinion?

CiC is a big community, and that is good. Anyway sometimes I found it a bit too busy: too many thread in some sections. I think some “second level sections” can help, for example adding in cascade at “Nature & Wildlife” such sections as “macro”, “landscapes”, “wildlife”… Perhaps, a space for used-gears advertisements of the members could be of interest, anyway I understand that the management of it can be hard.


Getting more personal if you don't mind...what keeps you awake at night, apart from Photoshop?

My girlfriend … Also my friends, to be honest, I like very much have a dinner or a drink with my “old friends”! For sure Photoshop doesn’t have this power.


I have to ask this…. What photographic gear do you own, and what software do you use for editing?

I’m a Canon user, I’ve got a 50D and some lenses: 17-40mm f/4 L, 50mm f/1.8, 100mm f/2.8 macro, 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, flash 580EX II. Actually I’m on the market to change my telezoom: I’m waiting for a good exchange rate between Euro and USD in order to buy the 70-300 L, and to sell my own tele.


It’s a tough one to answer, but how would you rate your photographic skills and ability?

Discontinuous. Looking at CiC members’ comments, I produced some good shots, anyway beyond them there are much more shots destined to the recycle bin. Anyway I think I’ve improved my skills a lot during the last year, and I ‘ll work to keep on growing.


What will the digital camera be like in 2020? And will you still own one?

They won’t be so different. I think that video recording will be the most important feature in consumer grade cameras. FF sensor will be cheaper and so introduced (at least) in the “prosumer” market. Bigger than FF and improved technology sensors will be the bread for Pro users.


Another tough one for you…do you consider photography to be art?

Yes, I do. Unlikely, it is not considered such by a considerable part of the people.


How do you feel about having your own shot taken?

I feel good, I feel proud of myself, but only after post-processing. Before seeing the shot in my monitor, I feel doubtful and full of hope: I’m not so skilled to be sure of the goodness of a shot just viewing it on camera display.


What single piece of advice do you think is most useful to someone starting out with photography?

Just one? Only one? Well .. get a camera! Just kidding! My suggestion is: Listen to advice from other people and listen to their point of view. This is the most important, in my humble opinion.


Can we see two of your shots that mean something special to you, and could you explain why.

Well, there are many of these shots, anyway here a couple: This is one of the first shot I posted here on CiC, captured with Lumix Fz18. Working on it I learned my base knowledge on photoshop. It is also one of the first shots I was able to “see” and to reproduce with camera as I imagined. [IMG][/IMG]

The second one, a more recent one. My first steps on flash photography: [IMG]


[/IMG]


Finally, can you give us one interesting/weird/silly thing about you that we probably don’t know?

I answer with a question: who among you, before reading this text was thinking I am a female?? Well, you were wrong. Maybe you are thinking I’m mad and you can’t understand what I’m speaking about. My name (Nicola) is for men in Italian, despite it ends with “a” (also Andrea). Both here on CiC and during my real life, many foreign persons asked me my gender or have been surprised to listen my name. Someone started laughing too!


Thank you, again, for taking part in 'In conversation with .......'

Thank you for giving me the possibility, I enjoyed it and I ‘m going to enjoy what members are going to write here!


Read all the other interviews in the series by going to this link

[Fit]

You're a natural, Nicola!

Wonderful pictures; thanks for sharing a little about yourself.

Hmmm... auto manufacturing in Italy... now I dream of you at Maserati or Ferrari or Lamborghini !!

[Nicola]

Thanks Chris!
your dream are not so unreal
actually, I work in a big company that produce components for car engines. we produce components for Ferrari and Maserati, as well as for many other brands like Fiat, Ford and GM (both USA and European divisions), BMW, Nissan etc etc
personally I've never been in Ferrari's plant, but many collegues of mine told me that is wonderfull...!

[dje]

Thanks for sharing your story Nicola. OK I'll admit it, I thought you were a female !!

It's funny how you can build up a mental image of someone you haven't met and can often be so wrong !

Sounds like you had some soul searching with your career. At least your engineering training should stand you in good stead for the technical side of photography.

Keep shooting

Dave

[Fit]

Bravo!

I drive a Cinquecento.

Thanks Chris!
your dream are not so unreal
actually, I work in a big company that produce components for car engines. we produce components for Ferrari and Maserati, as well as for many other brands like Fiat, Ford and GM (both USA and European divisions), BMW, Nissan etc etc
personally I've never been in Ferrari's plant, but many collegues of mine told me that is wonderfull...!

[dulceza]

Hmmm... auto manufacturing in Italy

Hmmm...living in Italy, now I dream at Tuscany, Amalfi, Venice..landscapes, arhitecture, people, wow, is a photographer's paradise.
I admire your photography,keep shooting Nicola.
ciao,
Dora

[jjbacoomba]

Thanks for sharing Nicola. You have a great good eye. Hope to see more of your work.

[jeeperman]

Nice to meet you Nicola, always interesting to know a little about the person behind the box.

[Kris V]

Yep, I thought you were female. I also thought the same about singer Andrea Bocelli, before I saw one of his videos...
BTW - I love his music!

[Nicola]

It's funny how you can build up a mental image of someone you haven't met and can often be so wrong !

yes it's funny
and it's very common reading all these pieces of interview in the "In conversation with..." section!

[Nicola]

Bravo!

I drive a Cinquecento.

grazie!
are you really driving a 500? honestly, I can hardly image a small 500 on the big road of USA and among all that big car. here is a city car, but cities often have road less than 2 meter wide. It doesn't seem to me that american cities have tight road... haven't they?

[Nicola]

Hmmm...living in Italy, now I dream at Tuscany, Amalfi, Venice..landscapes, arhitecture, people, wow, is a photographer's paradise.
I admire your photography,keep shooting Nicola.
ciao,
Dora

many thanks Dora!
I'm planning a travel to Amalfi soon...
but also one in Canada in the next few years!

[Nicola]

Thanks for sharing Nicola. You have a great good eye. Hope to see more of your work.

so do I... this 2012 is very busy for me, I just would like to have more time for my photography!

[Nicola]

Nice to meet you Nicola, always interesting to know a little about the person behind the box.

I agree
since we all spent a considerable amount of time in CiC, it's a good way to know eachother better!

[Nicola]

Yep, I thought you were female. I also thought the same about singer Andrea Bocelli, before I saw one of his videos...
BTW - I love his music!

it makes me laughing... hope you don't mind!
but I can understand, English grammar doesn't decline gender and number on adjective and article...

[mstrozewski]

Thanks for sharing about yourself! I didn't even think about the Gender of your name. My son has the female version of his name, that I didn't know years till after I named him. But everyone knows he's a boy lol

[Fit]

grazie!
are you really driving a 500? honestly, I can hardly image a small 500 on the big road of USA and among all that big car. here is a city car, but cities often have road less than 2 meter wide. It doesn't seem to me that american cities have tight road... haven't they?

I do drive a 500. I'm in a big city, about 3.5 million. Most of the roads are wide/big. In the city centers the FIAT is easy to get around. I mostly bought it because it's fun to drive and gets decent gas mileage.

Oh... and it's cute.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Okay - I have to put my hand up and admit to thinking you were female as well.... So I guess it's your girlfriend in your avatar In my defence though, one of my staff is a woman who's name is Nicola

Great to learn more about you. Some of your photos are quite simply magnificent and I'm a big fan of your work. Incidentally, I can completely understand your dislike of electronic engineering - the stream of engineering I hated the most when I was doing aeronautical engineering.

[kezmal]

Great to read all about you Nicola - yes my first question out loud to my husband 'Mal' aka Goldcoastgolfer was Nicola is a man!!! LOL.... although here in Australia my name spelt Kerry with a 'Y' is the male version!!

[Nicola]

and gets decent gas mileage.

this is very important here in italy, actually fuel (gasoline) costs about 1,9 eur/liter = 5,5 USD/gallon...!