Mordor: First Print Sale

Mordor

I am proud to announce my first limited edition print sale.

This photograph is called Mordor, because when I was there, with the clouds closing on this high altitude pasture in the Gran Paradiso National Park, I felt I had entered the evil-crippled land of Sauron. I tried to impress this feeling by converting the original color slide to black and white and emphasizing the dark tones.

There are two sizes available, A4 and A3+, each limited to 25 signed and numbered prints on HP Satin-Matte archival paper with pigment inks.

The prizes are 25 € and 45 € for A4 and A3+ respectively (excluding shipping costs).

To purchase one or more prints leave a comment to this post and I will contact you directly.

Availability:

• A4——-23/25
• A3+—–25/25

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Above the clouds

The whole Liguria was covered by a thick blanket of clouds. Climbing up the Ligurian Alps, towards Monesi di Triora, I finally emerged under blue sky, leaving the grey clouds below. I captured this scene upon come back, after a day snowshoeing to the summit of Monte Saccarello (m. 2200 circa), at the border between Italy and France. The sun already set, but the rising moon and the last light illuminating this wonderful scene.

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Alpine Snow Field, near Livigno, Italy

Some winters ago I was exploring the High Valtellina and the valleys that lead into the secluded ski-resort of Livigno. It was 2003, down in Bormio there was a lot of ice but very little snow. To reach Livigno from Bormio you must cross the Passo del Foscagno, and finally up there, we found a lot of snow. Some kilometers away from the pass starts the Val di Vallaccia. The snow was almost untouched, powdery and perfect. We followed a large trail to this group of houses. Some ski tracks descended from the side slopes. Everything was white, pure, refreshing. I wish I had snowshoes to continue towards the end of the valley and be even more immersed in all this whiteness!

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Massa and Carrara Marble Quarries at Twilight

High above the millenary marble quarries of Massa and Carrara (Tuscany, Italy), lies Campo Cecina, an undulating pasture perched among the steep cliffs of the Alpi Apuane. At 1300m and few kilometers from the Mediterranean, it’s possibile to enjoy a birds-eye-view of the flat coast shore of the Versilia and the Gulf of La Spezia, with the islands of Tino and Tinetto, Portovenere and the terraced hills of the Cinque Terre. So clear was the evening that it was also possible to see the Maritime Alps and the unique shape of the Monviso (soon in a coming post). These marble quarries had been exploited by the Romans to build the magnificent buildings of Rome and are still in use today. Lorries climb up the tracks carved in the slopes and at times a detonation goes off, another chunk separated from the mountain.

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Monte Fasce in Winter

It occasionally snows around Genoa and when it happens it’s a transformation. I go out to take pictures, unusual ones: the well known locations become a novelty. Here is depicted the Monte Fasce, which dominates western Genoa, from the winding road that leads to Sori and Uscio. I walked up to a small ridge where the wind gathered a lot of untouched snow. It helped me give the impression of a heavy snowfall (actually it hardly persisted more than a day). On top of Monte Fasce there is a crowd of antennas, fueling our appetite for information and communication.

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Snow Curves II

Another snow abstract, taken in the same place as the previous one, that is Bardonecchia, Italy. But that’s not important, since you can find such shapes almost everywhere there is some untouched snow modelled by the wind. I enjoy the transformations snow brings to the landscape and to the small things that surround our everyday life. Unfortunately (for some aspects it is a blessing actually) I do not live in a place where it snows a lot (just once every winter, in average), but I frequent the mountains in all the seasons and adore snow, and always keep an open eye for strange forms.

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The Orange Sunset

Another photo from the same clear-day session above Genoa. This time I zoomed-in on the spot where the sun disappeared. I enjoyed how these warm hues spread across the sky, like a colossal fire were buring behind the mountains.

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Alps, Mediterranean and Appennines Sunset

Monte Fasce dominates eastern Genoa, Liguria, Italy. Its flanks descend steeply towards the Mediterranean. On a clear day, like this, one can see the peaks of the Maritime Alps, near the border with France. The setting sun painted the sky orange and I felt suspended above land and sea.

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Just before sunrise in the Appennines

I was camping at the Prati del Tavola, in the Appennines near Passo della Cisa. This pass is an important gateway between Liguria, Toscana and Emilia, connecting the port city of La Spezia with the industrial (and culinary) Parma. In this area the Appennines rise suddenly high from the valley floor, reaching 1800m circa with the summit of the Monte Marmagna. These splendind mountains shows evident signs of recently disappeared glaciers and are part of the Parco Nazionale Appennino Tosco-Emiliano. This photo was shot just before dawn.

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Sunset in the Ligurian Appennines

Monte Antola is one of the highest mountains in the Genoa province, Liguria, Italy. There are many ways to reach the top, but if you follow any of the the two very scenic ridges you’ll be delighted by splendid views over the range of the Ligurian Appennines. This photo is taken at sunset along the ridge that starts from Casa del Romano, north of the summit. The walk alternates between open pastures and intimate birch forests, before reaching the grassy and stony summit.
The other ridge, much longer, starts from Crocefieschi and traverses Monte Buio along the way.
Monte Antola and its lower neighbours are part of the Monte Antola Natural Regional Park.

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Autumn Larches in Val d’Orco, Italy

These larix caught my attention while climbing the old hunting trail used by the Savoia. The Val d’Orco, in the Piedmont Alps (and part of the Gran Paradiso National Park), was ablaze with the fall tones and these tall trees seemed sturdy columns supporting a colorful and delicate vault.

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Rising clouds at sunrise in the Alps

While the sun slowly emerged from a vast blanket of clouds, preparing for a glorious Alpine morning, ethereal limbs of vapour tried to climb the slopes of the Monviso, before being dissolved by the rising heat.

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