who I am.
I was born in Milan, Italy, and raised in the countryside. Inspired by my mother's paintings, and fueled by her art books on masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Caravaggio, I developed a passion for composition and lighting. I saw the stories around me but struggled with putting pen to paper, preferring to communicate through pictures and drawings.
The thrill of catching the light in just the right way inspired me to chase life behind a camera. My career has taken me all over the world, from Japan to Mongolia, Borneo to India, Tanzania, and Australia, first with wildlife documentaries, then commercials, and now feature films.
My bags and my stories have gotten more and more interesting to unpack over time, with opportunities to work with great brands such as Google, Nikon, Dove, and RayBan, to mention a few.
For all that my bags are perpetually by the door, however, I call Brooklyn home, where I live with my wife and my two boys.
I think over the years I have been able to fulfill all kinds of dreams because I’ve tried my best to stay true to these three things that are important to me:
- To trick the audience into believing what they are watching was shot in natural light.
- To always light for the story and not just for the shot.
- To create an atmosphere in which the director and my team are comfortable and safe on set.
By now you know I prefer to let my imagery speak for itself, so I'll leave you with a quote borrowed from an amazingly talented colleague, Reed Morano, ASC:
"Cinematography is so much about instinct and intuition - you want the same range of experience going into behind the camera as what you see in front of it. Your life experience will come through the lens."