We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Donata Zanotti. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with donata below.

Hi Donata, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I started taking photos when I worked for one of the biggest Italian publishing houses, Mondadori. I was asked to take pictures of the book authors. It was during one of the photo session, at a literary festival, that an author told me: “I like you.” He preferred me to other photographers because he saw that I look for an emotional connection, and only from that did the shot arise.

I’ve always wanted my portraits to be a mirror for my subjects; my mission is to use the portrait to give others a chance to come out, to express themselves, to have a safe place to confront their identity.

Donata, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The years at the publishing house were followed by years in which I created documentary services for magazines and took portraits for managers, entrepreneurs, coaches, sports personalities, and show business figures.

But it wasn’t enough for me, and driven by a need to use my work socially, alongside this activity, in 2017 I started a photographic project called “Sw6teen”, which sees photography as a medium, as a bridge between the photographer and the subject being photographed.

I chose to portray a group of 16-year-old girls from Milan, curious about their world, their gazes, and their fast-paced lives. Seriality was a fundamental characteristic in my work: I used the same lens, the same framing, the same distance, and the same natural light, creating impartial and equitable portraits to foster connections among the girls and between them and me. @sw6teen is a social project, and an Instagram account, a virtual space where girls could see themselves and connect.

This project was followed by That’s me Teen, an educational project at the Istituto Comprensivo Centro Storico di Moncalieri, born from the need to make young people reflect on how their image is reflected in social relationships. Together with the psychologist Micol Pivotto, I conducted a photographic project that explored three aspects of personality through photography: how do you see yourself? How do others see you? How would you like others to see yourself ? These questions were translated by me into three formally identical shots for each participant. After I started an Instagram account “thetsme_teen”containing all the picture I’ve shoot to provide teenagers with a way to observe and compare how they look.

These projects have helped me uncover a different side of myself, strengths rooted in empathy but extending far beyond.
The core of my work is: the ability to have a comprehensive vision for communication purposes, the ability to dialogue with team members who don’t use my language in their work, the ability to choose a simple, clear language made up of serial and precise images that convey concepts.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I move with great instinct and passion, prioritizing the enthusiasm of the project over the search for commercial sponsors. Over time, I’ve learned that the search for commercial partners should be done beforehand. Financial support, emotional backing, and the opportunity to discuss work with others ensure that the project runs more smoothly. That’s why I recently decided to rely on a photography agency to better position myself as a portrait photographer and to make my projects bigger and more interesting. I would therefore advise anyone embarking on this journey to consult with an agent and an agency beforehand, to have a safety net, more funds, and financial security.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My professional path wasn’t linear. Before becoming a professional photographer, I worked in communication and public relations for large corporations.
Repositioning myself with a new image was challenging, but my persistence in building my brand and combining my skills paid off.
Now I can say with certainty that my past professional experience is the foundation on which my current work is built. Whenever a client briefs me on a project, I can’t help but consider the context in which it takes place and the target audience.
My communication background allows me to connect with managers and understand their business goals, which I can now visually represent through my photography.

This would not come naturally to me without my experience in communication.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.donatazanotti.com
• Instagram: @donatazanotti.ph
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donata.zanotti
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donatazanotti/

Image Credits

photo donata zanotti