We recently connected with Eleonora Chessa and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Eleonora thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

How did you learn to do what you do? Oh well, I went to photography school and i graduate in Italy in 1999. But honestly photography have change the game passing from analogical to digital so i had to learn as a freelance here and there from other photographers and I still learning from youtube or just observing others working…especially with evolution of technology. Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process?After graduate i went to academy of Art and I realise that i needed to be able to put together photography and painting skills in one. What skills do you think were most essential? light and composition in both are essential. What obstacles stood in the way of learning more? I love to work with natural light so i learned ho to get done the job quickly because the natural light change very quick

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Long story short story ….It’s all about risk ! in 2001 i left university in Sassari (Sardinia ) for move to Milan following the dream to became a professional photographer.
I had 1 luggage and 1000 euro, no place to go just one way ticket. was september 21/2001 and in Milano a plane crush in the Pirelli building in central station .I start to work in Hollywood club in corso como were i made drinks for so many celebrity ( Val Kilmer, Bruce Willis, Paris Hilton, Micha Burton, many italian singers and models and actors and soccer players and even Michael Jordan.) On day off on monday nights I use to go to a club named Casablanca, were I met my first boss were i learned some skills of how to be a “paparazzi”! After just few months a big time journals Gabriele Parpiglia notice me and mentioned me to the owner of the best photojournalist agency “Fabrizio Corona” (son of a big fashion journalist Vittorio Corona from magazine Amica ). I start to work with him and so with many national and international celebrity traveling all over Europe, publishing for the most popular magazines.
After 3 years thing fall apart because Fabrizio Corona got arrested ( google his name for full story ) I lost my job, I had to pay rent and bills and i had to hustle so with all the connections that I have made and because people like my work ethic and my honestly i hustle and worked as hard as I could and I got back on my feet. Never give up !then I met my husband that is a pro basketball player and i start to travel with him in so many counties and start to work around the world and develop skills in many other kind of photography. I was able to attend basketball game and shoot on the court, red carpets an special events like Emmy’s.
I was forced to changed representations so many times because so many agency aren’t no trust worth it ( i will tell you the stories one day )
I love to work alone, I like to have my team only for stylist make up and hair … i rarely use a retoucher i do most of the work my self even for post production .
I am able to discuss with the client the project to decide together and solve their problem .
In september 2021 my dad died and i spend the copping time in saudi arabia and i have realise that i needed to think what I should do to stay close to my mom. Last year my daughter started school and i met up with some old friend that is a wedding and event planner an she does decoration with balloons so we decided to open an association called Photo and Fun Lab .
we do wedding destination, events, laboratory, courses like Manga and English and we still figure it out more . Check us out on instagram @photo_and _fun_lab
I still work with celebrities world wide, I create content for social media most of the time.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I got pregnant just right after i have got my greencard so I have to stop working for a while but i never give up. I always keep my self in contact with my business connections, I never stop to be updated of trend and life style.
I alway keep connected with colleagues around the world and important thing alway create new connections with other countries tries.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I start to work since I was 14 . I worked on the weekends first then during summer so I alway save money for do or get what I wanted or needed for my self , like my driver licence, laptop and camera equipment. Is not easy to live on based on photography incomes.
After I got married my husband supported me since I had to be a full time mom traveling around other countries .

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eleonorachessa.com
• Instagram: @ec_photographer @eleonorachessaphoto @photo_and_fun_lab
• Facebook: Eleonora Chessa
• Linkedin: Eleonora Chessa
• Twitter: @elechessaphoto

Image Credits
Elisabetta Canalis per Santandrea luxury group in Villa Elais in Alghero Sardinia (italy), Sara Piccinini wearing Adidas (makeup: Monica Farina Studio, hair Creative Corors Sharon Correddu ), Michael Efevberha ,Ocean, Maurizio Pulina, Eleonora Cadone.