Bored Panda reached out to Giancarla Pancera, a street photographer from Milan, Italy, whose work has been featured by "The Decisive Moments Magazine", and it’s a part of today’s list. We wanted to ask her some questions about street photography, which often captures candid, unscripted moments in everyday life.
Asked what attracts her to this genre, Giancarla said: “I really love living in a big city like Milan, where many interesting things are always happening. I am often the passive, sometimes active, spectator who observes the show with unaware actors moving within a stage that I myself compose.”
We were wondering what techniques or strategies Pancera uses to blend into the surroundings and maintain the authenticity of her subjects. The photographer shared with us: “I use various strategies, depending on the kind of story I have in mind. Many times it's crucial that the subject doesn't realize they're being photographed, so I become a chameleon… Almost transparent, it's quite easy, I just blend in with the crowd.”
Giancarla added: “However, there are times when I want to capture the subject's reactions when they notice me taking a photo and, in those moments, I become an active participant, not just an observer.”
Street photography has some challenges related to privacy and ethics. We wanted to find out how the photographer from Italy navigates these considerations while documenting the lives of strangers in public spaces. Pancera told us: “I don't photograph children, and if I do, they are not recognizable. Most of the time I photograph people from behind or in situations where identification is difficult, or I make sure they look at me (thus I have their tacit consent!). But often my street photography doesn't even involve the presence of people and I find this much less stressful!”
We also asked what about the streets and urban environments inspire Giancarla’s work as a photographer. We found out that: “I adore everything, from the reflections in shop windows that I turn into surreal paintings to the games that shadows play on walls and sidewalks when the sun is low and magical.
I find joy in the ironic relationships between advertising posters and objects or people and capturing decisive moments to give a scene a different meaning, the one I want to convey. Essentially, I love distorting reality and making it mine.”
Lastly, Giancarla added that she mainly photographs places in the city she lives, Milan; however, every place can still surprise her and inspire her to capture some special moments there.
