Creating connections between man and his environment through street photography
Born in the Italian port city of Livorno in 1982, Arez Prod found the prelude to his creative life through his interest in hip-hop culture and street art. But it was only in 2017 that he fell in love with street photography. Since then, he always had a camera with him when he’s not at work, “ready to capture the extraordinary things that happen on the streets.” Just five years later, he established the Pisa Street Photography International Festival (PSPI) with his friend Mario Mencacci.
Busy as he is with his job as a fish seller and his role as the head of a family of four, he rarely has time to leave the house to specifically take photos. But he does manage to squeeze in a snap or two practically every day while running errands with his children in tow.
At the heart of this dedication to street photography is his goal to “create connections between the environment and man,” guided by his fascination for light “when it creates spaces of shadows and plays of reflections.” Picking his brain about his photography, one would eventually find that his entire creative process is more introspective than reactionary.
Copyright ⓒ Arez Prod
Copyright ⓒ Arez Prod
Copyright ⓒ Arez Prod
A reflection of character
Most street photographers tend to develop a certain documentary or narrative style based on the scenes they look for or encounter. But for Arez, his current humor-laden style didn’t emerge out of an idea; rather, he wanted his photos to reflect his personality.
“It wasn’t really an idea, but over the years, I’ve understood that the only way to be part of my photographs was to look for something that represented me in terms of character,” he noted. “So, I work to make sure that my character determines the choice of what I want to photograph. I’m a person who takes life lightly while knowing how to recognise the moments in which you have to be more serious.”
Every person is unique, he added, and believes that the only way to produce something different from the rest is to look from within. Draw from “inside your learnings and inside your experiences that have formed your character,” he suggested. This aligns with how the most poignant street photos show us the unique way photographers see — and document — the world around them.
But how does his character translate into the technicalities of his photography style? Say, in his choice to shoot in color or black and white to bring his creative vision to life? Interestingly, he only shoots in color at the moment, as he thinks there are “differences in approach between shooting in color and shooting in black and white.”
“I still think I’m in a phase where I look for color combinations or the strength of color. One day, I’ll start shooting in black and white. But I think for now I still have to improve on color,” he explained.
Copyright ⓒ Arez Prod
Copyright ⓒ Arez Prod
Copyright ⓒ Arez Prod
The challenge of street photography as a “personal pleasure”
With the growing number of active street photographers and the sheer number of photos they churn out, it’s easy to think or feel that the genre is getting more challenging than ever. For some, it manifests in the pressure to stand out. For others, it’s in honing their eye for something interesting in the chaos or cacophony of busy streets. But for Arez, street photography, along with all the challenges that come with it, is more a “personal pleasure” than a struggle.
“I can say that after the years in which I have become familiar with the photographic instrument, trying to make a seemingly banal moment unique is the research that pushes me to photograph every day. I also believe that photographing what is clearly beautiful (even if the question of beauty is subjective) is easier. I need to feel the difficulty when I photograph… it’s a personal pleasure.”
This difficulty, he said, comes in intentionally looking for something extraordinary and draws attention. “I always try to decide everything inside the frame, it’s a race to elaborate, decide, and shoot in the shortest time possible. I don’t like randomly taking photos and picking the least bad choices on the computer. I almost always know while I’m shooting if I’ve taken a good photo. I’m very self-critical and I throw away 99.5% of the photos.”
But speaking of personal pleasures, what about his favorite photo that he has taken so far? What’s the story behind it? What makes it special? We had Arez himself tell us about it.
“My favorite photo was taken on a vacation with my family at a lake in the mountains in the summer (Immediately Below). There was a nice movement of people in many directions and I started photographing some boys who were doing comical dives from a springboard. I wanted to freeze the moment of interaction between a diver and the space above the mountains, trying to create a sort of illusion. In addition, this shot won the Istanbul Street Photography Festival in 2022 ( Linked below ), and it was my first victory in a competition. I am linked to this photo also for this reason.”
Copyright ⓒ Arez Prod
Copyright ⓒ Arez Prod
Copyright ⓒ Arez Prod
Spontaneity, aesthetics, and the “Decisive Moment”
Finally, we can’t talk about street photography and not touch on the Decisive Moment. It has long served as a guide or philosophy for street photographers since Henri Cartier-Bresson popularized it with his 1952 photo book. Arez himself believes that it’s “definitely one of the biggest incentives in street photography for many,” but shouldn’t be the only basis of a compelling street photograph.
One can say that this thinking is also reflected in the long list of photographers that he respects and considers masters (including Garry Winogrand, Alex Webb, Saul Leiter, Joel Meyerowitz, Matt Stuart, Gustavo Minas, and Siegfried Hansen). While each of them influenced his style, he still prefers to work with his mix of spontaneity, aesthetics, and concepts.
“I think it’s what makes the difference in a photograph, and I personally believe that there should always be a good compromise between aesthetics and the decisive moment. But these are factors that influence you at the beginning of the journey and become automatic in your vision, when the photographer tries to be as spontaneous as possible. What I look for is how my behavior varies depending on the situation I find myself in.”
Make sure to follow Arez Prod on Instagram and check out the Pisa Street Photography International Festival to stay updated with his work.
Arez Prod’s Winning Shot Istanbul Street Photography Festival in 2022
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