Research on Nature - Riccardo Polini

Riccardo Polini



Riccardo was born in Rome (Italy) in 1961 and this is where he is based today.

Riccardo is not only a photographer, he also does alot of work in science and has appeared in many scientific publications and has many degrees in the field.

From 1991 Riccardo became a member of the AFNI which stands for 'Association of Italian Nature Photographers' and he describes that his devotion lies with landscape, wildlife and close-up photography. He has featured in many books and in 2003 he was featured in a book entitled 'The best of nature photography' and even went on to publish his own books. His work is mainly featured in Italian and German magazines and has even earned him prizes and below are some of my favourite images taken by Riccardo. These were taken from his website - http://xoomer.virgilio.it/ripolini/ and some even have a description of the settings of the camera when the images were taken. I have talked a little about what I like about the photographs and what I feel works etc.

Lake of Penne (Abruzzo) - Nikon F801, f/2.8, gradual filter

I like that this image is portrait instead of capturing the landscape in the usual landscape setting, it adds a different dimension and works well with the position of where Riccardo would have been standing. I think that the angle and positioning of the sun has worked really well and I love the reflection of the sun and trees in the water. The large depth of field is really nice and yet he has still managed to keep everything in focus.

Manziana Natural Park (Lazio) - Nikon F100, f/3.5-4.5

I like that the natural light is coming from the side rather than seeing it straight infront and it is more in-direct than the first image. This sun light reflects slightly on the water and also helps to highlight the branches and trees. The fallen branch/bark draws your eyes into the centre of the image and then you are drawn to the trees on the right hand side.

Mt. Gelato Falls (Lazio) - Nikon F801, f/4

The shutter speed would have played a big part when taking this image as this has helped to create a 'misty' effect of the water. This image focuses on the waterfall and I like the way that the sun light is creeping through the trees to create shadows on the rock to the right of the image. I think that too much sun light would have been too much in this composition and it would have taken the effect away from the main feature of the waterfall so he has captured just the right amount of sun light.

Orbetello Lagoon (Tuscany) - Nikon F801, f/4

I love the fact that this image has a small tonal range of the black and the orange from the sun. It is very simple but beautifully effective. You still know what the image is and what is in the photograph but it has an element of mystery at the same time. I really like the reflections in the water and how the subjects in the image, such as the flamingo and the mountains, remain as silhouettes. I would like to try and create something like this in some of my own images.

Sunrise, Treja River (Lazio) - Nikon F801

This image is stunning and there are three main subjects - the sun light, the tree and the water. This is all this image needs and I love the way the sun is shining through the trees to create the streams of light towards the camera. I like the composition and I think that the angle of the tree works really well and with the sun light it draws your eyes in to the back of the image. The main colour of the image is from the sun and the rest has quite a neutral look.

Sunset, Baviera

The tonal range in this image is really nice and again he has concentrated on the colours of the sun and the white of the snow really stands out against these vibrant colours. The sunset behind the trees is really nice and creates the trees as a silhouette so it keeps the focus on the white of the snow and the colours created by the sunset which is where your eyes are drawn to.

Akakus Desert (Libya) - Nikon F801, f/2.8

The use of shadowing from the sun really makes the sand stand out in this image and it helps to pick up on the ridges in the sand. I like the way he has centred the sun in this one and some how he has made the sky and background look 'rounded' which looks really different.

Caldara - f/16, ISO 200

The subjects in this image are really defined and very sharp which I think is very important when taking close-up shots. I like the textures and the natural tones here and I like that it is quite busy.

Canale Monterano, Lazio - Nikon D200, f/4, tripod

This image was taken with a tripod which has helped to get the camera very still to create the sharp image of the flower. This is a really simple composition and I like how he has focused the camera on the flower and made the green in the background blurry to focus your eyes straight onto the flower. This therefore would have a small depth of field and I like the angle of the flower as well.

Cerveteri, Lazio - Nikon D300, f/4, tripod, ISO 200, reflecting panel

Again Riccardo has a small depth of field in this image which has given the background a blurry effect so that your focus is on the close-up of the flower. The two petals at the front of the image are sharper than the background but even they have a softness to them. The colour of the flower is really vibrant which makes it really stand out and I like the shape of the petals.

Funghi - Nikon F100, f/3.5, tripod



This image is a similar composition to my own images taken of the funghi at Hilton Gravelpit. The fughi is slightly off centre which I think goes well with the angle of the stump/bottom of the funghi. Your eyes are drawn straight to the funghi and thats when you notice the nice detail in the bottom and also the water droplets on the top which gives the photograph more life. The outlines of the subject are very clear and sharp which would have been helped by using the tripod to steady the camera and I also like the depth of field used.

Looking at the work of Riccardo Polini has inspired me to take more close-up images and I want to experiment in simple tonal ranges and creating silhouettes by the use of natural light.

I am also going to look into how reflector panels are used as I have not come across this before and see if this technique can be used in my own images.