Castelluccio di Norcia and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR

2019.09.03

Written by... Pierluigi Orler

Pierluigi Orler, Snowart’s photographer, is specialized in alpine landscape. He was born in Trentino (Dolomites) professionally trained in Milan, and has achieved a long-lasting experience in the travel, sport and architecture fields. His photo features throughout the five continents have been displayed in the most important magazines of these specific sectors. The sports shutter clicks have been published in ”Best”, the International Olympic Committee’s book, which contains the most wonderful images in the world. He’s had important exhibits on the occasion of the Olylmpics, and in Milan, Turin, and Parma. He has acquired the extraordinary talent to block structures within space and to graphically frame subjects in order to render visual emotions in a clear and transparent way. For quite a long time, his technical heritage has been devoted to the dolomitic landscape, and most particularly to the Fiemme Valley. He created such a unique way of framing mountains with his reflex camera, that the Rovereto Modern Art Museum was able to rename Snowart just by showing his photos. Through his lens, snow becomes a sequence of multifaceted volumes. Crystals, dunes, shaded valleys, are all metaphors of Man’s life. And the mountains are metaphors of the universe

Every year I return to Castelluccio di Norcia, a small village in Umbria that offers a gorgeous and unique flowering spectacle. In the vast plain everything is richly colored from intense red poppies to lapis blue cornflowers, warm yellow lentils, and sporadic emerald arum.

As if by magic, this place seems suspended in time, with an enigmatic beauty that attracts photography enthusiasts. They come to immortalize what has always been considered a perfect landscape, the result of human effort and earth’s generosity.

This year I brought the best possible equipment for such an inspiring assignment: the X-T3 single body camera and new FUJINON XF16-80mmF4 zoom, a specially designed jewel of technology with a compact shape which belies its substance. Light and versatile, it allows agile movement and extracts micro details from large spaces thanks to a minimum focusing distance of 35cm. These features are ideal for easy portability and the capacity to work on different focal lengths. It uses a stabilization system that allows freehand images and videos, giving concise details and overall clarity to each shot in all light conditions.

Castelluccio tells a story of nature that, like humanity, is capable of goodness and cruelty. Even in such a marvelous place the violent spasms of an earthquake swept away homes, farms and roads, but hopeful desires remain strong among both people and nature. From a brilliant carpet of flowers to the brave faces of villagers eager to return to their daily chores, will become stronger than before with everyone’s help.

All images shots on X-T3 with XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR.