Andrea Bianchi —
documentary photographer

I got into photography in 2012, after reading a blog post about long exposures — how keeping the shutter open could capture the light trails of passing cars.

I grabbed my father's Nikon D50, propped it on a wall, set it to 30 seconds, and took my first shot. The excitement I felt then is the same I feel every time I press the shutter now.

Since then I've photographed in Italy, Japan, Iceland, and Turkey. I'm drawn to photography as an act of witnessing — reportage isn't about chasing the extraordinary, it's about having the patience to let the ordinary reveal itself.