The subjects Dido Fontana photographs stare directly at the camera, as if they’re looking through you. Enter his world, where his images speak for themselves, and he peers through the viewfinder with red wine eyes.

When did you first know that you wanted to see the world through a lens and capture your point of view with a camera?

It was immediate. I was seven or eight years-old, I think. I played with my father’s “toys”… Hasselblad, Leica, Nikon, Rolley. I grew up in a darkroom. Maybe the lens helped me to see my point of view… maybe it was a trick to be able to see the “real-reality”… or maybe I just loved to see models undress.

What’s your weapon of choice?

I love film. Leica M4, some Yashica T4, some old Nikons: F, F2. I love Polaroid too. Sometimes I play with my old Hasselblad 500C. Flash mounted and natural light as well. However, I do not restrict myself. I also play with what I find at the moment: shoot n’ trash, cameras of friends, etc… But, I always have one point n’ shoot with me at all times.

With so much digital technology available at your fingerprints, what’s the motivation to stay analog?

The chemical is a friend, it’s life. I can sniff it and taste it… also, I don’t love to control every aspect of the process. I just love the little surprises looking at the contact sheet, concentrating on every “click.” I prefer to be present, to be living “in the now.” Film keeps you from “back-thinking.” Also, I like to have the negatives and store them. Digital is too much democratic to me. I use it for the very big prints, pass the negative with a drum-scan then c-print or lambda print…but, I love the feel of the real chemical chromogenic print.

We very much respect your approach. So, tell us what inspires you.

Growing up was a real kick! I grew up with nudes, acids, and weightlifting. I’ve always used my senses & my body… I’m very physical. I have a neanderthal-approach on every aspect of my life: I do photos; I do weights; I eat; I love. I love red wine, the life, the red wine, the sex, the red wine… I’m no frills. I try to be as honest as I can. If I wanted to seem cool, I could do one kind of modern “neo-realismo all Italiana” (Italian way of neo-realism).

So, you’re pretty much saying you like red wine. Simplicity… that’s key. In terms of lo-fi style of photography, what photographers or artists do you feel are making an impact today?

Larry Clark and Nan Goldin… Jurgen Teller and Ryan McGinley too have a terrific taste. I really like Yone, who I discovered right here!

You just named many of our favourites as well and happy to have introduced you to Yone. Your approach feels very natural and candid, yet detached from reality based on the whimsical themes and costumes you use. For instance, you’ve put a birdhouse on the head of a pregnant woman or a Mexican wrestling mask on a naked woman. What message are you trying to convey?

You’re right! Candid and gonzo are the right words. The approach I have is natural with no message. I only feel the mood, the color, the lines… that’s all. Often when I shoot I’m half drunk… so… it’s impossible to reason too much. The house on the pregnant woman’s head is only a house on a pregnant woman’s head to me. Sometimes they say I do fine-art photography… I say photography.

We see Christianity referenced in many of your photographs. Do you come from a strict Catholic Italian family?

Yes, I’m Catholic, but not one of the best species. I’ve always been around crucifixes, rosaries, Madonnas… it’s part of my daily life. My family home was full of Catholic imagery. I don’t force myself to shot it, it just comes natural to me. A sort of fashion and glam from the past. I feel strongly about the relationship between faith, life, death and eternal life.

I know when I went to mass on Sundays, I would stare at the stained glass windows and admire the artwork. How has religion inspired what you do now?

The characters of the Roman-Catholic’s Christianity are strongly correlated to the iconography of the suffering (contrarily to the victorious-iconography of the oriental-orthodox) that part of it fascinates me terribly. It’s so sensual. Imagine through the pain and the blood - we can arrive to the Light. It’s fascinating. Also, I think that the Catholic’s iconography is sexy: a lot of sexual and sensual objects, the colours… it’s all “full blown passion”…blood and stomach. Do you know that the first miracle of Jesus was made for eating something? It’s a very physical experience and stomach and senses have a fundamental position. The body is at the same level of the soul.

The female body to us is a beautiful subject to shoot and you capture it well. How do you choose your female subjects?

I hate the “May I put my happy ass here models.” I love the women that “don’t want to appear beautiful in way to make them to appear wonderful.” It’s necessary to have big confidence. That makes the shot amazing. I work with no set, no studio lights, no assistant (sometimes only one assistant). The models feel more relaxed, easy-going and in a fun-way. I proceed without a real project. My sessions are very organic and it takes form naturally. It’s the same attitude for my commissioned portraits. Often the best pics are where the subject has not revealed himself immediately. That’s one radical approach as I don’t want to fake the nature of my subjects. I could give a speech on truth and the perception of the truth.

What are you currently working on and where can we see more of your work?

Now I’m living between Italy and Switzerland, but I was living in L.A. for a time. I do portrait-commission and personal work. From ‘07 - when I won the first Prize-photography Pitti Immagine in Florence. I’ve been called to do some advertising shoots and editorials. Two Italian stylists commissioned me to shoot their stuff this Spring. My next assignments will be in Geneva, Beirut, & NYC. In the meantime, I’m working on my book. Therefore, I’m browsing my negative’s folder, choosing pics and other boring things - but necessary - things like that. I think next year, it will be ready. I’m happy to work with crazy people that surprise me. Here they say: “se no ié màti, no i volemo!” (if they are not crazy, we don’t want them!)

Taste it:
didofontana.com