Gabriele Malagoli

It was sheer discipline that took me from “trade to vision” as my work began in 2004 on the field of photojournalism. Delighted in gleaning the instant, the raw, the unapologetically real, capturing the vision of humanity, casting my photographic nets in the contemporary and the honest of things. There was a world of dignity and solidarity, a world of fleeting social events out there, turning into my school for the greater picture. I plucked from the streets a bouquet of encounters and scenes, the “prima facie”, and the humour.

Fast forward six years. and you'll now find me in the world of alta moda, couture, and wearing my heart on my sleeve. I’d craft photographs of stills, people who stare into the lens willing to be captured, the eloquence of textures and billowing silhouettes, the teasing wink of fashion and the personas it creates. There was the glamour, the freedom, and above all, style. I’d spend my days studying how a gown moves, how a jewel hangs, in full creative bliss. Yes, this was my second school. Feeding myself on beautiful things.

In 2010 my first wedding was the serendipitous twist of the plot. The 2010’s gave the world weddings of epic proportions, two royal weddings, and that’s if one excludes all of the Hollywood royalty that tied the knot. It was a wild ride for sure, the inspiration, how intentional and empowered modern brides came to be, and that liberating sense of freedom in wedding design made me feel one with who I photographed.

Today it’s all about communicating those implicit but fleeting days – a tender complicity if you like. My winning smile and clear of gaze come from feeling so rich, being able to provide my clients with an all-sensory experience. Their mythic moments and sublime style, an unmistakable sense of place, and their sheer testimony of Love, all wrapped up in sophisticated visuals. There is a little rock and roll involved, some fine geography, intensely personal to each, photography that stands for everything they are.

Gabriele Malagoli | Profile Portfolio: Malagoli Wedding

Image | 11 of 24

Gabriele Malagoli

It was sheer discipline that took me from “trade to vision” as my work began in 2004 on the field of photojournalism. Delighted in gleaning the instant, the raw, the unapologetically real, capturing the vision of humanity, casting my photographic nets in the contemporary and the honest of things. There was a world of dignity and solidarity, a world of fleeting social events out there, turning into my school for the greater picture. I plucked from the streets a bouquet of encounters and scenes, the “prima facie”, and the humour.

Fast forward six years. and you'll now find me in the world of alta moda, couture, and wearing my heart on my sleeve. I’d craft photographs of stills, people who stare into the lens willing to be captured, the eloquence of textures and billowing silhouettes, the teasing wink of fashion and the personas it creates. There was the glamour, the freedom, and above all, style. I’d spend my days studying how a gown moves, how a jewel hangs, in full creative bliss. Yes, this was my second school. Feeding myself on beautiful things.

In 2010 my first wedding was the serendipitous twist of the plot. The 2010’s gave the world weddings of epic proportions, two royal weddings, and that’s if one excludes all of the Hollywood royalty that tied the knot. It was a wild ride for sure, the inspiration, how intentional and empowered modern brides came to be, and that liberating sense of freedom in wedding design made me feel one with who I photographed.

Today it’s all about communicating those implicit but fleeting days – a tender complicity if you like. My winning smile and clear of gaze come from feeling so rich, being able to provide my clients with an all-sensory experience. Their mythic moments and sublime style, an unmistakable sense of place, and their sheer testimony of Love, all wrapped up in sophisticated visuals. There is a little rock and roll involved, some fine geography, intensely personal to each, photography that stands for everything they are.


Interview

IF I HAVE A FREE SUNDAY I WOULD SPEND IT… definitely with loved ones and my two cavalier king pups. Sometimes it's basement rock and roll sessions with my childhood friend cover band, Others it's reading or cooking and enjoying a great single malt. Life is all about little pleasures on Sundays.

MY MOST MEMORABLE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE WAS… I have to say the first time I visited the Amalfi Coast, before I even began to shoot weddings there. The views as an open car slides down Strada Statale and you get to witness he coast opening like a cinematic sequence before your eyes are magical. Then I got to visit Villa Astor in Sorrento and the feeling I got that everything is alright with the world made their own special imprint.

THE COUNTRY I MOST WANT TO VISIT IS… Apart from exploring every bit possible in Italy I would have to say France. The South of France in particular holds a very special place on my list. In fact, I'm headed there in 2021 to capture my first wedding in Cote d' Azure and I'm quite impatient to unfold its secrets.

WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT MY JOB IS… Although the first thing that pops in mind to reply is absolutely everything if I have to stick to one thing that would be the feeling I receive finding myself in every couple's colourful world and making these colours alive in images. And I don't just mean literal colours of their wonderful attire, decor and wedding palettes, I mean the metaphor too: the nuances and tones of their romance, friendships and bonds, their faith and rituals, each and every part comes with different colours and this excites me so much.

IF I DIDN’T DO THIS FOR A JOB I WOULD BE/DO… A rock and roll band bass player is my best guess. Music like photography is all about translating emotions and I can't say there's anything better to make us understand what we humans are made of and for.

IF I COULD GIVE NEWLY ENGAGED COUPLES ONE PIECE OF ADVICE IT WOULD BE… I could seriously talk volumes of this as odds are a newly engaged couple is doing this for the first time and there are hundreds of things to keep in mind like putting these emotions they're experiencing in photographs, start planning their nuptials early with someone who can really help them understand and so on, but my top advice is whatever they do they should feel comfortable in their own skin and enjoy the ride. It's a very special time in their lives and the preface of a new chapter in their journey together so they should make the best of it.

I LOVE WHERE I LIVE BECAUSE… Italy is a multifold of beauty at every different region. Our culture and drama, our love for life and its pleasures never cease, so you won't find a single place in this country that doesn't pay tribute to that yearning for eternity. We feel eternal when we sing, when we paint, when we drink coffee at a piazza, when we taste a new dish, when we get to passionately romance, or turn silly poetic, when we dress, when we get to dip in the sparkling sea or breathe the goodness of a ripe wine, I mean this does make one love living here.

IF I COULD LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IT WOULD BE… I'm taking it you mean for a little while, because I could never give Italy up. But, well, for a while I'd love to explore more of the U.S. When in New York I like to lose track of time in the streets, take a taxi to the Flatiron building, wander around Tribeca and pick a read from The Mysterious Bookshop, discover little nooks on Upper East Side, and the Hamptons are so beautiful, but there are tons of places in the U.S. I know nothing about and I do have a curious mind. So in the name of this curiosity I'd love to visit the South, head to California, to Vermont and more. Maybe I watch too many movies...

MY FAVOURITE MOVIE IS? Braveheart! It's one movie that I can't ever have enough of. First time I watched Mel Gibson's monologue I got tears in my eyes. Have to admit I still do. Every time! The defiance of tyranny is something I feel very connected to, every form of it as I'm honestly anti-oppression.

MOST MEMORABLE MEAL I’VE EVER EATEN WAS… As strong as our DNA is, so is our love for food. Growing it, eating and preparing it are all acts of love for the maker and the making and in my part of the world we are all about sweet, creamy, cave-aged and sharp tastes. My nonna would make the best porchetta, a savory, herb-packed pork roast that owes a lot of its flavour to a kind of wild fennel that only grows in Umbria. We'd gather around the table on Sundays and enjoy this precious feast with torta al'testo (Umbrian flatbread), buttered bitter greens and Caciotta cheeses. It was heaven.

THE PETS I OWN ARE… Baudo and Mike are my nap loving, life indulging, top tail-waggering Cavalier King Charles Spaniel pups. They are excellent morale managers at the Studio and the best companions. Sometimes when I Skype with my clients they'll get into the room to find out who's at the other end and they do love to follow me around everywhere.