Night Photography nominee

The series portrays the secret encounters of two lovers destined to be together and yet cursed to be apart. Growing on the edge of a cliff-top promenade, these trees and shrubs can never reach the ever-moving waters of the sea upon which they gaze. For over a year, I photographed those rare nights in which the favour of the wind would allow the breeze to gently adorn these never-resting fronds with shimmering, dancing, salty pearls. 28th JUN 2017, promenade “Anita Garibaldi”, Genoa. That windy night I was walking along the promenade to photograph an entirely different project when, all of a sudden, I felt as if it started raining, though the drops were definitely not coming from above. I then noticed the agitated fronds of a palm, almost waving in the dark to call my attention. Given the unpredictability with which the breeze would carry these sea drops, I soon started looking for signals that could somehow help me choose when to press the shutter: a sudden change in the wind, the louder sound of a bigger wave crashing on the cliff… and then, after a few seconds, it was always – quite literally – a “shot in the dark”.

Pio De Rose (b. 1987) is an Italian photographer currently based in Genoa. In 2011, he graduated in Photography and Visual Arts from the Libera Accademia di Belle Arti L.A.B.A. of Florence; in 2012, he received his MA in Photojournalism from the University of Westminster.

Recent publications and collaborations include Vanity Fair Italy; Io Donna; la Repubblica; mare – Die Zeitschrift der Meere; Neighbor Magazine; Black+White Photography; Æ Another Escape; on landscape; Don’t Take Pictures; Historic Gardens Review; F-Stop Magazine; International PhotogrAphy Magazine; Adnkronos; WAZA Magazine; The Work Style Magazine; Clic.he Webmagazine; SciFondo; Mondo Sommerso – International Ocean Magazine; ASSAI; L’Universo (IGM); dAD – dipartimento di Architettura e Design – University of Genoa; Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti of Genoa; Municipality of Ravenna and others.

MonoVisions Photography Awards 2022
honorable mention | street photography | series

DongGang International Photo Festival 2022
selected artist | open call

Fine Art Photography Awards 2021
nominee | night photography | professionals

International Photography Grant 2019
2nd place | landscape

Camera Work 2018
2nd place

International Photography Grant 2017
nominee | nature

Black+White Photographer of the Year 2015
shortlisted