THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF NANCY FINA PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographer Nancy Fina
Nancy is an American photographer who has traveled the world and has made her way to success in a man’s world.
Thanks to her father’s job, she had the opportunity to travel the world, and when it came the moment to choose a career, the right thing to do was to study politics.
After graduating in political science, she started to work in Washington, until she realized this career was far away from what she really wanted in life.
She decided to give a try to the arts and turns not to just be a photographer, but one of the very first female photographer’s In Italy in a business traditionally dominated by men.
We have the opportunity, to talk with this unbelievable person, to discover a very inspiring person.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I didn’t know what exactly I wanted to do, but my mother has pictures of me when I was 2 years old holding the camera, the light meter and it was her idea in the end that I should be a photographer.
When I grew up, I thought you had to be a Doctor, Lawyer or a diplomat… I didn’t know there were so many millions of career choices like there are now, so I was confused, I knew I didn’t want to be the lawyer or a doctor, so in the end, I studied Politics and photography afterward.
Do your political studies influence you now as a photographer?
Not particularly, but that I grew up in a diplomatic family changing countries every year, learning different languages, going to different schools, and meeting new people, traveling constantly… I think that influenced me because I was at home with different people, situations, etc.… You can put me in any place and I am going to be ok, for me is easy to jump into a plane, solve problems, talk to people who can’t speak your language, that ability to talk to people, to get along and to understand different perspectives, that actually helped me in my career.
When was the point when you decided, now I am going to study photography?
When I graduated I went to Washington DC, and I worked in the capital hill and there is when I realized this was not the world for me. So I went to art school and photography.
What was the biggest challenge when you started working as a photographer?
The biggest challenge is when I started working and I realize how hard and competitive the Fashion world was. When I came first to Italy I was the first female photographer, nobody could believe it, it was very difficult… But because I was the first women to be a fashion photographer everybody remembered me, so at the end, it was an advantage to me, especially because I was American and I didn’t play under the rules of the Italian women, so I just went, I just did it, I just smiled, I just knocked on the doors.
What is the difference between a woman and a man photographer?
On the set, and when a photographer is a man, and there is a problem, the men give this problem to a woman to solve a man is just taking the pictures, it is somebody else’s problem to solve… emotional, psychological. A woman has to solve it… but in the case of a woman photographer, she has to solve all these problems, so a woman has much more responsibility, and much more paranoia on her shoulders, for the things we have to solve. On my set, I want everyone to be happy, like a big family, I think is a real team effort and respect and balance is important.
Why did you choose Fashion?
That’s what is cool about photography, is always has something for everybody, I like people and I like beauty and I love telling stories, so in my mind is when you were a little girl, and you dress up, and you put some makeup, and you are playing with your girlfriends, for me is like a little fun game, to tell a story…
What does fashion means to you?
I love esthetics, I love beauty, I love the lighting, but I don’t think if you dress well you are better human being than someone else… I care more about humanity, compassion…
What is the most exciting thing for you to work in the fashion world?
No one can believe how much work there is behind a photograph, or an advertisement, because first of all you have to get a vision, and then you have to get everybody on the same vision and to work together, and how to make a set work and bring everyone on the same path, and bring the best out of everyone, so they’re contributing. This is for me is very interesting… how to find really good people and not tell them what to do, but discuss. And try to put it all together and make something happened within the budget, within the time, there are a million things but it is really fun, but is hard, and a lot of things can happen, because when you get so many creative people and strong personalities, it can be really good or really bad sometimes or there can be friction but if you can make it work for you, the friction creates something even better, that is the magic and that’s even better… That’s exciting…
To find more about this amazing person please visit: Nancy Fina
