Gabriele Galimberti

Italian photographer and Canon Ambassador Gabriele Galimberti is fascinated by people and the way they live. His distinctive documentary images, shot in dozens of countries worldwide, reveal not only the many variations between people of different cultures, but also how much we have in common.

"Around 90% of my photos are portraits, done from a documentary point of view," says Gabriele. "Basically, I like to meet people, spend time with them and photograph normal, everyday life. I go into people's houses and see what they do, find out about their habits and what they collect. That's what I enjoy the most."

In 2005, love took him to live in Texas in the United States, where he started shooting documentary stories and selling them to Italian magazines. Then he began a period of travelling through China, India and Brazil, which led to his first big project, CouchSurfing, in which he travelled to 58 countries and photographed his numerous hosts going about their daily lives.

"It was really challenging," says Gabriele. "It was my first big project and involved two years of travel by myself, going everywhere from Alaska to Panama, Egypt to Botswana, and dealing with different languages and cultures. But in the end, it was an amazing experience. Thanks to that project, I got a lot of exposure and it ultimately led to me working for international magazines." Since 2015, Gabriele has been shooting his stories for National Geographic.

Since CouchSurfing, many more long-term projects have followed, on subjects including children and their toys, people and their pharmaceuticals, fatherhood, tax havens and Covid-19. Some were shot using his Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, which he used for six years, while others were shot on a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and recently a Canon EOS R5, which he loves for its light weight, EVF and fast autofocus. So far, he has published four books of his work.

"Apart from the tax haven project, which is a bit different from my usual work, all the rest are stories of normal life," says Gabriele. "I like to photograph things we all do, but always try to find something special."

Gabriele's ideas for stories are often found close to home. "Most have been suggested by my friends, my family, or things that happen around me," he continues. "After that, I have to go to the other side of the world to take the photos, but everything starts from my house and surroundings. So the lesson is, don't always look at the other side of the planet for story ideas; good stories are everywhere."

After honing his ideas through years of experience, Gabriele has found his own unique way of shooting documentary stories. In his meticulously arranged, revealing and sometimes humorous images, he gives a fascinating and perceptive insight into human nature and the way we live today.

All of your images seem to be very carefully arranged, why is that?
"Yes, I love details and sometimes I need five or six hours to take one photo. In one project I worked on, there were a few photos that took a whole day to shoot. Everything you see is real, but the picture is really pushed to the limit of reality sometimes. I don't do a lot of post-production but I do a lot of pre-production."

How do you find the ideal subjects for your photographs?
"For my first big project, CouchSurfing, I found all the people through the couchsurfing.com website. I then found subjects for two other projects via the couchsurfers I met. For all my other projects, I have usually found people after doing a lot of research on the internet, using Instagram, Facebook and other social platforms. Sometimes I write a post on my social channels asking for help. It's a sort of virtual casting."

What's your process for getting to know your subjects before a shoot?
"I like to sit down with them to drink a beer, talk and make some jokes, because I need to know something about a person before I'm able to take their portrait. I need to have some elements or clues about them, so I can put those things in the picture. After a while, when we feel comfortable together, I start taking photos."

How do you light your subjects?
"Most of the time, I combine natural light with flash light. I almost never shoot with completely natural light; I carry six or seven Speedlites in my backpack and 90% of the time I use at least one of them. I sometimes supplement the flash light with small LEDs."

"To become a documentary photographer, you need a lot of patience and curiosity, and the energy to keep going on a project over a long period. It's a job you can learn through experience. Of course, you have to be passionate about it and have something inside you that pushes you on, but step by step, you can learn to recognise what's needed to create a good story and how to build them. The advice I'd give young documentary photographers just starting out is to trust in what you want to do, never give up, be curious and look around you."

Instagram: @gabrielegalimbertiphoto

Website: www.gabrielegalimberti.com