In the middle of July, after having organized all my holidays, I get a call: "We have been following you for a while, you are very good at combining social media, photography and video: you would be perfect for us. Do you want to follow the election campaign of the 5 Star MoVement of Naples?“.
I confess I had a start: one responsibility immense on my shoulders. But I like challenges and, after an evening spent thinking about them, I have accepted.
"Well, it starts in the morning: get ready for the first event ".
Thus began a lasting challenge 10,000 photographs, 90 events, 13 hours a day on the phone and 31,805 votes obtained.
A previous experience
For years I have specialized in the photography of political events and representatives, candidates and mayors from all over Italy.
They have chosen me in the past Enrico Letta, Matteo Richetti, Vincenzo Spadafora, Luigi Di Maio. It's still, Enza Amato, Giuliana De Lorenzo, Carmine Mocerino. I worked for theNational Youth Agency, State body, and for the Guarantor for Childhood and Adolescence.
I have also been the personal photographer of the President of the Republic on the occasion of his visit to the Rione Terra of Pozzuoli.
In short, I'm not new to political communication and, as a professional, I followed 3 election campaigns before this in the role of photographer. This time the bar of the challenge is raised considerably: in fact I have to manage the entire frontal communication of the political force that, in fact, has reinvented the social communication of politics in Italy. Not a little!
The team is behind a win
Nothing is done without a valid team and the people I have collaborated with have all been fundamental in the success of our mission: Raffaele Accept, journalist, he was my shoulder in the great events of the Movement with his family video of the meetings, or substituting me for cover two different events at the same time.
Chiara Sarracinoinstead, it was my second shot. Fundamental to his experience on big occasions, thanks to his work with Luigi Di Maio and Domenico De Maio at the ANG events, he solved the most difficult situations by providing me with perfect close-ups.
Emiliana Di Domenico, the coordinator of the communication campaign of the 5 Star Movement of Naples, was fundamental to guarantee the perfect success of the events, with immense responsibilities in organizing every single movement and meeting of the most loved man in politics, Giuseppe Conte.
The equipment
There is only one password: speed. Without forgetting the quality. For this reason, between very long and fast-paced meetings to organize every event in the smallest detail, come on crowds of Giuseppe Conte at the walks among the markets of the candidates.
The setup I chose has undergone an evolution over time: from double shoulder strap, that I used in the most excited events, I arrived at manage everything with a single camera: the Canon 5D Mark IV with the Tamron 24-70 f / 2.8, purchased just for the occasion.
This goal is indeed perfect for the reportage genre, likewise the Canon's key position is ideal for choose between videos and photos.
But we don't necessarily have to be purists: also the iPhone 12 Pro Max it's really excellent for recording videos quickly at the highest quality: the connection with the Apple ecosystem is fabulous and, thanks to the support of mine MacBook M1, I can guarantee the Fast delivery of edited photos and videos.
Especially essential for relations with the press.
What is certain is that, in this experience, I lived for three months with a laptop and a camera in my backpack, ready at any moment.
Timing and participation
As in one good football match, all that matters is the timing. Understanding where to find you, when to find you and, above all, get you ready, is the key to winning even the most difficult games. Even at the cost of slipping among the journalists, who do not discount anyone when it comes to taking pictures before you, or looking for original positions.
What matters is that the photo of the day is yours.
Telling a political event requires the sensitivity in creating an image that gives the sense of movement, participation, enthusiasm.
Everything must be dosed in the correct way, starting with colors that must be lively, saturated and cheerful.
The selection of the protagonists is also fundamental: it is necessary to give the client balanced images that represent all the parliamentarians and other protagonists of the events: it is of paramount importance to dedicate at least one photograph to each of the protagonists.
The result of this all-encompassing and timeless experience was a wealth of photographs and extraordinary friendships which, I'm sure, will only be the beginning of numerous other collaborations in the field of local and national politics.
-Federico Quagliuolo
