17/11/2023
Milan, IT
A place of elegant fashion, timeless architecture, and vibrant street life
But beyond the glamour of the catwalks and the sleek lines of its high-fashion districts lies a world of human stories, written on the faces of the people who walk its streets. Faces of the Streets: Captured in Grain is an intimate exploration of these stories, told through the raw textures of film photography. This project seeks to capture the soul of Milan through the faces of its people, revealing the city’s essence one frame at a time.
The idea behind Faces of the Streets came from a simple yet profound observation: no matter how much Milan changes, the faces of its people remain its most powerful storytellers. From the vendors at the open-air markets of Porta Romana to the elderly sitting in the piazzas of Brera, Milan’s streets are alive with human expression. Each face tells a different story—of resilience, of joy, of nostalgia for a city that has seen so much. Through the grain of film, I sought to capture these expressions in their purest form, allowing the imperfections and textures of the medium to highlight the authenticity of the people who make Milan what it is.
There’s something about film that adds a layer of depth to every shot. The grain, the softness of the edges, the unpredictability of light—these elements mirror the complexity of the people I photographed.
Milan, with its mix of old and new, seemed perfectly suited to this medium. The faces I captured were often framed by the city’s historic architecture—the worn stones of the Duomo, the narrow alleyways of the Navigli district, the ancient arches of Porta Ticinese. These backdrops added context to the stories told by the faces in front of them, creating a visual dialogue between the people and the city they inhabit.
What drew me to this project was the diversity of Milan’s streets. The city is a crossroads of cultures, a place where people from all walks of life intersect. Whether it was a young couple enjoying a gelato on Via Montenapoleone, an artist sketching in the quiet corners of Parco Sempione, or a street performer entertaining crowds at the Piazza del Duomo, every face I encountered carried with it a piece of the city’s identity. Through Faces of the Streets, I wanted to celebrate this diversity, to document the beauty and individuality of Milan’s inhabitants, and to show that the true soul of the city is not found in its famous landmarks, but in the people who walk its streets.
One of the most striking aspects of shooting in Milan was the way light played across the city. In the early mornings, the streets were bathed in a soft, golden glow, casting long shadows and bringing a warmth to the faces of the people I photographed.
As the day wore on, the light became harsher, creating stark contrasts between light and shadow—an effect that added a dramatic intensity to the images. The evening hours brought a more subdued light, softening the faces and lending an air of quiet reflection. This constant shift in light became an integral part of the project, shaping the mood of each photograph and adding another layer of texture to the already grainy film.
Milan’s streets are alive with stories, and it was often in the quieter moments, when people thought no one was watching, that I found the most compelling faces. I captured fleeting expressions—the brief smile exchanged between friends, the furrowed brow of someone lost in thought, the laughter of children running through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. These candid moments, often unnoticed in the rush of daily life, became the heart of Faces of the Streets. They reveal the humanity behind the bustling crowds and the busy streets, offering a glimpse into the personal lives that make up the collective fabric of Milan.
