Behind the Lens: Francesco Pistilli Captures an Unexpected Italian Oasis

Behind the Lens: Francesco Pistilli Captures an Unexpected Italian Oasis

Each week we’ll feature one photographer from the PhotoShelter community, and share his or her story behind the shots that caught our eye.

  • Photographer: Francesco Pistilli
  • Specialty: Photojournalism
  • Current Location: Milan, Italy
  • Clients:  Time, Wired (UK), Vanity Fair (IT)
  • PhotoShelter Website: francescopistilli.photoshelter.com
The Shots:

Francesco Pistilli | EMBLEMA

Francesco Pistilli | EMBLEMA

Francesco Pistilli | EMBLEMA

The Story: 

Francesco Pistilli describes the Ippoasi Vegan Farm, where these images were taken, as a “hidden magic world” with a “scent of freedom.” It’s here that human beings and animals together form a kind of extended family and share direct contact with nature, and Francesco has successfully transmitted this oasis to his viewers. “It’s incredible to see how the animals living in this farm undertake the role of ambassadors of the animal kingdom,” he explains. The once racing horses now “graze and run in the wild. It’s a real vegan way-of-life.” Francesco described his experience at the Farm as “a sort of gaze into a pre-WWII Italy,” a place where time “passes on so sweetly.”

The Ippoasi Vegan Farm is located in Tuscany and currently holds about fifty animals, rescued from animal testing or slaughter, thanks to the help of animal welfare groups. A recent Vanity Fair (Italy) published Francesco’s reportage about intensive livestock farming in Italy, which is the second part of this project regarding the meat industry and the abuses hidden behind it.

What caught our eye:

Francesco’s documentation of the Farm is a refreshing departure from his other work, and shows his ability to adapt his shooting style. His images of Ippoasi successfully capture the warm and communal feeling that exists in this place that to Francesco, is almost other worldly.

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This article was written by

Marketing associate at PhotoShelter

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