“The dancing trees of a remote Indonesian island immediately captured my soul. I positioned my tripod to portray the trees as if, with a graceful gesture, they were embracing each other in a dance,” explains the author of the
winning shot.
The overall winner of the XVIII edition of the international nature photography competition Aspherical And Barbara Dall’Angelo with a landscape photograph. The award ceremony took place Saturday 6th July during the events organized for the Appennino Foto Festival at the Caldarola Theatre (MC)just restored.
COMPETITION – 650 photographers from 39 countries across 5 continents with approximately 15,000 images: these are the numbers of the competition organized by AFNI (Italian Nature Photographers Association) which from 2007 to today has become one of the most important photographic events at an international level. In these years, despite the technological evolution that has made increasingly high-performance tools available and accessible to everyone, the competition has maintained that rigor that has allowed participants to be judged starting from the same
plan, favoring artistic and naturalistic ability rather than computer ability.
“A beautiful, minimalist and well-crafted photograph” – The author is the first woman to win the Asferico competition; a photographer who seeks harmony and balance in her shots, trying to convey the fragility and mutability of our world. She invites us to reflect on the need for a personal and shared commitment to protecting and safeguarding the Earth, our most precious heritage. “A beautiful, minimalist and well-crafted photograph that transports us to a dream landscape. 
The author managed to reflect the essence of the place in the image”comment Javier Aznar Gonzalesmember of the jury of Asferico 2024.
“The dancing trees of a remote Indonesian island immediately captured my soul – explains Barbara Dall’Angelo – Unlike all the other mangroves in the world that grow close to each other, these were born isolated and have adapted to the difficult weather conditions creating these original choreographies. I positioned my tripod so as to portray the trees as if, with a graceful gesture, they were embracing each other in a dance. I chose to shoot the image in high key to emphasize the abstract aspect.”
After university studies in Literature and Philosophy, Barbara Dall’Angelo She graduated in directing at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. In 1998 she founded the television and film distribution company Dall’Angelo Pictures, of which she is still the administrator. Her shots are often awarded at important international nature photography competitions and are requested by travel, nature and photography magazines. Since 2012 she has collaborated assiduously with National Geographic Italia, which has published more than 30 of her reports to date, including magazines and the portal. In 2015 she created her first book, Fotografia senza confini, with Editrice Reflex, a manual on how to photograph at all latitudes. The following year she achieved great success with the public and critics with her first solo exhibition, The Poetry of Earth, sponsored by National Geographic Italia. In the same period she published the homonymous volume with Electa Mondadori, which reproduces more than 100 shots of remote corners of our planet. In 2019 he inaugurated “Click di sera” at MUSE, the Museum of Natural Sciences in Trento. His works are often exhibited in solo and group shows around the world and are present in art galleries and private collections.
Carlo Franza