Amateur Photography and I. Calvino - The Adventure of Photographer

1. Understanding the story

The Adventure of a Photographer by Italo Calvino is the story of Antonino Paraggi, a simple bachelor who examines and takes up photography to discover life. The first time the reader finds out from the author that he is dealing with a story connected to photography is when „sunday photographers” are being brought into discussion. Photographers photographing one another.

Antonino is a nonphotographer working in an executive position in the distribution department of a firm, consuming his time with high–society friends(governesses ) and other people. These friends are connected because they all have families and are photography fans, all except Antonino. He is there to comment large and small events and to expose constantly, philosophical concepts regarding photography. The author brings out two types of photographers (I will use them during the essay to complete the concept): a) artistically and technically gifted ; b) the ones giving all the credit to camera technology. Antonino’s position to photography makes it easier for him to analyze the concept, not being involved in a matter makes it easier to analyze, because attention is not all the time concentrated on small, sometimes obsessive details. In the following,the author confrunts us for the first time with the The Meaning of Family Photographs by telling us about Antonino’s friends having famillies and children. So marriage usualy leads to children and then to fathers who suddenly become photographers because the love for their children not wanting to miss a thing. Antonino had a lot of friends like that. Here I observed a true and wonderful usage of photography, keeping up with small childrens evolution, a thing that for the human eye is very difficult, sometimes just to observe, not even talking about memorizing. When Antonino took pictures of his friends with their families he was trying to be the two types of photographers at the same time, by so trying to understand them and himself at the same time. This is the second time the author brings in this motive. When taking pictures of the two girls, Brice and Lydia, Antonino discoveres beauty. Now, I want to add something about beauty as a feeling, as a concept and also as a reality following us everywhere. Beauty is a tricky feeling. I will connect Antonino’s incursion into philosophy when talking about Pierluca with a dialogue I recently heard in a movie called Lost City (2005) featuring Andy Garcia and also directed by him about revolutionary Cuba. With this I will connect the two states Pierluca should be photographed.

„ Fico Fellove: Why aren’t you happy?

Aurora Fellove: I’m just sad.

F.F.: Don’t be.

F.F.: Beauty is your nature.

A.F.: Sadness can be beautiful also.

F.F: When you’re sad yes, but not sadness. . „

– sad (Fico had to leave to U.S.A)

– happy (she and Fico we’re together)

– sadness (Fico couldn’t come back to Cuba and she understands for sure this time they will not be together again, ever)