Friday, July 16, 2010

La Dolce Vita al Mare

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(Obviously) in an idealized way, this is the beach life in Italy.
I liked this shoot a lot, sunny and flirty as it is but most importantly, tells la vita al mare almost autentically. Going at the beach in Italy is not just about putting on your sun lotion and laying under the sun for some hours. It's a strong tradition, mainly about meeting for almost thirty days (a normal vacation for an italian lasts from about two weeks to two months, depends from the possibilities) with the same people they have known already for years (once they've find a place they like italians return to the same stabilimento (beach lido) every year), the young and the old, all together, socializing with the newbies and flirting with an old fling/the barman they've always had a crush on, having the one o'clock traditional pranzo at a friend's restaurant by the beach or just enjoying some homemade paninis under the umbrella, taking long walks by the riviera and showing off their tan/checking out cute guys playing volley, sitting at the bar playing cards and eating ice-cream, the four o'clock caffè (espresso) OR the five o'clock aperitivo and finally, maybe a quick swim just before going away.. and then return again for a beach party. I love it. Now enough of talking, let the pictures inspire you and try to imagine it all in your mind. This shoot was in this months' ELLE Italia (the best italian fashion magazine) and I think it was shot by David Burton, the name of the model I can't remember.


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3 comments:

Julia, the Thanksgiving Girl said...

I love how this shoot tells a story and I love the story you told - it goes great with the shoot and actualyl helps interpret it in the right manner!!

Rodolfo Montanari said...

this is a funny and enchanting picture, but it seems a bit "Vintage", unfortunately here in Italy many things have changed in many "Lidos"

imho today this is still true only in some places where it's more difficult to arrive

Café Naïveté said...

Roberto, maybe you are right. This sure is not the life lived in the Lidos of Ostia (beach near Rome) but it was wonderful to get to see it still alive in Salento! About my trip sooon!!!

Julia, I'm happy you appreciated it;)