Some of the most fascinating photos are not always the deep valleys of a long gone forgotten part of earth or the snow covered peaks of grand mountains. Sometimes the most fascinating and beautiful photos are the ones capturing something very familiar - something we have see and have in our everyday lives - but from a different perspective. Our community member Marco Catini’s (catini) approach to photography is to capture images of familiar things from unique perspectives - while having fun and exploring new things. That crosswalk you see everyday, you know? That building? Captured in the correct way, they can be the most beautiful things you've ever seen.

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I love photography because: 


It allows me to show the world how I see it. Sometimes it is very simple and straight forward, and at other times it is a long exposure with light painting.

Under The Pier by catini

My camera lets me:


Forget time and space. It makes me look more at my surroundings and appreciate the beauty in simple daily situations.

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I find inspiration when:

When my mind is open. Just having the camera with me, which is all the time, does not push my creativity. When I’m curious, when something different is happening, when something catches my interest, then I’m driven to capture it my way.

Manhattan Skyline by catini

One of the photos I am most proud of is ”Manhattan Skyline” because:

I was able to execute my vision, which was: show the Manhattan skyline in a slightly different way. It took three separate trips to this location before I had it the way I wanted it: the sky, the traffic, the mood.

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My favorite place to shoot is:


The New York Metro area. It offers stunning skylines, busy street scenes, and serene parks and landscapes. I can reach pretty much everything I want within an hour.

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One of my favorite photos on ViewBug is ”Hair” it makes me feel:


Happy. This was one of my first attempts at high contrast and harsh portraits, and it came out better than expected.

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One of my favorite photographers on Viewbug is Raegi because:


He captures my home country in a beautiful way, without overly romanticizing it.

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These are 3 quick tips I’d like to share with fellow photographers:


1. Stay curious!
2. Be ready to deal with setbacks and disappointments. Photographic growth is not a straight line.
3. Limit your equipment once in a while. Set your camera display to black and white, put a fixed focal length lens on it, and play with contrast, composition and exposure.

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One photo that was difficult to shoot was ”Star Trails” because:

My first star trail photo ever. Once I finally understood how to do it, I had to wait a few hours for the cloud cover to lift. I barely had the patience to wait for 2 hours to capture all the single frames needed. And at the end I had to use software I hadn’t use before for editing. The result? Totally worth it!

The tips and secrets behind this photo:

Originally I wanted to capture a beautiful sunset, but a sudden thunderstorm and lingering clouds nixed those plans. So I focused on the foreground and gave the wet rocks more importance. You don’t always need a plan B, but you need to be flexible if your initial plan won’t work out. 

Don’t be afraid to go low with your camera for an interesting angle. A sturdy tripod is a must for long exposures, and your pants are probably going to be dirty afterwards.

Be careful and judicious with post processing. It is very tempting to put the sliders to 11, but less is more.

For more awesome photos shot by Marco, visit his profile, website, Instagram and Facebook page.