Born in Pietrasanta (Lucca) on August 29, 1979, I currently live in Lucca. After a long artistic training journey, I work as a freelance documentary and corporate photographer, and I am also involved in the restoration and conservation of cultural heritage. Sensitive to communication through artistic forms of expression, I turned to photography in 2009, a passion that, combined with the curiosity of a traveler, has profoundly transformed and given new direction to my life. In 2015, I attended a masterclass in photojournalism and documentary photography at the Fondazione Studio Marangoni in Florence. Since then, I have worked as a freelance photographer, creating personal projects and consistently investing in my growth in visual storytelling. My parallel experience as a restorer of artworks, accumulated over 15 years of work, has taught me the importance of patience, precision, and aesthetic sensitivity, elements that deeply influence my photographic approach, enriching it and allowing me to highlight details and cultural context in my projects. My research primarily focuses on anthropological, cultural, and environmental themes, with particular attention to the essence of the human being in the Mediterranean territories. Some of my works have been published in various magazines, including GEO, Altreconomia, Messaggero di Sant’Antonio, Credere, Vi Menn, Daily Mail, Prier Magazine, L'oeil de la Photographie, ArtDoc Magazine, Asian Geographic, National Geographic Traveler USA, and National Geographic Italia, receiving international recognition. I am currently developing MEDITERRANEUS, a long-term project conceived as a contemporary odyssey. The project is divided into chapters that tell stories of land and sea, exploring the plurality of cultures and the current challenges of the Mediterranean area. Currently, I am working on the chapter AGRATERRA, which narrates the authenticity of rural communities in the high mountains of the French island of Corsica. The first part of this work was carried out thanks to an artist residency at the Centre Méditerranéen de la Photographie and was exhibited at the Photolux Festival 2024 (Italy). In addition, I am dedicating myself to a project that explores an ancient swordfish hunting practice carried out by fishing communities in the Strait of Messina, Italy. I collaborate with companies in the agro-food, tourism, and industrial sectors, building personal projects that use visual language as a powerful means of expression, in search of authenticity and essence, which often remains hidden behind conformity…

Michele Martinelli

Born in Pietrasanta (Lucca) on August 29, 1979, I currently live in Lucca. After a long artistic training journey, I work as a freelance documentary and corporate photographer, and I am also involved in the restoration and conservation of cultural heritage. Sensitive to communication through artistic forms of expression, I turned to photography in 2009, a passion that, combined with the curiosity of a traveler, has profoundly transformed and given new direction to my life. In 2015, I attended a masterclass in photojournalism and documentary photography at the Fondazione Studio Marangoni in Florence. Since then, I have worked as a freelance photographer, creating personal projects and consistently investing in my growth in visual storytelling. My parallel experience as a restorer of artworks, accumulated over 15 years of work, has taught me the importance of patience, precision, and aesthetic sensitivity, elements that deeply influence my photographic approach, enriching it and allowing me to highlight details and cultural context in my projects. My research primarily focuses on anthropological, cultural, and environmental themes, with particular attention to the essence of the human being in the Mediterranean territories. Some of my works have been published in various magazines, including GEO, Altreconomia, Messaggero di Sant’Antonio, Credere, Vi Menn, Daily Mail, Prier Magazine, L'oeil de la Photographie, ArtDoc Magazine, Asian Geographic, National Geographic Traveler USA, and National Geographic Italia, receiving international recognition. I am currently developing MEDITERRANEUS, a long-term project conceived as a contemporary odyssey. The project is divided into chapters that tell stories of land and sea, exploring the plurality of cultures and the current challenges of the Mediterranean area. Currently, I am working on the chapter AGRATERRA, which narrates the authenticity of rural communities in the high mountains of the French island of Corsica. The first part of this work was carried out thanks to an artist residency at the Centre Méditerranéen de la Photographie and was exhibited at the Photolux Festival 2024 (Italy). In addition, I am dedicating myself to a project that explores an ancient swordfish hunting practice carried out by fishing communities in the Strait of Messina, Italy. I collaborate with companies in the agro-food, tourism, and industrial sectors, building personal projects that use visual language as a powerful means of expression, in search of authenticity and essence, which often remains hidden behind conformity…

Available to hire

Born in Pietrasanta (Lucca) on August 29, 1979, I currently live in Lucca. After a long artistic training journey, I work as a freelance documentary and corporate photographer, and I am also involved in the restoration and conservation of cultural heritage.
Sensitive to communication through artistic forms of expression, I turned to photography in 2009, a passion that, combined with the curiosity of a traveler, has profoundly transformed and given new direction to my life.

In 2015, I attended a masterclass in photojournalism and documentary photography at the Fondazione Studio Marangoni in Florence. Since then, I have worked as a freelance photographer, creating personal projects and consistently investing in my growth in visual storytelling.
My parallel experience as a restorer of artworks, accumulated over 15 years of work, has taught me the importance of patience, precision, and aesthetic sensitivity, elements that deeply influence my photographic approach, enriching it and allowing me to highlight details and cultural context in my projects.
My research primarily focuses on anthropological, cultural, and environmental themes, with particular attention to the essence of the human being in the Mediterranean territories.

Some of my works have been published in various magazines, including GEO, Altreconomia, Messaggero di Sant’Antonio, Credere, Vi Menn, Daily Mail, Prier Magazine, L’oeil de la Photographie, ArtDoc Magazine, Asian Geographic, National Geographic Traveler USA, and National Geographic Italia, receiving international recognition.

I am currently developing MEDITERRANEUS, a long-term project conceived as a contemporary odyssey. The project is divided into chapters that tell stories of land and sea, exploring the plurality of cultures and the current challenges of the Mediterranean area.

Currently, I am working on the chapter AGRATERRA, which narrates the authenticity of rural communities in the high mountains of the French island of Corsica. The first part of this work was carried out thanks to an artist residency at the Centre Méditerranéen de la Photographie and was exhibited at the Photolux Festival 2024 (Italy). In addition, I am dedicating myself to a project that explores an ancient swordfish hunting practice carried out by fishing communities in the Strait of Messina, Italy.

I collaborate with companies in the agro-food, tourism, and industrial sectors, building personal projects that use visual language as a powerful means of expression, in search of authenticity and essence, which often remains hidden behind conformity

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Language

Italian
Fluent
English
Intermediate

Work Experience

Contributor Documentary Photographer at Parallelozero Agency
January 1, 2023 - January 1, 2024
Documentary photography contributions for editorial and commissioned visual storytelling projects.
Shop/Gallery Photographer (TRiCERA ART Gallery) at TRiCERA ART Gallery
January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2025
Ongoing collaboration with an art gallery shop, presenting and supporting photographic works.
Contributor Documentary Photographer at VI MENN Magazine
January 1, 2021 - January 1, 2023
Documentary photography assignments for magazine features and storytelling-driven editorial content.
Contributor Documentary Photographer at LUZ Agency
January 1, 2020 - January 1, 2022
Documentary photography contributions supporting commissioned reportage and visual narratives.
Independent Documentary Photographer at Self-employed
January 1, 2015 - Present
Freelance documentary and corporate photography with an emphasis on visual storytelling for cultural, anthropological, environmental, and heritage-focused projects. Creates personal long-term chapters, develops narrative series, and collaborates with commissioners across multiple sectors to produce authentic image communication.

Education

Master of Art (diploma) at Istituto Superiore Artistico “A. Passaglia” (Lucca)
September 15, 1997 - June 15, 1999
High school diploma in Fine Arts (painting decoration) at Istituto Superiore Artistico “A. Passaglia” (Lucca)
January 15, 1999 - July 1, 2001
Masterclass in photojournalism and documentary photography at Fondazione Studio Marangoni (Florence)
January 1, 2015 - July 1, 2015
Pro-Photographer masterclass at Paolo Marchetti (Rome)
June 1, 2018 - October 1, 2018
Portrait photography workshop at Paolo Verzone (workshop leader)
January 20, 2020 - January 23, 2020

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Travel & Hospitality, Professional Services, Other

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