The Art of Fencing with Lapo Stopponi

My friend Pietro is looking after his nephew Lapo from Florence. They are staying on a house boat. I love to visit them not just for the novelty but for the warm Italian hospitality and great pasta on offer. Lapo is studying fencing and of course I offered to do a shoot showcasing something of the art of this ancient martial skill. I have limited studio space so it was never going to be a case of capturing full body movements, lunging foils and high jumps. No this was going to have to be something of a more artistic expression. I discovered that the art form became popuar in Italy after migrating from Spain in the fifteenth century. This was the Renaissance period and the images that were conjured up for me were those of gloomy church interiors, candle light and rose petals. Rose petals?? Maybe from the movie Name of the Rose. So off I went to source these things and by the time Lapo and Pietro arrived I had some idea of how to assemble the image. We almost had to forego the rose petals but by a stroke of luck Pietro managed to persuade a shop owner to reopen her shop for a box of fake petals. So it all came together. Lapo is a young eighteen year old and has the delicate features of what I would imagine a young Florientine noble would have back in the day. This was his first shoot so bless him he did well considering the constant attention of two gay men one throwing rose petals and the other adjusting lights and counting to three. The stoic look of a Florentine Prince. Thank you Lapo for your patience.

#fencing #bodyphotography #headshotphotography #sportphotography