Livio Pignalosa (born 1988, Naples province, Italy) lives in Moscow.
While initially trained as a pianist, during his philological studies on historical instruments, a chance encounter in Perugia redirected his path: discovering a Lubitel 166B camera online coincided with his future wife Elena finding her grandfather's cameras. This led him to the FRA (Analog Resistance Front) photography circle, where he took his first crucial steps in film development and darkroom printing.
He began photographing his surroundings intensely, experimenting with colour and black & white film, using cameras like a Praktica MTL3 and the gifted Pentacon Six (medium format). His early work included portraits of conservatory peers and his teacher, one later chosen for a Schubert album cover.
After moving to Moscow post-pandemic, a pivotal trip through Yaroslavl villages with photographer Alexey Myakishev (using a rented Leica M4-2) revealed documentary photography as his calling. Capturing life's fleeting beauty became central. He embraced rangefinders, acquiring a Ferrania Condor I and later Myakishev's Leica M4-2.
A key collaboration with dance master and photographer Yuri Nezdoiminoga helped crystallize his "Bressonian" vision. Photography became about seizing harmonious moments of composition, content, and framing, filtering out modern chaos. To achieve this, he adopted a strict discipline: shooting only with a 50mm lens, natural light, and full frame printing.
Livio's ultimate goal remains the physical realization of his images through darkroom printing. His journey reflects a continuous pursuit of truth and beauty in the decisive moment, culminating in the tangible craft of the print.