1. Please introduce yourself. Who are you? What do you do?
My name is Tommaso Torda, and I’m a theoretical physicist working in artificial intelligence. When I’m not wrestling with abstract models, you’ll find me on a rugby field, catching a wave, skiing down a slope, or diving underwater. I’m equally drawn to culture—especially Italian and Japanese cinema—as well as philosophy and politics. But above all, I dedicate myself to a higher calling: the fine art of loafing—the only pursuit I practice with true seriousness.

2. How long have you been into photography, and what drew you to it?
I began taking photographs in April 2024, with the release of the FujiFilm X100VI. Though I still consider myself a rookie, I suspect that years of obsessively watching genre films have quietly trained my eye for composition and rhythm. I’ve never had direct teachers, but I’ve learned immensely from the work of masters like Elio Petri, Michelangelo Antonioni, Yasujirō Ozu, Akira Kurosawa, Isao Takahata, Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Oshii, Hayao Miyazaki, Wong Kar-wai, Sergio Leone, Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, François Truffaut, Ingmar Bergman, and Orson Welles—not to mention the brilliance of cinematographers such as Vittorio Storaro and Christopher Doyle.

It was cinema, and its spellbinding stories, that first drew me toward the visual as a means of expression. Yet video never felt quite in tune with my own rhythm. After some experiments, and a deep dive into the work of photographers I admire, I found myself pulled naturally toward still images.

Here I must name names—not to flaunt references, but to pay homage. The work of Gianni Berengo Gardin, Ferdinando Scianna, Piergiorgio Branzi, Mario Giacomelli, Luigi Ghirri, Josef Koudelka, Fan Ho, and W. Eugene Smith has profoundly shaped my way of seeing. Their vision left such an impression that I couldn’t help but want to join this magnificent world.

3. In one sentence, please describe what you captured in this shot.
The photograph is simple: three subjects—a boy, a girl, and a donkey. From the window of their camper, the kids gaze out in wide-eyed amazement, while the donkey, caught in mid-gesture, appears to return their curiosity with a mischievous, almost mocking look.

4. What style of photography would you describe this as and do you typically take photographs in this style?
This image, like most of my work, leans toward a documentary style. What fascinates me is the relationship between people and their surroundings—whether natural or social—and the subtle ways in which they shape and reflect one another.

5. When and where was this photo taken?
The photo was taken on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at 11:42 a.m., in Campo Imperatore, a wide plateau in the heart of Abruzzo, Italy.

6. Who was with you when you took this photo?
As so often happens, I wasn’t alone: my girlfriend was with me. Unfortunately for her, she has to put up with my many obsessions—but fortunately for me, she does so with patience, encouragement, and a constant push to improve. The final choice of images is always hers; she’s become, in practice, my editor.

7. What equipment (hardware and software) did you use?
I shoot exclusively with a Fujifilm X100VI, so every photo I take comes through that single camera. Its compact size and fixed 35mm-equivalent prime lens feel less like limitations and more like creative allies, sharpening my focus and pushing me to think carefully about composition. As for editing, I keep it restrained—not out of any purist stance (quite the opposite, in fact), but because of the documentary style I pursue. When I do edit, it’s usually in Lightroom, or in Silver Efex when working in black and white.

8. What drew you to take this photo?
With kids and animals, the situation speaks for itself: you only need to wait. Something is bound to happen—always. The key is to be ready.

9. How many attempts did it take to get this shot? How long did it take you to get one that you were satisfied with?
In this fortunate case, the shot came almost immediately. The donkeys were moving quickly, and I only managed to fire off three frames—but as soon as I pressed the shutter on this one, I knew I’d been lucky. It doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes I’ll spend an hour waiting for the right subject just to capture a single image. In any case, I try to keep my shooting minimal—partly out of discipline, but mostly out of laziness when it comes to editing. My girlfriend, who doubles as my editor, would probably throw a chair at me if I ever handed her a thousand photos to sift through at the end of the day.

10. Did you edit (or do any post-processing/production on) this photo?
For this image, I only made minimal adjustments in Lightroom—mainly to the tone curve and overall contrast. It’s a simple photograph, one that relies less on dramatic light and shadow and more on the strength of its subjects.

11. What encouraged you to share this photo online and with others?
To me, the photo suggests both a story and a mystery. What amuses me most is the contrast: the children framed inside the camper like characters in a cage, while the donkey roams free outside, almost laughing at them. Could it be that he’s the one who locked them in, now standing there to mock their captivity?

12. Did you learn anything in the process of taking, editing, or sharing this photo?
A true lesson: sometimes you don’t need elaborate setups or clever artifices—just a compelling subject is enough.

13. Do you remember what you had for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) the day you took this photo?
That morning we left home early and stopped for breakfast near the spot where I took the photo. Along that road there are several food trucks, and we treated ourselves to a “very light” sausage-and-chili sandwich.

14. What would you like people to take away from this photo?
A smile, and a sense of wonder at the ordinary. To look at reality with the sweetness of children is to rediscover its hidden magic, where even the simplest encounters carry the weight of surprise.

15. Is there any feedback that you’d like to get on this shot?
No specific feedback, but if anyone has any questions about the location, the technical side (EXIF data for example), questions about the camera used or any advice, I’m very happy to answer.

16. How can anyone reading this support your work?
You can find me on Instagram and on Flickr , if you reached me from here, write me a DM, I would really like to create new contacts to talk about photography and less about technology.