Emanuele D'Angelo on Photographing Cityscapes and People

What gives a city its unique essence -- the geography, the skyscrapers, the people? This question drives travel photographer Emanuele D’Angelo to travel around the world from city to city, large and small, and document what he finds.

The Italian travel photographer got his start in the industry by photographing celebrities however he long decided to focus his passion for travel photography. Traveling to new places and discovering the peculiar aspects of each city and its residents sparked a fire in D’Angelo; this fire changed the course of his life.

As the world continues to increase its infatuation with social media, the photography industry is saturated with similar styles and negative incentives. This is why individuals with a sincere passion for photography and originality must continue to invest in their photography skills. Photographers who do so will not only break through the noise on social media, but they will also breathe new life into the photography industry at large. Emanuele D’Angelo is one of those photographers.

D’Angelo has now been to more than 20 international cities across South America, The United States, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, photographing everything along the way. Among many projects, D’Angelo is the author of two renowned photography books. D’Angelo put together a book about Los Angeles motorcycle and lowrider culture titled, ‘Baby Let’s Cruise.’ D’Angelo also put together a book about the beautiful city of Tokyo in the fall, titled ‘October in Tokyo.’

Utilizing some of the most cutting-edge technology in the photography industry, there is no shot too big for D’Angelo. Fueled by his deep love of discovering novel cities and meeting new people, D’Angelo captures the soul of each city he visits. D’Angelo is known for his versatility; D’Angelo can shine a creative light on well-known regions of the world as well as photograph unique, diamond in the rough, locations most photographers would overlook. Wherever he goes, D’Angelo makes connections with the local population and, of course, photographs them.

D’Angelo has a particular love for cities in South America, and south of the border in general, due to their intense sunsets, the vibrant colors of the cities, and the friends he makes along the way. D’Angelo has done extensive photography in the region capturing the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Bogota, and Cartagena (among others). D’Angelo photographs the cityscapes as well as the residents & surrounding areas in order to truly round out his experience of the city and photograph everything.

D’Angelo believes that in order to be the best travel photographer he can be, he must follow his eye and natural curiosity as well as talk to the residents of the city. While D’Angelo trusts his instincts, he knows that he ‘doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.’ This means that, more often than not, the residents can give D’Angelo information about some of the best yet lesser-known spots to experience and photograph in a given city.

Many travel photographers go to a location to shoot with an agenda and miss out on some of the best opportunities because they do not engage with the residents directly. By genuinely engaging with the residents, D’Angelo is able to avoid that trap. This leads to inside information about a city as well as great portraits & candid photos of these individuals, giving more context for the photos he may take of the cityscapes & landscapes. Of course, this is also how D’Angelo is able to make lifelong bonds with his new friends.

As the world opens up for travel once again, we are excited to see where D’Angelo ventures to, and photographs, next.