Interview with Andy Vitali

The Magazine For Photographers
Mar 10
3 min read

You can find Andy on Instagram as: @andyvitali

Enjoy the amazing Interview ;)

Andy, can you tell my readers about yourself?

I'm Andy. I was born in Milan, Italy, but I spent ten years living in the Alps before recently moving to Toronto, Canada. The contrast between these places has shaped a lot of how I see the world and, by extension, how I approach photography.

Besides photography, music is a huge part of my life. I'm a songwriter and producer, and I see a lot of similarities between creating music and capturing images—both are about composition, rhythm, and emotion.

How did you get into street photography or photography in general?

I’ve been fascinated by photography since I was about 14 years old. I started by playing around with an old Olympus compact camera, just experimenting without really knowing what I was doing.

When I was 20, I discovered my dad’s Olympus OM-2, a classic film camera. That’s when I really started learning the fundamentals of photography—shutter speed, aperture, ISO. Film photography forces you to be deliberate because you can’t just take a hundred shots and delete the bad ones. It helped me develop a more intentional approach. I always carried a camera on my trips and vacations, capturing whatever caught my eye, but street photography only became a real passion in 2018. That was when I started going out specifically to document life as it unfolds, rather than just capturing memories. Since then, it’s become an obsession.

You live in Toronto, how do you deal with tough weather conditions and what preperations do you take before going out to shoot?

Honestly? I love tough weather conditions. If the weather is too nice, it often makes for boring photos. Rain, fog, snow—these elements add drama, mood, and depth to an image. Some of my favorite shots have come from braving the worst conditions.

Of course, it's not always comfortable. Preparation is key:

Protecting the camera – I use a plastic bag taped around the lens hood to keep my gear dry. Simple but effective.
Dressing properly – Warm, waterproof clothing is a must in Toronto’s winter. Layers are your best friend.
Gloves – You need something that keeps your hands warm but still lets you operate the camera.
Shooting mindset – When you're freezing, it’s easy to rush, but you need to stay focused and take your time to get the shot.

In your opinion what are some qualities for a good photographer?

You need to train your eye, meaning the ability to compose the picture in original or more professional or cinematic way. And the readiness to get the shot when a banger appears before your eyes. Sometimes it's just a metter of luck. But sometimes you need to be very patient.

What gear do you use?

I use a LumixG9 mainly with a 25mm f1.7, an Olympus 45mm f1.8 and 40-150mm R.

In my bag there are a Sigma 16mm f1.4, a Sigma 60mm, a Laowa 7.5mm F2 as well. And sometimes for videos I use some vintage Olympus lenses.

What editing software do you use and how much time do you spend editing?

II use Lightroom for most of my edits. My workflow is pretty fast—I spend about 5-10 minutes per shot if I’m starting from scratch.

If I need to do heavy retouching, like removing cables or distractions, I’ll take it into Photoshop, but I don’t do that often. I like to keep things natural.

What makes or brakes a photo?

It could be the right framing, some light or colour details in the picture. The right subject. Especially when all these things are in the shot.

Usually what ruins my shots are either autofocus issues or the lack of the things I've mentioned before.

How do you stay inspired and motivated to continue creating new and unique photographs?

I guess watching other photographers' works, learning from the ones that I like to keep myself motivated or try new little things to use in my shots. And shooting new places or with different angles.

How can you convey a specific mood or emotion through a photograph?

this is a thing that it's hard to explain. The thing that fascinates me is the ability to capture moments in time. The rest comes afterwards.

What’s your dream city to shoot in?

Tokyo. The mix of neon lights, motion, and culture is unbeatable.

How did you find your photography/editing style?

I took a lot of inspiration mainly from Peter McKinnon, watching his tutorials in 2018. Then from other photographers like Mindzeye, Jude Allen, Alen Palander, Nick Millers and others and then developed something mine probably. When I was younger one of my hero was Storm Thorgerson and wanted to take Album covers.

Do you listen to music while shooting?