Between photography and multimedia with Federica Capo

Photographing dance

Among the Academy's 2024-25 innovations is the transformation of the Photo, Video and New Media Course into a three-year course, which will then become an academic diploma course. What is the appeal of this field and why get involved in the photography and multimedia world?

Former student Federica Capo tells us about herself for the Hall of Fame.

Federica, where did your passion for photography come from?

The first memory of me as a photographer dates back to primary school. It makes me wonder: who knows whether we are able to choose hobbies to practice at such a young age or whether we simply have needs and only discover as we grow up which tools are functional to fulfil them.

In primary school, I used to take photos during trips, then I would take the photos I thought were most beautiful and use them for competitions. I won two of them, one in second grade and the other in seventh grade.

In the child me and in the adult me, I recognise a feeling of nostalgia. I used to photograph to preserve and I still do. To this day I know that I have always photographed to preserve my emotions, to be able to remember and relive them.

Instead, my passion for dance photography comes from my passion for dance.

I don't know what age I can trace it back to, but I went to my first dance class when I was four. At eight, when asked: 'What do you want to be when you grow up?', I answered: 'A dancer'. 

I grew up and studied dance in an amateur and non-linear way. Not having a proper physique made me experience emotional ups and downs. Until one day I thought that to get somewhere there is never only one way. So I combined these two passions of mine. Photography has taken me further into the world of dance than dance itself could have done. And when last year I found myself looking at the stalls area of the Opéra de Paris from above its stage, I thought I was on the right track.

How did you find out about the Academy and what made you decide to enrol on the Photo, Video and New Media Course?

I was compulsively searching the web for a course that could help me fill some gaps and give me the opportunity to photograph shows.

This is what prompted me to enrol. As much as Italy is excellent in terms of art and theatre, there is not much space left for young people to gain experience. Through this course, I found the possibilities I was looking for. 

And after the Academy? You now have a very important online presence and on platforms like Instagram you create elegant, creative content with a very effective style, creating engagement.

Do you think it is important today for a photographer/videomaker to be able to use social media as showcases and real portfolios to present themselves to clients?

The Academy allowed me to generate a network of contacts. After the course I went back to live in Naples, but that network, little by little, drew me back to work in Milan.

Social media have been a springboard for me. They have been my showcase, especially in the sector where my work has ended up. The age group I am used to working with is the one that moves most on these platforms. It has been a real digital word of mouth, and so yes, I still consider them an indispensable channel.     

In today's market, do you think photography or video is more in demand?

I believe that in today's market to be saleable, but above all credible, you have to be as real as possible.

The originality of a work depends on how much of our sensitivity and experience we are able to put into it, and this we often do best with the medium with which we feel most comfortable when telling.

Certainly a wider channel of visibility nowadays is given to videos, but I personally only started to turn to this type of content when, with photography, I felt cramped and limited in being able to tell certain emotions.

Do you have any artists or colleagues who are examples for you and whom you admire?

I admire all my colleagues in Italy who have managed to break through that wall between an image professional and the opera house. All my esteem. From an image point of view, the artists I admire most are Karolina Kuras and Carlos Quezada. But I could list millions: the NYC Project photographs, the Ballerina project. Lois Greenfield. They are among the pioneers of dance photography.

The Academy's Photo, Video and New Media Course will be transformed into a three-year university course in 'Multimedia for the Performing Arts' in the coming academic year 2024/25, thus giving students the opportunity to gain all-round training in the profession of photographer and video maker for the performing arts.

What advice would you give to all young boys and girls who are about to embark on this academic path to do this job in the future?

When I took part in the course, the duration was one year. What I remember most sadly was the feeling of how quickly time went by without us noticing. My advice is to share. When I studied at the academy, I learnt so much from the teachers, but even more from my fellow students. Each one of them taught me something and still does. We still like to confront us and help one another when in need. Make mistakes. Practice, even making mistakes; the Academy provides many tools. We had many projects to complete, but every opportunity was good to start new ones. Steal. That's my biggest piece of advice. There is so much more beyond the hours of study and the teachers' words. Theatre is a universe rich in galaxies, full of opportunities and different paths. Learn by watching it. Learn by listening to it. Learn by experiencing it.