The Velominati site has drawn out many interesting, talented people these last few years, from frame builders to custom V-bar plug makers. We all know @pedale.forchetta as a Moots riding, bidon cage disdaining Italian cyclist. What’s not to love already… and generous too? From the beginning he has been sharing his photos with us all: the Giro, Milan-Sanremo, Il Lombardia. Luckily for us he is not a professional cycling photographer. For starters he might not post his photos on Velominati so easily. He is not on a moto. He is on foot taking pictures of the Italian fans, police, riders, directors, ex-riding legends and the tifosi’s cars. While most professional photogs shoot the race, Angelo captures the tension and excitement before the race and the emotion and exhaustion after it. He is the best.
His before-and-after photos of Milan-Sanremo 2012 were amazing. He has ridden in a Androni Giocattoli team car during an edition of MSR. His black and white photos on the Muro di Sormano were otherworldly. If he was not a cyclist we wouldn’t know him on Velominati. We might have missed his photography, until Milan-Sanremo 2013. The day of the race he sent a few fast photos to Velominati so we could be there too. Since this MSR, I’ve seen his shots on PEZ and Il Dolore. When the going gets tough, Angelo gets going. Luckily for us all, Angelo Giangregorio was there on that crazy day from Milan to Sanremo.
Personally I’d say these are some of his best photos ever. It was an epic day. I’ve watched some poor quality video of the race, yeah, it was grim, I get it. But no, I didn’t really get it until I looked through a set of Angelo’s photos. There is a shot of Mark Cavendish at the start that is so mesmerizing, it could be in Vogue.
Does being a cyclist make him a better photographer? It has to. He understands the beauty and humanity that is cycling and captures it with his camera. Does being Italian make him a better photographer? Of course it does. He shoots the people at races as much as the racers and his Italian generosity come through in his photos.
I’ll let Simon of Il Dolore say it properly.
The Cycling Photographs of Angelo Giangregorio.
I’ve known Angelo for about three years now ever since I used his photographs on my old website La Gazzetta della Bici. Ever since then I don’t think I have ever seen Angelo take a bad snap. He is by far my favourite photographer and one of the nicest people I know. Italy bleeds from Angelo’s photographs. He not only photographs the sport of cycling but manages to capture the heart and soul of the riders and the fans in every photograph he takes. I always look forward to a new set of Angelo’s photographs not just because they feature Italian cycling but that they always show the very soul of what it means to ride a bike, watch cycling and be aware of the life around us.
Grazie socio, Angelo.
Writing about photography doesn’t work so I’ll stop right now. Look at his pictures. In fifty years from now, when people are looking back to the old days and epic races, Milan-Sanremo 2013 is going to be one of those races and Angelo’s photos are going to be the pictures people remember.
Here is his MRS 2013 flikr set, and make sure you check out his amazing Photo Stream.
[dmalbum flikr=”72157633022136858/”/]
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View Comments
Sweet.
I always wondered if there were other Velominati photographers around, and what they are doing.
You really need to feel for your subject to take good photos and I think it's very clear that the photos are so awesome BECAUSE he loves the sport.
Pedale, If all goes well hopefully we'll meet next year in the classics, because I'm going to shoot them myself.
Also, the pictures look more frighteningly cold than J. Gruber's photos from this autumn on the stelvio (http://www.flickr.com/photos/smashred/sets/72157631777318135/)
"Luckily for us he is not a professional cycling photographer"
He's not? I thought he was. He really is at the absolute top of the game and if anyone should be able to make a living off of shooting a photograph, this man should.
"His black and white photos on the Muro di Sormano were other worldly"--Amen.
Fuck Graham Watson, the Leni Riefenstahl of Cycling, I'll take Pedele.Forchetta any day!
@Buck Rogers
By professional I meant making a living at it not the quality of photos. I assume if he was making a living at it we wouldn't be able to see them without watermarks or see them for free. But I may be wrong there too. Research, fuggetaboutit.
@pedale, Grazie mille for sharing your work here. Also, if I recall correctly, for vindicating those of us stubborn enough to run Shimano pedals with a Campagnolo gruppo. Cheers!
@Gianni
Sure we would, because we're special.
From the MSR album:
- Love the smiles, both of the racers and the crowd. Weather or not, that's what cycling is all about.
- On the photo with Taz coming off the stage after signing in: You'd think they could put some rubber on the diamond plate steps. Isn't that a recipe for disaster, icy, cold, and clipless cleats? Jeez!
- Love how it took 3 men to help Belletti off his bike
- How did Phinney's socks stay so white?!
Overall, the captures and the finishing make this seem like a P-R from days gone by. The television did not do it justice at how dark it was out there. Excellent!
@Tartan1749 Taz, Taz Darling is the Peloton photographer with the canon in the background, the girl that got smashed up in that sprint (last year?). Glad to see she's back in the saddle.
@biggles
I think us of KT 2012 were at that race, at the finish. The Wednesday race between the Ronde and P-R and we were oblivious to the terrible nature of that crash. Or even that a photo got injured. It was wet and chilly and it was us and a huge crowd of beer drinking Belgians, hard to see much but Belgians.
Il Dolore is such a great blog, love it. You should post a list of authentic sources of inspiration. I find a lot of cycling content on the web but most of it is about fixed gear bikes out of their natural environment and being horribly tweaked and decorated while being driven the wrong way. Poor bikes.
I always enjoy seeing what @Pedale has in store for us when he shoots events, he makes you feel like you are right in the midst of the action. Anyone can shoot a spectacle, but to convey the essence behind it - the sights and sounds, the feeling and emotion - to convey those feelings in image takes a talented eye. Chapeau @Pedale, I look forward to seeing more of your work!