Photographer breaks with contemporary fashion to offer raw authenticity

 

"Cacadora"
Photos by Cento Sogni

By Persephone Bolero-Trenton

AMAZON — Amongst the river of selfies and promotions on Flickr is one photographer whose carving out a special space, albeit one that doesn’t get as much attention. While the selfies can get hundreds of likes, Sogni’s work may get a dozen. It’s a testament to the power of social-media vanity to overwhelm the beauty of authentic creative self-expression.

Rather than post snapshots with a random background, Sogni meticulously builds unique sets for each of his shoots. He incorporates details that people may miss while scrolling through mountains of content. Whether he’s photographing himself or others, he captures a moment in the life of his subjects. Though the photo is frozen in time, the action spills forward into the moments after the shutter is clicked.

"There is No Rose Without a Thorn"

On many occasions, Sogni has turned his lens toward our community here in the Amazon. He is a close friend of the Xoco tribe, and some of the themes he’s explored involve the tribe’s adventures.

“I’ve always had a special relationship with them. Certainly they are beautiful women, but more than that they are so gracious and kind to me,” Cento said.

He says his photos try to tell a story, and the photographer has told many stories over the five years he’s been posting his work.

"Amazon Princess"

 

There’s the story of a man stranded on a deserted island, sending a message out in a bottle in the hope he may be rescued. In another story, a humble Nineteenth Century metal worker pounds out cookware on an anvil. And in another story, a Nepalese sherpa treks along an icy path on a mountainside.

“I’m hoping to convey a message, draw out an emotion, make people think,” Sogni said. The goal of his photos, he said, is to create realism. He doesn’t airbrush the pictures or add other special effects. They’re laid out raw and undoctored, leaving interpretation open to the viewers.

"The Last Leaf on the Tree"

His collection, which began in 2018 with a shot of himself meditating on the edge of a cliff, is an outlet for his creative impulses. He chose the photography medium because, he said, it’s where he found it easiest to say what he wanted to say.

"I love art, but can’t draw worth a damn. Everything I draw looks like an ash tray. So I went into photography to satisfy my need to create art,” he said.

"Chieftess" 

 

As with any artist, Sogni's creative process has its share of angst. There are times when he struggles to get the vision to come out on the image.

“Sometimes I look back at old photos and wonder what was I thinking. But a friend gave me advice once because I fret over some of my work. She said, ‘sometimes good is good enough,’” Sogni said.

"The Church on the Hill"

 

He’s currently working on a photo of the seeker Tantrica, which Cento said would involve shibari. He’s also planning a public exhibition of his work with the Xoco. As details become available, they will be posted here on the Amazon River Sun.

It's also worth mentioning that yours truly was the subject of the photo below. 

 

"On a Whim"