The first time we noticed his photos online was in 2017, when all local dailies talked about an unbelievable fact: a fearless fox - then named “Guendalina” - used to go every night to a man’s house in Valle Intelvi, to have her dinner in his wonderful garden overlooking Lake Como.

The man in question is Maurizio Moro, a photographer and officer of the Italian republic for sporting merit (and former ski & snowboard teacher, tennis player, marathoner, bikers, professional diver, etc.). He lives near Casasco d’Intelvi in a house that boasts a so incredible view that is really not difficult to imagine where this photographer gets his daily inspiration for his shots. His house is set on a little hill, completely isolated, immersed in an ancestral silence: the perfect place to sit on the grass and fill the eyes with the immaculate beauty of the mountains and the lake.

We met Maurizio for a chat in our office some weeks ago. Despite the amount of prizes he has won over the years (9th place out of 25.889 photos at the world photo contest "Wiki Loves Monuments Italia 2019”, and first place “Wiki Loves Monuments Lake Como 2018”, to name but two), Maurizio is a very humble person and likes to share his shots “to spread the beauty of our territory”, he says. He has travelled pretty much all around the world, as most of the best photographers usually do to gather new artistic insights.

On your website you write “I understood what I want to do for the rest of my life”. When did you have this epiphany?

That was when I moved from Como to Valle Intelvi, in Pian delle Alpi. The scenery there is simply stunning: from here more than elsewhere you can really understand how glorious our mountains are, and how much our lake is like a real painting, with all its inlets and little bays and promontories jumping in the water. You can see all at a glance and you can’t help taking photos here. You have the big picture, the overview of everything, I mean. I feel grateful for this view every day I wake up, and I try to convey this in my pictures.

Which were the very first photos of yours you consider special?

Guendalina’s close ups are the first photos that excited me and made me realise I was making something pretty cool and unusual, that would have given something to people. Because at the end of the day that’s the goal of my photography: creating something that can touch people.

Browsing your photo gallery in your online portfolio, the first thing that definitely sticks out is your love for night photography. Is there a reason behind this passion?

The night is the moment I prefer because I’m totally alone. For me photography is a solitary activity, a moment for me, an opportunity of meditation; generally I like to take pictures between 1 and 7 am, when there’s nobody around and the landscape looks pure, essential, ancestral. The lights reflecting on the lake, in particular, are something magical that gives me a sense of absolute peace. I like to call it “the spell of the night”.

The loneliness of deserted landscapes or churches illuminated in the dark, is really something that belongs to me.

For you what’s more important: the improvisation or the preliminary study of the scene?

What I like most is to carefully study the location with an inspection, to start building in advance the photo I have in mind. Improvisation is good for street photography, not for landscape photography.

For me, the repetitiveness of the gestures that precede the shot are fundamental for the final result. Choosing the place, the time, the event, the optics, the tripod, being concentrated in the gesture, in the click, in that precise moment in the right place at the ideal moment is a ritual that I cannot give up. It’s the essence of my photography.

Finding new perspectives around the same topic is always a challenge I love and gives me a lot of adrenaline.

What do you think makes Lake Como such a good subject for photography?

Lake Como is romantic as few landscapes in Italy are. It’s pretty much unique because it’s cozy, you see the opposite village and mountains, you always feel protected. In this sense it’s very different from all other Italian lakes, where this welcoming vibe disperses.

Are there any special spots on the lake you would suggest our readers to go for a memorable pic?

All the tiniest villages are my favorite, as they look like pages of an old book: Careno and Brienno, in particular. Rogaro hamlet, as well, is very special.

Talking about Valle Intelvi, you can’t miss Pigra (that is literally a balcony over the lake), San Zeno sanctuary and Sighignola.

There’s no human subject in your photos. The only living being is Guendalina, in the end. Tell us more about this special friend of yours.

The one of Guendalina is a story of a silent friendship based on mutual respect and trust. She knew I wouldn’t dare get closer to her, that’s why she always came back every night, waiting for me and for her dinner. It’s been a steady and discreet presence that taught me a lot.

Check Maurizio’s full portfolio on his official website!

Article by Laura Zanotta

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These Impressive Pics Will Make You Love Lake Como & Valle Intelvi Even More [Interview]