All great photos start with simple practice. After that, you receive the desired image you would like to showcase.
You don’t have to be a professional photographer to depict natural heritage sites and upload your images for Wiki Loves Earth or any other Wikipedia photo contest. However, everyone would like to improve their basic photography skills, which will allow them to capture the world more effectively.
What is the path of a professional photographer? How can you take a stunning image, even on your mobile phone? How can you start taking pictures for the largest photo contests? Where can you get ideas and inspiration?
We discussed these and many other questions with Cesare Barilla, and we invite you to continue reading this post, which could be quite useful for other professional photographers and beginners!
Cesare Barilla
Photo used with the author’s permission
Cesare Barilla is an Italian nature landscape professional photographer.
In 2023, his image took 1st place in the local Italian contest, and 8th place in the International Wiki Loves Earth (landscape category). Also, Cesare’s other image took 6th place in the International Wiki Loves Earth special nomination “Human Rights and Environment”.
How long is your journey as a photographer? Do you remember your first steps in professional photography and what inspired you to get started?
“I remember entering the world of professional photography in 2014 when I bought a Canon Eos 1100D with my first salary. However, my love for photography dates back to when, as a child, my dad gave me a disposable Kodak film camera. From that day, I discovered photography, and I did nothing but leaf through my parents’ album of memories. In the years to come, the revolution came with digital photography and the first compact cameras. I always had one in my jeans pocket; I never went out without it.”
What type of photography do you specialize in? What is your photographic style?
“I specialize in landscape photography, but I am also passionate about modern architecture and street photography. These photographic genres are never missing from the photographs of my travels. My photographic style is sometimes minimal, other times, I pay a lot of attention to the composition to have a captivating and non-trivial photograph.”
Author of the photo: Cesare Barilla
What kind of equipment do you use? Can you explain your choice of camera, lenses, and other gear?
“About a year ago, I converted to the mirrorless world by purchasing a Canon EOS R6 II combined with a Canon RF 15-35 mm f2.8 L IS USM lens and a Canon RF 70-200 f4 L IS USM lens. I chose this equipment because I already owned a Canon EOS 6D reflex which allowed me to take excellent photographs”.
What software do you use for post-processing and editing? Can you describe your editing workflow?
“For post-production of my photographs, I use Camera Raw and sometimes Lightroom. The editing workflow is simple, and I mainly work on controls such as highlights, mid-tones, shadows, contrast, clarity, vignetting, lens correction, etc. My intent is to always start from a good base during shooting so as not to have to waste too much time in post-production.”
Your works mostly picture breathtaking nature and its landscapes. Why did you decide to focus exactly on this, and what do you love the most about nature?
“As previously mentioned, my photographic style is mainly landscape because I love nature and its immense beauty, which continually gives me unique emotions with its sunsets and sunrises.”
How do you usually choose the locations? What was your favorite one?
“I usually choose my locations by consulting internet pages dedicated to photography, such as 500px, Instagram, Juzaphoto, and many others. My favorite location always remains my homeland, Calabria, which allows me every time to travel through the landscapes and colors that have always distinguished its identity.”
What was your experience in picturing the protected areas? Is this term somehow changing the photography conditions? What do you advise starting from when picturing the protected areas?
“Photographing protected areas means photographing something unique but at the same time fragile in its kind, which must be preserved and respected, and photography can certainly contribute significantly. The advice I can give is to discover the protected areas closest to our home and photograph their beauty, especially during the most beautiful hours such as sunrise and sunset.”
Author of the photo: Cesare Barilla
How do you prepare for a photography session or project in general?
“When I have to do a photography session or carry out a project, I always try to plan everything in detail thanks also to the help of technology, such as some apps that allow me to plan sunrises and sunsets precisely and also with Google maps which allows me to find the spots take photos from the comfort of your home.”
How do you continue to develop and refine your skills as a photographer?
“I continue to develop my photographic skills by comparing myself with other photographers and continually challenging myself by creating new photographic projects.”
How did you first get involved in the Wiki Loves Earth International photo contest devoted to picturing natural heritage?
“I discovered the Wiki Loves Earth International photography competition through social media. I participated for the first time in 2023, winning first place in the Italian local contest, and I was pleasantly surprised. It is always a great satisfaction to deal with so many competing photographers and their beautiful photographs.”
Two of your last year’s winning images in the main and special nominations in the local Italian and International Wiki Loves Earth represent natural disasters, which are showcased very precisely. Is this a skill of “catching the right moment” or did you plan to showcase them?
“As I said before, my photographic approach is mainly landscape, but precisely for this reason, I am characterized by a profound interest in social, political, and environmental issues, which in recent years have led me to deal with reportage photography, documenting themes such as environmental sustainability and destructive phenomena caused by climate changes, which are increasingly frequent, increasingly evident and increasingly disastrous.
Being in the right place at the right time certainly helps; other times, I have to go to the place where the disaster happened to document, but my intent is to show what is happening to our planet with climate change.”
Author of the photo: Cesare Barilla
Author of the photo: Cesare Barilla
Do you plan to take part in the contest again?
“Obviously, I participated in the photography competition again.”
What would you advise someone who doesn’t have professional photography equipment? How can you take a good picture even on a mobile phone?
“One piece of advice I would like to give to those who do not have photographic equipment is to see photography through their own eyes regardless of the equipment. You can take beautiful photographs by any means, but only if you already have the photo you want to take imprinted in your mind. For example, cell phones have professional functions that help us take beautiful photographs like a professional camera. Anyone who aspires to become a professional photographer is to chase their dreams and always be curious to observe the world with different eyes than the rest of people.”
What influences or inspires your work? And what is the most rewarding part of being a professional photographer for you?
“My work is influenced by the constant desire to show the reality and beauty that surrounds me. The most beautiful part of being a photographer is certainly being able to stop time through my photographs, have a different vision of the world, and entrust every single moment to eternity.”
Can you share some of your favorite projects that you are proud of or photographs you’ve taken? What makes them special to you?
“I would be very pleased to share some projects and photographs that I have created; some of them are special because they contain stories, encounters I have had, and emotions.”
Author of the photo: Cesare Barilla
We wish you a great photography journey. The international team is waiting for your unique uploads. You have less than two weeks until the end of the contest!
Follow the project’s page to check out the process.
Check the participating countries and their timelines here: 
One of them can be organizing and participating in photo contests, which aim to depict natural heritage sites.
Check the details on our page and be ready to upload from 1st May.
A reminder that you need some of the criteria to start the contest:
Heritage Guard Network (HGN): Empowering Communities to Safeguard Cultural and Natural Treasures through Crowdsourced Digital Efforts aims to create long-term, sustainable networks that compile, build, and share best practices for successfully crowdsourcing data and information on cultural and natural heritage in danger.
Read more about this initiative here: 
If you are interested in joining a working group, according to your interests and expertise, you can show interest by contacting us at hgn@wikimedia.ge.
Don’t have experience in organizing the contest?
Check the page of this special nomination, where you can read all the detailed information you need to know: 
As in the previous year, we accept photos from the countries where the main contest is going and worldwide!
