Italian weightlifter defies gravity: best photo of Mattia Zobellaro | Art and design

THis portrait is part of a series commissioned by the Italian Paralympic Committee. They asked me to photograph the country’s top athletes ahead of the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. I probably covered 30 different people over the course of three days – I’m a fast shooter. I started out shooting with film, which is still my favorite medium. Even when I shoot digitally, I’m very selective and pay attention to every click.

Logistically, it was easier for me to work in a studio, even though that was something I wouldn’t normally choose to do. I’m more of an outdoor photographer: I like going to the location or photographing people in the park.

For me, photography is a way to learn more about subjects. I use my camera to unlock new things that interest me. I’m informing myself rather than trying to inform the viewer. I filmed the rave scene in the 90s because I was passionate about it and wanted to get close to it. I photographed my hometown of Rovigo long after I left, trying to learn more about the place I left behind.

In this case, I didn’t know these people, but I always asked for just half an hour to talk to each subject first. I didn’t discuss the pictures, I just wanted to know where that person came from. I would ask simple questions like: “What did you do yesterday? Are you married? What’s the last TV series you enjoyed? What football team do you support?” Photographing someone is a kind of collaboration, but I didn’t discuss with each sitter how they wanted to be photographed. They trusted me to do my job.

Donato Telesca, the subject of this photo, is a weightlifter who won a bronze medal at the Paralympics. I was photographing him sitting on a vertical background, with some of the clearer images, but as we were taking a break, and I was having coffee, I noticed him leaning on the floor, resting. There was also, by chance, a staircase in the studio, so I said: “Donato, please don’t move!” I took the ladder and jumped on it and photographed it from the top.

For me, photography should be like this – spontaneous and instinctive. Something catches my eye and I want to capture it. I feel more like a thief than a painter, if you know what I mean. Here, I wanted to take a photojournalist approach, so I was shooting with continuous light rather than using flash. When I go to the site, I never come up with an idea. I want to be able to improvise. This is the approach I followed for this series.

Some studio photographers try to hide the truth, but I wanted to show that this is where we were. For example, I intentionally included things like the metal wheel of the ladder and the tape on the floor in the shape of an arrow. The Olympic Committee was wary of this approach but gave me complete creative freedom, and they were happy when they saw the results.

I don’t really like captioning my photos. I think it degrades them in some way, like trying to explain a song or a poem. But I like hearing other people’s explanations. Some people who saw this photo for the first time did not immediately realize that Donato had no legs; they thought perhaps he was sitting in a strange position. The direction of the image adds another layer of mystery. Until you realize it’s taken from above, you might imagine Donato is defying gravity. But the most important thing is that when I showed him the picture, Donato was very happy.

Biography of Mattia Zobellaro

child: Rovigo, Italy, 1980
High point: “Along with stars like Lou Reed, Bono and Patti Smith, who are working on my current project about the Arab world in northern Italy.”
Top tip: “Travel light, sell your tripod – and don’t show images to your subject before you make your choice.”