An Afternoon with ANNAMA in Milan: Photos by Loris Signoretti

Italian photographer Loris Signoretti chose a terrace in the centre of Milan to portray ANNAMA on Lomography Color Negative ISO 800 film and with the Lomo'Instant Wide camera. The result? Fantastic portraits with an undeniably analogue aesthetic thanks to the gorgeous grain and rich colors typical of this film, and breathtaking instant photos. See all the photos and read the interview with the super talented ANNAMA.

Hello ANNAMA, welcome! Can you tell us something about yourself?

Hi, I'm Anna-Maria, but ANNAMA is my stage name. I was born in Hamburg, where I currently live, and I am a musician. I'm still studying and, in order to pursue my music projects, I work as a model.

I constantly feel like I have to leave, even though Hamburg will always be my base. I spent a lot of time in Tel Aviv, which became my second home; I shot many of my music videos there, but I never really lived there. Right now I am very attracted to Italy and, with a bit of luck, I would like to finish my master's degree in German literature and media communication there.

Whenever I get the chance, I always try to travel: goodbye Hamburg and hello world! I can really feel at home anywhere and I love meeting different people. In most cases, something positive always emerges from my travels: new inspirations, new impulses and projects that influence me, but above all, that influence my music! For example, this project with Loris is one of those.

When did you discover your love for music? And when did you decide to pursue a solo career?

I liken my love for music to a devil and an angel accompanying me simultaneously, and inspiring me all my life. Turning my thoughts into music is one of the most beautiful things for me, but at the same time, my addiction to it affects me with such intensity that sometimes it is almost unbearable. But it is precisely this simultaneity of feelings that makes it so addictive. So not doing music is absolutely not an option for me.

My connection with music started early, perhaps also to overcome my shyness. At some point I founded my band B.O.X.E.R., with which I was making English electro pop music. We played in Tel Aviv and Moscow, among other places, until I decided to pursue a solo career. Now my name is ANNAMA, I make German pop music and I also founded my own label, Alienpunk Records. I feel that I have found my own style, and for me there is nothing more noble than playing with the German language and poetry and turning it into music.

Who are the albums/artists that have influenced you the most?

Patti Smith, whose lyrics convey messages with surprising intensity and authenticity, doing everything but going with the flow.

In music, as in photography, in recent years we are experiencing the return of analogue: many musicians are choosing to release their albums on vinyl and more and more photographers are shooting on film. As a 'child of the digital era', how do you deal with analogue?

In my opinion, the digital world only works as long as we keep the analogue. My present always has a touch of analogue nostalgia. With it, time seems to pass more slowly. P.S. my first album is on vinyl, of course.

Analogue always seems a bit imperfect and raw. I really like that, as it seems more real in a way, a bit like my music.

How much has music helped you in these last few (almost unreal) years?

When everything is going wrong, when you are down and maybe temporarily lose confidence in yourself or in the world, luckily music can make it all more bearable. It inspires and sets something in motion (perhaps unconsciously). It can also simply be a single phrase in a song that makes you think about something in a new way or it can make you realise that we all deal with similar problems and issues.

In my case, I continued working on my second album. But I had to take a step back to regain a certain lightness, to reorder my thoughts, to be able to approach my music in an unbiased way again. It hasn't always worked, because the stress of always wanting to be productive remains. However, keeping a certain distance sometimes gets you back on track. So a lot of new songs were born and will soon be shared with the world.

Follow ANNAMA on Spotify and Instagram. Check all works from Loris on his Instagram profile.

written by melissaperitore on 2022-04-25 #gear #people #800iso #color-negative-film #lomo-instant-wide #annama #loris-signoretti