I watched them.

I waited.

I wasn’t looking for perfect poses.

I was looking for them.

We had been walking along Yorkeys Knob Beach for just a few minutes. Matteo wasn’t only one of the people in front of my camera.

He was also a professional photographer.

As I watched them, I remembered the day I first met Matteo at Rusty’s Market.

I met Matteo at Rusty’s Market.
He had come looking for a job as a barista, at the same place where I had already been working for more than a year. During his first few days, I was the person helping him settle in.

That’s how our friendship began.

Not long after, I met Cristina. They had only just started dating.

For a while, they left Australia. Even with the distance, we never lost touch.

When they came back, during one of our catch-ups, I asked if they would like to do a photoshoot with me.

They said yes without thinking twice.

Then I asked if they already had a place in mind.

The answer came straight away.

Yorkeys Knob.

I wasn’t surprised.

I knew how important that place was to them.

Our first attempt didn’t go as I had imagined.

The sun came out too late, and we didn’t have much time before sunset.

So, a little disappointed, we left the beach with the promise that we would try again.

A few days later, we met again, this time directly at Yorkeys Knob Beach.

We arrived almost at the same time. I picked up my camera and looked around.

The sky was perfect.

So was the time we had.

“Let’s go,” I thought.

Without knowing what was about to happen.

I walked with them.

I let them decide where to go, how to move, and what to do.

Rather than directing the photoshoot, I simply watched what naturally unfolded between them.

I wanted to understand the way they were together before I photographed it.

Only after a little trust had grown between us did I start suggesting a few ideas.

I didn’t tell them what to do.

I suggested.

And at the same time, they suggested ideas to me.

From that moment on, it became a constant exchange.

Looking back, I think it was an experiment for all three of us.

I was photographing a professional photographer. It was a challenge.

And I’ve always liked challenges.

I knew I would have to wait for the right moment.

After all, it was something I had already learned while photographing in completely different situations.

All I had to do was watch.

And wait.

But every time I managed to capture one of those moments, I felt an enormous sense of satisfaction.

The Greatest Gift

The following week, Cristina invited me to Matteo’s birthday.

I knew it would be a simple and intimate evening.

I arrived a few minutes late.

As soon as I walked in, Matteo said:

“Look at your photos.”

I turned around.

They were there.

Resting on a chest of drawers.

Inside picture frames.

I stood still.

My first thought was:

“Are they really mine?”

Instinctively, I put my hand over my mouth.

My eyes kept moving from one frame to another, almost looking for confirmation.

A tear rolled down my face.

Until that moment, I had only ever seen my photographs on a computer screen.

This was different.

They had become part of their home.

They had become part of their lives.

The most beautiful part was that I hadn’t even chosen which photographs to print.

Cristina wanted to surprise Matteo and, because I was completely absorbed in work at the time, I had simply given her all the photographs on a USB drive.

She was the one who chose the images.

Had them printed.

Had them framed.

Until then, I had always looked at my photographs through the eyes of the photographer.

That evening, for the first time, I looked at them through the eyes of the people who had received them.

And I finally understood what a photograph can become.

Their Experience

After they received their photographs, Matteo and Cristina sent me these messages. I’ll let their words speak for themselves.

Matteo

Cristina