Published 21/12/2022
Giancarlo Costa comes from a family with a strong shipping and navigation background, so it is not a surprise that he has travelled extensively across the planet's oceans and seas, using almost every type of equipment available to a sailor, journeying from Polynesia to Greenland, the USA, North and East Africa, as well as the Middle and Far East.
Since 1965, Costa has been registered with the Register of Journalists in Italy, and in that same year he settled in Milan, where he continues to collaborate with trade magazines, specialising in iconographic research on behalf of newspapers and publishing houses. Bridgeman Images represents his photographic archive, which comprises over 100,000 images.
Giancarlo Costa is also a diving consultant at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan. He collaborates with the Maritime Museum of Cesenatico and with the Galata Museo del Mare of Genoa on their exhibitions and publications.
He lives in Milan with his wife, Barbara and their cat Oberon.
Click here to view all photographs by Giancarlo Costa.
Our Content Partner Liaison Francesca Gallo asked him a few questions:
How did your passion for photography start and how did your career as a photographer develop?
I was 12 years old, I was given the camera I wanted... it all started there, but there was also school, and university, which I left just four exams before graduation to follow my passion.
Are there institutions you have most enjoyed collaborating with, or material you consider most intriguing from a photographic and historical point of view?
After some experience in fashion and advertising, I started travelling and collaborating with magazines and encyclopaedias. In the 1950s there were a lot of them and travel photographs were in great demand. Then I had the opportunity to photograph in Museums and Libraries and I specialised in that area - it was the early 1960s. A lot was going on and a lot of books were being made. I don't know how many people read them, but they bought them...
One of the themes of your photographic archive is navigation. What content best represents this theme, and how is it related to the world of navigation from a personal and professional point of view?
Ships and the sea, in general, have always been my great interest. I have sailed in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Pacific, but my 'land' voyages have touched a bit all over Europe, Greenland, North and Central Africa, the Far East, Polynesia and New Zealand. But my archive is mainly historical, made up of paintings, objects and old prints.
In your archive of images, you have beautiful examples of on ancient and classical music. Are there any music-related objects that you find most fascinating and/or rare?
Every object has its own charm, especially when dealing with objects that belonged to musicians or famous people. Ancient illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages onwards have a special fascination, and it is a privilege to be able to leaf through them, which today is almost impossible due to conservation restrictions.
Another fascinating topic is the zodiacs and their representation in ancient manuscripts. Can you tell us about this project? Do you have a favourite image among them?
Although I am not a fan of what is generically called the "occult," zodiacs are of interest to many people. That is why I always photographed them individually or in groups whenever I had the chance. Over time they have become quite a few. I believe that everyone's favourite image is the one that best represents their zodiac sign.
Your profession and technology have evolved a lot over the years. What do you think is the biggest challenge for a photographer nowadays?
Well, there has been a huge change. First, for better or worse, 'black and white' is gone. As for colour, you can manipulate it to the point of changing it completely. This is useful when it comes to correcting an unrepeatable image, and in any case, it is always possible to change it until it is completely different. Perhaps in this case, one can no longer speak of photography in the traditional sense, but everything changes and one must always be ready to follow the changes without becoming dependent on them - it is not easy, but it has always been that way.
Click here to view all photographs by Giancarlo Costa.
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