Working with children is a challenging undertaking because you must be compassionate while still detached enough to make good pictures. For Stefano Azario, a dad of five, this comes naturally because he understands every action of the children and knows how to befriend them quickly. Moreover, with his 25 years of experience dealing with children, Stefano finds it natural to record their behavior and work with them without breaking a leg.
A Joyful Experience
For Stefano, photography is a way of self-expression and also to make sense of the world. Every artist has a medium where they express themselves to the world and photography does that for him. Born in Paris, France, Azario is now one of the most well-known photographers with extensive experience photographing children and newborns. He began photographing at the age of 11 in 1977, shortly after the death of his father. Since then, his camera has seldom left his side.
A pivotal moment in his life happened when Vogue Bambini began routinely commissioning him in 1992, and the partnership continued until the magazine’s closure in 2018. During these 25 years, he also partnered with Gap Kids and BabyGap for their marketing campaigns This was where his career began to take off. Stefano’s photography received its own issue in the magazine in 2013. Major periodicals, advertising agencies, and globally recognized businesses have partnered with him; Benetton, Uniqlo, and Armani are just a few of the brands he has worked with.
Apart from the photography of children, he is also passionate about documentary photography. Of a recent project with farmers he says “I found my time in Mexico personally inspirational and creatively productive. Photographing the coffee farmers was as much fun as it was rewarding; their sense of humor showed off their gleaming gold teeth. I was surprised that the two-hour walk to the makeshift daylight studio hadn’t put a dent in their enthusiasm for the collaboration.”
Getting Through All The Obstacles
Throughout his journey, he faced several hurdles, but each time he rose to the occasion. Vogue Bambini did not respond to his work for the first 6 years he shared it with them but eventually, he went on to contribute to the magazine for its entire lifetime. People now appreciate his work, and he has garnered several honors over his career, including the 2021 Documentary Family Awards, Judges’ Choice, and the 2010 Communication Arts Award Winner Fashion Editorial.
Azario demonstrated how rewarding it is to work with children. He has brought smiles to children’s faces over the period of 25 years just by encouraging them to live moments of joy and fun and laughter he could record. His most recent show, “In cerca della retta via” was held in 2022 as part of the Lunigiana Land Art Festival under the sponsorship of the Ministero Italiano della Cultura.
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