Italian Photographers Collective 'Ricordi Stampati' Brings Affordable Author Portraits

Five years ago, photographer Settimio Benedusi (born 1962 in Imperia, Italy) launched 'Ricordi Stampati', a project inspired by Nelson Mandela's quote 'Memory is the fabric of identity'. The initiative offers professional black-and-white portrait sessions to the public at accessible prices, with prints delivered framed on the spot. Benedusi was joined by Guido Stazzoni, Matteo Curti, Gabriele Galimberti, Toni Thorimbert, Oliviero Toscani, and Sofia Uslenghi, who have carried the project across various Italian locations. Participants book online, receive a retouched, printed, and framed portrait. Prices range from €150 for a 29×42 cm print with black wooden frame to €500 for a 70×100 cm aluminum support. The project concluded its Milan appointments with the last edition of MIA Fair, and the official website announces a restart from October 2024. The collective's Instagram shows emotional reactions from couples expecting their first child, women with proud gazes, and families. Benedusi embodies the figure of the photographer-craftsman, offering a tangible trace of existence in an age of disposable digital images.