Lorenzo Catena on Street Photography, Influences, and the Digital Shift

In an interview with Artribune, Italian photographer and architect Lorenzo Catena discusses his approach to street photography, his influences, and the impact of social media on the medium. Catena, who studied architecture in Rome and recently returned from Samoa where he worked on a photo reportage in Apia, describes street photography as capturing authentic and spontaneous moments in public or private contexts that reflect daily life or tangible traces of human presence. He emphasizes the importance of interacting with subjects, especially in close-up shots, and now thinks of his photos as part of a larger narrative universe rather than isolated images. Catena cites Alex Webb, Henry Gruyaert, and Alec Soth as major influences, along with filmmaker Sergio Leone. He notes that social media has democratized street photography, reaching a wider audience, but warns that the rush toward quick video content risks making still photos seem static and boring, and that photographers must now also act as editors and entertainers. Catena advises aspiring street photographers to diversify learning sources, buy photobooks, attend workshops and festivals, practice daily, and be critical of their own work. He co-authored the photobook 'Mareterno' (eyeshot, 2021) with Valeria Tofanelli, focusing on the Roman coastline, especially Ostia.