How to Photograph a Soul: Alberto Gandolfo on Capturing Humanity Without Sensationalism
Welcome to this edition of [book spotlight]. Today, we uncover the layers of 'Habitat,' by Alberto Gandolfo (published by Kehrer Verlag). We'd love to read your comments below about these insights and ideas behind the artist's work.
Can a camera capture dignity without turning struggle into spectacle?
Alberto Gandolfo believes it can—but only with the right approach. He spent two years documenting the makeshift homes of irregular migrants in southern Italy, not by focusing on suffering, but by showing how people create meaning in the most unstable conditions. His work challenges the way we look at documentary photography, proving that honesty is more powerful than exaggeration. Instead of taking dramatic images of hardship, he lets details—like a carefully placed flower or a worn-out chair—tell the story.
Some photographers chase emotion at any cost.
Gandolfo does the opposite. He refuses to stage, dramatize, or manipulate reality to make it more shocking. His images are quiet but strong, revealing the deep connection between people and the fragile homes they build. His approach raises an important question: Can we document struggle without exploiting it?
A great photograph reveals the soul, not just the surface.
Habitat
Habitat is a documentary photography project by Italian photographer Alberto Gandolfo, focusing on the precarious living conditions of irregular migrants in southern Italy. Over two years, Gandolfo traveled between informal settlements—temporary homes often dismantled by authorities—to capture the human need for shelter, identity, and belonging.
Rather than emphasizing suffering or despair, Habitat reveals the quiet strength and dignity within these spaces. Through images of small personal details—an object carefully placed, a door slightly ajar—Gandolfo shows how people create meaning even in unstable environments. His ethical approach avoids sensationalism, allowing the reality of these lives to speak for itself.
Edited by Benedetta Donato (Instagram) and published by Kehrer Verlag, Habitat challenges the way migration and displacement are documented. It is not just a book about hardship—it is a visual testimony to resilience, survival, and the fragile line between home and limbo. (Kehrer Verlag, Amazon)
Overview of the project: What inspired you to document the informal settlements of irregular migrants in southern Italy, and what message do you hope Habitat conveys to its viewers?
My research started in 2020, during the pandemic period, when the condition of irregular migrants employed in black work became even more precarious and their lives were even more at risk. It was not possible for them to go into the fields and I went to meet them at their homes, discovering the invisible houses. I would like this work to contribute to the awareness of the living conditions of these people, of these lives suspended in a limbo that can last many years.
Artistic vision and approach: Your photographs balance the political and creative potential of the camera. How do you approach capturing the humanity and resilience of these communities without resorting to sensationalism?
I think it’s an attitude that characterizes my way of making photography and that I have learned from the great masters. One can denounce a situation or a condition of injustice or suffering, simply by showing the human side of the issues that one goes to investigate. These houses have a soul because there is someone who lives in them. It is the people who opened their doors to me that gave me the key. So I decided to make portraits of houses and people because both have a soul.
Storytelling in photography: You highlight the beauty in the small details of these makeshift homes. How do you use these elements to tell a broader story about identity and survival?
Behind these small details, which can be represented for example by flowers, doors or objects that are kept inside the houses, there are the stories of these people. Every object, even the seemingly meaningless one, conceals a deep meaning: a very strong bond with the place from which you started, with your family, with the affections that are always present. Every element, from people to homes, was the subject of my portraits.
Challenges and perseverance: What were some of the key challenges you faced while photographing these settlements, and how did you overcome them to maintain an honest and balanced perspective?
Certainly a challenge was to overcome the mistrust of people. They are not places where you can easily access and there is also the time factor to consider. In Sicily, for example, they are temporary settlements and after a few months there is the risk of not finding anything or anyone.
In other places, such as Campania, the situation is more structured, even from the point of view of criminal organizations and a photographer who wants to tell certain stories, is not at all well-regarded.
The NGOs operating in the area are fundamental, the people I have been able to contact who have helped me understand the social complexity that is different in each place.
Knowing a situation means staying in that situation as long as possible, observing, talking to people, creating a dialogue with each of them.
Role of the photographer: As a documentarian of marginalized communities, how do you navigate the ethical responsibilities of portraying vulnerability and hope?
First of all respecting people I meet. For Habitat I chose to never photograph the houses interiors. I took a step back and let them take the shots of their homes' interiors directly. It seemed more correct that I gave myself a limit not to cross.
Connection with the subject: You describe these homes as both a refuge and a symbol of instability. How did you connect with the inhabitants to authentically portray their experiences?
As I said before, the presence of NGOs working in these territories was essential to create a first contacts with the inhabitants. I went to them many times, without ever taking pictures. I just went there to talk, to hear their stories, their demands. I was welcomed into their homes to eat typical dishes they cooked for me or to drink a typical drink of my parts together. There was a very intense exchange in terms of relationship. I often went to the ghettos to record the noises and sounds of places. I have hours of recording where you can only hear the wind. It was important for me to immerse myself in those worlds also with other senses, not just with sight.
Technical and creative tips: Your work captures both the stark realities and the human touches within these habitats. What advice would you offer photographers aiming to document sensitive social issues with nuance and integrity?
I would suggest to take some time. To stay as much as possible in a place that is the setting of a precise social issue. The moment of the shot must be the last act, because if you have not deeply understood that reality and the people who live it, your shot will never be authentic.
Photography as a tool for awareness: Benedetta Donato mentions your goal to “reduce distances” through photography. How do you see photography’s role in fostering empathy and understanding about issues like migration?
The movement of men on land and by sea is an ancient phenomenon and is closely connected to the identification of favorable conditions for living and evolving.
Today the migration scenario is also characterized by displacement caused by climate change and scarcity of resources. It must be remembered that this is a universal phenomenon and concerns us all, today more than ever. In the Habitat project, photography was the tool that allowed me to get closer to people and it was the same tool shared with them to open the doors of their homes and their stories.
Advice for aspiring photographers: For those wanting to tackle socially impactful projects like Habitat, what lessons from your experience would you share to help them navigate both the creative and ethical challenges of this type of work?
Certainly know the situation in all its aspects. You have to do a lot of research, understand the historical developments, the political implications and the social consequences. Then you have to abandon any kind of prejudice and you have to talk with people, listen to them above all and be guided by instinct on the basis of a relationship that is human and therefore authentic. In this case the photographs will be genuine and help to understand that part of the world you have decided to investigate.
Habitat is my first project to be shot in colour. Changing your language to adapt it to a new context and a new story was also a challenge!
To discover more about this intriguing body of work and how you can acquire your own copy, you can find and purchase the book here. (Kehrer Verlag, Amazon)
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We'd love to read your comments below, sharing your thoughts and insights on the artist's work. Looking forward to welcoming you back for our next [book spotlight]. See you then!
