My Story
Hi!
My name is Chiara and most days you can find me in the ocean. I dedicated my existence to art, photography, and nature, and on this site, I’m gonna share my work and my adventures with you. With my photography, I aspire to open a little window on the beautiful wild planet we live on and inspire respect and love for every creature and ecosystem.
A little bit about where I come from. I grew up in Italy in a little town by the mountains and a beautiful lake that sadly gets extremely cold in the winter and it’s pretty empty during the summer. I spent my childhood surrounded by nature and exploring the sea all over Europe whenever we had time off from school.
I pursued artistic studies starting in high school, and after university, it became clear that life underwater was all I wanted. From fine art and painting, I moved to the US to study photography at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California which was the only school in the world that offered underwater photography at the time. There I learned everything about photography starting from the basics to specializing in underwater photography, portraits, and wildlife while exploring the ocean and deserts to satisfy my need to get lost in nature.
While still in school, I got involved in the conservation world, making it my mission to shine a light on different issues affecting the planet and especially the ocean. I started traveling again, diving and shooting underwater portraits all over the world. Until I finally made it to Hawaii where my obsession for sharks turned into a full and beautiful career.
Meanwhile, I founded my own projects and joined efforts with organizations like Keiko Conservation, leading up to creating Mermaids For Change, a traveling program that linked art, underwater photography, conservation, and education to inspire kids in different countries to protect our planet.
Education
2007 - 2010 - Accademia di Belle arti di Brera, Milano
2010 - 2014 - Brooks Institute of Photography, California
Awards
2021 - 20 Years International Photography Awards - Honorable Mention
2019 - Adex China, Voice of the Ocean 2nd
2018 - World ShootOut, Dusseldorf - 3rd
2018 - Mares Underwater Photo Marathon, Croatia - Honorable Mention
Exhibitions
2022 - Mana + Mano, Mana and Pua, Haleiwa HI
2020 - Maritime Museum of Santa Barbara, California
2017 - HERspace show, Los Angeles
2014 - G2 Gallery, Los Angeles
2014 - Manchester University, IN
Sposors and Partners
I wouldn't have made it this far into in my photography career without the sponsors and partners that supported my journey, and I want to take a momet to highlight them here. Underwarter photography is a niece within a niece, and a difficult career path covered in obstacles. These brads made underwater photography so much easier, freediving and a life by the ocean so comfortable, and bringing photography underneath the waves a little less complicated keeping.
This is a partnership so dear to my heart. Cressi was the perfect fit! I first learned to snorkel using Cressi’s equipment and knowing the company is based in Italy, it makes me even prouder to represent the brand. On top of that the Cressi family is such a pleasure to work with, so supportive and attentive. I want to show the world what the ocean has to offer and share the passion for a sport that gave meaning to my life and I couldn't imagine a better dive gear to wear doing so.
The easy dive underwater housing are virtually indestructible and working as a photographer in the water every day, the durability of the equipment is a priority. The double oring on the rear of the underwater housing is a guarantee and the portholes have seen it all without giving any problems. In addition, customer service is of rare quality and have always been available to help me with problems at impressive speeds. Shooting photos underwater every day wouldn't be the same with a different setup.