I met photography when I was in high school, thanks to Marco Costa, the photography teacher who introduced me first to the Rayograms technique and then to the true game. After that, I experienced some years of dark room and black&white films, shooting mainly some kind of home-made still-life, portraits and macro. I used to shoot with old and second hand film cameras with older lenses and no automatisms so when I approached a digital SLR everything, from AF to zoom lenses, was a new discover. Maybe this is why I suddenly realized that none of the “new” features of digital cameras is truly necessary, they are only tools. Photography is still “just” light and composition and other negligible details.
Thus, I’m not particularly interested in showing my equipment list or shooting settings, for example. If you think that it matters I can say that now I use Nikon and third parts stuff , that’s all. Otherwise you can write me and I will give you the details you need.

In 2006  I decided to take some pics of my study subjects as I’m a PhD student in evolutionary biology in Pavia, Italy, and I’m involved in researches about reptiles and amphians. I abandoned my self-made still-life shots, attempting to show how herps can be fascinating and how they are beautiful, despite their ugly reputation. As I spend most of my time in the field for my studies I have lots of opportunities to take pictures of my favourite subjects. Moreover, Italy, most of Europe and the whole Mediterranean basin are wonderful places for photographers and herpetologists as there are many species and many different habitats and landscapes to go around. So far I’ve focused mainly on herps but recently I’ve also opened my eyes on other subjects. Thus, I’m also starting to take pictures of dragonflies, some spider species, other arthropods and also people at work in the field…

Even if I’m never fully satisfied of my pictures I understand that I’m learning something shot by shot. This cannot happen without some support. Thus, there’s some people I’m in debt with, people who guided me in the photography world, teaching me or just giving advices. The most important are Marco Costa, my first teacher, Sauro Sorana, a great still-lifer who keeps on teaching me, and Greta Sorana, a skilled artist and photographer with an acute point of view. And I cannot forget to mention the other dear collegues –and, most importantly, dear friends - that still help me growing everyday: Edoardo Razzetti, Emanuele Biggi and Francesco Tomasinelli. I’m also in debt with Paolo Mazzei, Simone Tossani and Ernesto Torti: thanks for your precious advices!

Thanks also to (strictly in entropic order): Elisa Riservato, Giacomo Radi, Marco Porciani, Roberto Sindaco, Stefano Faggioli, Marco Balzarini, Fabio Sacchi, Vitantonio Dell’Orto, Massimo Campora, Emanuele Affaticati, Sara Fornasiero, Marco Zuffi, Claudio Pia, Luigi Piccirillo, everyone at Cascina Bellezza, Stefano Unterthiner, Frank Deschandol, Nicola Di Sario and Vitantonio Dell’Orto, for their inspiring works and/or friendly company.

The pictures of this website are property of Fabio Pupin unless otherwise explicitly stated. Please, feel free to contact me if you want to use my pictures, if you need more info about my work or if you need anything else. Just send me an email at info [at] herpfolio.net.
Please, don’t use my pictures for any purpose without my explicit authorization.