Landscapes as seen from above, Stefano Maruzzo

Stefano Maruzzo has two loves - flying and photography. A combination that enables the photographer to take really breath-taking aerial shots of Italian landscapes while paragliding.


Vicenza-based photographer and cameraman Stefano Maruzzo shares his aerial shots with our readers. He took them during the many hours of flight over the majestic landscapes of the Dolomites and the plains of the Veneto region to give us truly unique nuances and perspectives.
In a world where drone photography is on the up-and-up and which Maruzzo himself recognises as useful, particularly where it is dangerous or prohibited for powered paragliders like his to fly, the images of this Vicenza-based photographer give us a visual pleasure that we might call “slow release”.
Not surprisingly, Stefano Maruzzo proposes “slow photography” at a time of fast-paced consumption of photographs and corresponding frantic emotions, where everything is so hurried that viewers have very little room to soak up the subject portrayed, whether it is architecture, or images and landscapes, like in this series. Maruzzo, whose love of flight progressed from hang-glider to paraglider, now opts for a powered paraglider that gives him more freedom to use his camera. This is because the pilot can also let go of the controls for a moment in order to select the best frame and then click, taking us on a joy ride up to vertiginous heights, where we can feel the rush of air and enjoy a truly special view.
From the Caorle lagoon in winter to the Adriatic beach dotted with shade umbrellas, from the Venice hinterland through to the majestic peaks of the Dolomites, you can really feel the personal presence behind the 24 mm wide-angle camera lens: the photos have emotive vibrations that only the skilled eye of a professional and someone with a profound knowledge of this land can fully grasp and capture. A vision that enables us to savour the beauty of the Italian landscape.

Christiane Bürklein

Photographer: Stefano Maruzzo
National Geographic - 500px
Location: Veneto, Triveneto, Marche – Italy