You won’t believe the story behind this picture

I’m a fan of photography in all its forms, and I was recently (pleasantly) surprised to find out that the works of a world renowned master photographer are displayed right here in Beirut!

You might have never heard about him but to the connoisseurs, Italian photographer Nino Migliori is one of the best photographers of the twentieth century and of our time.

In other words, (and to the amateur photographers out there) he’s without a doubt the man when it comes to handling a camera.

The man, who is 88 today, has been taking (amazing) pictures probably before most of us were born. Each of Nino Migliori’s shots could be described as a narrative, a story. It’s as if you are watching a movie that starts in the picture he takes and carries on in your mind.

Hats off to the people behind Photomed who brought him to Lebanon this year, and exposed his work at Byblos Bank‘s headquarters in Ashrafieh, Beirut.

I’ve never been to a photo exhibition at a bank and I can safely say I was more than surprised. There are dozens of amazing pictures taken by Nino Migliori who are there for your eyes to feast on.

The one that caught my eye, and the one I am writing this whole post about (sorry to keep you waiting) is none other than “The Diver”, which was taken in 1951.

To me, this picture by itself is a miracle. Not any photographer can take such a picture from the first shot, because cameras at the time were not like today’s “turn-on and shoot” devices.

This picture proves that Nino Migliori’s eye is precise and profoundly geometric. He creates a frame that produces a slow image. When you watch this picture, you can seriously hear the water splashing in the background.

“The Diver” was taken in the Italian city of Rimini, just a few years following the end of World War II. At that time, people were slowly starting to lead normal lives again. The city was in fact, the scene of fierce clashes and bombings, which makes this “dive” a sign that normal activities were back in the city.

I was told Nino Migliori nailed this shot from the first attempt (it should logically have taken him forever) and that both swimmers didn’t even notice he was there.

That’s what makes him a Master Photographer.