Dino Serrao - Street Photographer of the World

So, imagine you’re walking to work one day….minding your own business, people coming and people going….commuters, buses, cars….maybe a street musician is playing in the background. You hear someone politely call out from behind you, ‘excuse me, do you have a minute please?’   

You stop...and turn, approaching you is a smiling young man, confident, yet, humble and friendly….ball cap turned backwards on his head, a backpack on, camera in his hands and a friend following and filming with an iphone, filming him...and you…..

It might sound like this:

SOUND UP OF DINO AND MOON FROM TIKTOK

Dino Serrao is a street photographer. He grew up in an medieval city in the Calabria region of Southern Italy. Perhaps that’s where he acquired his ability to observe, to be fascinated by the rich diversity of humanity: black, white, yellow, man, woman, child, photographer, aborigine, gay, heterosexual, musician, didgeridoo player, street performer, homeless teenaged girl….skateboarder, elderly….

Dino moved to Australia in 2012, where he settled in Sydney….

After he started posting his street photography on social media he gained a large following…..people write him asking for more, some even sought him out, asked for a photo session, for tips on how to take photos, how to edit them….

He edits his photos on his laptop using Lightroom.

His work...if you can call it that…. went viral, he was covered in news articles and in magazines…   His biggest following is from the usa, but he’s know worldwide, 

On Instagram, he has over 217 THOUSAND followers, on TikTok, 1 point 8 million….where you can see his incredible photography, spontaneous, on the spot, people like you and me.

As Dino says about his photography, “he is there not to make an impression but to make an impact” to make someone’s day...to make someone feel special, attractive, respected….

Dino says beauty has no age, no race….his photography is his way of connecting cultures, across continents and countries of different languages, people of different colors, creeds….

A successful photo shoot for Dino is to convey the truth that they are a beautiful person, unique, valued….

Before COVID hit hard, he learned that Australia was going to shut down, big time. He packed his bags and moved to Oslo Norway...he never lost a step capturing people, faces, moods….

Transcript

Thom Pollard: 0:00

This is tools for nomads. Tools for nomads is an up close and insightful look into the lives and habits of passionate and creatively prolific people who embrace and cherish the nomadic lifestyle brought to you by top drawer. As creative professionals we know the nomadic lifestyle is as much a mindset as it is a way of being. Visit top drawer shop.com or visit one of their dozen plus meticulously outfitted shops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Berkeley, Chicago, and Tokyo. Top door shop.com I'm Thom Pollard I've traveled the world in search of adventure since 2001. I've been a member of the Explorers Club. I'm a filmmaker mountain near even a sailor of into the top of Everest and helped build and sailed a ship made of two and a half million reads from Chile to Easter Island. I almost got eaten by a Maiko shark on filmed with orcas, elk bear, from five star hotels to the cold, cold ground. I've visited a lot of cool places over the years. But there's a whole lot of places on the globe I've yet to experience. So imagine you're walking to work one day minding your own business people coming and people going commuters, buses, cars, maybe a street musician is playing in the background. You hear someone politely call out from behind you. Excuse me. Do you have a minute please? You stop and turn approaching you is a smiling young man confident yet humble and friendly ballcap turned backwards on his head, a backpack on camera in his hands and a friend following in filming with an iPhone filming him and you it might sound like this. Sorry.

Dino Serrao: 2:04

Sorry to bother you. I saw your your shirt and asked me asking. I'm a street photographer. So taking picture everyday. I was wondering if I can take just a couple of portraits of you. Is it good? Is the page where you gonna be?

Thom Pollard: 2:25

Dino Serrao is a street photographer. He grew up in a medieval city in the Calabria region of Southern Italy. Perhaps that's where he acquired his ability to observe to be fascinated by the rich diversity of humanity. black white, yellow man woman child photographer aborigine gay, heterosexual musician, didgeridoo player, street performer, homeless teenaged girl, skateboarder elderly Dino moved to Australia in 2012, where he settled in Sydney. And after he started posting his street photography on social media, he gained a large following people wrote him asking for more Some even sought him out asking for a photo session for tips on how to take really good photos. How to edit them.

Dino Serrao: 3:18

Hi there. My name is Dino how you Zoe? We're street photographers. Taking pictures all around here everyday people.

Thom Pollard: 3:27

His work, if you can call it that went viral. He was covered in news articles and magazines. His biggest following is from the USA. But he's known worldwide. On Instagram. He has over 217,000 followers on Tick Tock 1.8 million, where you can see his incredible photography. It's all spontaneous on the spot. he captures people like you and me.

Dino Serrao: 3:55

Hello, Mr. How are you? I'm taking pictures of very interesting phases like yours. I was wondering if I can see you a couple of minutes just to take a picture is there right? That's fantastic.

Thom Pollard: 4:09

As Dino says about his photography, he is not there to make an impression but to make an impact to make someone's day to make someone feel special, attractive, respected. He says beauty has no age no race. And his photography is a way of connecting cultures across continents and countries have different languages people have different colors Creed's a successful photoshoot for Dino is to convey the truth that they are a beautiful person unique valued. Before COVID hit hard he learned that Australia was going to shut things down big time. He packed his bags and moved to Oslo Norway. He never lost a step capturing people faces moods. Listen to this one. It literally brought to you To my eyes, Dino approach to homeless girl who is seated on a sidewalk leaning back against a light pole during the day people passing by. He stopped first to get a cup of hot tea for her.

Dino Serrao: 5:12

Sorry. Can I give you some tea? So nice. What's your name? Shannon, I want to ask you something. You have a beautiful face. Very nice eyes as well. We'll be okay if I take something that's so cool, very quick.

Thom Pollard: 5:31

The photograph of Sean that's blue eyes peering over her book into the lens will melt your heart. And so will Dino. I caught up with him from his apartment in Oslo recently to talk about his passion, his career, about moving and about where to next. And I wanted to know how a young man from Italy becomes a street photographer in Sydney, Australia. Here's my conversation with Dino set out street photographer. How do you get from Italy to Oslo, and then the photographs I saw of you in Sydney, Australia, pretty easy, you're all over the place with in a great way.

Dino Serrao: 6:15

I actually was literally without money. I was like, I probably had maybe 400 bucks in my pocket. And I had to start to work somewhere. So I started as everyone but most of us in hospitality. So washing dishes in hospitality in a restaurant. And the great thing is, I've been working hard. And I eventually became after a few years General Manager of three huge restaurants in Sydney. So I had basically 150 employees under with me, but then I felt I my artistical part, the dean or the was born in that way, you know, looking around looking at people get inspired getting motion, and you know, all these things, we're still we're still there, knocking knocking at the door all the time. And so one day, I felt like I had to change something I didn't really had somehow the I was looking for a purpose all our life, we look for purpose, somehow, all of this, and we can find it we can shape it better. And all these things. Mine was there, but I couldn't see it yet. But I know was there and nothing wrong with the hospitality, which I had an amazing experience to be in as we do. Because I was dealing with the beautiful customers. And I find out and I understood also what my purpose there because there was a people person. So I quit my job, completely quit, like from a day to another boom, bye bye, Charlie, like this. And I had some time side, sometimes I was unemployed. So I called a friend of mine. And I told him Look, man, I have a project, I have something in my mind. I will love to do an experiment. Let's see what happened. So where you got in mind, I want to take pictures of people in the street as also I was trying to get in touch with some friends of mine. Some of them they were models, other they were actors, but they were very busy. So what happened is, I was like I want to go out. As I don't have people to take pictures, I'll find people, people, industry, and let's do this. But what I want to do is I want to see what's their reaction in what I'm doing. I want to see how people react I want to see when I approach them when I if they let me take the picture. If they send me away, they push me away. And once I take the picture if they what, what they're going to say what they're going to do and honestly and my friend was like, Look, man, I don't know what kind of drug you took today, but that's okay for me. Okay, let's do these as I as I like these, you know, so, you know, it's all about this is also something that I suggest many people, my fans and my followers, it's sometimes people feel like, Oh, I'm afraid or what's going to happen? I'm afraid maybe the response is very bad. What's the worst case scenario can happen? Would you receive a No, just just ask just do you not just, there's nothing wrong with it. And then the more you do, the more you get your yourself in motion, the more you will get motivated to do so. That's what happened to me because at the beginning of his videos, I was excited. But at the same time, I was terrified, you know, I was very like, but then boom, it's all about stepping out of the comfort zone. And let's do it. Let's do these

Thom Pollard: 10:15

amazing. Dino Dino. I'm like, really inspired. And there's something about a photographer, especially a street photographer or person who's so inspired just by the beauty of every individual. And your curiosity is bursting through the screen right now about just just loving how different people are and finding beauty in all of it. And so as I scroll through your Instagram feed your tik tok feed. Some of the other places have been your website as well. I see you approach some people. And at first they there there was one gentleman, I believe this was in Oslo, a gentleman who seemed pretty cautious. Like I don't really like cameras, I don't like looking into cameras. And there's a something you kind of put them at ease. And so how do you like, how do you approach that? Like, excuse me, sir. And there's this guy walking down the street with shopping bags in his hand. He's like, is he about to be mugged? Right? And you did it and all of a sudden, you've got these penetrating eyes looking back into your camera of this man, you just transformed him you just changed it at least his day. It's a crazy,

Dino Serrao: 11:37

this is exactly what happened with that gentleman. And many people will recognize him because his name is Raul and he was with the shopping bag. literally took that for the shooting took five literally five minutes because he was in rush. He was very skeptical. So I didn't want to bother him much. so fast that he not even had the chance to put the probably didn't want to, to put the bags on the floor, you know, on the on the ground. So I literally was waiting for my my cameraman, my friend to come and meet me at a certain point. It was like a bus stop or something like this. And this gentleman, he was sitting on the bench at the bus stop and simply staring on staring like on the on the ground like this. And I saw him and I was like, Oh my god, this is amazing. I was like this this gentleman could be I don't know, like the cover of a book or a poster of a movie. I don't know. But I felt I felt like this gentleman by himself. It was very emotional. These this this picture for me is you know, and I was looking at him. And like these he was think thieve and and you know, lost in some thoughts. I don't know. But I love that it was really poetic this this this moment. I felt so and I was like oh now I have to take picture of him inspire me like these so and when my friend literally came out from the tram or the bus the train I can't remember. I was like man and then the gentleman got inside in the bus you know? I was like man just I was like to my cameraman men getting again because we have to we have to we have to ask these gentlemen I didn't want to bother him in the bus. But I was like you know let's wait a little bit let's see where we go and basically stalking but that was cool because I I you know I wait for the moment that a nice moment cuz I don't I usually don't approach people. If I see their rush. They're doing something and you don't want to disturb that. Well, you can also try you can there Why not? I did it. I mean, I've been chasing some some people doing jogging in the early morning. And I was chasing them with my pack backpack and all the camera just to take picture of them. In the meantime, they were doing jogging, you know so anyway, so yeah, it's really really about Yeah, like intuition and inspiration.

Thom Pollard: 14:26

See, you know, your thing is this is this is it's it's so obvious that it that you're a photographer, yes, but you're some there's something else happening and what it is, is that, you know you, especially young people, kids and that you talk to but people all through their lives are really restrained by sometimes just such a low level of fear. But these this low level of fear of especially youth and young people who are still looking for Way, trying to say, I kind of want to be like this person or that person, as opposed to just going, what's it what's coming, what is pouring out of my heart, just going with intuition. And people don't trust their intuition. And we get clouded up in this in this desire to be something other than who we are, man. And like, I don't know who your mom and dad were, but whatever they did, man, like, you're just, you just like, No, I'm me. I'm Dino, I'm going for Dino. And if I fail, if I fall flat on my face, I couldn't care less man. It's not even the photography thing. You know, you're just go with your gut, you know,

Dino Serrao: 15:43

you gotta you completely got it the message. And I'm very, very glad that you you saying you're saying what you're saying. And I want to add also, the the thing is, as someone Someone wants told me, I was like, you know, do you know, people leave today in a culture of rejection? Why is that? Because we receive every day we receive the wrong How can I say the wrong influences the wrong subliminal messages? That's the thing. Because people because specially it's sad to say that, but it's the true television, for example. And now also, we have to be careful with the social medias, because young, especially young people, everything start from them, is the fact is that they see straight away when they look at something or when they look at an influencer with a look at an actor, when they look at, you know, they show the way they see their success. No, those people are there. And they're doing what they're doing no matter what if they're actors, singers, photographers, whatever they are, is because they've been failing many time. That's why so that's what that's that's another things actually I'm working on at started to, to upload some of my failures as well, even if I actually did in few of my videos. And I actually show in my videos when someone tells me No, please, or, well, if they insist, I don't want to see. So I cancel everything. And let's move on, I don't want to bother too much people. But when I noticed they actually is not because they really don't want it's just they're a little bit insecure. So I show people that I'm not just insisting I'm just, you know, keeping going on that path, and shows but um, in that case, I failed already once, because the person was like, like the gentleman that you were talking about. He was like, Oh, you know what, I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't really like when people are, when I'm aware that I'm in front of a camera, you should have taken a picture of me when I wasn't aware, you know, and then you can keep it you could do whatever you whatever you want. I don't care. I was there, Telly, you're completely right. But I want to be honest with you, if you allow me in a nice way, if you allow me to take a couple of pictures, and then I'll show it to you. You like it, we keep it and I'll send to you, I'll give it to you. There are your pictures and everything. You don't like it? I can't. So everything happens today. It's very simple. Is that what you think? Okay, and people start to realize, you know what, I have to lose what I have to lose? This guy's not asking me money. This guy is not, you know, I mean, it's not asking me actually is asking me to show me something, you know, anyway, people see, especially young people they got with this, this mindset, or I want to become the like that, but I'm afraid to fail wrong. You have to fail. failure, I told you failure is the best part failure. It makes you aware of your capacity and also gives you motivation to to to do more next time to do better next time. So you know, and obviously, I've want to be honest with you. It's also about the way we surround ourselves because I've been surrounded and I surround myself with people that they were like, Dino, can I say something? Will you want to do? It's crazy, but I like it. So let's do this. Boom. If I had someone around me saying, you know, come on when you want to waste your time in the middle of the streets to do what what's the purpose? Are you going to make money with these? What what are you going to do with this where you you want to open up in the photography studio because you go around now on Because of the patient for these patient for people so I want to do that

Thom Pollard: 20:08

you're listening to my September 2021 interview with street photographer Dino said aloud from his home in Oslo Norway so so Dino I'm fascinated with what is the equipment what is what is in your bag so to speak when you get up to go work or you know do you have a go to rig and and is it evolving or is it boom lock it down one Lance like how do you do this?

Dino Serrao: 20:40

I literally started with as much fun the to record the behind the scene or what's going on he literally on the hand my friend on the keep holding the phone or recording and I bought a little compact camera with interchangeable changeable lens you know you can change the lens and I started with that and I can tell people because many people ask me Oh what camera Are you using guys it's not all the time about the the gear because I saw people taking amazing beaches with the cheapest camera or the cheapest smartphone Yes, I started with that and then obviously slowly slowly This is because there's because I need some options and I wanted to do something also for some external job of external to my project because that's my project then obviously I'm collaborating with brands now I'm collaborating with with media's and so on. So yes, I'm using now camera a better camera obviously it's my camera mirrorless it's a Sony camera and at the moment simple two lenses 50 millimeter which is the ones that are used for a cause portraits or portraits in general are 1635 millimeter if I need to do something a little bit more wide lens something more a little bit creative. You know sometimes I can also get young people today they go time for the police shooting and they want to do something a little bit more crazy. So let's do that. And I also because I want people to hear what I say and when I talk with people the way I talk to people and all these things I use a wireless microphone so it's I usually keep a microphone he has wireless and the receiver is on the on the smartphone because I still record all my behind the scene with the smartphone very simple it's easy for my cameraman for my friend it's easy for me to carry on and I also use a gimbal which is these you know it's this sort of a tool that allows you to allows the smartphone to be more steady you know So eventually I start to run because happens that I had to run like a crazy to chase someone because one day I found him back in Australia up 45 years old man on a skateboard and I loved him because he was so cool as I oh my god these that gentlemen on on a skateboard doing crazy stuff and he was like literally running like a crazy and I had to run like a crazy to chase him up for one kilometer but I did it so it was more stable for the cameraman and was more steady is very simple gear actually.

Thom Pollard: 23:56

So outside of photography is there what kind of gets you going? Are you do you have you a big music mp3 guide you read books like like where do you gain some of your inspiration? Is it is it watching seeing other the works of other photographers are you know what? What's your thing outside of this you know of the work and the street photography?

Dino Serrao: 24:19

I get okay first of all I get inspired. I okay, I don't really watch a lot of television Actually, I don't watch television at all. I choose what I want to watch to be honest with you. So I always been inspired by movies. Directors, I always loved them you know, um, and also adding to these I read books. I read books, I read books. And so yes I read books, motivational books, you know the obviously written by People the day they started like me from the scratch from zero, they were no one mom and dad didn't have, you know, so much money to give him the best school or whatever. And still are they are where they are. Because they went through some step through some difficulties, some failures and blah, blah, blah. And so yeah, absolutely. And then, I don't know if he's a good or bad things, but I guess I'm a dreamer. The thing is, many of us, I guess most of us are dreaming. We dream a lot. As I say, just sometimes we we get stuck to things so much in the wrong way that within the dream will never come true. And that's not true. Because I'm making my life is becoming the dream that I that I that I wanted, and it's becoming real. And every day I dream something it becomes real. It's, you know, it's all about our mindset.

Thom Pollard: 26:07

Yeah, it's, well, before we hit record on this interview, we were kind of talking about just that the the power of intent of putting the vibration of a thought or a dream out there, and letting the universe kind of get to work on it and making it happen. And because you had said that you really want to get to the United States get back to the United States and, and do more of your work and creating and I just feel like we kind of already put it out there. So so the the dream is is in motion Dino so um, so you're going to be in Oslo for a while, no exact plans, you're just feeling it out. And maybe the United States or

Dino Serrao: 26:55

I always try to keep my audience updated of my journey. Because if they get the chance to meet meet me, you know, we can I can catch up with them. And I can talk with them, whoever they're going to be. So because it happens many times I will say Oh, you're in Oslo. Can we can we could shop and that's beautiful. I like to meet people as well when I get the chance of course and I go the time, because I can either I can open up the doors to them or they can open up doors to me, which is basically what happened here. Not in Oslo. I came here in the meantime, I was in quarantine hotel. I put a story that I was and a few of my followers there were people that were following me since back in Australia, but they were they were from from Norway. They were like oh that's amazing. Once the quarantine is finished please let's catch up. So yeah, why no, I like to meet people I don't know anyone here anyway. And eventually one of those helped me out to connect with other people. And these people connect me with other people and so on. So you know that's the beauty of the world it's the more connection you have the more opportunity and the more open the more doors are open and that's

Thom Pollard: 28:22

so you have so your your I I'm looking at you're in an apartment now or a home that's it looks very nice and everything yes so so when you pack up and go you eat you know you can't take a couch with you right so what what's your what goes with you when you say okay, I'm out of here. Like is there a big like 10 bags or what you know what? You probably don't own a ton of stuff well

Dino Serrao: 28:52

depends the pet Okay, what is we do? I didn't travel a lot yet, but I'm ready to how can I save for sure the most important thing is the main things is my backpack with my laptop where I'm gonna download all the pictures and work on them. My my camera and obviously my the rest of the gear that I mentioned before. And I guess now depends on if I decide to unlike Oh, you know what I want to go to I want to go to Spain or Germany or France. Okay. Obviously. I would love to make I usually think about get inspired and I think about cities. Why is that because in the city is where people are stuck with their thoughts are stuck with their stress I stuck with or they're stuck with their routine and things and I want to shake them up a little bit. You know, so Hey, man, yes, you're in this beautiful series, you got a lot of things to the to do. And everybody come here and say, God, check this out. I want to take a picture of you, boom. And it's beautiful. But I want to be honest with you. I need I'm ready to, you know, to face different realities. As if tomorrow I will go in places like Morocco. So in the desert, you know, oh, I will go to Africa. And all these things, it through some villages, so I'll be ready to have something small, not to carry too much. And even if on the way something happened, and I lose it. The important thing is I don't lose my camera, my laptop. Right, the main thing, then if I lose the rest of the clothes, who cares?

Thom Pollard: 31:07

Alright, man, Dino is so good talking to you. You've you've been so generous with your time.

Dino Serrao: 31:14

That's awesome. I can't wait to meet you in person and I will take beautiful portraits of you. Because you're the type of person I would stop straightaway. I swear, I swear. Stop you straight away.

Thom Pollard: 31:35

Recently, Dino posted a video of a photo session with an elderly woman seated on a bench outside of her home. In Italy. Her name is Rosa and she was unsure about having her photograph taken because she was old. Dino told her No, no, you're so beautiful home and when you watch the video, you see the light begin to shine out of this woman from the love and the caring and the tenderness and the belief that Dino has in each individual being beautiful. Being somebody of value. At the end of the video Dino walked the elderly woman Rosa home and she said to him, love your neighbor as yourself. She sat back down on the bench outside of her home. He kissed her on the cheeks And off he went. Dino puts a lot of faith in his lens but says the camera we use is not really that important. It all started for him with an iPhone. Find Dino on Instagram at Dino dot Serrau - s e r r a o, Same on tik tok. And the e you'll find his website whe e you can sign up for lessons n photo editing and coaching. A d in case you're wondering, Di o does his photo editing n Lightroom where he can work wi h light soften the background, t e shadows, he tries to answ r every question or email, he ge s 1000s and he wants to make su e that people know he is there f r them. People matter all of th m to Dino. Thank you Dino f r spreading your light and yo r love with the world. Check h m out. It just might make yo r day. Thanks for visiting too s for nomads in upclose a d insightful look into the liv s and habits of passionate a d creatively prolific people. Li e Dino said now. Tools for noma s is brought to you by top drawe. at top drawer nomadism isn t simply about being on the mov. It's about loving and livi g life where the things we car y directly impact o r productivity, our well being a d even our identity. top draw r combines the quality a d craftsmanship of o r grandparents generation with t e drive for independence, functi n and stylish sustainability. t all results in a collection f tools curated from around t e world that help you do your be t work. wherever you are. Vis t top draw shop.com or visit o e of their dozen plus meticulous y outfitted shops in S n Francisco, Los Angeles, Bosto, Berkeley, Chicago, and Toky. top drawer shop.com Thanks f r visiting. I'm Thom Pollard. I' l see you next time on tools f r nomad