The road through the viewfinder of my Fuji

Hello everyone!!!

My name is Umberto, I was born in Benevento (Southern Italy), according to legend, the city of witches. I believe that my interest in horror and the paranormal also comes from this.

Since childhood, I have been a fan of two wheels! My parents remind me of that time at the seaside, in Scauri, when at the age of two, I let go of my mother’s hand to enter a dealership that, in addition to motorcycles, sold bicycles… I got on a small tricycle, and to be able to take me away from that dealership, my father had to buy it… there was no other solution!!!

This passion has never abandoned me and continues to be present in every day of my life. Over time, it has been joined by my other great passion, photography. Starting with cheap disposable film cameras during school trips in elementary school, then moving on to compact cameras, then the first reflex, and finally, after many tests and experiences, I found myself in the Fujifilm world, for me, the best match for everything I do. But let’s start from the beginning.

Fourteen years old. It’s the age when I first set foot on a motorbike, in reality it was a modest 50cc that subjugated me with its buzz and its smell of petrol… it wasn’t just a means of transport; it was my Freedom.

Every morning, it accompanied me to school, and in the afternoons, while my peers gathered on the fields to play football, I wore a helmet and tried every day to explore a different provincial town, facing the biting cold and rain of winter and the atrocious heat of summer. There was nothing that could stop me. My passion for motorcycles grew with every kilometer traveled.

Time flew by. With great emotion, I earned my higher-category license. My first rides on a 125cc were an adventure of growth.

But the real turning point came when I bought my first “large” displacement motorcycle: a 600cc Honda Hornet. I remember the feeling of freedom and power that enveloped me. However, being young and reckless, I let myself be guided by the desire for sportiness, abandoning myself to a somewhat superficial vision of the motorcycle world.

Shortly after, however, fate wanted me to approach the world of custom motorcycles. It was a day like many others when I crossed the doors of a dealership that had just opened in the city. I found myself immersed in an atmosphere that seemed to have come out of a film made in the USA, there was rock music, shiny motorcycles, the deep sound of Harley Davidson engines, meetings between enthusiasts. It was an experience that went beyond simple riding. There, I understood that motorcycles were not just a means of going fast, but a way to express one’s personality and lifestyle. The chatter between bikers, the stories of trips made and to be made, everything enriched my spirit. A bond was created, a sort of community in which we encouraged each other to live out our passions. Discovering custom motorcycles meant not only riding but immersing yourself in a world of creativity in which each motorcycle told a unique story.

The time had come!

I had to have a custom motorcycle too!!!

Harley Davidsons were too expensive for me, so I focused my research on something feasible, and here I am, buying a Yamaha Dragstar 650, black, shiny and sparkling. It will remain original for the first 4 months, after which I decide to customize it, to make it more “mine” and with the help of a friend, locked in his garage, we modify it in perfect Bobber style, inspired by the various American magazines that I consulted daily at that time.

With it, I live so many unique moments that will remain indelible in my mind, I met many people, some of whom became friends… But with a veil of sadness I decided to try another category: touring motorcycles! But the custom soul is tailored for me… in fact, we will find it again later…

I lived an experience of 80 thousand kilometers in about 4 years riding a Suzuki V-Strom, exploring Italy from north to south and participating in many motorcycle events, where punctually, with my camera always around my neck, trying to immortalize every moment important to me, and trying to convey emotions to those who could not come that day… well, the time has come to talk about photography.

Since I was a child I have always seen my father take many photos with his Minolta, and every time I went with him for the development of the rolls, I was enchanted in front of those windows full of lenses, reflexes and accessories of all kinds… and so they bought me the first camera and a roll with 36 possibilities not to be wasted!!!

Luckily, the arrival of digital was just around the corner, so there was an upgrade to a compact Nikon with an SD card (only 2GB).

From that moment my interest has continued to grow, reading and taking information on every type of photography and the most famous photographers in the world.

Traveling by motorbike teaches you a great lesson, that is, to travel light, carrying only the bare essentials… and adding bulky reflex cameras and related lenses to your luggage often made it difficult to pack it all, but there is a solution to this, and for me, it is called Fujifilm!!!! Since I bought an X-E3 combined with the versatile XF 18-55mm f2.8-4 and the very famous XF 35mm f2, my trips have become even more enjoyable… managing to immortalize every moment in an excellent way, without sacrificing space, completely immersing myself in what surrounds me through the viewfinder of my Fuji.

It accompanied me around Europe, exploring the Peloponnese and taking an adventurous road trip through the Balkans, all this on a twenty-year-old BMW R1150R. The trip to the Balkans is an experience full of breathtaking views and fascinating culture.

Among the many enchanting places to visit, one of my favorites is undoubtedly the Durmitor National Park, located in Montenegro. Its natural beauty, from mountain peaks to deep valleys, from glacial lakes to thick forests, make it a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and represents an unmissable stop for those who love to immerse themselves in nature, bring home incredible photographs of the flora and fauna, taste traditional dishes and meet welcoming people ready to tell the stories of their land. I strongly believe that I will return!!

After countless trips and adventures, my photographic equipment has remained unchanged: my trusty X-E3 accompanies me everywhere. However, as far as two wheels are concerned, I decided to make a change, going back to custom! This time, I’m doing it in perfect made-in-Italy style by purchasing a Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer, inaugurating it immediately with a trip together with my girlfriend between Croatia and Slovenia (countries known for their uncontaminated nature and fairy-tale lakes). The return home, we decided to do it by land crossing Italy, passing through the Dolomites, Lake Como, which is just a few kilometers from the “mecca” for every Guzzista: “Mandello del Lario”, where Moto Guzzi was founded in 1921, (obviously the stop was obligatory) and then continuing on the iconic Tuscan hills, with a visit to the beautiful Florence, and then straight down to Benevento, overcoming an unpleasant summer storm that lasted hours.

As I write this article, I relive every single moment, I immerse myself in those memories, made of colors, smells, and sensations that are difficult to explain.

The thing I would recommend to everyone is to buy a motorcycle and a camera. Both require attention to detail and the ability tosee the world from different perspectives.

As time goes by, I realize that the love for motorcycles and photography do not exclude each other but complement each other. Every motorcycle trip is an inspiration for my photographic eye, while every photograph taken becomes a memory to be jealously guarded. Together, these passions fuel my adventurous spirit, always revealing new stories to tell.

Umberto Scognamiglio