Elia Locardi

How do you feel about participating in Xposure 2021?

There has never been an event quite like this that is able to bring so many talented artists together in one place. Xposure focuses on the work, on the stories, and on the people who are out there helping to amplify the voices of others.

How would you categorise your work?

Though my work easily falls under the umbrella of travel photography, it’s more destination based. I’m drawn to the unique, the breathtaking, the places that have the power to inspire all of us.

How did you get into photography?

Through a series of difficult years in the US economic crash of 2008, my wife and I had an important decision to make. How do we rebuild our lives? After soul-searching, we decided to prioritise experiences instead of professions. Neither of us had ever really travelled before. I knew that if we were going to travel, I most definitely wanted to take photos along the way. It all grew from there.

What are you driven by? The desire for knowledge, evolution, and growth – that’s the foundation of what continues to drive me forward. And coffee.

What has been the proudest moment in your career?

August, 2019, when my daughter Liana was born. When my wife Naomi and I started on this photography adventure in 2009, we didn’t have any resources behind us. For five years, we abandoned the idea of home and instead embraced a more non-traditional approach to life. That all came full circle when we wanted children. This seems like an odd career milestone but it taught me something so important. Life can evolve to accommodate what is most important to you. It doesn’t have to be one way or the other. For us, that means it doesn’t have to be either children or travel, home or no-home, career or family. It can be a harmony of everything as long as you try.

What advice would you give to aspiring photographers?

The most important thing is to have fun. Loosen up, experiment, make mistakes. The best photographer out there is the one who is having the most fun.