Founder's story

I fell back in love with photography while in Washington DC for Christmas a few years ago when a huge snow storm hit town. I went out the next day in the grim conditions, there was hardly anyone around, it was beautiful, I loved every moment. Returning to the UK, I felt nostalgic so went through a few old photo albums. Leafing through these old printed photographs felt really good, they somehow exuded a romance I do not experience on a computer screen.

Pirinthian Photos was born as I wanted to view my photographic prints hanging on my walls on a daily basis, not rarely by remembering to browse them on a screen. I needed to liberate my collection of digital photos that had been left unseen on my hard drive for years. Something magical happens when viewing a large format print, you are drawn into the image……the art gallery comes home and is alive.

Washington DC was the beginning, but it wasn't until a former work colleague inspired me to go backpacking that photography really took a hold. I explained to her that I'd never been before and was used to staying in nice hotels from my years as a flight attendant in my younger years. Her idea was way outside my comfort zone plus I also felt too old to go backpacking…they were all excuses to myself and Diane. She told me to shut up and just go…she was right. I learned that you really don't need much in life; water, food & shelter pretty much cover you.

My trip to Southern China, Vietnam & Cambodia was strangely uninspiring at first, I took the usual tourist photos, a few with people showed some promise. This is what I was missing…people. I had to wait until the eighth week before the magic happened, a photo in a great setting, with just enough light and the right dose of mystery. It wasn't until I got back home that I realised I had a couple of diamonds and over a dozen golden nuggets...rare moments of time forever gone.

However, something wasn't quite right, I felt uncomfortable taking photos of people, but this is how the photography world had always worked. I racked my brain thinking about how my photography could give something back. I decided to donate 25% of each print sold to a charitable cause. With the help of our clients and photographers holding similar beliefs, we can give something back to the people and communities we photograph.

Ugo Domizioli
Founder
“What I do not see, is that which I seek”