The Art of the Stack

Still-life photographer duo Nocera & Ferri on bringing inanimate objects to life.

By Camille Freestone

To some, a shell is but a shell; a shoe is just a shoe; a gourd is merely a gourd. But to a still-life photographer, that piece of driftwood heaped upon the dunes is, in fact, a potential set piece destined to rest precariously against a crusty loaf of bread in their next fine art project. For creative duo Luca Nocera and Lara Ferri, anything can be a prop—even 18th-century surgical tools.

“They were beautiful objects, but some people thought they were quite creepy,” Luca shrugs, referring to a recent Facebook Marketplace find. The oddity of the items spoke to them, so naturally, the duo decided to turn them into an obstacle course of geometry for a photograph. They now have accumulated their own cabinet of curiosities (read: shed in the backyard), with oddities ranging from sculptures to seashells. “Our friends and family now know, so every time they come across something funny, they say, ‘Oh, do you want to use this as a prop?’” laughs Lara.

Like most creatives, they’re control freaks. The world of still-life photography cuts out extraneous parties, especially since their title of creative duo encompasses all aspects of production. There’s no model, no stylist, no producer to dilute the purity of their ideas. “We found that still life is the right way for us to express our style, our vision, and who we are,” Lara says.

At the link below, Lara and Luca take us through their backstory, explain their diverse sources of inspiration, and answer rapid-fire personal questions.

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