Photographer Profiles

Swiss photographer Sebastian Magnani’s latest photo project is pure trash, which is exactly the point. Titled “Trash Heroes,” it looks at what we, as humans, decide to throw away and why.

For the project, Magnani visited a disposal and recycling hall in Zurich, Switzerland and photographed people as they were disposing of a range of household items. What he found and captured was not what he was expecting.

Instead of broken down and useless pieces of refuse, he saw a range of functional objects steeped in personal meaning being tossed in the dumpster: old stuffed animals, a children’s hobby horse, a pair of skis. In a disposable culture, there’s no room for sentimentally over inanimate objects, it seemed to him.

We recently interviewed Magnani to find out more about his "Trash Heroes" photo project. To see more of his images, visit his website.

Shutterbug: How did you choose which people to photograph at the recycling center?

Sebastian Magnani: First I photographed everyone who was interested in showing off one of their trash objects. Then I selected people with objects that were the most colorful or eye-catching. Of course, not everyone wanted to be photographed while throwing out their trash. But a lot of them were really open to it. Then after the first day’s shoot, I returned to the recycling center to look for more people. In the end, I photographed 40 people in two days. For the selection, I’ve choosing 16 photos based around how people looked, and the importance of the object.

Shutterbug: What did you discover about people's attitudes towards trash and recycling while shooting these images?

Sebastian Magnani: People are collectors. And a lot of them disposed of things that still work.

Basically, people buy an object, then over the years they get bored with it and start looking for the same object with the same function but in a new design. It’s like a never ending cycle.

Shutterbug: What was the biggest challenge you encountered during this project?

Sebastian Magnani: To convince the people to pose with their objects in front of my camera. There’s actually a lot of traffic in the recycling center and I guess a lot of them don’t expect to be photographed in a location like that. I had only ten seconds for every subject. And also in the short time, I have to decide which object I want to shoot in all that various trash and recycling stuff.

Shutterbug: Can you give us some technical information on how these images were captured. i.e. what type of camera gear did you use, what lighting (if any) etc.?

Sebastian Magnani: I’ve used a Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 II zoom lens. It was the perfect combination. It wasn’t possible to work with a tripod and a fixed position in that location. And I also had a Ranger RX portable flash. The recyling center didn’t have much light, which is the reason I chose a single light.

Shutterbug: What are you working on next?

Sebastian Magnani: I have some documentary projects (on people and life) coming up, also some Photoshop projects and a still-life project. And during all that, I have my regular photography business to run, which includes photographing various peoples for magazines and newspapers, adverting and all that.