TITLE: Quiet Storm

When I photographed Liliana I asked her not to smile, not to pose. Just to be. What came out was something very honest, almost uncomfortable in its silence. She looked into the camera with such intensity that I didn’t need to direct her anymore. There’s focus, there’s tension, there’s a world of thoughts she’s not sharing. It was like she was holding something back but allowing us to feel it anyway. Her stillness said everything.

I kept the frame tight and the background simple so nothing would distract from her expression. The black turtleneck helped remove any other story. No jewelry, no hair distractions. Just her.

Even though this is a photo of Liliana, I used her face to show something I often feel: the moment when you’re calm outside but full of thoughts inside. It’s not sadness, not anger, just presence. That kind of presence that says “something is happening, but you don’t get to see it all”. That’s what this portrait is about. A quiet presence that speaks louder than words.

AUTHOR: Luca Onnis (Italy)