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Martina Albertazzi

Italian photographer. I work between Italy and the U.S. I am currently based in Yucca Valley, CA. I am available for assignments all around Southern California and beyond.
  
A Warm Winter (An Ongoing Journey)
Location: Yucca Valley, California
Nationality: Italian
Biography: I am an Italian independent  photographer currently based in Southern California. I use portraiture and landscape photography to investigate contemporary and social issues that I care about. Born and raised in Rome, Italy, I have spent... MORE
Editors Only Story
A Warm Winter (An Ongoing Journey)
Copyright Martina Albertazzi 2024
Date of Work Jan 2020 - Ongoing
Updated Feb 2024
Topics Aging, Community, Desert, Documentary, Editorial, Environment, Freedom, Isolation, Landscape, Migration, Photography, Photojournalism, Portraiture, Poverty, Senior Citizens, Spotlight, Travel

These images are part of an ongoing project about nomads who travel to the deserts of the southwest for extended winters. It’s an examination of what home means in 21st century America.
Every year from November to April, thousands of snowbirds and nomads arrive en masse to the desert looking for sunny dry weather and stay in either vast stretches of public land where they park their RVs or all-inclusive resorts with many kinds of activities. 

Nomads are part of a big and very stratified subculture made of people of all ages who have very different backgrounds. Some travel for necessity, others for passion. Some do it only seasonally, others are permanent wanderers. Many travelers I crossed paths with told me that the thing that they love most about their life is the relationships that they create with other people and the communities that are born at every stop.

I started to work on this series in 2020, when I moved to Yucca Valley, a desert town two hours east of LA, just outside Joshua Tree National Park. This area is also one of the most popular spots among nomads. I continue to roam around the Southwest to meet new folks, as well as acquaintances I met these past few years. 
I’m still exploring the meaning of home, as almost everyone I meet is on a quest to find a sense of “home” despite their location changing frequently.

Some images from this project were awarded 1st Place Professional Winner in the People/Lifestyle Category at the International Photography Award (IPA) in 2022.

My family and I are currently on the road in our rig while I keep working on this project. We will be traveling until next spring driving through Southern California, Southwest Arizona, Nevada and Baja California.


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A Warm Winter (An Ongoing Journey) by Martina Albertazzi
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