This time, we interviewed Nicolò who shoots beautiful scenery in Italy and amazing couple shots. We found him on Instagram and asked how he enjoys 360 photography.

Photography life with THETA.

So, please introduce yourself.

My name is Nicolò Simonetti, I live in Verona, in northern Italy. I’m 30 years old, I work as a Sales Merchandiser for an Italian smartphone accessories company, so for this reason I travel a lot around the country.

My main hobbies are traveling and photography, they are often closely connected. Regarding travel, I have visited many different countries, trying to catch something from each one: the warmth of Thailand, the impressive history of China, the modernity of Singapore, the social organization of Denmark, the magnificence of Indonesia, and more. The world is an endless book to discover.

What is photography to you?

Photography is a great passion of mine, even if I don’t feel like a photographer. I never studied about it, that’s why I have approached two different styles in recent years: 360 degree photos and drone shots. I believe that stylistic perfection is an element for professional photographers, but I like to look for parallel ways to capture what I consider interesting, that is, fantasy and a different point of view. What do I like to photograph? Anything I want to remember or that I find interesting, from architectural beauties to flowering fields, from abandoned places to my sweet girlfriend, from beauties of the various countries to animals.

<Drone shots taken by Nicolò>

How did you find out about THETA?

Discovering RICOH THETA was a triple step. The first step was to randomly discover the “Tiny Planet” style photos on various social networks, and fall in love with them right away. The second step was to understand how they were taken, get to know the technology and study its characteristics on the web. The third and last step was very simple: choose and buy the 360 degree camera based on the feedback and information acquired. After all this, I’m very happy with my choice, 360 degree cameras have an absolutely unique feature: you will never find one photo the same as another, and it is the aspect that I love about this product.

Why did you select THETA from among several 360 degree cameras in the market?

I have chosen THETA for various reasons, first of all it is a Japanese company and I have always appreciated the quality of the nipponic products (I worked for Panasonic for a few years, so for this reason I can say so confidently). Online reviews, value for money and the opinions of other owners that I contacted, led me to choose my beloved THETA S. The shape of the camera is also fundamental: narrow and perfectly pocketable, though I always recommend inserting it into its case!

Do you feel it is easy for you to use?

Using Theta is very simple and fun. This is because each shot can then be modified and shaped using the various Apps: I use the THETA app to shoot fast, while the THETA+ app is perfect for managing the editing of various photos. Just by swiping with your finger, you can play to find your favorite angle. I’m crazy for the tiny planet styles and for photos with the sky in the center and all around, for example, flowers. Just my little advice, I always use my THETA pairing it with a small tripod or portable stick. Finally, my objective is to also start making 360 degree videos more frequently. They have a very high potential that I have yet to fully discover.

The best and the most memorable 360 degree image…

Could you show us your best 360 degree image ever?

This photo was taken during a short trip to Ibiza with my partner: we were driving around the island, when we noticed a beautiful black and white lighthouse in the distance. There was no marked road, so we started walking blindly trying to get our goal. After a long walk in the uncontaminated nature, we arrived: in addition to the strange lighthouse, we also found a leaning and wild cliff. And how to capture all this in one photo? Obviously, using my faithful THETA!

WOW, this couple shot is so cute! Do you have any tricks when you take couple shots in 360 with your partner?

Yes, when I take 360 ​​degree photos with my girlfriend, I try to bring together the distinctive elements of that particular place in the photo. For example, we are at the sea, on the shore and want a 360 degree shot that makes the idea? Then I position myself with her halfway between the sand and the sea, then I place my THETA on the tripod and I place it 2 meters from us, and I shoot! To understand the distances to be kept from the camera, the simplest thing is to make multiple shooting attempts and choose the one you prefer!

Thank you for sharing a trick for your couple shots. Could you please share your most memorable 360 degree image too?

I think this photo is a concrete demonstration of how comfortable and potentially infinite the ability to create with 360 degree shots is.

I was walking in the open countryside with my dog, when at some point I found myself in front of a large field of red poppies. After taking the classic photos with my smartphone, I imagined what the vision of these flowers could be not only from above, but also from below. Then I took my THETA, hooked it to the tripod and placed it in the middle of a pile of poppies. THETA app, 1,2,3..shot taken! I was immediately impressed by the beautiful color contrast between the red of flowers, the green of the leaves and the light blue of the sky.

<Original 360 degree image>


Please have a look at this tip to learn about how to shoot and edit images of a ring of flowers surrounding the sky.

Could you show us another favorite flower shot?

Me and a dear friend of mine learned about, through the Facebook page of our region, Veneto, an immense field of lavender, 2 hours away from our home. A nice opportunity for a trip out of town, to breathe the scent of lavender, to visit that area and, of course, to take advantage of the violet of the flowers to take fun photos! As always, I tried to indulge myself by shooting from unconventional perspectives, such as that of THETA and that of the drone. The nice experience continued until sunset and closed with an aperitif on the sea, because in addition to taking photos, the locations visited must be lived!

<Original 360 degree photo>

<Nicolò at the lavender park>

The color tone of your images is very beautiful. What kind of editing apps do you use?

For editing I usually use some smartphone applications, such as THETA + or Lightroom. Other times, to post faster and without too many thoughts, I directly use filters and editing possibilities that already offer social networks such as Instagram in-App. The parameters where I prefer to intervene are mainly brightness, contrast and warm / cold color.

Could you please share tips when you shoot 360 degree images?

My advice is mainly for the pre-shot phase, you must first of all have in mind what are the key elements that you want to capture; you? the environment? a specific object? Depending on this, obviously the camera position will change. But it doesn’t have to be a concern: by shooting and shooting again, you can easily learn the various shooting, light and symmetry dynamics of the 360 camera.

Are there any accessories you are using with your THETA?

There are three accessories that I usually use: the protective case, to avoid scratching the lens when the camera is in my pocket; a small tripod, to place the camera on the ground and make photos perfectly stable and axonometric; an extendable stick, in order to look for deeper and stranger shots.

Please have a look at this blog to learn about easy and creative tripod or selfie stick shooting techniques which let you have fun in new ways with your THETA 360-degree camera.

Thank you for sharing your amazing photos and tricks!

We are glad to hear that you enjoy our product and cannot wait to see your new work on Instagram!

Please visit here to learn about the product.

Interviewee : Nicolò Simonetti

Edited by Hitomi