Nocturna Photography | Portrait by Onur Pinar
Meet Nocturna Photography
I’m Annapaola Marchesani, an Italian-born, London-based artist and the creative force behind Nocturna Photography.
My photography spans creative portraiture, music and events.
I’m drawn to the moments in between: the pause before a note is struck, the glances and gestures, the stillness that speaks louder than movement. My work focuses on being in the present, the inner soul and emotions.
Whether I’m working with individuals, corporates, artists, or brands, I create imagery that inspires cinematic, intimate, and emotional feelings.
More about me
Before photography, I spent nearly two decades working in communication strategy, helping organisations and government understand how people think, feel, and connect. That experience now shapes how I work behind the camera, with empathy, attentiveness, and a storyteller’s eye.
I trained at the London Institute of Photography, where I consolidated my technical foundation and refined my innate voice for creativity.
My influences include Wing Shya, Wong Kar Wai, Sarah Moon, Paolo Roversi and Cho Gi-Seok, along with a long-standing love for East Asian cinema, all of which continue to inform my work.
My practice is also deeply rooted in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ community and women in the arts. I am passionate about using my lens to highlight these voices, documenting the people and creative networks that shape our modern cultural identity.
You can see more of my live music work featured in these music outlets. I am also a partner of the commercial licensing image platform Heritage Image.
My studio
My co-owned East London studio, Studio Monox, located in the Royal Victoria Docks, is a welcoming and collaborative space where everyone can feel safe to be themselves.
My blog
Alongside commissioned work, I explore more experimental and personal projects through My Playground, a visual journal documenting my journey across fashion, portraiture, travel photography, and beyond.