All images by Roxana Florentina. Used with permission.
Roxana Florentina enjoys solo adventures, carrying her camera and documenting what she finds. Her images, sharp and magical, are so vivid you feel like you’re accompanying her on every trip she takes.
Located in the North-East of Italy, the Dolomites are some of the most photographed mountains in the world. You’ll find images of them online, filled with ice-blue waters, warm hues, and vibrant greenery. While these are certainly picturesque, the shots can start to look interchangeable.
Florentina takes a different approach. Her work is dark, mysterious, and does more to make these natural wonders feel like a totally different planet. It’s the combination of moody, rocky mountains with the silkiness of an awe-inspiring Milky Way that caught my attention. That, and the consistency in the quality of every set of images she creates.
I reached out to Florentina to learn more about her solo exploration, what inspires her work, and the process she goes through before delivering her photos to the world.
Them Frames: Hey Roxana! Can you tell us how you first began practising photography and what helped shape your interest in photographing our beautiful world?
Roxana Florentina: I first picked up a camera about fifteen years ago, inspired by my brother, who is a photographer himself.That was the beginning. But the real turning point came five years ago,one night I photographed the Milky Way for the first time.It felt like lightning striking. In that moment I understood, with absolute clarity, that this was my path and that it always would be.
Them Frames: What type of planning do you do before going to create images of the milky way? How do you adapt if plans have to change?
Roxana Florentina: For night photography, preparation is everything. I carefully study weather apps like Windy and Viewfindr, and I rely on PhotoPills to know the moon phases, rise and set times, and the exact position of the Milky Way over a chosen location.
In the past I used to plan every detail from home. Lately I’ve started preferring to discover places once I’m there. It helps me create something more personal, even in locations that have been photographed a thousand times.
And when plans fall apart , as they often do,I’ve learned to see it as part of the experience. Sometimes you invent a timelapse. Sometimes you simply stay and let the night unfold.
Them Frames: The Dolomites are stunning. How do you feel emotionally and creatively when you’re in such an environment?
Roxana Florentina: Standing in the Dolomites is a humbling experience. These mountains are so immense, so powerful, that they leave you speechless. You feel small, almost powerless, because no photograph can ever fully capture their beauty and scale.
In that landscape, nature is the only true director. You stop trying to control anything and simply allow yourself to be carried by it cradled by silence, light, and stone.
Them Frames: I know you do a lot of solo adventures, is there a particular reason you prefer to work alone?
Roxana Florentina: I love working alone. It wasn’t always easy. Night photography often means going out when others prefer to stay home, and for a long time I had to choose: either give up what I loved or face the fear of solitude.
Once I chose to go anyway, something shifted. I discovered a deeper kind of freedom and satisfaction. I still remember my first solo night in the mountains. I sat in the car telling myself “what are you doing here, just go home.” Then I opened the door, stepped out, and those voices simply faded.
Being alone with yourself can feel like a sentence… or it can become a quiet form of healing. It depends on whether you learn to keep yourself company.
Them Frames: What is your editing process like? Do you spend a lot of time on your images, and which tools do you enjoy using?
Roxana Florentina: Editing is the part I enjoy the least; it keeps me indoors, after all. I usually wait for full-moon nights, when I can’t shoot, and use that time to work on my files.
There is no fixed schedule. Some images are edited within a week, others stay on the hard drive for months, even a year, until I finally feel ready for them. I never force the process.
I try to keep my workflow simple: PixInsight for stacking and processing the sky, then Photoshop and Artpanelpro for blending and the final refinements. I prefer subtlety over heavy-handed techniques. I want the photograph to still feel like the night I experienced.
Them Frames: If you could pair a song or album to your work, which would it be and why?
Roxana Florentina: Music is an essential part of how I create. Sometimes I open a file and start editing only because a particular song is playing on repeat.
If I had to pair my work with one artist, it would be Hans Zimmer. The vast, emotional atmospheres he builds feel like the perfect soundtrack to the feelings I try to express in my images: wonder, solitude, and quiet awe.
Them Frames: Finally, please finish this sentence. I need photography in my life because…
Roxana Florentina: it makes me feel alive, and it gently heals my soul.
You can see more work from Roxana Florentina by visiting her Instagram.
More reading: A 40-Year Photography Project That’s Only Getting Better
