In 2019, Matteo Sant’Unione was one of the chosen photographers to drive and photograph the Polestar 1. Today, we talk with him about his experience with Polestar in Cologne.
This year’s Polestar x Cherrydeck competition features the Polestar 2. To set the stage for the upcoming journey, we talked with photographers who won the last competition.
In this interview, we chat with Matteo Sant’Unione, the Cologne winner of the previous photography competition, to hear about his experience, driving a Polestar, and hear his recommendations to this year’s applicants.
Matteo, we are delighted to speak to you today. To begin with, could you briefly introduce yourself?
The pleasure is all mine! My name is Matteo, I’m 28, and I work mainly as a director and producer at the film production company cineMars in Cologne.
The passion for photography also brought me to filmmaking and I still look forward to every new project and every new experience I get to know. I love the versatility and creative variety of my job.
What lead you to start with photography?
I have always been a very visual person and early on had an enthusiasm for nature, for light and shadow and minimalistic sceneries.
When I see a beautiful motif, I like to just look at it and enjoy the view. And if I need one person to walk through the motif for a photo, I sometimes wait half an hour for that to happen.
You were one of the five winners of the Polestar competition in 2019. How was it to drive the Polestar 1 in Cologne?
To be honest, it was hard to give back the Polestar 1 after the few day driving it. This first experience with an electric drive was absolutely overwhelming for me. The majestic silent glide through the city combined with an instant acceleration that pushes you deep into the seat makes every ride an experience.
How would you describe the car? How was it to photograph it?
I was really impressed by the unique design of the Polestar 1. In every situation and from every angle, light and shadow perfectly underlined the shapes of the car. I’m not sure if it’s even possible to take a bad photo of the car?
Did you have a favorite feature?
I got the Polestar 1 in matt grey. What I liked most were the colour accents and details: the yellow brakes and seat belts, the crystal gear lever, the projection of the Polestar logo.
From all the photographs you took of the Polestar 1, is there a favorite?
There are several favourite images. But of course I like the style most, which I also have in my street photography photographs, where is always only 1 person moving through a scene.
That’s why I would choose the picture with the Polestar in an underpass with one person walking through the picture.
Any advice you would give to photographers who want to take part in the Polestar x Cherrydeck Journey with the Polestar 2?
I think it helps a lot to deal with Polestar’s visual language and ask yourself, how can I spotlight the car in a simple and minimalistic way.
For me, for example, the 2 days of location scouting before I got the car were very crucial for finding the most suitable backgrounds. There is so much to discover about Polestar cars, so you should take your time to look at the details. But most importantly, enjoy the car, the design and the driving experience to the fullest.
We would like to thank Matteo for his words. To see more of Matteo’s work, visit his Cherrydeck profile or his website, here. To participate in this year’s driving and photography experience, visit this article.
