Tazio Secchiaroli (Rome, 1925-1998) was just twenty years old when he earned to live as a street photographer. In 1952, after a brief experience with the American agency International News Service, he became a member of the Vedo agency. In 1955 he founded the Roma Press Photo agency.

He became famous for his pictures immortalizing the lively nights of Via Veneto in Rome - an atmosphere that Fellini then decided to celebrate in his masterpiece La Dolce Vita.

In fact, the Italian director was inspired by him to create the character of Paparazzo. From 1958 he started a long collaboration with Fellini, who encouraged him to abandon his career as a “street photographer” and to devote himself exclusively to cinematographic photography.

In 1963 he met Sophia Loren and he was her personal photographer for about 20 years. In 1985 he retired from professional life and he died in Rome in 1998.

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