Muddy York Rugby Football Club’s player Danny Perez (standing) and his partner Jonathan Buckley cuddle on the balcony of their condo on Monday July 4, 2016, in Toronto, Ont. Perez is one of Muddy York RFC’s best players. He marched, along with his teammates, in the pride parade the day before. The past month was an epic one for Muddy York RFC. The club, for the first time ever, participated in the Bingham Cup with a full side. Muddy York RFC is Toronto’s only inclusive rugby side. The team primarily competes against “straight” sides in the Toronto Rugby Union and is affiliated with the International Gay Rugby Board. The photographic essay won first prize in the World Press Sports Stories category
Giovanni Capriotti is a photographic essayist, editorial photographer and videographer born and raised in Rome. Italy.
After finishing high school, he moved to Amsterdam and London, attracted by the vibrant and creative 90s. Passion for photography has always been part of his life, although at the beginning he could not afford to buy a decent camera and instead was experimenting with Polaroids and vintage models, such as the old Yashica that his granny found at the pension where she used to work. After a few months in the UK, he enrolled in a photography BFA at London Communication College, which helped him to organize everything he had learned as a self-taught photographer. Newly graduated, the mandatory national service called him back to his native Italy. After one year spent serving his country and two more on the road in Europe, he got a job with a major airline, which drastically increased his chances to travel worldwide.
He eventually fell in love with documentary photography and over a decade of voyaging, he was able to produce a body of work covering several topics. Currently Giovanni, also a graduate of the Loyalist College photojournalism program (Dean’s List), lives between Toronto and Montreal with his wife and daughter. His independent work explores multiple issues across North America and the world, focusing on unique and intimate narratives that often go unnoticed.
Photojournalism program testimonial
In my time time at Loyalist, I truly learned how to balance my passion for documentary storytelling and the daily “grind” of most editorial assignments. I learned how to appreciate photography jobs that did not hit my chords, but indeed helped me to look at the profession in a different way and made me a better storyteller out of my comfort zone. On the other hand, even my documentary practices benefited from this new approach, as I definitely became able to develop more intricate visual narratives thanks to a renewed eye.
Links
http://www.giovannicapriotti.com/muddy-york-rfc
(Boys Will Be Boys) World Press Photo 1st Prize Sport Stories
Video Story