• On the ferry to Vancouver island. Each time the scenery changed we were brand new all over again. Image: Francesca Donnoli
    On the ferry to Vancouver island. Each time the scenery changed we were brand new all over again. Image: Francesca Donnoli
  • Ms Young, 92 years old. Visiting the Maria’s salon in Reservoir, Melbourne where she has been a customer for over 50 years. Image: Francesca Donnoli
    Ms Young, 92 years old. Visiting the Maria’s salon in Reservoir, Melbourne where she has been a customer for over 50 years. Image: Francesca Donnoli
  • A Buddhist in bright: It’s about to rain. On a crispy thin morning in the centre of Victoria’s high country, a monk exits the sliding door of a white van. He walks ten or so steps to reach the tree by the river, pauses 1-2-3-4, then returns and disappears back through the sliding door. The white van leaves a puff of white smoke in its wake. Image: Francesca Donnoli
    A Buddhist in bright: It’s about to rain. On a crispy thin morning in the centre of Victoria’s high country, a monk exits the sliding door of a white van. He walks ten or so steps to reach the tree by the river, pauses 1-2-3-4, then returns and disappears back through the sliding door. The white van leaves a puff of white smoke in its wake. Image: Francesca Donnoli
  • The Crossing Guard: They say if you can cross the street in Saigon, you can do just about anything. I’ve been standing on this corner for what feels like twenty minutes. A Vietnam-visiting rookie exposed by my hesitancy. The trick, they say, is to simply step out onto the road with confidence, that the herd of scooters coming your way will do the rest. Buying time, I wonder what will happen if I apply this advice and raise my camera, with confidence, towards the guard tower. Perhaps he will take care of the rest? Image: Francesca Donnoli
    The Crossing Guard: They say if you can cross the street in Saigon, you can do just about anything. I’ve been standing on this corner for what feels like twenty minutes. A Vietnam-visiting rookie exposed by my hesitancy. The trick, they say, is to simply step out onto the road with confidence, that the herd of scooters coming your way will do the rest. Buying time, I wonder what will happen if I apply this advice and raise my camera, with confidence, towards the guard tower. Perhaps he will take care of the rest? Image: Francesca Donnoli
  • Calm eyes in the eye of the storm. Struck by this serene face right in the middle of the busiest market in Saigon. Arresting and open. Image: Francesca Donnoli
    Calm eyes in the eye of the storm. Struck by this serene face right in the middle of the busiest market in Saigon. Arresting and open. Image: Francesca Donnoli
  • The sitting butcher. Saigon, Vietnam. Image: Francesca Donnoli
    The sitting butcher. Saigon, Vietnam. Image: Francesca Donnoli
  • Campo De' Fiori: It seems to me that I am the only person in Rome today with nowhere in particular to be. The sun began early, its dreamy heat slowing my blinking. The piazza is being set up around me, everybody is darting across the stage, into their first positions for the days trade to begin. I search for a matching colour to join the vibrant flowers. Image: Francesca Donnoli
    Campo De' Fiori: It seems to me that I am the only person in Rome today with nowhere in particular to be. The sun began early, its dreamy heat slowing my blinking. The piazza is being set up around me, everybody is darting across the stage, into their first positions for the days trade to begin. I search for a matching colour to join the vibrant flowers. Image: Francesca Donnoli
  • Macelleria Generoso in Napoli. Image: Francesca Donnoli
    Macelleria Generoso in Napoli. Image: Francesca Donnoli
  • Vietnamese balcony. Image: Francesca Donnoli
    Vietnamese balcony. Image: Francesca Donnoli
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Featured Photographer: Francesca Donnoli

By Tim Levy | 17 April 2025
Francesca Donnoli
Francesca Donnoli

Francesca Donnoli is a Melbourne-born, self-taught street and portrait photographer with a deep connection to stories of community and heritage. The daughter of Italian immigrants who arrived in Australia after World War II, she grew up immersed in stories of resilience, displacement, and belonging—narratives that continue to shape her work.

She gravitates toward culture-rich communities, drawn to people whose faces and gestures hint at untold stories. 

Her photography is influenced by the composition and solitude of Edward Hopper, the atmospheric colour of Saul Leiter, and resonates the way writers like Maya Angelou and Paul Auster explore the depth of human experience.

She has recently been a Judge for Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2025.

You can see more of her work on her website or instagram feed. 

Ms Young, 92 years old. Visiting the Maria’s salon in Reservoir, Melbourne where she has been a customer for over 50 years. Image: Francesca Donnoli
Ms Young, 92 years old. Visiting the Maria’s salon in Reservoir, Melbourne where she has been a customer for over 50 years. Image: Francesca Donnoli
A Buddhist in bright: It’s about to rain. On a crispy thin morning in the centre of Victoria’s high country, a monk exits the sliding door of a white van. He walks ten or so steps to reach the tree by the river, pauses 1-2-3-4, then returns and disappears back through the sliding door. The white van leaves a puff of white smoke in its wake. Image: Francesca Donnoli
A Buddhist in bright: It’s about to rain. On a crispy thin morning in the centre of Victoria’s high country, a monk exits the sliding door of a white van. He walks ten or so steps to reach the tree by the river, pauses 1-2-3-4, then returns and disappears back through the sliding door. The white van leaves a puff of white smoke in its wake. Image: Francesca Donnoli
Campo De' Fiori: It seems to me that I am the only person in Rome today with nowhere in particular to be. The sun began early, its dreamy heat slowing my blinking. The piazza is being set up around me, everybody is darting across the stage, into their first positions for the days trade to begin. I search for a matching colour to join the vibrant flowers. Image: Francesca Donnoli
Campo De' Fiori: It seems to me that I am the only person in Rome today with nowhere in particular to be. The sun began early, its dreamy heat slowing my blinking. The piazza is being set up around me, everybody is darting across the stage, into their first positions for the days trade to begin. I search for a matching colour to join the vibrant flowers. Image: Francesca Donnoli
The sitting butcher. Saigon, Vietnam. Image: Francesca Donnoli
The sitting butcher. Saigon, Vietnam. Image: Francesca Donnoli
Macelleria Generoso in Napoli. Image: Francesca Donnoli
Macelleria Generoso in Napoli. Image: Francesca Donnoli
Vietnamese balcony. Image: Francesca Donnoli
Vietnamese balcony. Image: Francesca Donnoli
Calm eyes in the eye of the storm. Struck by this serene face right in the middle of the busiest market in Saigon. Arresting and open. Image: Francesca Donnoli
Calm eyes in the eye of the storm. Struck by this serene face right in the middle of the busiest market in Saigon. Arresting and open. Image: Francesca Donnoli
The Crossing Guard: They say if you can cross the street in Saigon, you can do just about anything. I’ve been standing on this corner for what feels like twenty minutes. A Vietnam-visiting rookie exposed by my hesitancy. The trick, they say, is to simply step out onto the road with confidence, that the herd of scooters coming your way will do the rest. Buying time, I wonder what will happen if I apply this advice and raise my camera, with confidence, towards the guard tower. Perhaps he will take care of the rest? Image: Francesca Donnoli
The Crossing Guard: They say if you can cross the street in Saigon, you can do just about anything. I’ve been standing on this corner for what feels like twenty minutes. A Vietnam-visiting rookie exposed by my hesitancy. The trick, they say, is to simply step out onto the road with confidence, that the herd of scooters coming your way will do the rest. Buying time, I wonder what will happen if I apply this advice and raise my camera, with confidence, towards the guard tower. Perhaps he will take care of the rest? Image: Francesca Donnoli