I made this photograph to celebrate some of the special pleasures that Italy brings to the world. The frame is a carefully composed “smorgasbord” of all things Italian - the architecture, the trades, the brands and, of course, the people.

With its 7,600 kilometers of coastline, Italy has long been a maritime country and I am drawn to idyllic coastal communities like Portofino. The location offers as good a visual overload as I know, especially when the sun creeps over the hills and into the largely empty harbour 30 minutes after dawn. Three hours later, the serenity is lost as thousands of visitors descend into this tiny town. I would contend that the only time to photograph here is at first light when all is calm.

Ferrari and Vespa are both cultural icons within Italy. The brands are indelible evidence of postwar Italian design and style and their place in the country’s heritage is secured in perpetuity.

It was easy to bring a Vespa into the car-free centre, but it was materially harder to get this famous 1955 Ferrari 121LM to the water’s edge. This car competed in both Le Mans and Mille Miglia in its first year and its length and unique beauty offered a strong first layer to my story. It was pushed back to the edge of town and reacquainted with its transport van long before 7.30 am. Other than our crew, the local fisherman and the local police, no one was any the wiser as to what I was up to. We are early birds.

Glamour is integral to Le Dolce Vita and we indulged ourselves by casting our friend Brooks Nader as the racing driver. Brooks is a force of nature and she performs with a natural ease.