In "Gone For the Summer", Soto takes us through many varied regions of Italy, including the same areas where his great great grandparents lived. This body of work was made during the summer seasons over a six-year period. His photographs show spontaneous moments and interactions in both urban and natural landscapes, highlighting the people of Italy, subtle details, and unique colors as they caught his attention during his many explorations.

The book, with its appealing bright yet subdued orange cover, consists of 110 pages exclusively in color. The color photographs simultaneously reflect both the vibrantency and muted colors all in one assemblage, which visually captures the aspects of the place, space, and people.  

The book’s sequence is loosely based on the colors and regions of Italy, with no direct reference to photographic location, simply because Soto wants the viewer to appreciate the country as a whole and not a specific or generalized area. It is his hope that the series, which is his visual love letter to his family and Italy, will serve as inspiration for others to connect and/or re-connect with their own families and their heritage and explore the deeper meaning of the areas they travel to. 

• 9x7 inches

• 110 pages

• Printed by Brilliant Graphics in Exton, PA

• ISBN: 979-8-9853005-7-4

• Library of Congress control number: 2022916427