Story highlights Italian photographer Andy Rocchelli was killed by a mortar attack in May

His last photos, of the Ukrainian conflict, show his maturity and talent, colleagues say

(CNN) A cluster of innocent eyes gaze up at a light shining above them. Packed inside a bunker along with jars of pickled beets and other provisions, they look like cherubs searching the sky for answers to their plight.

These children hiding in Slovyansk, Ukraine, are looking at the camera of Andrea Rocchelli, a young Italian who died while photographing their stories.

"Andy was a very sincere person," said Luca Santese, who co-founded Cesura, a collaborative photo agency. "He wasn't just about conquering the subjects. He was very sincere and dedicated to the stories he was doing."

Andy Rocchelli

Described by his Cesura colleagues as young, idealistic and very passionate, Rocchelli lived and breathed photography and storytelling. His last photographs, some still stored in his camera, project the maturity of a young man who, by then, had roamed confidently in dangerous war scenarios.

"Let's say he was a real fighter," said Arianna Arcara, another Cesura founding partner.

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