Federico Santi attended Florida State University and majored in photography in the School of Art. He was a staff photographer for the school newspaper, The Flambeau. Out of college he became a photojournalist for the Federal Government as a VISTA Volunteer. A retrospective of his VISTA images were exhibited in Washington, DC at the Rotunda in the Dirkson Senate Office Building in 2010. He was written several books on decorative arts, architecture and history along with a book titled: "VISTA Redux: 1969 A Year in the Life of a Volunteer" picturing almost 300 photographs from his VISTA year.