Posted by Nat Coalson on January 29, 2008 at 12:38 AM
Anyone have suggestions for unique shooting locations in Rome, Cinque Terre or Venice? Going the last week of February.
Understanding the weather and landscape may not be the most photogenic this time of year, looking for less-photographed locations with their own special character.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Posted by Bret Edge on January 29, 2008 at 12:56 AM
You are a traveling fool, Nat! Can't help you out with any shooting beta but I hope you have a great time.
Posted by Rick Dunn on January 29, 2008 at 9:18 AM
I've spent some time in Rome, but all of it in the city so I don't know much about the surrounding landscape. Given your eye for the colorful and abstract, I think you could have a blast shooting the colors and architectural details of Rome's alleys and streets. I spent about 3 days walking all around the main part of the city, hitting all of the big landmarks. But the best photography was in the narrow streets as I lumbered in 104-degree heat from one spot to the next. Doors, windows, cobbled roads and weathered, patinated stucco walls.
A couple of tips that my Italian friends offered up before my visit: keep an eye on your gear and don't take a taxi unless it's an official, licensed taxi. Oh, and enjoy the food and wine!
Posted by Tim Mulholland on January 29, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Hi Nat,
I've had friends speak wonderfully of the area around Florence & Tuscany, as well as Cinque Terre. I was in Italy for a wedding a few hours east of Rome in May, 2003. Rome had its moments, but there are lots of tourists and it's relatively modern. We also were in Florence, which I enjoyed more. We also stopped by Assissi (sp) and some of the smaller towns. Personally, I'm not a city person, more of a country person, and I really liked these small towns a LOT better. You'd have these really nice historical/architectural views/images, and the background would be more rural. In Rome, you might have a nice, tight architectural/historical shot, but you'll have modern in the background, or a tourist if you go wider. And, in the smaller towns, there are fewer tourists, the people seemed to be more friendly because they see fewer tourists there. We also enjoyed the smaller, more intimate restaurants in the small towns.
Personally, though, we spent a day in Venice, and it's one of the few non-wild places in the world to which I'd like to return. I don't know what the weather would be like there in February, but it's very easy to walk around (and, easy to get lost!). There are incredible views and photos about everywhere that you look. You'll have wide open views along the canals and piazzas, as well as tight views down streets, alleyways and some of the smaller canals. Views/photos from bridges, of bridges. The Rio Alto, the Bridge of Sighs. Most tourists who visit Venice will spend their nights on the mainland. If you can afford it, I'd encourage you to spend at least one night in Venice proper. There are few tourists there at night and the street lights give the place a different feel. Every time we see a view of San Marco plaza at night, we just sigh.
If you rent a car there, take the bull by the horns and just drive, flow. You'll have white knuckles in Rome if you don't relax and flow. I remember when we came back to the states thinking how organized & orderly traffic is here. In Italy, you have to learn to just "flow." There are cars, trucks, scooters darting everywhere, and they all know to watch out for each other and to just let the other person drive. We were driving on a road where there were ditches of water on both sides. There'd be traffic moving in both directions and drivers would just start passing us (and, I learned to do the same), making three lanes out of two - you just move closer to the shoulder, the ditch. One time in Florence, we were lost, and I ended up driving the wrong way down a one-way street. A taxi driver saw me, saw the bewildered look on my face as he was driving the correct direction, and he kind of gave me this nice smile that sorta said, "Gee, why didn't I think of that?" :)
One other thing that's EXTREMELY important about Italy - go with someone you love! Oh, and I'll carry your bags!
Enjoy,
Tim!
PS (and, it's a long one), re: serendipity: After my wife (then girlfriend) & I left town to head to the airport for Italy, we started to check in with each about what we might have forgotten. And, we're on a bus, not in a car that we can control. I asked her if she had the directions to this little town in eastern Italy for the wedding. She said no, she'd forgotten! It was too late for us to turn back. Oh, and my wife was the maid of honor! So, we went anyway.
Before our trip, I had looked on MapQuest for the town, directions, etc., and my "photographic" memory (sans film) sorta remembered the map. After a couple of days in Rome, we started driving east, towards the regional city that we knew was near the small town where were were supposed to go. As we got close, we sorta started remembering details from MapQuest - it was on the east side of the city, a few km away. So, we pulled off the main highway and started searching the hillsides. We went to one town, it didn't feel right. We went across the valley to the next town, and it "felt" better. My girlfriend/wife noted that there were olive trees on this side of the valley, and the bride's family grew olives. We drove into this tiny town, and remembered that the bride's uncle was the village priest. Using our best pigeon Italian, we asked a woman in a garden about a wedding, and the priest. She just pointed us back the way we had just driven - didn't say a thing. So, we're starting to head out of this little village and we see a bed & breakfast, and the sign is in english. We decided to stop and ask questions there, maybe someone would speak english. My wife went into the kitchen and started asking questions - they didn't speak english, but they sorta understood. I'm sitting in the car, trying to come up with Plan H(elp). I see a woman walking my wife out the door and up the stairs to some rooms. This woman opens the door to a room, and my wife is thinking that the woman is thinking that we're on our honeymoon and in need of a room. The door on the room next to this one was open - and there stood the groom! :) We just laugh every time we tell that story!!!
Posted by Scott Bacon on January 29, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Definitely hike the Cinque Terre towns. Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Corniglia are much less photographed than Vernazza and Monterosso. But all 5 towns are incredibly photogenic - grand vistas, architecture, markets, people, and lots of details everywhere. Riomaggiore has a wonderful, tiny harbor. Climb the castle turret in Vernazza. Monterosso is great at sunrise when the fishermen are heading out.
I would agree with Scotts recommendation and add that you should take the high hike into the mountains right outside of Vernazza. The vineyards make great shots. In Rome I could spend months, literally , shooting in the Roman Forum. You can see some of my favs from my trip at here. The 4x5 was ideal for the architecture work since I needed a lot of movements.
Be careful as there are pickpockets and theives. Keep your commercial camera insurance policy up to date.
The shot above is of Manarola late day.
Wisner 4x5
Nikon 210mm W
Fuji Velvia 50
RichieV
Posted by Nat Coalson on January 29, 2008 at 2:07 PM
Great stuff, guys.... anyone know locations around Portofino?
Well, I know it is way south of Venice but if you go all the way down to Rome don’t miss Pompeii. The place is just mind-blowing.
Portofino? Check out Genoa. It is a pretty nice city. Columbus’ house is there and a cool replica of an old galleon. (I think Genoa is the birthplace of Columbus)
From Genoa you can have a train trip all the way to the border of Italy. I liked Varazze. A little French escape? Nice is right there:).
From Venice you can travel to Ravenna (about a two hours trip). That city is very famous for its mosaics decorating the walls of old churches.
Discussion
7 repliesUnderstanding the weather and landscape may not be the most photogenic this time of year, looking for less-photographed locations with their own special character.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
A couple of tips that my Italian friends offered up before my visit: keep an eye on your gear and don't take a taxi unless it's an official, licensed taxi. Oh, and enjoy the food and wine!
I've had friends speak wonderfully of the area around Florence & Tuscany, as well as Cinque Terre. I was in Italy for a wedding a few hours east of Rome in May, 2003. Rome had its moments, but there are lots of tourists and it's relatively modern. We also were in Florence, which I enjoyed more. We also stopped by Assissi (sp) and some of the smaller towns. Personally, I'm not a city person, more of a country person, and I really liked these small towns a LOT better. You'd have these really nice historical/architectural views/images, and the background would be more rural. In Rome, you might have a nice, tight architectural/historical shot, but you'll have modern in the background, or a tourist if you go wider. And, in the smaller towns, there are fewer tourists, the people seemed to be more friendly because they see fewer tourists there. We also enjoyed the smaller, more intimate restaurants in the small towns.
Personally, though, we spent a day in Venice, and it's one of the few non-wild places in the world to which I'd like to return. I don't know what the weather would be like there in February, but it's very easy to walk around (and, easy to get lost!). There are incredible views and photos about everywhere that you look. You'll have wide open views along the canals and piazzas, as well as tight views down streets, alleyways and some of the smaller canals. Views/photos from bridges, of bridges. The Rio Alto, the Bridge of Sighs. Most tourists who visit Venice will spend their nights on the mainland. If you can afford it, I'd encourage you to spend at least one night in Venice proper. There are few tourists there at night and the street lights give the place a different feel. Every time we see a view of San Marco plaza at night, we just sigh.
If you rent a car there, take the bull by the horns and just drive, flow. You'll have white knuckles in Rome if you don't relax and flow. I remember when we came back to the states thinking how organized & orderly traffic is here. In Italy, you have to learn to just "flow." There are cars, trucks, scooters darting everywhere, and they all know to watch out for each other and to just let the other person drive. We were driving on a road where there were ditches of water on both sides. There'd be traffic moving in both directions and drivers would just start passing us (and, I learned to do the same), making three lanes out of two - you just move closer to the shoulder, the ditch. One time in Florence, we were lost, and I ended up driving the wrong way down a one-way street. A taxi driver saw me, saw the bewildered look on my face as he was driving the correct direction, and he kind of gave me this nice smile that sorta said, "Gee, why didn't I think of that?" :)
One other thing that's EXTREMELY important about Italy - go with someone you love! Oh, and I'll carry your bags!
Enjoy,
Tim!
PS (and, it's a long one), re: serendipity: After my wife (then girlfriend) & I left town to head to the airport for Italy, we started to check in with each about what we might have forgotten. And, we're on a bus, not in a car that we can control. I asked her if she had the directions to this little town in eastern Italy for the wedding. She said no, she'd forgotten! It was too late for us to turn back. Oh, and my wife was the maid of honor! So, we went anyway.
Before our trip, I had looked on MapQuest for the town, directions, etc., and my "photographic" memory (sans film) sorta remembered the map. After a couple of days in Rome, we started driving east, towards the regional city that we knew was near the small town where were were supposed to go. As we got close, we sorta started remembering details from MapQuest - it was on the east side of the city, a few km away. So, we pulled off the main highway and started searching the hillsides. We went to one town, it didn't feel right. We went across the valley to the next town, and it "felt" better. My girlfriend/wife noted that there were olive trees on this side of the valley, and the bride's family grew olives. We drove into this tiny town, and remembered that the bride's uncle was the village priest. Using our best pigeon Italian, we asked a woman in a garden about a wedding, and the priest. She just pointed us back the way we had just driven - didn't say a thing. So, we're starting to head out of this little village and we see a bed & breakfast, and the sign is in english. We decided to stop and ask questions there, maybe someone would speak english. My wife went into the kitchen and started asking questions - they didn't speak english, but they sorta understood. I'm sitting in the car, trying to come up with Plan H(elp). I see a woman walking my wife out the door and up the stairs to some rooms. This woman opens the door to a room, and my wife is thinking that the woman is thinking that we're on our honeymoon and in need of a room. The door on the room next to this one was open - and there stood the groom! :) We just laugh every time we tell that story!!!
Be careful as there are pickpockets and theives. Keep your commercial camera insurance policy up to date.
The shot above is of Manarola late day.
Wisner 4x5
Nikon 210mm W
Fuji Velvia 50
RichieV
Portofino? Check out Genoa. It is a pretty nice city. Columbus’ house is there and a cool replica of an old galleon. (I think Genoa is the birthplace of Columbus)
From Genoa you can have a train trip all the way to the border of Italy. I liked Varazze. A little French escape? Nice is right there:).
From Venice you can travel to Ravenna (about a two hours trip). That city is very famous for its mosaics decorating the walls of old churches.