The stunning beauty of Vernazza
The stunning beauty of Vernazza, Italy…
Ah, the Cinque Terre! Italy is just so gorgeous!
I almost think I could live in Italy...almost. Maybe I could. It's definitely awesome in so many ways. Take the Cinque Terre area for instance. All these little villages are right on the coast, nestled up next to all these rocks with the ocean slapping against them all day. It's just a tremendous area for photography. This one is from Vernazza, which has sort of a protected harbor area which you see here. I stood in this spot for over an hour, taking all sorts of images and just enjoying life. You have to do that at times, right?
Golden Vernazza
A stunning view of the Cinque Terre town of Vernazza during sunset…
A jewel along the Cinque Terre in Italy - Vernazza!
I loved every bit of the Cinque Terre. We only had 3 nights there but believe me when I say that I was shooting them like mad. It was a quick visit but a productive one. I had pre-picked my sunset spots in each place and basically camped out there all the way through blue hour. I didn't get amazing light on the evening here overlooking Vernazza, but it's hard to find something to complain about when this is your view!
Afternoons at the Duomo
A long exposure taken one afternoon in front of the Duomo in Milan, Italy…
The Duomo in Milan, Italy is amazing!
I'm a fan of European cathedrals, because they are usually pretty gorgeous, large and architecturally interesting. The Duomo in Milan is no exception. The facade is stunning and you can of course take tours inside. You can also get on the roof which is a pretty amazing experience, and well worth it. We only spent a couple of days in Milan but it's a city that I would love to return to for further exploration.
This photo is a long exposure taken with my 10 stop filter, which is why the clouds appear to be streaking across the sky. It was about a 2 minute exposure. I love using the 10 stop filter for these sorts of scenes. You get that gorgeous sky and many of the people ghost out of the image. I think it makes for some interesting results. Edited and converted to monochrome in Luminar (or course).
A great view in Positano
The stunningly gorgeous coastal Italian town of Positano…so beautiful there!
Positano, Italy is just stunning. We spent about a week in that area and loved every minute of it. From dipping into the cold Mediterranean to the food and of course the amazing views, it's just a gorgeous and stimulating place.
One day we were walking around and came across a lovely hotel perched up on one of the hills there. I could see through the lobby and there was obviously a great view to be had, so I walked on through it to the balcony and fired away. No one seemed to care that I was just there for the photo opp so I took a few before departing. Act like you belong there and no one notices - works every time!
A gondola portrait
A close up photo of a lovely gondola in Venice, Italy…
There's just so much to shoot in Venice - it's really a gorgeous town. In wandering there, I found myself looking not just at the broader scenes, but also the smaller and close up details. Today's photo is a great example of that. Although I was happily shooting the entirety of these gondolas along the canal, I also chose to get in close and get a more intimate portrait of one. I thought it came out pretty well.
Colorful Burano
Lovely, small and very colorful - it’s Burano, Italy!
Well you know I like my colors, so this place was fun for me!
Burano is a little fishing village/island not far from Venice - just a short boat ride away. But it really feels like you are a world away. The colors of the homes in this village are just gorgeous. I was there midday under harsh light and still thought it was amazing.
It's actually a pretty small place and thus doesn't take much time to wander around. I think we spent a couple of hours there total before catching the boat back to Venice. But it's a worthy detour, especially if you are looking to escape the crowds of Venice in the summer. Bring the camera! :-)
A gorgeous Roman sunset
Some beautiful light over the river in Rome...
Sometimes I show up at just the right time!
But only sometimes. Truthfully, I rarely show up at the right time. Usually I am somewhere and I see a gorgeous sunset about to happen, and I am in exactly the wrong place. I just happened to get lucky on this fine evening in Rome. We had been out and about doing whatever it is you do in Rome (in our case, lots of walking and gelato!) and were heading to this spot around sunset. I had already shot here the previous night and it was en route to our hotel, so it just worked out great.
This is the view from the bridge that leads across the river to the Castel Sant'Angelo. The Vatican and all that stuff is behind me in this photo. While the light around the Vatican was nice, the sunset sky in this direction was just gorgeous.
Those gorgeous Italian sunsets
Amazing light + amazing location = very happy photographer!
A stunning sunset in Praiano along the Amalfi Coast!
We spent a few days in this lovely little Italian town along the Amalfi Coast, and every minute of it was filled with beauty. Literally, everything is just stunning there. We had dinner one evening overlooking the sea, and this sunset started coming together. I couldn't contain my excitement, and had to get up and go shoot before I finished eating! Well worth it though!
A Vatican sunset
A stunning sunset in Rome, captured with the Vatican in the distance...
A Roman view that I never tire of!
When we were in Rome, we passed by this spot countless times, and each time I stopped and took a few photos. It's an amazing view and when I arrived here at sunset one evening, I was pleasantly surprised to have some beautiful light to go with the beautiful subject matter!
I find Rome pretty fascinating, with all the history and architecture. There's just so much to enjoy about it, and of course so much to shoot! You can never see it all, but it's fun to try! :-)
In fact, I compiled a list of what I found to be the best places to take photos in Rome, which is right here on the blog: https://nomadicpursuits.com/top-photo-spots-in-rome/
Afternoon in Venice
St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, Italy...bathed in warm afternoon light.
I was wandering around in lovely Venice, Italy (with the camera, of course) and basically was waiting for the sunset to fully arrive. It was golden hour and there was some nice warm light out, and I was snapping away. I spent a good bit of time in St. Mark's Square, which is always crowded, and even though I couldn't get a clean shot of the place, I was still happy just to be there to see it.
Gondoliers at work
Gondoliers at work during a stunning sunset in Venice, Italy...
Venice is just a masterpiece of a city!
I love shooting in Venice, because it seems at every turn there is something old, historic, beautiful, or interesting. It makes it very hard to get anywhere.
I was firing away at the sunset, catching the gondolas all lined up when I decided to step over the little footbridge nearby to get an elevated view of things. Then I saw that the gondolas were cruising under it so I stuck around for a few and fired some more.
Piazza San Marco
Late afternoon light in the Piazza San Marco in Venice...with their gorgeous cathedral as a backdrop.
Venice is just a gorgeous city!
That is not exactly news to anyone who has ever been (or seen a photo of it), but it's definitely a true statement. When we were visiting, I found myself unable to put the camera away. Everything is interesting, and beautiful, and OLD.
I captured this one in Piazza San Marco, which is sort of their version of Times Square, sans neon and traffic of course. :-)
I was wandering in the area, waiting on sunset to arrive, so I just walked and snapped for an hour or so. It was pretty rewarding to be an observer of all the buzz of activity in a place that draws in tourists like crazy. While I prefer to avoid the crowds when taking photos, in some places you just can't get around them unless you are there really early or late (which I wasn't able to do here).
So instead I just went with the flow, took shots that caught my eye and enjoyed the fact that I was standing in such an incredible place.
Aimless in Firenze
Side streets in Europe always draw me in...
Wandering the back streets of Florence, Italy - such a treat!
When we were in Florence, I made it a point to get out and just try and get lost. Not really lost per se, but you know, sort of wandering aimlessly without a care in the world. That's a great feeling, and one we don't get often in life. So I jumped on it.
We were staying just south of the Ponte Vecchio (their famous old bridge) and that part of the town seemed less crowded to me (the main draw of the town, their Duomo Cathedral, is on the other side). So when I was out I was less intruded upon by the tourist hordes, which was obviously a good thing for me.
I love little European street scenes, so just about every time I turned a corner I fired off some shots like this one. I love the lines in this sort of shot, hence I took a bunch of them. If you find yourself in a crowded European city, consider staying slightly off the beaten path so that your photo pursuits can give you a little more room to move.
Sunset in Riomaggiore
Sunset in Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre region of Italy...
Ah, the lovely Italian coast!
I really loved visiting the Cinque Terre region of Italy. The rugged coastline is a joy to photograph and the little towns scattered along it just cling to the hillsides perfectly. It's an area that was just made to photography.
This is Riomaggiore, where we stayed while visiting. Although the visit was only a few days, I definitely got in a lot of photos and saw everything I wanted to see. Obviously I want to go back though, just to do it all again!
Sunset in Florence
A gorgeous sunset in Firenze...
Ah, I sure miss lovely Italy!
I love Italy, it's really an amazing country and the people, food and of course scenery are all fabulous. On our trip there, we spent just over a week in Florence. We explored it high and low and of course I took photographs all along the way.
On several evenings I found myself out shooting sunset, and in today's shot this was from a bridge over the River Arno, going right through the middle of town. The sunset light was beautiful and I used my 10 stop filter to get a long exposure, which smoothed out the water and clouds.