The city of Venice, which sits at the edge of the Adriatic in Eastern Italy, is just the right setting for taking wonderful pictures. The architecture is fascinating (even though it is sometimes in a state of disrepair), there is water everywhere and the lighting conditions are seldom too harsh. Here are a few ideas for taking pictures in one of Europe’s great cities.
Get up early and avoid the crowds. If you want to get that picture of an empty St. Marks Square, early morning or early evening is the time to go. Even if you choose to bypass the popular plaza, the early morning light offers excellent shooting conditions.
Capture the essence of the canals. Venice is a watery place, and it would be a great loss not to capture that on film. While walking the city, you will find many views that are richly enhanced by a watery foreground.
Take a picture from a boat. This can be one of the ever-popular gondolas, or even one of the larger bright yellow ferries that service the city. Even Monet made it out onto the water with his easel and paints, so taking pictures from a boat with a camera should be a cinch.
Include some people in your pictures. They can simply be passersby, or you can approach someone and ask for permission to take her picture. Even a portrait of a tour guide adds to a group of pictures.
Explore the back alleys and side streets. The main attractions in Venice can get quite crowded during the day, but fortunately the city is quite extensive, with many miles of not-so-busy streets and lanes to walk along. Take special note of the foot bridges that span the many waterways. Even if you do not capture a good picture of one, the experience of walking across these structures is priceless.
Photograph the small things that might make one think of Venice, or at least Italy. There are unlimited possibilities, from a store window that sells reproductions of classic sculpture to a prayer box on the outside wall of a home to a closeup of the tip of a gondola.
