Leaving a week from today. And soliciting suggestions for this trips "Photo theme". Will be in Roma, Sorrento, Umbria, and Firenza. I always reserve one smart card for this obsessive compulsive hobby. On previous trips I've done Roman Roof Gardens; Door Knockers; Cats; Graffiti; Cemeteries; Lingerie Shop Windows; & Master Sitters (Little Old Men In Boiled Wool Vests, Sitting On Park Benches). So I'd be grateful for any good late October ideas.
Laundry hanging out to dry. My pal MaryClaire did a whole series on one of her Italian trips, and I snagged a few images this time. Don't know why, but it looks so...well, Italian. Yrs, Robert
Posts: 822 | Location: Santa Monica, California | Registered: 23 March 2002
Bill -- I can hardly stand to look at the dead animal heads and other body parts hanging in the shop windows. I know I couldn't photograph one. Somehow the negative Karma would infect my camera, I know it would.
Judy -- Somewhere I have a picture of the most outrageous pair of lime green leather and yellow floral mesh stiletto boots from a Roman shop window. By my lights, the only thing your could wear those boots with, and do them justice, was a birthday suit.
Robert -- I agree with you on the laundry thing being so Italian. And I've taken a few great shots myself. Some of my favorites are the ones of laundry hanging in the narrow, steep and perpetually shadowed streets of towns like Todi and Gubbio.
Carole -- I't might be interesting to do masks outside Venice. I've got quite a few shots of masks in the Venitian shops. The fences and gates is also a great idea.
Shannon -- NOW there's an assignment I could really dedicated myself to. Italian men in tight jeans! (being a buns gal myself)
Joanna -- Fontana delle Tartarughe is my FAVORITE in all of Rome. Probably the animal lover in me, but I just adore the idea of the dauphins working with those guys who are straining hard to help their turtles make it to the safety of the basin of the fountain!
Pauline -- One of my friends had a great Caprece salad at her very first meal in Rome. She decided she was going to order it at every meal for the rest of her trip. And she almost did. But you know, I don't think I saw it presented the same way twice during the entire 3 weeks. There must be something very enticing about the tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil that brings out the artist in a chef. Perhaps a series on the artistic presentation of a standard dish. Hmmm. Food for thought.
We enjoy taking shots of the many shrines we see. Found one on our recent trip at the foot of the Rialto Bridge in Venice. Have a few from Spain also.
Pauline - Was interested to hear that we're not the only ones who photograph our tables--snacks or regular meals. I have one I took in spring in Trastevere with two very pretty Pilsener glasses of beer, a plate of olives, our Eyewitness guidebook and a pair of sunglasses. It's one of my favorites.
Deborah - I too love pix of doorways and windows. Have some great ones from the missions here in California, as well as some we have taken overseas. Have a great picture of a cat, who was sitting near a restaurant in the Plaka in Athens. I have lots of pictures that friends can't figure out as they just look like grass or sand or sidewalk, but there somewhere is a lizard or a bird, or some little creature that I fancied.
Robert, I was going to offer the laundry suggest also.
On my last visit to Italy, my photographic mission was to photograph laundry to make a collage for my laundry room. I now have a series of photos matted and framed in the laundry.
The variety of pastel colored houses in the background make it a stunning arrangement as well as remembrance of a great trip.
Posts: 28 | Location: Florida | Registered: 13 June 2002
Since photography is my hobby, I have done a series of olive tree trunks-some looking like faces , gargoyles, some very old with interesting splits, contrasting new with the old, etc. Some have incredible shapes once you pay attention to them. Have already printed out and framed some interesting ones I plan to enter into a local photo contest! Hope this helps.
I was wondering what my theme ought to be this trip, too, Debra. There were some good suggestions...and one trip I was fascinated w/grapes, vineyards, vines, wine bottles. I have always thought photos of the many public restrooms I have visited would be fun, since I can't seem to go for 2 hours w/out finding a place and I have become less discriminating w/age. A vote for shrines, too, and of course, bridges or crooked streets, are a favorite of mine. And beautiful children. So, can't wait to see what you decide. And what I decide, too. Have a great trip. Maybe we'll run into each other. Ciao, Cheryl
Posts: 1464 | Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California (a beach town near San Diego) | Registered: 20 October 2001
It could be nice to take photos at the Vino Frascati DOC festival October 29-31 at Frascati (Rome), for example. I also like the idea of taking pictures of people, of old men, of kids, of people participating in religious processions or also of old women making pasta (I saw the preparation of orecchiette pasta in the old town of Bari and was sorry that I did not bring my camera...)
Natalie Hoerner email: office@capeland.it Capeland Tour Operator V. B. d´Acquisto 17 I-90046 Monreale www.capeland.it
Posts: 52 | Location: Monreale | Registered: 20 June 2002
Cheryl, I do like the shrine idea as well. You find them so often along rural roads. They remind me of the makeshift crosses and flower shrines that you see along US highways where someone as been killed.
Natalie, We are actually planning a lot of our trip around festivals and sagre. Gubbio truffle fest, Perugia Eurochocolate, Trevi black celery sagre. One of my very favorite pictures is of a donkey being blessed on the piazza right outside my door in Montemigiano. The little chapel in our borgo is dedicated to San Antonio de Padua. In early February, the farmers surrounding us, come up to the borgo with farm animals; they take the statue of San Antonio with the cute little pink pig at his feet, out of our little chapel and parade it up and down our two tiny streets on a litter. The farmers follow with their animals as the priest intones the supplications to a long list of saints requesting blessings. Finally, they end up on the piazza in front of our house. The priest blesses all the animals and then everyone has a "feast" of panini with jug wine in plastic cups. Last time I was there for the event was 2 years ago. It was very cold, so I invited several into the house to warm up. The owner of the donkey, left it outside the door, but the owner of a small lamb carried it in in her arms. THAT'S the picture I wish I had taken!
How about older people watching the world go by from their windows and balconies? Seems everywhere we went this summer, I saw women in windows, sometimes just observing, sometimes carrying on conversations with other women in windows. When we were having dinner one night in Taormina, our restaurant was in a very small piazza. There was a handsome old building dominating one corner with a balcony on its second floor. A grandfather and his grandson stood there for a time, watching people eat, not saying anything to each other, just enjoying the other's company. I wish I had my camera, although by then it was very dark.
Posts: 402 | Location: Somers, WI | Registered: 24 June 2002
Anita, Those women aren't just "watching the world go by". They are hard at work. They are members of the Italian Women's Leaners Cooperative. The sister organization to the Italian Men's Sitters Union.
Remember that if you are taking a photo of a person close by, and they can see you are taking a photo of them, it is polite to ask if it OK before you snap away. Those ladies in the windows - if you are within distance to ask, you should ask. If you don't want to ruin the moment back up and use zoom or something. Lots of people have superstitions about being in photographs. But if you ask they will almost always say yes, and sometimes you will also get a big smile.
Once I saw someone take a close-up picture of a woman begging on the Rialto Bridge and the woman started crying. I felt so bad for her. I don't think anyone here on Slowtrav could be so callous.
If an Italian man is far away enough that you might be taking a picture of him but you might be taking a picture of something else, the man will puff up his chest. If there are two men they both puff up their chest!
You know who else loves to get their photos taken are Italian police. I love those guys who ride on horses around Florence. They'll stop and pose if you do so much as pull a black strap out of your backpack.
Venice, like falling to the bottom of a turquoise fishbowl...
Posts: 5278 | Location: Ocean Beach, California | Registered: 20 March 2002
Grinisa: You brought back memories of a similar experience in a restaurant where we always eat in Sorrento. The front tables are open and we try to get the same table each time we eat there, so we feel we are eating al fresco even though we are technically inside. Across the way is an apartment house and on one occasion there was a lovely woman leaning out her window. The restaurant has a mandolin player who walks about the restaurant and serenades the diners. That evening he stood nearby our table and serenaded the woman at the window. The next time we visited I asked him about her and he told us she had died. I felt almost as if I had lost someone I knew.
Take a look at www.italianimage.com and once there click on Italian Image of the Week. Dr. Pulli is a wonderful photographer. No doubt you will get some good ideas from his photographs. He also includes technical information about his photographs.
Peter
Posts: 1365 | Location: Essex Fells, NJ and Longboat Key, Florida | Registered: 21 July 2002
Topic Closed
, gargoyles, 
some very old with interesting splits, contrasting new with the old, etc. Some have incredible shapes 