Hey there! As you may have guessed, “Reflection” was taken in Venice, Italy. I shot this photo on a trip to Italy in December 2012. I used a Nikon D80 with an aperture of f/7.1 and shutter speed of 1/200.
Venice is one of my favorite places to explore. The winding maze of canals, bridges, and narrow streets coupled with beautiful architecture and rich history makes for a wonderful place to get completely lost in. With its lack of cars and streets, Venice is unlike just about anywhere in the world.
I had been to Venice before, but this trip was unique because I was visiting in the winter. Before arriving, I was a little worried about the weather and the possibility of the city being flooded from high water levels. My concerns were realized the first two days. It really was a wet, foggy mess. Don’t get me wrong, the city was still beautiful. The fog and lack of crowds helped to create an air of mystery and intrigue that isn’t apparent during the warm summer months of peak tourist season. However, I found myself longing for the bright Italian sun to illuminate the sinking city.
On the morning of last day of the trip, I walked outside of the hotel, and received one of the greatest gifts of travel…the sun! I was so excited that I was practically running, camera in tow, to start photographing the illuminated canals. That day, I went everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. North, south, east, and west…I covered it all. One of my favorite discoveries was an area right next door to the train station: the Jewish Ghetto. The area is a very interesting juxtaposition with the hustle and bustle of the train station. As soon as you cross the small canal that separates the Santa Lucia station with the Jewish Ghetto, it’s as if you’re crossing into a completely different city. It’s quiet, it’s calm, and it’s peaceful. In a city that is so overrun by tourists, it really felt like the “real” Venice. Because of the serene setting, I was able to capture this reflection. I feel like this photo sums up the essence of Venice. It has the canal, boats, a small restaurant, and decaying, yet beautiful, buildings. For anyone planning a trip to Venice, this area is a must. If you want to escape the crowds and see authentic Venetian life, this is a great place to visit. It truly is a hidden gem.
Tips on photographing reflections: Make sure to experiment with several different framing options. Try photographing the building/landscape with only a little bit of the reflection, photograph the scene with more reflection and less building/landscape, try photographing only the reflection, shoot at an angle, shoot the scene straight on. Just make sure you give yourself options. Nothing is worse than having all of the necessary elements at your disposal only to be angry at yourself later that you didn’t try shooting from angle X or you wish you had shot 75% reflection and only 25% building. I know, I’ve been there many times! Also, be careful about splitting your image exactly in half by placing the horizon line in the center of the frame. While the reflection and building/landscape may be beautiful, a photo cut in a half isn’t always very interesting. Remember the standard rule of thirds: divide the frame into horizontal and vertical thirds and place horizon lines or prominent objects where the thirds intersect. It will make for a much more interesting image.
Thanks for reading! Check back next Monday for more photo blogging!
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