Italy 2008

[kahkityoong]

Here are a few non-landscape shots I took on my recent trip to Italy, mainly to shoot the Carnevale in Venice. I took a slow drive back to Rome after the festival. This was also the first series of shoots with my new 1DsMkIII.

The Streets of Bologna
Canon 1DSMkIII, 24-105mm 4L, ISO 400, f4, 1/15.

http://www.pbase.com/kahkityoong/image/93982112/original.jpg

Reverence
Basilica Sant Andrea, Mantova

I liked it that in the morning there was only the single light source from that window. I had settled on a composition and taken several handheld shots at high ISO and was considering setting up a tripod when this man walked into the scene absorbed by the Renaissance architecture. He was moving into a good position, the light about to hit his face and casting a shadow. I squeezed off a couple of shots, hoping that I had enough DOF and my hands would be steady enough. They were fortunately.

Canon 1DsMkIII, 16-35mm 2.8L, handheld, ISO 800, f9, 1/8 second.

http://www.pbase.com/kahkityoong/image/93936609/original.jpg

Wheels
Piazza delle Erbe, Vicenza, ITALY

Canon 1DsMkIII, 24-105mm 4L, ISO 200, f4, shutter 1/500

http://www.pbase.com/kahkityoong/image/93893439/original.jpg

[kahkityoong]

Santo Stefano
Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, ITALY

This is one of the most elegant streets in the whole of Italy. So when I arrived in town yesterday, I pretty much made a bee-line for Via Santo Stefano. A satisfactory shot was on my to-do list and after a bit of rain in the afternoon I'm pretty happy with the results.

It's no hardship to be caught in the rain. Bologna boasts some 40km worth of arcades, some can be seen on this street.

Canon 1DsMkIII, 16-35mm 2.8L, 1 stop hard ND grad, ISO 100, f18, 6 seconds, Gitzo Traveller tripod.

http://www.pbase.com/kahkityoong/image/93893267/original.jpg

The Great Show
Venice, ITALY

This was the only masked person to brave the outdoors on a miserable wet morning. But what a show he put on. Despite the flat lighting there was enough to get some modeling into the face, something I've been trying to work on with my portraits.

Canon 1DsMkIII, 24-105mm 4L at 105mm, handheld, ISO 400, f4, shutter 1/25

http://www.pbase.com/kahkityoong/image/94042266/original.jpg

Blue Vision

Carnevale, Venice, ITALY

Another from Piazza San Marco. There were actually 4 of these gals in the same costume which was a great sight.

Canon 1DsMkIII, 100mm 2.8 macro USM, ISO 1600, 2.8, 1/50.
Curves to correct 50% of the blue colour cast.

http://www.pbase.com/kahkityoong/image/94044554/original.jpg

[01fgm]

Absolutlely stunning photos.I think my favorite would have to be the blue vision then a close second by the last photo!

[Darvidanoar]

Wow! Great shots all. Difficult to pick a favourite, but I do like the red and blue masked folk .. they look so spooky!

(yet another country to add to my holiday wishlist :))

[Mike]

Your lighting and technical is spot on as usual although I feel they lack the excellence and originality that your landscapes have, Roland Barthes describes the 'punctum' in photography which I think is missing here .. apart from the cyclist.

[Darvidanoar]

'puctum' eh?

I guess for me, the first thing that popped into my head was 'Eyes Wide Shut'. Remember that whole scene when he was unmasked (shiver)?

Then with the blue one, we are looking side on at someone who probably cannot see us through his mask. (A chance to be a bit of a voyeur and really check him out?) BUT then my eye is drawn to the out of focus figure in the background who is watching me. (sprung!)

Well, at least that's what I got from it :)

Thanks for the lesson, Mike. (intended as such or not)
I learned something very interesting, tonight.

[kahkityoong]

Interesting view Mike, you are not alone in your opinion. Feedback on how my work is perceived is appreciated. In this regard I feel the opposite way. Having prints of most of my work perhaps gives me a different perspective too. I found my series from Italy to be far more satisfying to me than my landscape work. The main reason for this is that I think the use of light is more mature in the travel photography. The whole range : backlight, single light source, cross-over, reflected, shadows, etc are used. Maybe it's just that landscapes come easier to me than other genres. Even then it's usually my least popular landscapes that appeal to me. Still I would say #2, #3 & #5 are among the best of my work, landscape or travel.

[bushanwater]

Nice work, very nice work.

[Carrot]

You really are an outstanding photographer. Great work. :)

[Desire]

Top Stuff

I enjoy viewing your work

[Mike]

K. Have you seen Ernst Hass's (a member of Magnum and an early adopter of colour photographer and slow shutter speed blur images using Kodachrome 25) photography of Venice? I cant find the pics on the web but did find a magazine on ebay which i'm happy just bought ..
I think he had troubles with Magnum for his radical approach to photography (colour + blur)!

[MistieWatters]

Then with the blue one, we are looking side on at someone who probably cannot see us through his mask. (A chance to be a bit of a voyeur and really check him out?) BUT then my eye is drawn to the out of focus figure in the background who is watching me. (sprung!)

I felt that too!

Personally, I think "Reverence" is my favourite of that lot. The lighting is spot on for me with it just touching the man's face. The way he is dressed suits the photo too, like he was meant to be there for that shot.