Sometimes You Just Miss

On December 9, 2013, in Italy, by admin
Alessandro Dari - Artisan

Alessandro Dari – Artisan (click to enlarge)

Sometimes  you just miss the shot.  My wife bought a ring in Florence, Italy, at the shop of  Alessandro Dari.  She picked out a Venetian Wedding Ring which was slightly large.  Allesandro offered to size the ring as we waited.  I asked Alessandro if I could take a few pictures which he said was okay.

I was shooting through an opening between the showroom and his work area, hand holding the camera in the dim lighting, trying not to put too much weight on the glass display case under my elbows.  The slow shutter speed introduced blurring, and his work light resulted in that blown out area.  The work light also put a lot of glare on the ring he is holding on his finger.  That ring was meant to be the focus of the image, with his tools softly blurred in the background.  No way to rescue this image in post-processing.

However, my wife loves the ring and this is one of her favorite snapshots of the entire vacation.

You must visit Alessandro’s website, absolutely fantastic work.  If you get to Florence, go visit.  You can get a beautiful piece of jewelry for a reasonable price.  Much better than any shop on the Ponte Vecchio.  Finding his shop was a happy accident as we wandered upon it while walking to another destination.

Location: Via San Niccolo, 115R 50125,  Firenze, Italy

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Posters – Gelateria of Italy

On November 10, 2013, in Italy, Photography Tips, by admin

 

Italian Gelateria Poster

Gelateria of Italy Poster (click to enlarge)

Posters make a nice reminder of a special trip.  During your trip take lots of pictures with a theme of some sort.  Better yet, pick several potential themes since you never know how many images you will get of one theme, or if that theme will even work once you start building your poster.  Everyone has seen posters of Irish Doors,  many towns have posters of the various bars.  You should build your own posters to personalize the memories hanging on your walls.

The poster above has the signs of various gelateria we visited during an Italian vacation.  Along the edges of the poster are the flavors of gelato we enjoyed (I should say thoroughly enjoyed!).  Yes, we had over 50 different flavors.  The signs are from gelateria in Venice, Florence, Sienna, Manarola, Bellagio, Vernazza, and San Gimignano.  Not a bad gelatto among the entire bunch!

The best?  Far and away Vizio Virtu in Venice.

This poster is 24″ x 36″.   I had it printed out at Costco for less than $10, a real bargain!

Florence Night Skyline

On September 28, 2013, in Italy, Photography Tips, by admin
Florence Night Skyline

Florence night skyline from the tower of the Hotel Torre Guelfa.

Another panorama taken with my Really Right Stuff PG-02 Pro Omni-Pivot Package.  This was a series of nine images stitched together using Photoshop’s Photomerge function (File -> Automate -> Photomerge).  Each image was a 25 second exposure.

The image was taken from the tower of the Hotel Torre Guelfa.  This is the tallest privately owned tower in central Florence.  The hotel has a bar at the top of the tower which is the perfect place to watch sunset.

Be sure to book early and ask for Room 315.  Here is what the website says about that room (we booked it):

Room 315 is our jewel in the crown. One arrives through a very steep stair which leads from the third floor to an even higher level, where you find yourself on the roofs of Florence! Characteristic is a big terrace,  equipped with sofa and comfy chairs and a remote controlled shade, which allows you to live the city in a privileged way, even during the hottest season of the year. A romantic iron canopy bed and visible wooden beams on the attic ceiling makes this room so special.

I heard about this hotel during a photography seminar that I attended at the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.  The seminar leaders, Tom and Pat Cory, also run a seminar in Italy.  Tom and Pat base their Florence photography seminars in this hotel.  If you are interested in a photography seminar in the Smokey Mountains, Tom and Pat are highly recommended.

Location:N43 46 09.20  E011 15 11.04

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