Dan, what wonderful pictures!! I recognize so many of these places!!
AS you know, I have many with the exact same backgrounds, but you have a real pro's eye for the esthetics of composition, AND a fisheye lens (I think)!
How well I know that trancelike flow that prevents one from stopping once you start printing and publishing these images. Getting them online is like preserving a precious but transient piece of your life and sharing it with others at the same time.
Thanks!!

Dan,

Thank you for sharing your photos of Italy. I am hoping to visit Rome, Venice and Florence next September or October and your photos have really given me a feel for these wonderful places.

This past September was my first trip to Europe. I stayed in Paris for 12 days and loved it so much and because I did I was worried that no other place would inspire me the way Paris did. I think Italy will. Of course Paris will always be my first love and will be ending my Italy trip with a visit to Paris as well.

I was warned that once I traveled to Europe I would be bitten by the travel bug and I am.

What beautiful photography. Thank you so much for sharing with all of us.

Dan is a seriously good photographer. If you don't want to view the whole webiste, do take a look at these...

http://www.oneeyed.homestead.com/files/Italy/Venice/JCannaregioCat.jpg

http://www.oneeyed.homestead.com/files/Italy/Florence/JFlorPMTerrace1.jpg

http://www.oneeyed.homestead.com/files/Italy/Florence/JFlorStCroceOver.jpg

http://www.oneeyed.homestead.com/files/JFlorPtVech1.jpg

http://www.oneeyed.homestead.com/files/Italy/Florence/JFlorPtVechRower.jpg

http://www.oneeyed.homestead.com/files/Italy/Rome/JRomForumDusk.jpg

http://www.oneeyed.homestead.com/files/Italy/Rome/JRomForumAngle.jpg

http://www.oneeyed.homestead.com/files/Italy/Rome/JRomPantheonCeiling.jpg

http://www.oneeyed.homestead.com/files/Italy/Rome/JRomTreviLit.jpg

http://www.oneeyed.homestead.com/files/JRomVatMusSteps.jpg

You're a real cutey, Dan. Mrs. Dan is very lucky.

WOWOWOWOWOW!

Rwoof! Woof! rrrrrWoof!

Dan!

Your photos are absolutely OUTSTANDING, and I want to know how to take pictures just like you RIGHT NOW. Have you ever thought of giving up your day job (still smiling at the memory of those dead cats) and becoming a pro?

Uh-oh! Half an hour later it hit me. I LOVE cats. Dan and Gina met my husband and me for dinner in Rome for a mini-Fodor's GTG. Dan made a comment at dinner that brought back a high-school memory about cats. The fact that the cats were dead definitely did not evoke the smile, so if any of you out there who also love cats took my comment the wrong way, I apologize. I only open my mouth to change feet

Well, um, interesting comments everyone. Glad you enjoyed them. One secret, which Jim Tardio also uses a lot, is a wide angle lens (mine is 20-35, not as wide as a fisheye, which would make the photos look round). I bought it just before this trip and felt it added a lot of capability, especially in the narrow streets of Venice, but also to get some of the effects like the angled Forum shot. Wide lenses have distortion that can be either frustrating or give good effects. I hope to play around with it some more and fully learn how to use it. At times, it got me shots that I probably could not have made with the 28-105 lens. For example, I shot the Victor Emmanuel Monument through the fence in front and was able to get it all in even with that close distance. I used this lens for the Cannaregio Cat photo too, which is one of my new favorites. I was no more than two feet from the cats face, and I must say the cat was very patient and gets a lot of the credit for making the shot work. A real plus is that you can get a lot of a subject in the frame while at a short distance. This allows you to leave things out that you don't want. One thing that did frustrate me a lot on this trip's photos was my choice of film. Mostly I used Fuji Superia Reala 100, which is excellent for scenics on sunny days. However, a lot of the skin tones were a little off - too much magenta. I had to work on that a bit on the computer, and that is the reason for the two black and white conversions I did. For the most part, I had been happy with skin tones from this film in the past. I think I should have used more fill flash to correct for some of that.

Dan, Wonderful stuff--I am envious. I love my Euro pics but I am not in the same class with you and Jim Tardio. You have a great eye for composition.

Your wide angle zoom has served you very well. I think it's the best choice for travel photography...especially in Europe.

I, too, like the cat shot. I enjoyed all the sections, and particularly liked your Florence shots.

It's time to plan that next trip.