I am an avid amateur photographer and am looking for any tips people may have for photographing Florence. I certainly don’t mind getting up early to get to certain places in the city for good lighting or when places are less crowded. Which venues are the best to photograph in the morning, late afternoon or evening? Markets that are open in the morning decent or are they completely crowded? Any advice is appreciated!

mhohol: The Cascine market (Tuesdays) was a fertile ground for photography, both of wares and shoppers. The light was good at 8:15, and it wasn't too crowded. I've loved photographing back streets and vistas in the early morning as the mist is lifting in small Tuscan towns, but I don't know what that would be like in Florence. We were staying about 40 km outside of Florence and drove in a couple of times, so 8:00 was about as early as we ever arrived.

The Sant' Ambrogio market (Piazza Ghiberti/Piazza Ambrogio, mornings Monday to Saturday) is another interesting market. Try their hot chocolate when you've finished photographing. There is a market in the Piazza of Santa Croce church most mornings, and often a second hand/wooden ware, etc., one on weekends.

You'll find so many choices, there's always another opportunity just around the next corner. Piazza Michelangelo is another spot,as well as San Miniato, a bit further up the hill. The cemetery at San Miniato will provide more choices. Oh, and you can get some great shots from any of the bridges across the Arno.

The top floor of the Uffizi around sunset gives great shots of the Ponte Vecchio.

And, on Borgo San Jacopo between the Ponte Vecchio and Ponte a Santa Trintia, there is a hotel on the right side of the road with a small terrace on the river where you can have drinks with a fabulous view of the Ponte Vecchio. Sorry, don't know the name of it. But, it was an elegant hotel if that helps. The entrance of the hotel was on an 'alley' type of opening which went the length of the hotel to the terrace and the river. Fabulous night shots of the Ponte Vecchio. Apparently some local tour guides know of it because as I sat there with a glass of wine and camera in hand, a tour group came along to also take photos.

Much of central Florence is well enough lit at night to be photographed, including many shop windows which are gorgeously and colorfully arranged.

Although the San Lorenzo open air market is jammed, the covered market inside is often less crowded.

I also found the cloisters of Santa Maria Novella to offer a chance to photograph freschi up close (no flashes allowed).

http://www.adgblog.it/2006/10/19/the...las-cloisters/

We crossed the Arno and made our way to San Mineato al Monte which is a church up in the hills of Florence. It took about an hour to walk, but you could get a taxi. Looking back towards the Duomo the views of Florence were fabulous and provided great photo opportunities.

If you want to cross the Arno to get classic views from near San Miniato al Monte, you can take a bus to Piazzele Michaelangelo.

Make the shot your own, no matter where you are. Look for different perspectives, angles, and combinations of textures. Do not shoot the entire structure. This is especially true of things have been shot and drawn over and over again.

Be bold and confident, it will show in your work.

These are great insights - thank you all. Your advice is exactly what I was looking for. I'm assuming the mornings are the best times for the markets...?

I like to shoot nighttime as well, so thanks for the advice on the ponte vecchio. The hotel sounds like the perfect different find for a different perspective. I'm always the crazy one getting down real low or in crazy positions to get good/different shots!

If any of you have pictures you'd like to share from your travels please let me know! It's crazy to look thru thousands of stock photography pics online.

many thanks!

I think the hotel may be Hotel Lungarno at Borgo San Jacopo, 14. It would be the little terrace off the ground floor lounge bar. But, it looks like they have a beautiful rooftop terrace, also! Wish I knew when I was there!

http://www.lungarnohotels.com/it/fir...restaurants-13