One of my favorite photos from Venice is one I took of four old ladies sitting on a bench in a park. They were in a picturesque spot, and the ladies themselves were classic. I posed my son nearby to hopefully make it appear I was shooting a picture of him instead of them. Point is that there is a pic around every corner, both scenery and people. PJK

Wow. I just got back from work and much to my delight, found all your messages.

Very quickly:
- Daneille--thanks much for the tip of taking shots from the vaporetto itself, that's a lower vantage point than standing on either side of the grand canal and will make for shots from an interesting angle.
- Travelnut--your suggestions are great! And I especially like your idea of always taking a picture of a local cat wherever you go...I think I need to find a similar totem.
- Tom--I'm joining in the chorus that ooh's and ahh's over your pictures...they're quite stunning. Quick question--where did you take the aerial shots in the venice2006 set? Were they from the Campanile in St. Mark's Square? At dusk? And were you using a tripod? Your site is also great in that you show some of the settings you'd used to take a particular picture--which is of particular interest/help to me...so thanks!
- Tara--thanks so much for sharing your pics--I enjoyed your pictures a lot--esp. the scenes of the fish market and the folks interacting with the birds which brought a smile:-)
- Miss Prism--your lovely pictures of Burano underscore the suggestions made by luvtotravel and cadillac1234 .... I have yet to go to Burano and now feel like I really need to do so!

- Ira--is there "any place that's not too far from a canal" in Venice? ;-)
Also, you'd asked why I planned to only take pictures during dusk and dawn, and stay camera free otherwise. There are two main reasons for this: I mentioned that I would be using a dslr, which, with the attendant lenses/filters/tripod accessories are pretty heavy to cart around all day. (Gromit--I hear you on a good camera bag.) So it's easier to have a specific, and limited, time and place in mind to use the dslr and enjoy this growing obsession with photography. As I understand it, the special quality of light during dusk and dawn makes for fabulous pictures, and during the very early morning I hope that: (a) I won't be battling crowds, and (b) the waters are a little calmer to take good reflection shots. Hence, my choice of using the dslr at those times.

As for all other times, while it's true that great shots are still to be had, I just want to enjoy being in Venice! For me that means enjoying vaporetto rides, walking, drinking cappuccinos, repeat. I know that there are those who do a great job of balancing photography while they enjoy getting to know a city, but I can't do that yet. I'm still learning a lot about photography so that it's an intense activity which is quite opposite to the relaxing pace that I am also looking forward too. Perhaps I'm alone in this, but sometimes, if I've been clicking away for a while in order to capture a special moment or experience, I feel like I actually ended up missing the experience as a whole because I was more focused on the act of taking pictures. (Of course I've also had the opposite, where I feel like my desire to frame a shot, or get a small detail, makes me pay more attention to a subject and I feel like I notice things that I might not have had I not been shooting.)

Anyway, I'm thoughts are tending towards a circular logic here, so I'll just leave this discussion with: I would love to strive to achieve a balance, but until that day--and until they make lighter cameras and attendant equipment--I plan on just setting aside x amount of time for photography, and will spend the rest of the time happily exploring Venice with my sweetie:-) Still, as Gromit points out the beauty of night shots, and as luvtotravel and cadillac1234 speak of the heavenly colors of Burano, I'm starting to revisit my dawn/dusk timings, as well as our itinerary!

- Tomassocroccante--I just rented Summertime from the library this past weekend! Haven't seen it yet, but am thinking of giving it back (its on an old VHS tape) and getting the Criterion DVD from Netflix instead. I loved your description of the movie's palette--I bet it'll be quite inspiring re: thinking of how to capture the colors of Venice.

- And finally, ilana25841--I enjoy playing with the B&W and Sepia effects too! I haven't thought to do that with Venice pictures in particular and I'll make a mental note to do so...

Again, thanks everyone, and if there are any other suggestions of specific locations (is Torcello a good place for pictures? is the view from the campanile of San Giorgio Maggiore worth it or does it pale in comparison to the view from bell tower at St. Mark's? and, can one really see the Dolomites from the campanile of St. Mark's?), I would appreciate it!

--Cricket

Cricket,

Glad you like my photos. To answer your questions:

Yes the aerial shots were taken from the Campinale at dusk. And no I did not use a tripod.

I understand not wanting to haul all your equipment everywhere. I would suggest after shooting your morning shots, drop off all the extras but take the camera itself. You never know when a photo op will happen.

The view from San Giorgio is more than worth it, as is the inside of the church itself:

www.pbase.com/trsw/image/69031682
www.pbase.com/trsw/image/69031679

What kind of camera did your friend give you? Since you have about a month until your trip, I would start playing around with manual settings. You can control the color saturation and contrast better than the auto settings.

Have a great trip!! And if possible, post a link to your photos, I can never get tired at looking at the beauty that is Venice.

Tom

I can appreciate your explanation of why you don't want to carry the camera and gear all day. You are wise to know yourself!

I highly recommend you take a portable storage unit with you to put your pictures on each night. You will be amazed how many pictures you will take with the digital. My husband and I visited Venice, Tuscany area, Sorrento, and Rome last year. In a two week period we took over 2000 photos...

There are some pictures of Torcello at
http://sylvia.photoblog.me.uk/c554610_13.html

I sent Canon Chasuble to the top of the Campanile. I don't like heights ;-)
He got some nice shots of the Lagoon

Why not contact Venetian-Finnish photographer Eva Ohtonen who does photo tours to help photographers get the most out of their stay. her website is www.studioimmaginovenezia.com

I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know from your previous visits, but Venice is overrun with tourists, so I wouldn't even let that affect my decisions. Also, you probably already know that literally everything there is a photo op--and you'll discover that it wasn't just your previous imagination. Venice is just as beautiful through the camera lense as it is without it. It's basically one big postcard. Even the little floating vegetable markets and weird, kinky sex shops make awesome pictures in Venice. In fact, once I got home, those were some of my favorite photos I took of Venice. Also, another tip: There are some awesome shots to be had at and from San Michel (the cemetery island).

Yes Venice is one of the most photogenic places on earth. My photos of Venice are at www.pbase.com/annforcier

You asked for opinions on photographing Venice so here goes - first I would not leave the camera in the room during the day. Some of the best shots are midday. I know what you mean about the weight of the camera though. I actually have gone from heavy SLR (film) to non-SLR digital to digital SLR and now back to non-digital SLR. The reason? The weight of the SLR plus I found the quality of the photographs with my Canon Digital SLR were not really superior to those I get with a non SLR digital. I've had several and currently am in love with the Panasonic Lumix FZ8 which is the lightest and cheapest of about 4 digital "SLR-like" cameras that I've used. On my most recent trip this summer my Canon Digital SLR stayed home and the Panasonic came with me and I'm very happy with my results. So I guess what I'm saying is that even though someone gave you a digital SLR, you might want to just consider leaving it home and bringing something smaller and lighter that you could feel comfortable carrying all day. I travel extensively and photographing the places I go it a major part of my trips. The SLR-like cameras have all manual control and zoom lenses.

Another suggestion, especially if you do decide to bring the SLR is to get a small "back-up" camera. I have a Canon digital Elph. Fits in a pocket. I use it when I want to put the larger camera in my bag and be more or less camera free, it's just point and shoot. At least get one of those and carry it with you during the day. Sometimes the shots with it are better than with the more expensive, more complicated cameras.

While you won't get great results with a truly crappy camera, photography is more about the lighting, the photographer and the scene than the camera.

The only addition I have to all everyone has already posted is that if possible, you ought to have a wide-angle lens on your camera. In Venice in particular, it is sometimes difficult to get enough distance from your subject to get it all in (in small piazzas, for example.) After my last trip, I bought a Canon SD800 IS specifically because it has wide-angle capabilities (image stabilization is nice too.)