Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - What is your most beautiful vantage point (or photo op) in all of Italy?

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Sorry don't shoot digital. Was browsing my Italy shots again and another favorite is a VERY close up of a fountain actually just a piece of the fountain. A cherub holding a fish with water shooting out of the fish's mouth. Set your shutter speed high and get close - interesting.

Thanks for sending the photos, Bob. Portofino looks like a great place.

Thank you so much for a great post...Howard, taht site is awesome! Maybe my hubby and I will send you some pics from our honeymoon April 16-May 10 :) Jamie

When I was in Siena (July of 2001)I decided to get away from all of the day trippers and venture outside town. Its amazing how quickly you are in the Tuscan countryside - it was beautiful. I wandered for about an hour and took a ton of pictures, I was there around noonish. I would also have to agree with Howard - no matter how much planning you've put into a trip, I don't think you could ever fully anticipate how beautiful Venice is as soon as you step out of the train station.

From the top of the campanile on Torcello, Venice in November we took a stunning picture looking back across the lagoon to Venice

The crete senese, south of Siena: the rolling hills with their white/grey/yellow/brownish soil, a farmhouse with a long driveway and a few cypresses in the front. Magnificent.

Hi Dog Mother, I am a dog mother too! Some of my most beautiful pictures were taken on the grounds of La Foce in Val d' Orcia in Tuscany. It is the home and land of the author Iris Origo who wrote War in Val d'Orcia and other books. You can take photos of the outside of the house, all of the gardens and the rolling hillsides surrounding it. There are guided tours certain days of the week. It was the highlight of my trip two years ago.

What might be the easiest way all of us could put our best photo of Italy on one web page? Wouldn't that be one terrific site?!!!!

In Portovenere in the castle, looking thru one of the stone arches toward the coastline and sea, with the arch framing the view. I framed my photo and have it on my wall. An Italian friend saw it and said "Ah, from the castle in Portovenere, right?" Apparently it is a very famous view. And I thought I was being original!

Nocinonut, what time of year did you go to LaFoce? We're renting there in three weeks. The web site looks lovely but it always reassuring to hear from someone who's been there.

Nutella, I too have that shot at Portovenere, but I also like the one thru the arches at San Pietro church at sunset. Another fav is that church taken from the water. Portovenere is one big photo op for me.

The hill overlooking the harbor at Portofino. Lovely yachts, colorful houses, beautiful water. Also, Cinque Terra for same photo ops. Also got nice pictures at Lake Carezza in the Dolomites. Have fun.

Hi Judy, we were there in late May, I guess it varies every year and I dont know about the blooms this year, but it will be Spring anyway. I know you will love it, we spoke to a couple from the US who were renting one of the farm houses and they come back every year. It is a really beautiful area, we got a little lost trying to find it so bring a good map.

I'll jump in as well! I am only recently shooting digital, so most of my favorites have been in 35mm. There are so many: Dawn from the wall of San Gimignano; Late afternoon in the fall on the wall of Lucca, leaves falling in that light, people playing chess and strolling; Florence just before a big rain from Piazzale Michelangelo; A fisherman repairing nets and teaching me in Burano; Some tiny campos you just happen upon in Venice; From the tip of the dogana looking out toward San Giorgio in Venice; Looking down at Gubbio from the one person cable car up to San Ubaldo; and my favorites--women in windows! And all the people in Italy who've shared stories, wine and pictures with me in the past 9 years of travelling there! It's an amazing place-every one of the suggestions fodorfolk made that I knew made me smile!

My favorites: Taken from under the Accademia Bridge, right where you can see the dome of Santa Maria della Salute and the barber-stripped gondola poles on the left, with a gondola on the canal of course! The two of us standing on the rooftop of my boyfriend's cousin's house in Praiano, at sunset with storm clouds and Positano in the background. A distant shot of Civita di Bagnoreggio seemingly floating on the clouds and sun shining. A close up of a St. Bernard sleeping on the stairs of a refugio where we stopped for lunch while skiing the Sella Ronda route near Cortina. Priceless!

For those who love Tuscany, check out this excellent site: www.terraditoscana.com For those who appreciate fine photography, follow the link to Sandro Santiollo's fabulous work!

Bob, Great minds think alike : )

Dog Mother •I too agree with Rex (et al) that nothing prepares you for your very first experience of Venice as you leave the train station. Nothing. Nothing will compare with that "this can't be real, but it IS moment." •For our big splurge gondola ride, we'd brought a bottle of Prosecco with us and a walkman of Puccini arias. It was sunset just as we bobbed out onto the Grand Canal and the entire Salute was bathed in peach and rose. My husband took a picture of me and I'm smiling serenely (Serenisma-ly?) with tears running down my cheeks. •Our first visit to San Miniato in Florence was just as the organist began to practice. Our visit was accompanied by the most beautiful sacred music. •We fell in love with Santantimo and returned a few days later to attend a late afternoon concert. The program was Mozart and as the afternoon sun changed, a bird was silhouetted in the rear window, fluttering. The whole audience gasped "ah, que bella.. il dove!" (or something like that.) No photos of that moment, but many of the church and it's wonderful gargoyles. •We rented a wonderful apartment in the Castello section of Montisi (a little hilltown in Tuscany, not on many maps). It was Ferragusto eve. The landlady invited us (for something like $20 ea) to the neighbohood dinner later that night. We went inside to unpack. She knocked on our door at 8pm and the street been transformed into a long table stretching up and out of sight around the corner, set with white linens, candles, strings of overhead lights, neighborhood flags and the entire neighborhood was seated and waiting for us. Speaking very little Italian, we took seats of honor next to the mayor and then had a six course homemade dinner with never-ending homemade wine and homemade olive oil... got very drunk, shared photos of our wooden New England home ("ah, Ingleses Garden!"), suddenly spoke Italian or they spoke English, and saved the day by having the only film left for the ceremonial presentation of the neighborhood plate to the mayor. I have that photo! •Checking into our room at the Punta Tragara, Capri (we'd won three nights in a raffle), we discovered our balcony was directly over the Faraglioni. Breathtaking. •Driving through the hills over a dirt road to the Abazzia Monte Oliveto Maggiore... the farmers were burning the fields, and the old stone farmhouses and the tall cypresses were all surrounded by this golden glow. OMIGOD, I want to go back NOW.

I am not a professional photographer and have always travelled with my wife. Having said that I have a few rules that I go by. It would not be fair to circle an object endlessly looking for just the right angle or light. I don't usually carry my camera in the evening (though I probably should) while going out to dinner. I take some scenery but usually just things I see, street corners, etc. You can see some photos at www.travelwalks.com and go to the 2002 trip (you can go to others but not as many photos). Hope you enjoy.

Dog Mother -- um, I think I got carried away remembering my wonderful moments. Sorry.