Buon Giorno from Florence!

johnmireles · March 26, 2010

I'm a new member here, but a long time photographer. I just arrived in Italy for a month long stay. I'll be updating daily as I go along. I shot this first batch with my point and shoot, but I'll be headed out tonight with the big gun.

Me on the plane waiting to take off at Gatwick in London:

Here's the view from our apartment window.

Here's the entrance to my apartment.

I've posted more images from my travel and first day here.

John

Moogle Pepper · March 26, 2010

These are awesome! I love Florence with all my heart and hope to actually live there! DEfinitely love the first one!

johnmireles · March 26, 2010

Here's a few more from tonight:

More in my Smugmug gallery.

John

Moogle Pepper · March 28, 2010

That gelato spot does have the best gelato!! My hostel was across the city from it and it was so good that I would trek across the city just to get some! Sure Florence is pretty walkable, still! The gelato there was so delish!

Awais Yaqub · March 28, 2010

Beautiful series thanks for sharing, will love to see more

Eclipsed · March 28, 2010

Wow, those are awesome!

Are you using a tilt shift or a lensbaby? It's hard to tell whether you are doing it with PP after the fact or not.

johnmireles · March 29, 2010

The_Fat_Zebra wrote:

Nice pics - I've lived here for 4 years now, I guess I stop seeing things after a while. If you've got some time for travel, I can recommend Perugia & San Gimignano for some nice photo-ops as well. More avoid-the-tourist-trap tips: In FLR itself, find santo spirito, and go to the trattoria on the corner left from the church, great food, good photo-ops. If you're up for some real ice cream from a local plcae, go to via dei neri. It's near where you live and you'll never want anything else. If you want great food with excellent view over florence: go to fiesole, and take the little road up from the square. Super steep walk uphill, and all of a sudden you'll see the whole of florence. Take a long telezoom )

Thanks for the tips. We're definitely planning on going to Fiesole. I'll try to check out the other places too. There's so many great spots that it's hard to go wrong.

John

Moogle Pepper · March 30, 2010

John,

I think you should take shots of EVERY gelato place you go to. Document the gelato eating!

The_Fat_Zebra · March 30, 2010

Moogle Pepper wrote:

John,

I think you should take shots of EVERY gelato place you go to. Document the gelato eating!

If John won't, I will borrow that idea

Moogle Pepper · March 30, 2010

The_Fat_Zebra wrote:

If John won't, I will borrow that idea

It doesn't matter, to me, who does it, as long as someone does!! Just that since John is there currently, it would be easier for him! Florence gelato is the best.

johnmireles · March 30, 2010

Actually, my wife is the food documentarian. She photographs all the food we order as well as the food she cooks while we're here. We've been loving the gelato so I'll see if I can't wrangle some photos from her. She's a pro as well so her stuff looks pretty good. Here's her website: www.jenniferdery.com

John

johnmireles · March 30, 2010

Today's post is all about the people. I decided to do some street photography to capture some of the personalities walking about. It's not easy to get an interesting shot of a random person out on the street. As I mentioned in my Floatopia post, I like to be up close and personal with my images. I don't use long lenses unless I absolutely have to.

Since I'm shooting with a wide angle, I have to be up really close ten feet is too far away. More like three to five feet. That means the subject can see the camera and usually hear me taking the photo. Working on a busy street helps to hide the noise. I try to be sly. I think that people know what I'm doing but they're not sure so they just keep on going.

Some people are not happy at the sight of my camera. No worries. So long as I can get them in focus, I'm happy.

Trying to catch someone unawares is tough. I saw this woman, snapped a quick shot then doubled back to make sure I got the shot. She saw me and walked away from the window. Fortunately, the first one worked.

Usually, I don't like to photograph people from behind, but I just liked the shadows so I started following these girls. They eventually caught on to what I was doing and started teasing me. It's tough to respond when you don't know the language.

A lot of my photos are just a bit soft. That's because I'm usually walking in the opposite direction. I have to stick out my camera so that it won't be noticed but that leaves me with little control over it. Often, I'm either off with my focus or the subject is moving too fast relative to the camera.

I hate it when I lose a great moment due to blown focus. I was happy to see that I didn't blow this one.

Saw this moment first thing this morning. It has a timeless feel to it.

John

johnmireles · March 31, 2010

Today was tourist day. We hit the Duomo which is the largest brick and mortor dome in the world. It's the tallest cathedral in Florence. We hiked up the narrow stairs that lead to the superb view at the top. It's like a dungeon except that you're going up - not down.

The view of the city on the way up.

And the view from the top...

Then it was off to the Uffizi museum which is one of the great museums in the world. Amazing, amazing art. So much that it's overload. But first, it was time for hot chocolate. Italian hot chocolate is dark and thick. I think I'm addicted.

You're not supposed to shoot photos of the art. I got yelled at for taking this shot.

I also got yelled at for taking this photo. I didn't care though. The moment was worth it. This is what Eliot Irwitt calls the "indecisive moment."

A view of the Ponte Vecchio from the top of the museum.

By the way, if you want to become a better photographer, study classical art. There's so much there - from composition to lighting to posing - to learn from. Every time I look at a great piece of art, I realize how much I have to learn. There is nothing like seeing a Boticelli or Michaelangelo in person. Seeing Boticelli's Birth of Venus almost moved me to tears.

Here's the Palazo Vecchio from the roof deck.

And then it was time for a walk along the streets.

We cruised along until we came across this cemetery. It's for protestants - mostly English speakers so the tombstones were in English. The poet Elizabeth Barret Browning was buried here.

Finally, it was back to the apartment. Caught this view of the Duomo cathedral on the way back. Had to snap a photo.

By the way, all of these were shot with my little S90 point and shoot. I love that thing! It shoots raw and slips so nicely into my pocket. Max aperture is f2.0 which is way better than most SLR lenses.

I got some more night shots with my 5D MII, but those will have to wait until tomorrow. By the way, if you have comments about what you see, let me know. I can see that people are looking, but I hear nothing but the birds chirpin'. (Actually more like the scooters zooming on the street below. No birds this time of year.)

John

Moogle Pepper · March 31, 2010

I am still waiting on the gelato.

Qarik · March 31, 2010

these are awesome dude..just awesome.

dlplumer · March 31, 2010

Very nice set from one of my favorite places.

johnmireles · April 1, 2010

Eclipsed wrote:

Wow, those are awesome!

Are you using a tilt shift or a lensbaby? It's hard to tell whether you are doing it with PP after the fact or not.

I use a tilt-shift lens. It's the same lens I use for my nighttime architectural shots. I like the nice vertical lines. All PP has been done in Lightroom. No PS for any of these images.

John

johnmireles · April 3, 2010

A Tour of Tuscany
Today I had the bright idea that we should go for a ride in the Tuscan countryside. So, off I went in search of a rental car. After a quick walk a couple of blocks down the street to rental car alley, I walked into Avis looking forward to walking out with a shiny new mini-Fiat or something molto Italian.

Unfortunately, it being a holiday weekend, Avis was out of not just the Euro-specials, but all of their cars. So was the Eurocar shop. And the place next door to it. From door to door I went with the same answer from all of them. They're all in a row so the rejection was quick and easy from one to the next.

My last stop was into some no-name hole in the wall. They gave me the same answer as everyone else: "No cars." When the signore saw my dejected face, he offered, "But we do have one scooter left."

Given that the weather has varied between cold, luke-warm and raining for the past few days, the idea of roaming the countryside in a scooter wasn't what I was thinking. Before I could give it much thought, another customer walked in behind me also looking for that one last operable rental vehicle in Florence. I decided, what the heck, "I'll take it. Grazia. Si Vous Plais. Per Favore. Gimmie the Scooter."

Before I go on, I should explain that the Italians have taken scooters to high art. Everyone rides a scooter. Actually, I've seen many people driving cars, but I've yet to see an open parking spot so the issue isn't so much driving cars as it is stopping them. Instead, both the rich and poor, male and female, young hip and old staid all putt-putt about town. I shouldn't say that. The scooters here are almost as big as the small cars (which are puny to be sure). Some even have full canopies to protect their daredevil drivers.

Now I expected to get one of the luxurious scooters that were parked out in front of the little rental car shop. Something with a good sized engine and ample space for me and the wifey to hang on in back. Here's what I was expecting from Guisseppi's Maxirent Palazio:

Instead, we walk to the end of scooter row and I see this puny two-wheeler that calls a moped "daddy." I ask what about those other ones? The signore tells me in broken English, "Oh this scooter is perfect for a ride in the city!

But I'm going to the country.

"Oh, this scooter she is perfect for a ride in the country."

Meanwhile I'm looking to see where the candid camera is hidden.

So off we go. It's been twenty years since I've ridden one of these things. I'm a little nervous to be relearning my scooter skills on an underpowered hamster wheel in the middle of the perpetual rally car race that is Florence. Miraculously, we make it out of the city and out into the hills. Even though the point was to get lost, we even managed to get lost in the right direction.

We're soon rewarded with winding roads and beautiful views. Man I want one of these things! (Except with 750 cc's, a fat tail pipe, and a sissy bar so that my old lady can lean back in her black tassled leather pants.) I now understand what people mean when they talk about a Tuscan color palette. Mottled olives, grays, dark greens, and mustards dotted the hillside.

What's great is that all the mile markers are in... kilometers. So something that's 10 miles on the sign away is actually only 6. Before we know it, we're getting lost in little towns with only one road and just enough signs to confuse Americans who rarely leave the interstate.

The air was cold, but the feeling of not knowing where we were going and the possibility of discovering something new made it easy to forget that my Hugo Boss jacket was much better looking than it was practical. Up we climbed into the mountains until we came to this little restaurant high above a valley.

And here's a photo of the menu in case you might want to phone in an order. I had the ravioli with the insalate. Yes, it was as good as you might imagine. Fresh. And perfectly accompanied by a glass of Chiante - from a local vinter seeing as we were in the Chiante region.

Then it was back on the road. After awhile, the cold air and the fact that I shared a small seat with Jen tempered the excitement that I'd felt earlier. It was time to point the scooter north.

But the views were sublime.

I don't have any photos of the last part of my story. I was too busy holding on, fighting the cobblestones and traffic. Getting back into the city was an epic. It's truly a city where you can't get there from here. Major streets would just end with no way out. The problem is that much of the central part of Florence is off-limits to cars.

Actually, it's off-limits to some cars but not others. Given that I don't read Italian nor do I subscribe to their Formula One driving habits, I alternately felt like the smallest head of cattle caught in a stampede or a salmon swimming against the stream (with my demise awaiting me).

By the way, Italians have great respect for the right of way of pedestrians and other vehicles. They believe you have the right to get the hell out of their way. This was a right that I duly exercised and somehow managed to survive.

Tomorrow is Easter. They light the fireworks in the church which in turn light fireworks outside amid throngs of people. Should be yet another thing the likes of which I will never see in the USA.

John

Elaine · April 4, 2010

Fantastic, beautiful images and wonderful stories. I look forward to more! Thank you for sharing.

Moogle Pepper · April 4, 2010

Seeing you put the ts in action makes me want to pick up that lens! How was the scooters?

johnmireles · April 5, 2010

Happy Easter!
Yesterday was a treat. Easter. In Florence. A spectacle.

We'd heard that there was a parade for Easter so we took off to the main square bright and early. As I walked out our front door, which is right in the thick of everything, I could hear the subtle sounds of a low rumble. I wasn't sure at first if it was just traffic, but as we walked down the road, it became louder and louder. My pace quickened and my heart picked up.

Sound echos from tall stone buildings that make up Florence. The sound of 30 or more drummers crashes off the walls and thunders down the alleys. It's a feeling to behold. A parade is just getting underway!

When we arrived on scene, there was just a handful of people. Quickly the crowd grew and we were treated to a 30 minute scene of flag tossing by, as my wife puts it, men in tights.

The heavy beat of the snare drums accentuates the sense of tradition that pervades the piazza. Everything around us is hundreds of years old. Even the costumes the men wore aren't really costumes; they're the same outfits that their forebears have worn for literally hundreds of years. There's a sense of something bigger conveyed by the traditions being carried out today.

The crowd grew by leaps and bounds. Before long, moving through the ever more congested streets became a challenge. And then, a murmur ran through the scene. Around the corner came into a view a tall cart being towed by four massive oxen. (How often does anyone get to use that word?)

This cart was built in 1672 and has been in continuous use for this occasion ever since. This cart is 100 years older than my country, the United States. Talk about a sense of perspective. It should be in a museum, but here it is getting pulled along over the same flagstones year after year.

At this point, the crowds were too thick for me to get close to the action. As the cart was pulled into place, Easter mass was in session in the cathedral. Even above the noise of the packed masses, you could hear the words of the priest inside.

Outside, the church bells clanged. The dignitaries gathered round the cart. Workers quickly rigged the cart for the main event. Finally, after 30 minutes of patiently waiting, the drums and horns signaled that the moment had come.

From inside the giant cathedral flew a dove shaped rocket - set off by the priest inside the church. With a bang and an explosion, it hit the cart which spontaneously ignited with a roar. Rockets screeched and flew high into the air. Smoke billowed upward and outward. Fireworks exploded and cracked.

Again, the stone walls of the cathedral and surrounding buildings concentrated the sound, making the snaps and booms ever more intense. With every round of fireworks, the crowd roared with excitement. You didn't need to be a kid nor a religious observer to enjoy the show.

Finally, it was over. Something like this could never happen in the US. Everything needs to be too controlled. The idea of a rocket flying from inside a church and smacking a 300 year old cart wouldn't fly with the fire marshal, city hall nor even the nearby homeowner's association.

The beauty of traveling is that one gets to enjoy experiences that aren't possible in our home territory. I think our notion of what is possible grows and we become the better for it.

John

Eclipsed · April 5, 2010

Once again, stunning

Your images never fail to surprise and amaze me. Truly inspirational.

Allan FG · April 6, 2010

Amazing images

johnmireles · April 7, 2010

Today's Assignment: Light and Shadow
Yesterday's post is a tough one to beat so I'm going to bring things down a notch. All day it rained. Cold. Dreary. Flat light.

We spent much of the day at the cathedral Santa Croce checking out not only gorgeous art, but the tombs of Michaelangelo, Galileo and, surprisingly, Machiavelli. (He being of morally ambivalent character - the Franciscans are surprisingly lenient as to whom they allow to be interred in their churches. They let Galileo in too. His excommunication was only recently repealed. The Franciscans were 400 years ahead of the curve on that one. Being excommunicated means that you're not even allowed on church property - since you've been condemned to the fires of hell and all - let alone buried with a massive memorial in a monumental cathedral.)

In case you haven't guessed, Santa Croce is a Franciscan church which means it's run by the Order of Saint Francis. One of the highlights was seeing an actual robe worn by the saint. (There's lots of bones of saints in Florence, not much of their wardrobe is on display however. It usually being burned at the time of their execution by the heathen tribe du jour - usually Romans.)

By the time we finished, I was hungry and freezing. Being Monday, many places were closed and the ones that were open were closed for the afternoon. After some walking, a few rejections and closed doors, we finally found a warm restaurant to settle down in. We drank a couple carafes of wine, had several courses and whiled away the afternoon

When we emerged, gone were the gray skies and dark clouds. Not a cloud was left! Just crisp warm light and blues skies. Finally!

So I grabbed my camera and headed out to catch the last hour of light as it raked across the buildings and alleys. Inspired by the hard light, I decided that my photographic theme for the day was to be shapes and shadows. Instead of trying to capture detail or tell a story about the specific objects in my photos, I'd look at them as abstract features in my compositions of light and dark. (Yes, I'm such the erudite photo dork.)

I recently read a quote from someone who said that the one great advantage that photography has over painting is black and white. So true!

By the way, my Mothe-in-Law complained to my wife that she couldn't tell what the hell was going on from my photos. I don't think she's going to be any happier from today. She just wants nice pretty snapshots. Oh well. Hope you guys don't mind my take on things.

That's it for today gang. Stay tuned for something completely different tomorrow.

John

Moogle Pepper · April 7, 2010

These are really awesome!

I love the shadow streaking on the buildings! Was this during midday?

johnmireles · April 8, 2010

Moogle Pepper wrote:

These are really awesome!

I love the shadow streaking on the buildings! Was this during midday?

These were all taken in the late afternoon about an hour and a half before sunset. Once the light got too low in the sky, the shadows were lost. Too high in the sky and the light doesn't rake through the alleys or cast long shadows. It's got to be just right. Fortunately, the light is just right pretty much all day here depending on your subject matter.

John

Buon Giorno from Florence!

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