St Peter's Square, Vatican city
View of St Peter's square from the Basilica on a February afternoon
View of St Peter's square from the Basilica on a February afternoon
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Sep, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken from the top of St Peter's Basilica in The Vatican.Time
It was taken around lunchtime on a cold February day.Lighting
It was a very overcast day with heavy cloud cover. This gave the whole picture a grey cast and darkened the River Tiber in the distance. I couldn't close the aperture as far as I wanted to for the sharpest shotEquipment
I used a handheld Canon 450d (it was 2010) with a Tamron 70-300 attachedInspiration
After the tough and cramped climb up the inside of the basilica it was amazing to almost burst out onto the roof to this view. I was attracted by the symmetry of the buildings alongside the Via della Conciliazione that drew my eye to the River in the background and beyond. Still regret that I didn't get the Caligula obelisk right in the middle!Editing
I boosted the yellow of the buildings and also sharpened up the image to the maximum possible to pull out the detailIn my camera bag
I now carry a 6d with a 24-105L on and a 17-40L in the bag. Also have a 50mm 1.8 for low light no flash situations and a Canon 70-300 non-L (next purchase is a 70-200 2.8!!). Always have a 430exII with me now tooFeedback
In such a prime tourist location it's good to go early and beat the crowds. Out of season can help too when light in can be more moody rather than the crisp blue of the summer. I've also learned that when you get yourself into hard earned positions to take advantage by taking as many shots as possible, shooting in RAW to optimise post processing capability and making small adjustments that can have a real impact on the look of a shot. Don't leave a one off location with regrets that you didn't try something!
