PRO

angelabravin

Roof detail of St Marc's cathedral

DMC-FH20

Aperture 59/10 ISO 80 Shutter 10/4000 Focal Length 400/10

upload_date

Aug, 2016

Views

Likes

+15

Awards

People's Choice in Sculptures and Statues On City Buildings Photo Challenge

Peer Award

Superb Composition

Outstanding Creativity

Top Choice

Behind The Lens

Location

This is a detail of the roof of St. Mark's cathedral in Venice, which I took on one of my many day trips to the city. I am previledged to live near Venice in the North of Italy, and as I am fascinated by the layout of the city in general and the architecture in particular, I return again and again and have taken literally hundreds of photos.

Time

It was on a spectacularly beautiful day in early spring after many gray and rainy days. My sister was visiting from the US, so we set out early in the morning by train to explore the ancient city of Marco Polo. By the time we had arrived at the Venice station and walked the tourist route to St. Mark's square, the highlight of any visit, it was close on midday....

Lighting

As I pointed out, it was close on midday when we arrived in St. Mark's square and the sun was blazing from a clear blue sky, so I had all the natural light I needed to get a good, sharp image.

Equipment

At the time I had just bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20, my very first digital camera, and this was the first time I had ample possibilities to try it out. Unfortunately I did not have a tripod....but I literally had my sister's shoulder and while she was holding her breath so as to prevent even the slightest tremor, I managed to overcome the 80 plus feet in height to get my shots which turned out quite well, having only the built-in 8X Optical Zoom at my disposal.

Inspiration

Venice, and especially its most important landmark the St. Mark's cathedral, has been photographed over the years from all possible angles and by all possible visitors, photographers and non. I wanted something special, a shot that has not been taken over and over again and looking up towards the ornate top of the cathedral, my eye caught the statutes covered by tabernacles. I chose one on a corner which stood out on it's own....and that is when my love for minimalism in photography was born.

Editing

Yes, I've come some way since my conviction that SOOC had to be perfect. First I had to straighten the image, which necessarily included a minimum of cropping. Being taken from the ground at a distance of 80 feet, the result was slightly skew and not aesthetically acceptable. Then I worked on the contrast, as the original was slightly hazy....and that's about it....

In my camera bag

Since my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20, I have promoted to an Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ which I still use and which has its place in my bag, but I also have a Canon EOS 700D with a Canon 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens and a Tamron AF 70 - 300 F/4 - 5.6 lens, together with a mini tripod for macro photography and a regular tripod

Feedback

It's relatively easy to take a photo like this one. Try to find an area where you're out of the way of the run-of-the-mill tourist and be sure to be armed with a sturdy tripod and a good zoom lens. I took various shots, also from different angles and in the end I chose the one that best pleased me.

See more amazing photos, follow angelabravin

angelabravin

angelabravin

Roof detail of St Marc's cathedral

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow angelabravin

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.