Il Bucato

Especially in monochrome, Venice appears timeless. And although it is an over-expressed clichè, it is still something that attracts me about the city. Places change, people come and go, the fabric of society ever evolves, yet, in hidden corners of Venice, time appears to stand still. This is particularly true around the neighbour of Castello, where the tradition of hanging the washing (il bucato) across the streets provides a draw for tourists and photographers. The shot below exemplifies this.

Il Bucato, Castello, 2025

Taken in 2025, it could equally pass for 1925. We have a man (I like to think a local, who has grown up on these streets) strolling the calli whilst the white washing hangs out above him. Both elements providing their own little narrative of life in these apartments and how, despite the advances of technology, the traditional ways are very often the best.

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AP

Venice Street Geometry: Exhibition News!

I'm very pleased to announce a new exhibition for 2025. Entitled 'Venice Street Geometry' it features work that focuses on the forms, shapes and textures on the streets of Venice, with the passage of light and shadow.

Held at the Kunst Depot exhibition space in Cannaregio, Venice, it opens on 22 February with the inauguration at 17.30 and runs daily until the 14th March 2025. Find us here:

Street Geometry, 2022

Featuring over 30 prints from the Monochrome Venice collection, the exhibition is a personal view of Venice, with images that sit somewhere between realism, abstraction and surrealism. For more information, follow on social media for updates or contact me directly: andy@monochromevenice.com

Onward Journey, 2014

Prints from the exhibition and an exhibition catalogue will be available to buy, so please get in touch if you are interested and I look forward to seeing you there!!|. AP.

Naturally Vintage

One of my personal objectives as a photographer is to find ‘natural filters’ and produce effective shots in camera rather than using post-production to generate effects later.  Good vintage effects can be found throughout Venice but seeking out the dirty, salt splattered glass of the vaporetto (water bus) and the vaporetto stops, work best in my opinion.  One of my personal favourite locations for this includes the San Zaccaria vaporetto stop in St Marks basin where gondolas frequently pass by and there is the amazing backdrop of the church and island of San Giorgio.  There are also great curved mirrors (used by the vaporetto drivers to assist mooring) which add naturally, distorted abstract elements. 

Shooting in manual focus mode often works best to help pinpoint focus, but sharpness is not the aim here. Shooting at a aperture of around f4/5.6 also allows distant elements to be included but with keeping emphasis on the forground subjects. In the past I have tended to use a slower shutter to add some motion blur but these days I am shooting at high ISO around 6400, to generate more grainy tones in camera.   Minimal post production help lift shadows and reduce highlights, but I love these timeless, slightly abstract images.

Fujifilm X-E3 w.35mm on manual, f5.6, ISO 6400. Feb 23

Strangely  almost exactly a year apart, here’s a similar shot from the same location.

Fujifilm X-E3 35mm on manual focus, 1/25, f4, ISO 200. Feb 22.

Fujifilm X-E3 35mm on manual focus, 1/2400, f5.6, ISO 6400. Feb 23

The stop offers a clear view of tourist-ladened gondolas which frequently pass across the bay. Shooting through the glass adds optical effects including increased 'grain' from a dirty window or rogue reflections, which can mimic film defects which, in my opinion, provide a more unique experience than just shooting cleanly.

Fujifilm X-E3 35mm on manual focus, 1/10, f5.6, ISO 200. Feb 22.

Reflective effects and abstractions are endless around Venice, and we'll look at various reflection shots, using glass or mirrored surfaces as well as from the water, later in the series. AP.