Travel

Venice: Into the Geometry

Andy Parker
Feb 19

Photographic Workshop and Walk: 15 March 2026

Join us for a personalised and exclusive photographic workshop and walk focusing on the 'street geometry of Venice.' This event will be led by Andy Parker and Luca Primavesi (www.primavesi.it). With over 15 years of experience shooting in and around Venice, we’re excited to show you the real Venice, away from the typical tourist hotspots.

Discover Hidden Corners

During this workshop, we will explore the hidden corners of Venice. You’ll develop skills in composition that tap into Gestalt Theory. We’ll go beyond just 'leading lines' and the 'rule of thirds.' Instead, we’ll dive into the nuances of capturing the essence of this beautiful city.

Skills and Techniques

This workshop is a follow-up to the success of the 'Venice Street Geometry' photography exhibition held at the Kunst Depot Venezia in 2025. We’ll guide you through essential skills and practices. You’ll learn how to read the light and shadow, utilize existing street architecture, and choose the correct vantage point. These techniques will help you capture shots that are unique and timeless.

All Are Welcome!

We welcome everyone! We speak English, Italian, and French, but we all communicate through photography. Just bring along your mobile phone, mirrorless, or DSLR camera. Above all, bring your passion for the medium!

Limited Spaces Available

Don’t miss out! Limited spaces are available for this workshop. For more information about prices, dates, and availability, please email info@monochromevenice.com.

Why Attend?

You might wonder why you should attend this workshop. Well, it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn from experienced photographers. You’ll gain insights that can elevate your photography skills. Plus, you’ll get to experience Venice in a way that most tourists never do.

Connect with Fellow Enthusiasts

One of the best parts of workshops like this is the chance to connect with fellow photography enthusiasts. You’ll share experiences, tips, and maybe even a few laughs. It’s a great way to build a community around your passion for photography.

Capture the Essence of Venice

Venice is a city full of stories waiting to be told through your lens. Each corner, each shadow, and each light creates a unique scene. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have a collection of stunning photographs that capture the essence of Venice.

The Beauty of Black and White

At Monochrome Venice, we believe in the beauty of black and white photography. It allows you to focus on composition, light, and texture without the distraction of color. This workshop will help you appreciate the subtle details that make Venice so special.

Final Thoughts

So, are you ready to embark on this photographic journey? Join us on 15 March 2026, and let’s explore the street geometry of Venice together. It’s going to be an unforgettable experience!

For examples of current work on Venice street geometry, check out the 'Street Geometry' portfolio here.

EXHIBITION: BIENNALE PEOPLE

Andy Parker
Oct 13, 2025

Watching the watchers

‘Biennale People’ is a light-hearted, and at times humorous, street photography project and exhibition focussing on the public attending the art and architecture Biennale events in Venice from 2011 to 2025. 'Biennale People' seeks out characters, behaviours and reactions of people immersed among the artworks, caught in moments of distraction, respite or contemplation.

Featuring over 30 black and white prints, the exhibition runs from 25th October to 9th November 2025 at the Kunst Depot Venezia exhibition space in Venice (www.veneziakunstdepot.com). The event also includes a selection of high-quality photographic prints on sale.

Save the date and I look forward to seeing some of you there! For more information, please contact me directly or look out for more posts soon. AP.

Venetian Wanderings: April 2025

Andy Parker
May 12, 2025

Taking it slow and embracing the grain.

I have one already, but I’m still waiting for another roll of 36 shots to come back from the developers. Taken throughout the past 4 or 5 weeks, those images will determine the overall success of my recent experimentation into ‘analogue April’ around Venice. But despite the results, success has been achieved to a degree in that I have persevered, and overcome many of the frustrations and limitations of using film. The slowed down approach and the switch to predominately analogue has certainly been interesting in reassessing my approach and subject matter, and a pause on instagram posting and subsequent doom scrolling has been welcoming. It has also highlighted the banality of the majority of content that is out there on social media, with very little in way of originality, purpose or interesting narrative. I feel like using instagram is no longer a priority for me.

Initially, when shooting with film I tried to emulate what I was shooting on the iPhone. That is not always possible, and so the results are mixed, but the limitations of the film approach can add it's own character to the image.

In addition to shooting with film, I have been experimenting with ways to scan negatives effectively and have been working on a method using a Fujifilm XT5 mounted with a Pentax 28mm manual lens combined with a macro adapter. It seems a good setup, but maintaining focus and stability are the key elements for achieving a good exposure; so it is time-consuming to ensure there is no movement; but the pure experimentation, invention and subsequent creativity involved is rewarding and allows my old back catalogue of negatives to be accessed and replicated in digital form for the first time. It is also interesting to see in hindsight, that virtually all my pre-digital subject matter was nature and landscape. My journey into street and urban photography started exactly with the onset of digital, no doubt given the greater degree of experimentation. But ironically all my inspiration in that genre was (and still is) what has been shot on film, so it seems logical and natural that is the style I seek when shooting digital and to be pulled back into using film from time to time.

For me, film lends itself naturally to more static subject matter, and it is not always practical to simply shoot on film what I would have done on digital. The two media require diverse subjects and photographic styles, but neither should be considered superior than the other; just different.

It will be interesting to see the other frames as they become developed and scanned. In any case, moving forward, the Olympus film compact is likely to stay in the pocket and may replace (to a certain extent) the iPhone in more contemplative moments. However, the latter is obviously a more versatile tool and pushing the boundaries of what that is capable of is also something that I wish to explore.

Inspiration this month has largely come from the analogue and film sector. I have also continued my interest into the work of Lee Miller, not only regarding her photographic output, but also her attitude to photography and life in general. Completion of her biography: 'The Lives of Lee Miller' by Anthony Penrose, has also catapulted my reading into exploring the life and times Robert Capa, and the compelling account 'Blood and Champagne' by Alex Kershaw: https://g.co/kgs/zuoc1ze

I have also discovered the work of Mimmo Jodice - a photographer born in 1930s Naples, who has used film photography and the ‘enigmatic qualities of light’ as his artistic pallet, touching on a range of subject matter from abstract, still life, social documentary, city scapes to natural environments. Check out his work here: https://www.mimmojodice.it/en/

Additional inspiration has come from watching Pink Floyd live in Pompeii. Originally filmed in 1972, but re-released in 2025, the analogue textures of the images were refreshing to see in our hyper-super-ultra-high-definition world; but musically it also highlighted the need (and perhaps the lost ability) to seek creativity through experimentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Bpyta8vOs

It seems that to produce results, we need to constantly fail. The greater the failure, the more likely success will materialise. At least, that's the theory!

AP.