Venice Favourite Photography of the Year
I recently took a trip to Venice to photograph the famous Carnival of Venice masked festival that takes place annually in San Marco Square. For centuries, masked performers have taken to the square in dance and celebration of the carnival which ends with the start of Lent. I planned my trip towards the end of February knowing that the carnival would be in full swing, but besides making sure my accommodation was central to where the festival was, I did very little research before I went.
What makes landscape and travel photography so special for me is discovering and experiencing places with fresh eyes. Often, conducting internet research can create a bias towards the types of shots and locations you select, so I try to steer clear of this and make my own organic decisions based on instinct when I am there. When a location is as world famous as Venice, it’s important for me not to capture it in the popularised ways you see on stock image sites, but to have my own take on the place.
My apartment was close to the Rialto Bridge and a ten-minute walk from San Marco Square and I was able to capture the beauty of the Venetian architecture and waterways alongside the exquisite colours and details of the festival. Not only this, the sunlight during my stay was very strong, creating deep contrasting shadows and optical illusions which complemented the magical carnival atmosphere, and also made for some beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
Across the four days of my trip I walked approximately 50 miles, waking early to capture the sunrises before heading to San Marco Square to photograph the performers before the tourists arrived. I then spent my days exploring the city looking for unique angles and viewpoints that would showcase its majesty, and then preparing for the sunsets.
I have put together a selection of my favourite 15 images from the trip, which I have been revealing on my Instagram account (@kbrimsonphotography) and share here for you.
Venice Top 15 Photographs by KBrimson Photography Below
15. Venice Mask Festival 2019 (left)
Many of the masks worn by performers are white porcelain with ornate golden embellishments. She caught my eye with the elaborate structure of her head piece, and as she turned towards me the sunlight pierced through the gaps creating a warm glare that matched the gold in her outfit. The black of her costume absorbs the light while the gold detail reflects it giving depth in the shot.
14a. Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (Below)
The waterfront of San Marco Square looks out towards Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute and at this time of day the city is still very busy with tourists. I walked away from the crowds of the square towards the Arsenale which gave me a much better viewing spot to take advantage of this deep red sunset. For this shot I zoomed into 300mm on the lens to emphasise the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute and the dramatic clouds behind it.
14b. Venice Silk Sunset
From left to right this shot includes the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute and Campanile di San Marco which make up three of the most prominent landmarks in the city. From my viewpoint of the Arsenale I was able to capture all three as the sun was setting and the clouds softened, creating an illusion of red silk drifting across the horizon.
13. Venice Mask Festival 2019 (Below)
Often in photography a picture finds you and not vice versa. I had photographed this woman on the previous day of my trip when she was part of a group performing in a large hall at the Museo Correr, but unexpectedly seeing her on this day with a digital camera in hand was a moment of comic relief, and one that I was pleased to capture. Here she wears a traditional tricorn hat and colombina mask covering the eyes, nose and cheekbones and tied with ribbon.
12. The Warm Glow of Venice (Right)
This was one of the final shots I took in Venice as I was on my way back to my apartment to pack. The nature of the city’s layout means you are always walking through a labyrinth of narrow streets and canals. On this early morning the sun was doing its best to pierce through the concrete maze and turning a corner I found this orange building perfectly illuminated. The contrast of geometric structures against the sun-drenched paintwork and rustic bricks gives this shot so much texture and detail. One missed turn left or right and I would never have seen it, which is part of what makes it so special.
11. Classic Venice
I couldn’t travel to Venice and not capture a gondola on the Grand Canal at some point during my trip. This is definitely a more ‘traditional’ shot of the Venice we tend to think of, but is one I love nonetheless. The shaded gondolas balance the bright illuminated buildings, all set against a piercing blue sky and captures everything of what makes this such a unique place in the world.
10a. Accademia Blue
The next two shots were taken roughly 45 minutes apart from one another and just look at the difference! I set my alarm for 5:30am in order to get to Accademia Bridge for the sunrise. It was a very cloudy morning which is what has created the deep blue in this shot. I love how the golden iridescence of the lights bleed into the dark water and the city quietly glows.
10b. Accademia Red
45 minutes after my first shot and the glow has now shifted into the skies. In order to find this sunrise, I used the mobile app PhotoPills to view the trajectory of the sun in real time. Based on its flight path I could then plan where would be a prime location to capture the sunrise. I chose Academia Bridge knowing that I could include the canal waters and get a clear shot of the sky where the sun would rise from behind these buildings. You can also see how in this short space of time the thick clouds are dispersing for what would end up being another clear day.
9. The Zanni Shadow
Zanni masks are traditionally used in comedic roles and are typified by their long noses and exaggerated brows. Performers wearing these masks often play stupid characters and it is said that the longer the nose, the bigger the fool. The sky was mostly cloud free in the four days that I was in Venice, which meant for strong shadows and golden sunlight. Standing close to the backdrop of the pillar of Doge’s Palace, I had taken a few photographs of this character in his zanni mask, however I soon found his shadow to be much more captivating and focussed on this silhouette, eliminating the performer from the frame. It adds an element of mystery and intrigue and a double disguise to the masked man who cannot be seen.
8. Venetian Mystery
I found this performer particularly riveting to watch because she was so expressive in a costume that is quite cumbersome and neutral in its tones. Using her fan and her free hand she draws you in to her world, but what I find most powerful is how captivating her eyes are. For a moment you almost think the white porcelain is her skin because she gives the mask so much expression through just her eyes. To find her in an environment where the palette of the architecture matched that of her outfit makes this shot more special because the blending of the colours adds further allure and mystery to her face.
7. The Jester
Although you can’t see it here in close up, this person was very small in stature and could have been a child. This made her very unique among the performers and there was something haunting about the way she moved, holding a miniature doll’s mask. Her costume was so detailed and I loved the cracked porcelain of both the masks, but again, it is the mystery of her eyes that adds depth to the image as you sink behind the mask into her gaze.
6. Venice Canal
While this may look like a straightforward photograph of a canal it can be quite a challenge to find passageways in Venice that aren’t cloaked in shadow. The openings are narrow and the buildings are tall so there is often high contrast of light and shade that doesn’t do justice to the beautiful colours of the city. I timed this shot perfectly as the sunlight beamed into the canal, illuminating the walls and bouncing off the water to bottom light the building work, that within minutes would soon be back in shade.
5. The Peacock
Easily one of my favourites, a number of elements came together beautifully when taking this image. The mask and head piece of this character were much softer than many of the others around her, with subtle curves instead of stark lines and angles. From where she was standing the light fell gently across her face giving warmth to her expression and emphasising the voluptuous golden lips of her mask. The material cascading from her hat gives fluidity and movement to the shot and the peacock blue backdrop that engulfs her makes it a stunning photograph.
4. Vibrant Venice
I took a number of long exposure shots during my trip using my tripod and Lee filters. Often when I work with water, I like to experiment with the exposure to smooth out textures, and knowing I would be surrounded by canals, Venice provided a perfect setting to get creative.
This one is my favourite day time shot because it has really emphasised the beautiful cloud patterns drifting over the water. The movement in the sky is balanced by the vibrant reflections in the canal which, thanks to the long exposure, have developed into a smooth sheen that look spectacular. I love the micro and macro elements of this image, from the focus and clarity of detail in the buildings, to the expansive surroundings that accentuate the bend and movement of the scene. The dual nature of this photograph holds the eye for much longer, which as a professional photographer is one of my main objectives in my work.
3. Through Doge's Arches
It’s important to play around with angles in photography to find what can be most visually appealing about a scene. I usually like to make sure that my images are balanced, either by the physical elements contained within the shot or between the light and shade that is featured. The archways of The Doge’s Palace create a visual treat for any photographer, as they provide symmetry which is great for balance and I had photographed other Venetian characters in this location, shooting directly down the centre of the archways. However, my favourite image from the palace is this one, shot off-centre, which shows the depth of the architecture and gives more dimension.
2. Venice Twilight
Finding a small canal that faces directly toward the sunrise or sunset was an almost impossible task in Venice. Having mentioned walking nearly 50 miles during my four-day trip, I would say that at least half of that was in the lead up to a sunset, running around the city streets trying to find the perfect location. This canal was a bit of a gamble because it faced North/South instead of East/West, but due to the light that was taking place, I decided to stay and see what happened. As twilight began and the lights of the boats came on, I used a long exposure of a boat moving away from me, with its green and red lights leaving this fantastic light trail in the water. This goes back to what I said at the beginning of this piece about discovering moments organically.
1. Carnevale di Venezia
Having spent four days closely capturing the unique world of the masked carnival and the city’s iconic architecture, it feels absolutely fitting that my number one shot from Venice is a striking combination of the two worlds colliding. As soon as I took it I knew it was something special, and it instantly became my favourite before I had even had a chance to review it on a larger screen. It perfectly combines the vibrancy of the carnival with a traditional Venetian waterway setting. Not only does the shot contain light and shade, with the light perfectly separating her from the canal, but it’s made even more sensual by the thermal elements. She is bathed in warm light that radiates from the orangey-red tones of her costume with its fiery plumage that stands crisp and ornate against the backdrop of the shadowy cool grey-blues of the canal. As with so many of the talented performers, her eyes are magnetising, boring deep into the camera lens to hold your gaze.
