I have a series I took inside the Basilica, Vatican City, at low light without a flash, something that I struggle to do well. This is one of the better shots (newspublic.com asked to use it on an article) and I am pleased that I got a lot of detail, I like the angle, I like the roof and the way I got the dome. I need to practise more though, as I am too slow to get the right speed and light when strolling around.
Ponte Vecchio, the oldest of Florence's six bridges, is one of the city's best known images. Probably going back to Roman times with its stone pillars and wooden planks; it was built in stone but then newly destroyed by a flood in 1333. It was built again twelve years later, perhaps by Neri da Fioravante (or Taddeo Gaddi, according to Giorgio Vasari).
The five arches became three and the main part was widened. The shops, housed under the porticos, first belonged to the Commune which then rented them out. But later on, towards the 15th century, they were sold to private owners and began to change through subsequent additions, raised parts and external terraces, extending towards the river and altering the original architecture in an anarchical, suggestive way.
from:
Two shots of the same stained glass - one exposed to show the details of the surroundings and the other to let the glass stand out itself. Taken in the Basilica, Vatican City.
We had an hour and a half befor our train, so after grabbing a bite of pasta in a nearby café the husband insisted we hop a taxi and go see the Leaning Tower. I was anxious about missing the train, but in the end, so incredibly glad we went. The guide book described it as freakishly beautiful and I really cannot best that description. The day was bright and blustery, there were a lot of tourists but not overwhelming numbers and the area around the Tower is also well worth a look.
