Tips: Living in Florence for 3 Months

[becca_martino]

Hi!

 

I am going to be living in Italy for 2.5-3 months while I study my home base and school is in Florence. I have

my Rebel xTI w/ my sigma 70-300 and 10-20. Also I have my kit lens 18-55. I know these arn't the fastest lenses,

or best for low -light but I am a student travelling and studying on borrowed money :D I will probably take my

Large Gorilla Pod for which i have bought swivel head, i have a Sunpak but it's really bulky, I may or may not

bring it. Any suggestions on relatively inexpensive light tripods?

 

I also have a circular polarizer and an ND filter (cant remember how many stops off the top of my head).

 

Anyway, I am mostly familiar with landscapes and night time photography- so I would like some tips on shooting

street photography (Will i need a model release if I plan on turning photos into cards, posters, calendars, etc),

also I am pretty shy- do I need to approach and ask permission? And tips on architectural photography, best

times, unique angles and how to avoid perspective conflicts.

 

I'll also be traveling all around Italy, to Rome for a weekend, probably to the Almafi Coast, Lake Como, Cinque

Terra, Venice and outside Italy to Austria (Salzburg), Ireland, and Greece, maybe France. If I go to these

places i'll be staying in Hostels, so what should I take if I leave my home base?

 

Any location suggestions, or other generalized tips for a budding photographer.

 

 

you can see photos i have taken on JPG Mag: http://www.jpgmag.com/people/Shipwrecker

[charles_stobbs3]

Lucca, maybe an hour or so by train, is a very pleasant place to visit and take pics (and sit in the Piazza Napoleon and have some wine). When I was in Florence I wanted to go to Fiesole but didn't have time, it should be worth a visit. By the way it sounds like you're planning to travel heavy. One camera and lens is enough .IMHO

[bruce_margolis]

When I was in Europe, most of my shots were in the 18-50mm range. However, quite a few were wider and about 25% were >100mm. Everyone is different, of course.

 

Based on your portfolio, I would definitely pack the two wider lenses. Looks like you are most comfortable with them. The 70-300 would be an option if you think you really want to go that long.

 

The way you are traveling, I would pass on the Sunpack but definitely take the little pod. You will want it for your night photography.

 

If you are planning on photographing people for publication, a model release is always a good idea. You won't want to deal with problems down the road. That said, most people are fine with photos though you might run into some who want to be paid. Depends on where you are.

 

As for filters, I didn't find much use for them but they are small. Probably better to have them than not.

 

One thing you want to do is decide how to back up your data. Some use laptops, others portable drives or CD/DVD storage, etc. And make sure you have enough memory cards and an extra battery.

 

Very very much to see so let your eyes tell you what to photograph. Sounds like a great trip. Enjoy.

[arie_vandervelden1]

You'll like Florence. Nice place. The food is really really really good... I've only spent a few days there, and given that you'll be there for 3 months you'll probably have a better chance to figure out where and when to shoot.<P>

 

I did not have any problems with pickpockets in Florence - all the scumbags seemed to be hanging out in Pisa last fall. Other people have reported problems in the area around the train station. Watch your stuff.<P>

 

Cinque Terra is fantastic - highly recommended. Also, I suggest jumping on a local bus that goes into the countryside in Tuscany. Pick any little town that's not on the tourist map and get off of the bus.<P>

Arno River, Firenze<P>

<IMG SRC="http://photos.photosig.com/photos/49/97/2109749-6d6b75cf79a4f434.jpg">

[michael_yew]

Hi Becca,

 

How soon will you be going to Italy? Reason I ask is that some locations like the Cinque Terre start shutting down as Fall/Winter and/or the off-season approach. Btw, there's definitely lots to see around Florence including the hill towns of Tuscany/Umbria like Siena, San Gimignano, Cortona, Assisi, Spello, etc. (Just got back from Italy myself last week).

 

If you are concerned about architectural perspective conflicts (assuming you are referring to "keystoning"?) with a 35mm system, a tilt-shift lens is probably the only other but extremely expensive solution (definitely not within a typical student's budget) other than digital post-processing. Also, tripods are generally not permitted in most architectural sites. The "Best Time" may be a matter of opinion since you are considering street photography, but the "golden hours" (sunrise/sunset +/- 60-90 mins) are still excellent times to shoot.

 

Regarding Street Photography in Italy, you may want to take a look at one of the recent discussions in the Street and Documentary Forum: http://www.photo.net/street-documentary-photography-forum/00QYAz. There appear to be some restrictions on street photography in Italy.

 

Btw, if you intend to travel by train, note that trips outside of Italy will definitely take over 1/2 day by train (from Florence), and that you will need to make reservations on practically any long-distance train leaving from Florence. (there a few exceptions for trains to Roma/Assisi, though). If you are uncomfortable about the language barrier or don't want to deal with Italian train station personnel, the American Express office in Florence is a good place to reserve train tickets and make seat reservations. Also, keep in mind that trains can (and will often) be late/delayed.

 

Also, in Tuscany/Umbria outside of the major cities (Florence, Pisa, Lucca, etc.), traveling by train may not be as convenient as travelling by car or by bus. For many hill towns, the train station is located a fair distance away from the town center *and* at the bottom of the hill. This is particularly the case with Siena and Cortona. And, other hilltowns such as San Gimignano have no train service. I also seem to recall that the SITA buses in Tuscany run on time, provided that they aren't on strike.

 

 

Tip: When you get into a new town/hilltown, etc, peruse the postcard and/or calendar racks for some ideas on photogenic locations/subject matter.

 

-- Michael

[machts gut]

My 2c - travel light and don't take too much equipment. Especially if you are shy people will probably be more wellcoming if you don't hold a large telezoom in their faces. And don't miss Umbria. Perugia, Assisi(*****), Spoleto, Spello are as beautiful as towns in Tuscany. And I remember on the road from Firenze to Siena was a small village on a hilltop with a bakery who made the best blueberry pie I ever had.

[becca_martino]

Michael- I will be arriving in Italy on the 27th of September, and traveling through December 18th.

 

 

Thanks to all others who have responded!

[michael_yew]

Hi Becca,

 

Given your dates, the Cinque Terre may not be a good option as the (tourist) season is definitely winding down,

if not already over. There is quite a bit of rain and flooding in the off-season in this area. But, there are

plenty of hill towns to visit in Tuscany and Umbria as mentioned in previous posts. And Venice is pretty much

photogenic year-round.

 

By the way, not sure exactly about the weather, but you also consider visiting Southern Italy, particularly

Matera, Puglia (trulli houses), and/or Sicily. In the case of Puglia, it is still not (yet) heavily visited by

tourists, but it is a definitely interesting region of Italy. These could be options to consider instead of

trips outside Italy.

 

-- Michael

[erick_k]

Hi Becca,<p>

Lucky you! 3 months will fly by in an instant, but it'll be a wonderful experience. I lived in Firenze for 14 months and

that time passed too quickly. I like Michael's suggestion of checking the postcard racks to find the most photogenic

locations.

<p>

I took a monopod and a sturdy tabletop tripod with me. In Europe you can almost always find a ledge to set your tabletop tripod

down. I made many day trips to Cinque Terre, it's only 8€ each way by regional train. (Try not to take the 29€ Eurostar

to la Spezia) Just wake up an hour earlier as the regional train isn't particularly fast -- and check return schedules so

that you don't get stranded in Cinque Terre. I didn't have any problems in CT in autumn. It was mercifully less crowded,

I found it more pleasant than in summer. Still, it's better to visit CT soon after you arrive. Liguria isn't far and you can

make repeat visits. Consider spending the night in an inexpensive pensione (or hostel -- there's only one so book

ahead).

<p>

I think September is an ideal time to be in Italy: it isn't too hot, and most of the tourists have stopped arriving. But it'll

start getting cold soon after your arrival. (Freddino, non freddo) <p>

If you speak Italian, the <a href="http://www.canoniani.it/">Canoniani</a> site may be of use to you.<p> My one regret

was not having a wide enough lens (I had a 10D and 24-85, 28-135 at the time) -- though one of my most useful lenses

was a 28/1.8. I should've splurged for a 17-40L before leaving, but you have it well covered using your 10-20. With

narrow streets, Italia <i>needs</i> wide lenses.

Se hai qualche domanda o se ti servono dei consigli precisi, mandami una mail e ti risponderò -- con i miei posti

preferiti.

<p>

About trips from Italy -- there are discount flights out of Pisa on RyanAir or EasyJet. One of my more rewarding

weekend trips out of Firenze was to Croatia (Croazia). Dubrovnik is stunning. Take the train to Bologna, transfer to

Ancona, and then a night ferry to Split (Spalato). Speaking of Ancona, <a

href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/05/22/travel/22tuscany.html">le Marche</a> is said to be the new Tuscany -- much

like Toscana before it became too popular with tourists.<p>

Greece is always an option: if you're in S. Italy you can easily take the night ferry from Bari or Brindisi to Patras (Patrasso) then bus to

Athens via Corinth. The nicest part of Greece is in the islands, and they start winding down in September. By October it's very quiet

and much of the island population is temporary: they return home to the Greek mainland. If you plan on touring the Greek islands, it'll be

tough unless you get there right away.<p>

Ti auguro un bel soggiorno a Firenze, e tante belle foto! Scusa se ti ho scritto troppo. Ciao.