Roman Holiday – I

This is the first photograph in a series of images taken from my most recent trip, my Roman Holiday. I’d like to share a little about the story, my photographic process, and lastly the location in case you are ever in this area. Now ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’, but I did see it all in one day. It was a crazy 12 hr whirlwind tour, which included all the major attractions and a beautiful lunch. I knew then I had to go back some day. Two years later I embarked upon My Roman Holiday which was a 11 nights stay, when I lived like a local at a very small apartment, literally a coin throw away from the Trevi Fountain. I can highly recommend Airbnb as an affordable and easy way to travel. You have a simple bed, kitchen, bathroom and laundry but at about half the cost of staying at a nearby hotel.

This story is a continuation from my last Blog post. ‘Out of the Spotlight’.. When I first saw this back drop I was on the left side of the street and again it was interesting but it did not translate. In hindsight it seems obvious of course to cross the street, but when I am out at Street I am thinking creatively instead of logically. So as I doubled back to take my Cellist and looked behind me only then I saw this stage. The best thing about Street is you know when it is good. You get that mixture of excitement and adrenaline, when all your attention is focused on getting the shot.. When this happens I become very aware of my breathing and I am very much in the moment.

There are different elements that work for me in this image. The light is unique in that it is both soft and high in contrast at the same time, because of the location and time of day. I like that the subjects have their own stories, they are moving in opposite directions and out of the frame. But most of all, I love the backdrop of the old Metropolitan Cinema.

About the location. The light in Rome is special, in Italy the light falls at such beautiful angles just because of its geographical location. The Via del Corso is the main street in the historical centre of Rome. It runs right off the Piazza del Popolo.  This is a lively place to be any day of the week, the road is filled with pedestrians, cyclists and cars all sharing the space in a European way. The cars use their horns constantly to move people out of their way. The cyclist weave in-between the pedestrians in a chaotic fashion. ‘The Corso is a popular place for the passeggiata, the evening stroll for the populace to be seen and to see others. It is also an important shopping street for tourists and locals alike’.

If you do visit, make sure that you try the Gelato, it was just fabulous!!

T

What is your favourite destination??