This part of our story is less about the holiday and more about Venice. Two weeks spent there this time.
It is also about photography and a couple of ideas I had. I shot this on film - two rolls of black and white film, and two of colour.
It is certainly a more considered photo essay than the others from our trip.
This was initially going to be the third episode of our "Margot in Vacanza" series, but Margot could tell that once we arrived I had become a bit preoccupied with making images (big surprise) so she suggested we just make this one about Venice.
And so a couple of cameras that had been sitting in my bag for a month came out for the first time. I also shot some rollfilm for another project, and some 35mm that you see here.
I had ideas of what I wanted to get, but you never know what will happen. We were last here five years ago and Instie was not such a thing.
We were a bit worried about poor Vanessa running around in the cold without enough clothes on.
There was an air of desperation about the wanna-be influencers that was a bit sad. The woman with the selfie stick was having way more fun. Boy, was she ever photobombing the influencers and brides though. She got moved on more than once.
Ever since my first time here in 1992 I have visited San Marco at first light. From dawn until about 8 am it is at its best I think. There is a lovely glimpse of local life, and it has become the time that the square does most of its work as a photo location.
Another advantage of that time is that if you walk home at around 8.30 you see the kids going to school, which is another of my favourite sights.
As well as the wanna-be influencers in the square we saw brides. The brides were more varied. This one seemed quite nice. Others seemed a bit self-centred and bossy. It’s easy to form superficial judgments.
I was more respectful about not intruding on the brides than I was with the influencers. After all, they were re-enacting a special day.
We saw a lot of wedding dresses getting dirty.
The square was a bit of a focus for me for sure, but it wasn't all about brides.
There were still the normal everyday things. Old men walking slowly across, children running around after being cooped up inside.
This is probably enough photos. Even with a few rolls of film I should have enough to keep me busy for years with various projects. This is just a quick taste.
People say that Venice is spoiled, that Venice is not what it was, but I think they've ben saying that since the decline of the Empire in the 1700s.
You do need to get up early though.
Credits:
All photos David Hume 2019. Shot on Portra 400 (Olympus Trip 35) and HP5 Plus (Nikon FM2, 50mm f 1.8 AIS)