Down Time

 

So, today's images sort of follow of the them from my last post in that there is a story to each picture however unlike the last post where the story was different in every picture today three images share the same story while the final image has a connected story.

If you have ever been to Venice or seen the city in films or documentaries the gondola are an icon of the city and the famous gondoliers are just as iconic in their striped shirts and straw hats. The canals in the more popular parts of the city are teeming with them throughout the day and night and during the high summer season the gondoliers rarely seem to get a break. Sometimes however they manage to get a few minutes to rest and catch up with text messages and so on and those moments can make for an interesting picture. I think my favourite image today is the first one, where the gondolier is seen through the railings of the bridge.

In the final shot for today the gondolier is preparing his boat for the day ahead, no doubt he is hoping for good trade that will keep him and his family afloat.

Getting Under Way

The red car and the blue car had a race...

Some of you will know that the line above is from a chocolate advert for Milky Way but it seemed appropriate given that the gondoliers have different coloured stripes. I don't really think they were having a race and there was no chocolate at stake either.

I have these pictures in colour and black and white and both look fantastic. I think for the close up the black and white works better but for the whole scene I think the colour shots come out on top. They are rich and full of life and the decoration of the gondolas and the lighting from the cafes stand out beautifully.

The Gondoliers 2

My last post about Gondoliers in Venice was really popular so I decided to share a few more pictures today.

Being a Gondolier seems like it might be a great job, after all you are working in a wonderful environment and meeting lots of people and helping to make their holiday. But there also seems to be a lot of down time. Walking around you would see them either sat alone or in small groups, mostly they would be people watching or doing something on their phones. 

Speaking of phones, did you notice the gondolier in the fourth picture? He is using his phone while navigating his way around the city while the couple in the boat are taking in their surroundings. 

The Gondoliers

Here's a question for you; when you are in Venice what counts as street photography?

I figure that since the "streets" are mostly waterways then anything on land or water can count...

Today's offering are two shots from Venice at twilight, the first looking across the lagoon towards San Giorgio Maggiore and the second of a Gondolier about to set off onto the Grand Canal near San Marco and with a view of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute in the background.

I didn't realise at the time I took the first shot that the woman in the gondola is sat up front taking pictures while her partner is sat back on the comfy seats. Now I never want to miss a good shot and anyone who has gone anywhere with me when I have my camera will know that I am always on the lookout and I often get left behind as I stop to take a photo (or two, or three) and I am always grateful for the patience of my companions who allow me to indulge my passion with few complaints. However, I think that if I had shelled out a handsome sum of money for a romantic twilight ride in a Gondola around one of Europe's finest cities and my partner was more interested in the view than in me I would feel like pushing them overboard.