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Something Completely Different - Birds

In my last article, you saw flowers, with a few butterflies mixed in. Those were all taken in Florida during a workshop conducted by Jackie Kramer of Luvblooms.com, with assistance from Linda Torbert. If you did not see last week’s article, please take a look to see exactly why I want to photograph like Jackie!

Now, I give you birds…mostly.

Where Are We?

Today, we will be in Sarasota and St Augustine, Florida. Both have beautiful gardens, and access to beautiful birds…and more!

We’ll start off in Sarasota.

And as always, if you click on an image, you will get a full-screen view

Sarasota

Sarasota is located on the gulf coast of Florida. It’s just south of Tampa, about half-way down the state. Whilst there, we visited two gardens, as well as the beach.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

These lovely gardens are home to several exotic flower species. Non-captive birds are in attendance, but they are not the star of the show at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. There is also a koi pond, a stand of bamboo, a fern garden, and banyan trees. Several of the floral photos from last week’s article were taken here.

Koi

I found the koi pond to be either a beehive of activity, or a languid experience with each fish doing their own, leisurely thing.

Activity picks up as one tosses a handful of fish-food pellets into the pond. This stirs up the action as everyone knows it’s meal time.

For this photo, I intentionally used a long exposure to capture the frenetic motion of these fish, producing a colorful abstract photo.

The Stalker

Though there were few birds, there was this one bird…kind of creepy…it was the way it moved that mesmerized me. I watched for about five minutes as he very, very, very slowly (you get the picture, right?) moved through a grove of bamboo.

Though his body moved forward, his head seemed to float along. His piercing eyes had an eye on the prize, which I had not yet seen. Here is what he looked like in his creepiness. Being a creeper, he crept…slowly…ever so slowly. What is it that he spies?

All the rage these days is the carryout meal. I’m pretty sure that this guy invented the carryout meal. He was adept at it, to say the least.

I asked him to hold up a bit for a portrait, and he obliged. He did seem to be a bit distracted though, as it had just turned noon, and time for lunch. After the photo session, he walked away, much to my delight.

Sarasota Jungle Gardens

The Sarasota Jungle Gardens are located about 4 miles north of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. The main attraction for us were the flamingos, though there were a few ‘show birds’ present, too.

The flamingos walked among us. Though we could reach out and touch them as they moseyed by, we didn’t…they get a bit cranky.

I’ve taken a bit of artistic license with the next photo. I call this one, ‘Family Chat’.

I never knew that flamingos had such an unusual tongue…actually, I never knew much at all about flamingos. Kind of spiky…for rooting around in the muck, perhaps?

Now we move on to the show birds. Their handler encouraged them to display their antics. For a fee, you could have them sit on your shoulder. Since I was broke, I just photographed.

Saint Augustine

What is it about St Augustine, Florida? I have faint memories of learning something in history class about this area, but it’s rather hazy. That’s the way I showed up. What I learned whilst there surprised me. Do you remember anything about this town?

It is our oldest, continuously inhabited, European-established settlement in the USA. It was founded in 1565, which is almost 460 years ago. The ‘ownership’ was back-and-forth as Spain, then Britain, then Spain, and then the US each had a hand in governance. I don’t expect it to change hands again.

The city itself is now on my ‘favorites list’. I had no idea that it was to be so beautiful. The old town has those charming narrow streets and the absolutely fabulous Flagler College and churches are a highlight. Add to that its location right on the Atlantic coast and you have a place that should be on your own bucket list. But, enough travel log.

Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park

Located in the city limit of St Augustine, this is the historic site of the first settlement in the USA. In addition to being an interest to history buffs, if you like peacocks, you’ll find several there strutting their stuff. Like this guy.

The waters of the Fountain of Youth seemed to have dried up, but Ponce looked marvelous!

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park

I promised you birds, so it’s time that I deliver on that promise. You may be wondering why I put birds under the heading of an alligator farm…I certainly had no idea why we would be photographing birds there before my arrival. But then, it all became clear.

Within the boundaries of this park (founded in 1893), there is a rookery. I knew that a rookery had something to do with birds, but as I looked up the word ‘rookery’ a dictionary states, “a breeding ground for gregarious birds”. And ‘gregarious’ for animals (includes us, right?) means, “tending to form a group with others of the same species, and enjoying the company of others”.

So, it’s a place where birds can gather in groups to have a good time…and a good time they had! It was mating and nest-building season during our visit in early March.

Roseate Spoonbills

I fell in love with these birds. Their pinkish coloring is something that I had not seen in birds. And, they didn’t appear to be as serious about life as the egrets, who were busy doing this and that to get their nest in order. The Spoonbills were hanging out and having a good time. That’s the way I saw them, so that’s they way I present them in my photographs.

The next photo shows the flight sequence of a Spoonbill just going from here-to-there.

*When We Die We’ll Catch a Roseate Spoonbills Wing, and We Will Fly Away to Heaven*

I said that I found them a bit whimsical, so here’s some whimsy, brought to you by Roseate Spoonbills as they were actually seen and overheard at the rookery…

And now on a more serious note…

One of the photographers that I follow is Doug Landreth. I love the way he takes a simple image and, using texture and composition, makes it into a photograph that I would certainly place on my wall. He has a photograph with flowers that I emulate below, and I substitute Roseate Spoonbills for his yellow daffodils. You can see Doug’s creative original version here. This photo is titled, “Homage to Doug Landreth”. All of the elements of the photo came from the rookery.

The Great White Egret

Now we come to the Great White Egret. These magnificent birds of the heron family were in the midst of building their nests and doing the mating that goes along with that. They are monogamous for the season. The male selects the nest area, starts a nest, and then attracts a female through it’s up-and-down movement and plumage display. They then complete their nest together, with one flying out time-after-time to gather sticks that are passed to the other to complete the next. During our visit, some of the males had success in attracting a mate, while others were still energetically working at it.

Here’s the thing: to me they didn’t just seem to be going through the motions…they were serious about their task, and I felt that they were serious about each other.

Below, you will see birds that seem to be in a state of true love. I saw this over and over. Maybe you’ll get the same feeling that I did. I’ll let you be the judge of their demeanor.

In my last article, I showed some examples of how I transformed a snapshot of a flower into a fine-art photograph. Today, I do the same, though with photos of the beautiful egrets.

In this first comparison, you see the original image, which has a lot of distraction due to the upper branches of the tree. In the accompanying photo, you can see that I’ve removed that foliage, and that I’ve added mood through texture and atmospherics (i.e. clouds).

In this photo, there is a good bit more transformation. Using a bit of software magic, I’ve converted the photo of the blue heron into a stained-glass photo, complete with framing.

Here is an egret flying away from the nesting area in search of a stick. One stick. Just one stick at a time, please. And, not too large.

Heading Out for a Day of Stick Gathering

Time and again a stick is fetched and brought back to build a nest…or should I say, a bird home.

Below you see several exchanges of a nest-building material. Is it just me, or does there seem to be a strong sense of cooperation and anticipation as the stick is transferred?

As afternoon begins to turn to evening, the flyway begins to be a bit congested.

And, that stick retrieval flyway can get quite congested! I call this photo, “YIKES!!!”.

Earlier I suggested that there is a nature of true love between these mates. These two interlocking beaks are enough evidence for me.

And this gesture?! I rest my case.

Here I’ve placed three of my photos into a triptych…or what I call a ‘lovetych’.

Black and white images seem best to capture the plumage of these males that still need a nestmate.

Success will lead to as many as six bluish green eggs, which both sexes will incubate.

What’s so important that this guy didn’t even put his stick down? Oh…I see now.

Other Birds of the Rookery

Just a few of the other bird species at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.

Alligators

I did mention that we were at an alligator farm, didn’t I? Here are a few of those denizens.

It is very fortunate that these alligators get along, otherwise there would be no rest for these weary reptiles.

That grouping in the upper right…stacked up like cord wood.

I crept up on this big fella to see if he was asleep. Do they sleep with their eyes open? I sure hope so.

At the Beach

During our workshop, we photographed at beaches in Sarasota (sunsets) and St Augustine (sunrises). Here is a smattering of those photos. Padma Inguva was our guide during these excursions.

That wraps up my travelogue for flowers and butterflies from last time, and today’s display of koi, birds and gators. Thank you loyal followers for hanging in there on this Luvblooms workshop journey across Florida. Next time, I promise to be back to Italy, Our Italy. Until then I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Something Completely Different - Flowers

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Yes, that’s right…something different. Different from Italy. More like Florida. Or I should say, exactly like Florida.

I had the pleasure of joining a group photo workshop in Florida in March of this year. This was the rescheduling of a trip that was cancelled during the Spring of 2020 because…you can guess why, I’m sure.

This trip was led by Jackie Kramer of Luvblooms.com…click on that link to see why I wanted to attend her workshop…she creates beautiful floral photography and I wanted to learn from the best. She was assisted by friends Linda Torbert and Padma Inguva. Though the first part of our workshop focused on floral photography, we later moved on to butterflies, birds, long-exposure beach sunrises and sunsets, and interior photography of churches and other beautiful buildings. Our trek went from Naples to Sarasota to Gainesville and finally St Augustine.

Along the way, I was amazed at Jackie’s energy. But it was her desire to teach us the art of floral photography that most impressed me. We learned how to approach the flower to find just the right background, how to isolate a flower that would otherwise be lost in clutter, how to do ‘shoot throughs’ to get a softer foreground, and so much more.

Jackie’s mission is to support other photographers, and using photography as a medium, to build relationships and enrich others' lives. I was enriched, and I know from her following that thousands of others are, too. And, my life was changed in a way that is too personal to share with you here…in person will have to do…just ask when you see me next.

Today, I will share with you flower photography, and a smattering of butterflies that like to frequent flowers.

Transformations, but with a different subject

Many of you have told me that your favorite articles here at Italy, Our Italy are the ones where I transform a rather blah snapshot taken in Italy into a fine-art photograph. And, I’ve mentioned in numerous articles that doing this puts me in my happy place. Actually two happy places…one in Italy, and then one in my digital darkroom as I perform my transformations. So today, I share photographs of flowers that I have transformed from ‘just snapshots’ into what I hope you will agree are fine-art photographs.

Just below I give you three examples of the transformation of a typical snapshot of a flower…though not in the detail that I cover in my Italy transformations (to see a complete list of transformations of photos from Italy, click here and scroll way down in the right-hand column to “Italy-Photo Transformations”). Today, you get just a before-and-after view.

Transformation Demo

You will see that the basic transformation involves the creation of what I would call a less weighty, or more ethereal look. The addition of texture is used to downplay a distracting background. Where Jackie has a whole line of Lensbaby optics that she uses to create her magic (which she demonstrates here) all my photos were taken with just a macro lens.

[Please click on the first image of each example to see a full-screen view]

This first transformation is a rather simple one involving a [insert the name of the flower here, as I am embarassed to say that I have no idea what it is].

Here I rely on luminance and texture to soften the background, which gives a more pleasing ethereal look, which is exactly what I was looking for. The original photo has inherited a lightness that I just love in floral photography.

This next transformation relies heavily on texture, for both the background and the subject, which is called a [you guessed it, I have no idea!].

Here I’m going for moody, rather than lightness.

Finally, a bit more complicated transformation, This transformation involves a water lily…yes, it’s called a water lily! Though I know not which variety.

I decided to go beyond just cropping the photo, and I went maybe a bit overboard in my creative transformation. But again, I am no longer satisfied with just a flower snapshot.

Thus ends my transformation demo. The remaining photos just show you the transformation’s resulting image.

The Flower Gallery

[As always, you can click on an image for a larger view]

None of the photos were done in studio…all were as they were found in the Naples Botanical Gardens, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota Jungle Gardens, Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History, and the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens.

Thorns!

And there were a few cacti in the Naples Botanical Garden.

Flutterbys

And now, the flutterbys. You will see that some have their probiscus inserted into a flower…or it might be rolled up like a hose. And those eyes!

If you were expecting information on Italy, my apologies…but I’m happy that you made it this far in today’s diversion. Thank you for hanging in there!

Next time you will see birds, with a smattering of other photos taken during our fabulous workshop. And until then, I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Late Night at the Produce Stand

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What if there was a drink that you could enjoy after your Italian meal that would help with digesting that scrumptious experience? There is! At least, these liquids are claimed to accomplish this.

Those are the words that I had planned to start with today, as I was to end my series on Eating in Italy by covering the ‘Digestivi’ of Italy (not sure what that is? Then come back next time to find out). But hey, something came up that will significantly add to the discussion of the aforementioned ‘Digestivi’. So, that discussion will wait just a short while for things to play out. In the meantime, please enjoy my transformation of a produce stand…that sounds strange doesn’t it? To see of what I speak, read on…

“ I’ve seen my friend Mike reaching to test the ripeness of a fig at a produce stand...only to have his hand slapped”

My goodness, it’s gotten late…and dark. I’ve spent a bit too much time exploring Canareggio this afternoon after returning from a day on the Venetian lagoon-island of Burano, which you can experience here.

Many of the shops of the day turn out to not be shops of the night. However, the neighborhood produce stand is still open. There, I see a woman asking about the produce…and she is in the process of getting a reply from the purveyor.

It’s late afternoon and what I see is not that interesting, so as I process my photos, I want to give this image more a late-night look. And, I want a more intimate repartee between the buyer and the seller. So, I’ve got work to do! Let’s get started.

The Basic Snapshot

As usual, I present to you the original snapshot. There’s a bit too much illumination for what I want to create. So, I’ll create a scene that would occur later in the evening. And do you see intimacy I’m looking for here? No, I don’t either.

Let There Be Dark!

I’ve now made this woman’s stop to purchase her supper a bit later…I hope I haven’t spoiled her evening.

Let There Be Two!

Four persons in the photo don’t lend the image the sense of intimacy that I’m searching for. The other two characters in this tableau have to go. Those who were walking in the background have now mysteriously disappeared…poof!

Now, 2 are gone…and 2 remain.

Exposure Adjustment

It’s time to adjust the lighting in certain parts of the image. You’ll notice above that the highlights are much too bright. We call that being ‘blown out’ in the digital darkroom. I’ll make some adjustments to the lighting, now.

Convert to Black & White

An old photographic axiom is that when colors are not essential to the scene, convert to black and white. I’m invoking that axiom now.

When we say ‘black and white’ in the photographic world, we rarely actually mean that. A photo that has only pure black and pure white would be an extremely high-contrast photo, wouldn’t you agree? That has a place in photography, but not here. To illustrate that point, I’ll show you a version of the photo above which has only pure black and pure white.

Ouch! That doesn’t do much for the intimate mood I’m after…more like a harsh encounter.

Below, we now have a grayscale image that has almost completely black in the shadows, to almost white in the lights of the produce stand. Looking at this image below, you may think that there are portions that are pure black and maybe some that are pure white…but there aren’t. My software says ‘No’, and it doesn’t lie. So, we now have an image with a nice gradation of grays, or greys, if you prefer.

The Final Photo

OK, here it is. I’ve cropped it to a more intimate scene. There appears to be a good interchange between the late-night shopper and the fruit vendor. I’m happy with this final version of “Late Night at the Produce Stand”.

The final version of ‘Late Night at the Produce Stand’

Can you tell what he is showing his customer? He is demonstrating the quality of a large mushroom…probably a portabella by the looks of it on closer examination.

By the Way, What Does That Sign Say?

There’s a sign occupying the center of the photo. I was going to remove it, but I think it relates an important point to you, our Venetian-produce-shopper-of-the-future.

The sign shows a hand reaching out with a “nope, don’t do it” symbol overlaid. And the words, “Por favor, no toque”. Translated it says, “Please, don’t touch”…and this particular sign is in Spanish, by the way, not Italian. There is also a “Bitte nicht beruhren” for the German shoppers. And, there’s even a “Please, don’t touch!” sign for us English speakers, or I should say, readers. You can see those other two signs in the original photo at the top of this page. Why is there not a sign like these written in Italian? Because, they know better.

This is typical of the Italian produce market, and much different than the markets in the US, where one can touch the produce to your hearts content. I’ve seen my friend Mike reaching to test the ripeness of a fig at a produce stand on Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo (that’s Saints John and Paul, but they’re not who you think they are, but that’s another story) only to have his hand slapped with a harsh, “Non toccare!” So, Mike was relegated to pointing out the figs he wanted, without the benefit of giving them just a little bit of a squeeze to see if they were ripe. So, ‘buyer beware’, and ‘as is’, is the way of the day.

Thus ends another transformation. This one was a bit gentle, with no major changes in construction of buildings, boats, doors, windows, and such.

There will be a time when you might see me at a produce stand in Venice, as I try to sneak a gentle fruit-squeeze to test the ripeness of a chosen delicacy. Maybe we can work together, as you divert the seller’s attention, perhaps asking, “How do I get to Piazza San Marco?”. Let’s do it! But, until then, I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

p.s. Mike’s figs were ripe and tasty!

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Eating in Italy - Dolci

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You saved room…right?! I always do.

Desert (the hot and dry place) is spelled with one ‘S’. Dessert (that sweet stuff) is spelled with two ‘S’s. My sister helped me with that, saying that Mom used to say, “…dessert has two s’s, because it’s super sweet”. I have to admit that I had problems with that until about 3 years ago. Enough etymology, let’s eat!!!

“Ellen did not eat that soufflé all by herself”

Today’s article is the last of the ‘Eating in Italy’ series, as far as solid food goes. There will be one more surprise article in the next couple of weeks…yes, there is one more oft used course in the Italian meal.

The Dolci (Dessert)

In the gastronomical dessert battle, those Frenchies seem to come out on top time after time. However, their close neighbor has a few tricks up their sleeve, too. Over the last decade, Italian dolci (sweets or desserts) have come a long way…and often right down to my tummy.

Typical of the dolci menu is tiramisu, panna cotta, zabaglione and grandma’s cake (torta di nonna). I’m pleased to say that I have had each of these offerings in during 2022…though sadly, not in Italy, itself.

As this isn’t a cooking class, I will jump right into the typical offerings of the Italian menu itself, rather than handing out recipes. What follows are actual offerings from Italian menus…real Italian menus…from Italy. Sorry, but I wanted you to get the point.

And, those photos you see to the right (or who knows where on a mobile device) are photos of our actual dolci experiences within Italy. Enjoy!

Dolci Menu Offerings

Crostata

A crostata is a baked tart filled with…you’ll see just below…

Cioccolato e Caffe’ (chocolae, crema, and a chocolate streusel)
Mele e Albicocca (apples, apricots)
Mandorla e Amarena (almond, pastry cream, and Fabbri amarena cherries…one of our favorites)

Classics

Tiramisu (espresso soaked biscuits, tiramisu cream and cocoa powder)
Limoncello Profiteroles
Afogato (espresso poured over gelato)
Zabaglione (egg custard and sweet spumoni wine)
Torta di Nonna (sweet crusted tart with custard and a fruit filling)

Other Desserts

Chocolate variation (a variation of exactly what, I know not)

Crunchy puff pastry, pumpkin and chestnut cream, almond milk, pomegranate, sour cream gelato, salted caramel, and kitchen sink…just kidding.
Mountain panna cotta
Caprese cake
A patisserie mignon
Millefeuille with chantilly cream, orange sauce
Warm Zabaglione with De Bartoli reserve marsala and panettone
Babà with rhum and whipped cream
Kiss of cream meringue and dark chocolate flakes
Warm Chocolate cake made with rhum with coconut gramble and blackberries sorbet
Variation of coconut, banana and lime
Rhubarb gel with hazelnut creams and sponges
Ricotta cream with marzipan, soft pistachio and sorbet of candied oranges
Consistencies of dark chocolate, cocoa grué snow and hemp [I have no idea, don’t ask]
Slice of homemade cake
Crêpes à la crème
Fete Biscottate Homemade
Cremoso al Rosmarino
Marmellata di Fragole e Rabarbaro
Honey mousse
chamomile pannacotta
Florus-flavored tiramisu (Florus? Obviously a Banfi menu item…and tasty)
Paffpastry cannolo, custard and plum jam ice cream
Tuscan biscotti parfait with vanilla ice cream
Mascarpone cheese mousse, hazelnuts praline cream, crunchy chocolate, coffee gelato
Rhubarb sphere, vermouth cream, beetroot macaron, raspberry sorbet
The Fregolona (a crumbly dessert made from butter, flour, sugar, almonds and yellow flour)

Fruit as Dessert

Boring? A Little, but then again, it is healthy

Fruit tarts
Sliced fresh fruit
Fruit Plate
Fresh fruit salad with vanilla ice cream

Gelato, Sorbet & Ice Cream

Cassis sorbet, coconut milk-flavored winter salad
Lemon sorbet, apple and celery, first pressed oil, timur berries

Millefouille with vanilla cream
Tofu soft cream, tangerine sorbet, citrus fruits, ginger, kale chips
Lemon sorbet with grated licorice
Vanilla ice cream with gelè of smoked whiskey
Selection of housemade sorbets and ice creams
Gelato al Pane
Pollen ice cream [you didn’t know that bees can make ice cream, did you?]
Homemade crema gelato, raisins and Moscato Romano Levi grappa
An ice cream made with the collaboration of Marco (Ricotta Ice Cream w/ Amarone Grappa)

Cheese As Dessert

Yes, I’ve had cheese for dessert…and then I order an actual, real, traditional, sweet, and pleasing dessert! Listed here are just a few Italian cheeses you might order from the dolci menu:

Caprino
Morlacco
Gorgonzola naturale
And many other Italian cheeses

Other Ways to Get Dolci

Wow, so many tasty sounding variations of dolci. And, I can’t leave off just plain, old gelato…scooped up at that “best gelato in all of Italy” place around the corner from wherever you happen to be in Italy. And, if your friend hears you are going to Italy and says, “You’ve just got to go to this gelato place…it’s the best ever…it’s just a 45 minute walk from the places you will be!”, don’t fall for it…find the one that’s handy and go for it!

And then there is what you find along the way as you stroll the calle of Italy, like cookies, candies, and such. It’s hard not to run across these hand-held treats…except when you are actively looking for them, of course.

Below are photos of tasty treats you might find whilst in Italy.

A Short Anecdote

When we were in Amalfi, we had a nice meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant called Ristorante La Caravella. It was a lovely dining experience.

On the menu for dolci, we eyed an item called Soufflè al limone d'Amalfi, or lemon soufflé, made with those huge Amalfi lemons.

I’ll forgo telling you more about the dessert…I’ll let you see what happened to it. Ellen will demonstrate. Nough said, right?

If you need to catch up on the earlier installments of Eating in Italy, here are the links:

Eating in Italy — The Courses and Apertivo [the types of dining establishments, the menu, and a sip of an apertivo — a good place to start your dining journey]
Eating in Italy — Antipasto
Eating in Italy — Primi
Eating in Italy — Secondi

Thank you for joining me today as we discover that sweetest of Italian meal courses, the dolci course. If your sweet tooth has been activated, get yourself to Italy. If we are there with you, we will help you get your just desserts! Until that happens, I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

p.s. Before you ask, I’ll answer your question: No, Ellen did not eat that soufflé all by herself. I had a hand in that task, also.

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Transforming a Door with Garden Above

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Let’s take a break from eating Italian style for a quick photo transformation. Working to transform a blah snapshot into a fine art image is where I find myself in my happy place. I like being happy, and I hope that you do, too.

The Starting Snapshot

“That lock now raises an interesting dilemma”

Today’s starting snapshot comes from Venice. I had visited the Rialto Market early this morning, as one must do in order to see all of the fresh seafood produce displayed. The Rialto Market is in the San Polo sestierie of Venice. Now, I am venturing into new territory to the northwest of the Rialto, and here I came across a rather unusual façade, as you can see in this snapshot.

As usual, things are a bit wonky before the photo editing begins. First of all, the photo has been saved as a RAW image by my camera, rather than the ubiquitous JPEG format of 99.9% of cameras, like the one on your telefonino (mobile phone). If you want to know more about RAW vs JPEG, my previous article here will explain all.

[If you click on an image, you will get a full-screen view]

So, this first image has no contrast, saturation, or sharpening applied before it is saved…so it looks rather flat…not to mention distorted. A JPEG would look a lot better, initially. Using my digital darkroom tools of Adobe’s Lightroom and Photoshop, I can fix all to my satisfaction. So, let’s get started on that.

Step 1 - Distortion

My first action is to get rid of the distortion caused by a wide-angle lens as it is aimed up just a bit.

The distortion has now be resolved.

Step 2 - New-World Distractions

I don’t want to present to you an Italy of today, with its modern distractions, like the electrical conduits and house numbers you see above. I explain more about this in my previous, almost ancient, article titled ‘The Venice That Isn’t There’. I want you to see the old Italy…the Italy of 600 years ago. I’m going to get rid of these modern distractions.

Done. No more electrical conduit or house number.

Step 3 - Saturation, Contrast & Sharpening

Now I will do what your camera does when it saves your images…I’ll add just a bit of saturation, contrast and sharpening.

Saturation, contrast and sharpening is done

Mission accomplished.

Step 4 - That New-World Security Grating

The metal grating to the right of the photo is grating on me…it doesn’t elicit the old-world charm that I am working toward. It has to go.

Gone. It took awhile because there is a shortage of ancient-looking brick in Venice at the moment. They said it has something to do with Covid. After keeping at it, I was able to find the materials and laborers (me, by the way), to get the job done.

Step 5 - Let’s Work on the Door

That door is just a tad too old world…Or just battered and faded. I’m going to give it a quick paint job.

Ouch! It looks more psychedelic than old, like it is from the 70s (the 1970s, not the 1470s). Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I’ll have to tone it down a whole lot. Now, what color do I want to end up with? Hmmm…

Step 6 - A More Subtle Door Painting

Mi dispiace (I’m sorry). That paint job was horrible. I’ve removed that garishness and I’ve decided to spruce it up with a nice red…not too jazzy…but just right…like the color of a nice glass of Banfi Brunello.

OK, I know…you’re saying, ‘Hey Steve, you left a modern convenience on the door’. You saw that lock, didn’t you? It’s dead-center in the photo to the right. I didn’t see it until I was putting on that horrible paint. I’ve now removed it.

That lock now raises an interesting dilemma. It looks as though the door is in two parts…basically a double door. So, what is the lock doing over to the side of one of those doors, rather than at the middle, to secure the two doors together. A mystery what we won’t be able to unravel at this time. A great excuse for going back to Venice, right? But that’s nothing folks. Some of you may remember a door that had at least six locking mechanisms on it. Refresh your memory, or create a new memory, by checking out this very, very secure entrance door.

Enough talk, I need to get painting.

The painting has been resolved.

Step 7 - The Patina

Those of you who have been around for a bit know that I always like to finish with the nice patina of old Italy. So, that’s what I’m going to apply, now.

I hope that you have enjoyed the after-my-journey-in-Venice digital-journey-of-transformation that I’ve produced for you today. We’ve taken a very blah snapshot of an unusual façade, and we’ve transformed it into a fine-art photo.

It was a pleasure to have you beside me on this journey. But, better still, let’s do this…rather than a digital journey into the vast intrigue of Venice, let’s do it together…in person. Oh, I do hope we can do that together some day. But until then, I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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