There is a lot of trick-or-treating going on outside our door. The kids, accompanied by their parents, are roaming the foggy streets, visiting the houses of all their little friends. Many of them in spooktacular sekleton costumes. But nothing is as creepy as the real thing, especially if it looks over your shoulder in an exhibition. Well, almost real. The statue of the Grim Reaper is made of sand stone and was created by sculptor Claude Curé back in 1723. It was part of the decoration of the burial chapel of a prince bishop in the Würzburg Cathedral.
Three Observers | Centro Storico, Genoa | Italy | 2026
See the three observers? All of them are silent in this quiet moment in an alley of Genoa’s Centro Storico. But one of them has never talked at all.
What caught my eye was the juxtaposition of the three figures: one standing high above the street on his pedestal, another leaning against a storefront, and the third sitting on the steps farther down the alley. Three observers at three different levels, leading the eye into the frame from giant to dwarf.
Being constantly on the lookout for little scenes like this is part of what makes street photography so much fun for me. You just never know what you’ll find when roaming the streets with a camera in hand.
For more street photography inspiration, check out my free Learning Center.
Have a great Wednesday – Marcus
Photo Notes Camera: Fuji X-T50 Lens: Fujinon Super EBC XC 1:2.8-4.8/16-50mm R LM WR Exposure: 1/500sec | f/4.8 | ISO 1000 | 50mm (75mm full frame equivalent)
While roaming the streets with camera in hand, I often take photographs of local street life. And when doing my selections and post processing, I find that I have captured humans in activities that, at least for me, are somehow representative for their respective stages of life.
I want to start with the elder ones. The generation that has built the foundations of what we live in today through a life full of work and caring for their families. The last stage can be a tough one. Poverty, deteriorating health, the loss of a partner, increasing loneliness. Still there are many that remain active, take their lives into their hands, find time to enjoy what they didn’t have time for during their working years. Still passing on their experiences and lessons of life.
The grown ones. The backbone of our society. Caring for both the old and the young. Having seen their share of life. Often captured within the treadmills of daily routine and the consequences of decisions they took many years ago. Sometimes thinking too much about what could have been rather than realizing what still can be.
And finally the young ones. Life is good, mostly. Uncomplicated. Full of perspectives, hopes, dreams. First love, the joy of having someone very special in your life. Using every opportunity to sneak away from guardians and burdens of school life. Happiness, laughing together, enjoying coziness. Our all future.
Forgive if these thoughts are too black and white 😉
For more inspirations on street photography, check out my free Learning Center.
Walking through a door | Samarkand | Uzbekistan | 2025
Life is a journey that ends not with fear, but with curiosity. In the final moment, we are walking through a door, leaving behind everything we have ever known. No one can tell us what lies beyond, yet the unknown has always been where new discoveries begin. Perhaps there are wonders we cannot imagine, familiar faces, endless peace, or something greater than words can describe. Until that moment comes, all we can do is wonder—and when the time arrives, step forward with quiet curiosity to see what waits on the other side.
There was music on the Streets of Nuremberg last night, with the 2026 Bardentreffen singer-songwriter festival happening this weekend. The Significant Other and I headed into the old town to listen to the performance of the band “Gracefull Black & The Weekenders”, where a close friend of us is the drummer. It was awesome to be back out on the streets on a warm summer night. Combining music, street photography and some sightseeing in our historic old town. Join us for a stroll by clicking “read more” below…
The first thing that caught my attention was the person sitting quietly by the sea. But what made me press the shutter was the way the soft light, the tranquil atmosphere on this pebbled beach and the simple composition came together in that single moment during our afternoon stroll along the Ligurian coast, just west of Genoa.
I have no idea what the lady staring out to sea was thinking about, and that’s perfectly fine. Street photography rarely provides answers. Instead, it invites us to create our own stories about the people and moments we encounter.
Life has its challenges at times, and these days it is difficult for me to find time to care for this blog. But at least I want to keep the series of 126 straight months of posting alive 😉. By leveraging a post I did the other week over on monochromia.blog where I have the honor of being a regular guest contributor. If you are into black&white photography, check out this blog as it features daily the work of some truly amazing photographers.
This street photo I took in Egypt last month. A woman sits in the doorway of her house in a Nubian village on the banks of the Nile in Upper Egypt. Wearing a light-colored traditional dress and headscarf, she holds a glass in her hands and enjoys a moment of silent observations. The photograph was made using the available late afternoon light. Sunlight falling across her face and clothing while the interior behind her remains in shadow. Shooting in monochrome was the easy choice. It emphasizes the contrast between light and dark, drawing attention to her expression and the everyday scene of village life.
Taken with my Nikon Zf and the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR, image specs 1/800 sec @f/6.3 and ISO 2000, 200mm focal length.
Have a great Monday
Marcus
Photo Notes Camera: Nikon Zf Lens: Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Image specs: 1/800 sec @f/6.3 and ISO 2000, 200mm focal length
Visiting a 2.250 year old ancient Egyptian temple today, I took a couple of images of two local guardians posing in their traditional garments for the passing photographer. Wich one do you like best? Leave your preference in the comments below. For the other images continue after the jump….
The other week in our Southern Home in Genoa, I woke up in the middle of the night and noticed something different in the room. The full moon was shining through the bedroom window. I was immediately intrigued by the scene, the light kind of magic, the textured curtains casting soft silvery shadows onto the bed. It felt simple but special. I had to get up and grab my iPhone 14 Pro to capture that moment. Sometimes, the best scenes are the ones you almost miss.
Taken with my iPhone 14 Pro with the built in dark monochrome filter. No post-processing.
Three boys around a small café table in Genoa’s Giardini Luzzati. Ignorant of the world moving around them. Children playing, trees swaying in the cold wind blowing from the sea, chatting people sitting at surrounding tables (including us enjoying a drink). Their focus is somewhere else. Pondering their next moves.
What I liked about this moment is how calm it felt. No phones in their hands. No rush. Just a simple game that has been played for hundreds of years. It’s cool to see young people still playing chess like this, out in the open, face to face. In a time where everything is fast and digital, they chose something slow and thoughtful. Chess makes people pause. It brings them together. It creates small worlds like this one—just a board, a few pieces, and three minds sharing the same space. And for those teens, in this moment, nothing else seemed more important.
Taken with my Fuji X-T50 and the Fujinon Super EBC XC 1:2.8-4.8/16-50mm R LM WR. Image specs 1/500sec | f/4.8 | ISO 1000 | 50mm (75mm full frame equivalent).
If you feel inspired to capture the stories of the streets and are looking for tips and inspirations around street photography, check out my free Learning Center.
Yesterday, The Significant Other and I visited the fantastic exhibition of dutch painter Anton van Dyck in Genoa’s Palazzo Ducale. After, we went for some errands in Via XX Settembre. And while the wife went into a clothing store, I stood under the arcades of La Superba’s principal shopping mile, snapping away at the passing faces of the street. I used my Fuji X-T50 and the Fujinon Super EBC XC 1:2.8-4.8/16-50mm R LM WR. And what can I say, the tiny camera/lens combo basically went unnoticed by the passing people. To see more images from a 15 minute stretch of street photography, click “read more”…
Street Photography is also about capturing juxtapositions. Like a girl having too many legs. I snapped this image with my iPhone 14 Pro one the steps of San Lorenzo Cathedral in Genoa. Click “read more” to see it from your slightly different angle.
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