Tag: Genoa

Columbus

Christopher Columbus Monument in Genova, Italy
Columbus | Genoa | 2023

Here’s another street photograph using reflections to capture the viewer’s attention. Two passersby become three under the watchful eyes of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America. The legendary seafarer was born in Genoa around 1451.

His monument, built in 1862, is located in the Piazza Acquaverde in Genoa, directly next to the main train station, Stazione Principe. The statue of Colombo stands on top of a large marble pedestal, his left hand rests on an anchor while his right is on the shoulder of a figure of America typified by a kneeling Indian maiden holding a cross in the right hand. At each of the four corners of the base stands a smaller square pedestal, on each of which is a seated statue, representing Piety, Science, Constancy and Prudence.

In recent years, the Columbus Memorial has been the subject of controversy, as some people have criticized Columbus for his treatment of the indigenous peoples he encountered in the Americas. There have been discussions to remove the monument, but it remains a prominent landmark in the city of Genoa.

The image was taken with my iPhone 14 Pro and post-processed in Lightroom Classic.

If you are looking for tips and inspirations around street photography you can find in my free Learning center.

Have a great Thursday

Marcus

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Carniball

Girl dressed in a costume playing with a balloon - Carniball
Carniball | Genoa | 2023

The kids definitely had a lot of fun on the last Sunday of this year’s carnival season, with this girl playing carniball – get the pun? And deservedly so, after Covid all but eliminated the party in 2021 and 2022. These are a couple of snapshots I took in a Genoa food hall (“MOG“) the other weekend The Significant Other and I discovered by chance (a.k.a. Google Maps) when we where looking for a place to eat Sunday evening.

Continue reading “Carniball” →
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La Lanterna – revisited

Lanterna - Genova's historic lighthouse
La Lanterna | Genoa | 2004

With the two-week holiday break behind us, The Significant Other and I returned to the jobs that pay the bills today. But we’re still fueled by the memories we made visiting with friends in the Austrian and Swiss alps and, in between, spending the first days at our new “second home” in Genoa. As decoration for our living room we decided to put up a large photo of Genoa’s historic lighthouse – La Lanterna – printed on a 47×32 inch (120×80 cm) canvas.

One of my favorite images of La Lanterna is one I took back in 2004 during a winter sunset with my first digital camera, a Minolta Dimage A1. Revisiting the image in Lightroom Classic, I realized that the quality of a 18 year old digital photograph might not be up to todays standards, and could be unsuitable for a large scale print. Thankfully, Lightroom Classic offers the possibility to upscale any image to double its original size, so I could increase resolution to a modern 5210×3840. Changing the calibration process (in the development module) from the original V1 to the current V5, I was also able to use the modern day capabilities of Lightroom to clean up the noise in the original photograph and enhance clarity and the colors. Exporting the old image to its 2023 clone, I got a clean 10,4 MB file with 300dpi, perfect for a large print.

La Lanterna, as we still see it today, was built in its current shape in 1543, replacing a previous structure on the same rock. It is the world’s third oldest lighthouse and, for more than 350 years, was also the tallest lighthouse in the world.

Have a great start into the week!

Marcus

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End of the Day

Vendor of illuminated balloons waiting for last customer of the day
Waiting for the last Customer | Genoa | 2023

Just a street snapshot taken with my iPhone last night while taking The Significant Other and Big Boy to dinner in Genoa’s Porto Antico. The vendor of illuminated balloons waiting for the last customer at the end of the day.

Post processed with the iPhone photo app.

Don’t forget to check out my free Learning Center for all those quick tips and inspirations around street photography.

Have a great Tuesday

Marcus

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Halloween Ghost Tour

Halloween Kids
1/60 sec | f/2.4 | ISO 6400 | 50mm

Spending the long Halloween weekend in our second home town Genoa down in Italy, The Significant Other and I celebrated the Halloween evening in style, participating in a Halloween Ghost Tour through the medieval town center. Tagging along was my Leica SL2-S and the TTArtisan 50mm .95 prime “Nifty Fifty” M-Mount lens.

Continue reading “Halloween Ghost Tour” →
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Ground Control to Major Tom

Ground control to Major Tom - a sleeping astronaut is depicted on a mural in a restaurant in Genoa.
Space Oddity | Genoa | 2022

“Ground Control to Major Tom” – I’m sure, you know the lyrics of David Bowie’s legendary song “Space Oddity”. I would question whether Major Tom would be available on the other side of the line. Not only, because yesterday NASA had to cancel for the third time the launch of the new Artemis moon rocket due to technical problems (I would be curious if they dubbed one of the travelling passenger dummies “Major Tom” – if anyone knows please comment below). But also because this astronaut, depicted on a mural in a restaurant in Genoa we (fittingly) visited last night, sure looks to be offline.

Let’s hope NASA fixes whatever probs they have with the Artemis rocket soon – and then goes on the radio:

“Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may God’s love be with you”

iPhone 12 Pro Max snapshot, converted to monochrome in Lightroom Classic. Oh, and the food in this place was awesome!

Have a great Sunday!

Marcus

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Another weekend – another photo exhibition

Another weekend – another photo exhibition (have you read my post from the SteveMcCurry exhibition?). This time we were a bit more south. The Significant Other and I spent the weekend in (our former hometown) Genoa on the Ligurian coast to visit a dear friend. And, as things go, there was another exhibition in town – “L’Italia di Magnum”. Another opportunity to see great photography and do some street shooting inside the exhibition.

Continue reading “Another weekend – another photo exhibition” →
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A weekend in La Superba

The Man and the Lion
Lion’s Gaze | Genoa | 2020

A few days ago, The Significant Other and I headed down to Genoa to spend a weekend in La Suberba, as the ancient Italian Marine Republic at the Ligurian coast is affectionately called. And a good opportunity for some candid street photography…

Continue reading “A weekend in La Superba” →
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All is calm, all is bright

Boccadasse Dreams

The second day of Christmas. Downtime. All is calm, all is bright. In Pajamas all day. Watching TV documentaries. Couch sleeping (a lot). Playing with some photographs taken during the year, like this night shot from Boccadasse, Genoa. Just imagining, how the little port would look without light pollution.

If you think about picking up a camera yourself and are still looking for inspirations what to photography, check out my free Learning Center.

I hope your are all having a fantastic Christmas as well.

Marcus

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Shopkeepers Dreams

1/250 sec - f/4.5 - ISO 3200 - 100 mm
1/250 sec – f/4.5 – ISO 3200 – 100 mm

What are they thinking about? This series  of shopkeepers, all waiting for customers, all lost in thoughts, I took while strolling through Genoa’s medieval old town. An awesome place for Street Photography.

1/320 sec - f/4.5 - ISO 3200 - 100 mm
1/320 sec – f/4.5 – ISO 3200 – 100 mm

 

1/250 sec - f/4.5 - ISO 3200 - 100 mm
1/250 sec – f/4.5 – ISO 3200 – 100 mm

 

1/200 sec - f/4 - ISO 3200 - 100 mm
1/200 sec – f/4 – ISO 3200 – 100 mm

Grab your camera, head to the streets and take a themed series of photographs. It helps to train the eye! Try it!

Wish you a great Friday!

Marcus

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Smoke but no fire

Keep Calm | Genoa | 2018 | 1/50 sec - f/4 - ISO 1600 - 100mm
Studies| Genoa | 2018 | 1/50 sec – f/4 – ISO 1600 – 100mm

After yesterday’s coffee photo (a vice I admit adhering to) here is one with a bit of smoke.  Like coffee drinkers, also smokers claim they can relax over a cigarette, although I personally can’t find why that is, with all that smell. But I do admit, a passerby puffing steam can make for an interesting street image. And this lady sure looks relaxed, as she is studying real estate offers in a shop window in Genoa’s old town.

I thought of converting the photo to monochrome, but eventually decided against, as the blue-yellow-blue sequencing of colors makes for an eye-catching color combo (as blue and yellow combined always does). Also, her blowing smoke (and looking) towards the upper left corner and her body shape angling towards the lower left adds a triangular component to the composition. And there is a story, as you would wonder what she might be looking at (in case I hadn’t told you before).

Taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M1 and the mZuiko 12-100mm F/4 – image specs 1/50 sec @ f/4 and ISO 1600,  100mm focal length.

Have a great Wednesday!

Marcus

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Keep calm and drink coffee

Coffee Break | Genoa | 2018 | 1/60 sec - f/4 - ISO 1600 - 100mm
Coffee Break | Genoa | 2018 | 1/60 sec – f/4 – ISO 1600 – 100mm

I’m a coffee addict. I could drink coffee the whole day. I can drink a coffee before going to bed and still sleep like a baby. When I’m all stressed out (from the job that pays the bills), I drink a coffee, take a deep breath and carry on. Coffee also gets my creative juices flowing. That said, I’ve spent the last (slightly extended) weekend in Italy. And there is no other country (I’m aware of) that provides for great tasting espresso.

The above photo I took in Genoas old town from outside a coffee bar with my Olympus OM-D E-M1 and the mZuiko 12-100mm F/4 – image specs 1/60 sec @ f/4 and ISO 1600,  100mm focal length.

There are a couple of things I like about the photo, the overall story, the nice bokeh of the 12-100, the juxtaposition of the big, slightly tilted head of the coffee drinker in the foreground and the small slightly tilted head of the barista in the blurred background. What I don’t like is the clutter in front of the head of the main subject. Although blurred, it still distracts. But in that situation there was no chance for a composition with a clean background. Street photography is full of trade offs.

Wish you a great Tuesday!

Marcus

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