Tag: Liguria

Serenity in Shades of Gray

Pine Tree Silhouettes
Coastal Pines | Liguria | 2026

There’s something truly special about black and white photography. For me, it’s more than just removing color; it’s about stripping away distractions and getting right to the heart of what makes an image compelling. It’s about reducing the scene to its purest form: composition. Serenity in Shades of Gray.

Take this shot, for instance, captured in the Ligurian Apennines, northwest of Genoa. The moment I saw these majestic trees silhouetted against the misty mountains, I knew it had to be black and white. The layers of hills fading into the distance, the stark outlines of the pines – it all just sings in monochrome.

When I shoot in black and white, the entire process becomes a tranquil enjoyment. It forces me to see shapes, lines, and textures in a different way. The absence of color simplifies everything, allowing the eye to focus solely on the interplay of light and shadow, and the arrangement of elements within the frame. It’s photography reduced to a minimum, and in that simplicity, I find immense satisfaction.

This image, with its quiet strength and layered depth, perfectly embodies that feeling for me. It’s a reminder that sometimes, less truly is more, and that beauty can be found in the most understated of palettes.

What are your thoughts on black and white photography? Do you find it as calming and focused as I do? Let me know in the comments below!

Image taken with a Fuji X-T50 and the Fujinon Super EBC XC 1:2.8-4.8/16-50mm R LM WR. Image specs 1/3200 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 250 and 31mm focal lenght (full frame equivalent). Acros Film Simulation – jpg out of camera.

Have a great Thursday

Marcus

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Remembrance

15

Horizons

Two people by the sea watching the horizons
Horizons | Celle Ligure | 2026

The other weekend, The Significant Other and I spent an afternoon in Celle Ligure, a picturesque little town a few kilometers west of our Southern Home in Genoa. In March, we are still a few weeks removed from start of the swimming season. Now, Celle’s beach is still a quiet stretch of shoreline, where the world seems to pause between sky and sea. I was intrigued by the two figures sit at the edge, somehow dwarfed by the vast horizon, sharing a moment that feels both intimate and infinite. Street Photography can be very calm and minimalistic.

Taking with my iPhone 14 Pro. Slight cropping in Lightroom Classic. If you are looking for tips and inspirations around street photography, check out my free Learning Center. 

Have a great Thursday

Marcus

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10

Liguria Explored – Bellissimi

Bellissimi Church and Balloon Mural
Bellissimi | Liguria | 2025

As promised in my last post, today I will take you along on a walk through a little village in the Ligurian Appenin mountains that run along the coast of the Mediterranean. What ties this little mountain village, called Bellissimi, to the balloon vendor I photographed in Genoa’s Porto Antico the other day, are well…balloons. Bellissimi (which means “the most beautiful”) is full of murals of balloons. To see a selection of the artworks, find out why Bellissimi’s claim to fame are balloons, and last but not least see a picture of the four Bellissimi who visited this village, click below for the full story of “Liguria Explored – Bellissimi”

Continue reading “Liguria Explored – Bellissimi” →
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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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5

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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1

My favorite photograph of 2022

View of Genoa Harbor
Room with a View | Genoa | 2022

As mentioned in my recent post about my photographic journey of last year, I did not include my favorite photograph of 2022 in that gallery. But here it is. My fave image of last year. The one I looked at the most. The one I showed around the most. The one that means the most to me. I titled it “Room with a View”. The thing that makes it stand out for me? It is the view from our living room balcony.

Last year, The Significant Other and I realized a dream many years old. Since having lived in Genoa from 2001 to 2005, we have fantasized about one day getting us a little place there. After all, it’s only a seven hour drive from Nuremberg. Three years ago we decided to try to turn the dream into reality and actively started to search for a little apartment. The key premise was it needed to have a view of the port, the city and the sea. It took us two and a half years to find the right place, and we closed the deal in May. The needed renovations took until December. It was quite a project. Last night was the first time we slept in our little Happy Place. We made the dream reality. Now we have a room with a view. This is my favorite photograph of 2022.

Have a great start into 2023, and keep pursuing your own dreams. One day they can become reality!

Marcus

A weekend in La Superba

Street ? Harbor!

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StoNur on the Road – Portofino

30

Smartphone or entry level camera?

Portofino
Portofino

I get asked a lot for advice on a low-budget entry level camera. I usually respond by asking for what kind of photography it is intended to be used. Because, frankly speaking, if people want to spend 300€ on a simple entry level camera for just some basic snapping of the usual holiday / people / travel photos, they should stay away and just use their smart phone. Because smart phones these days are also really good cameras, and one that you always carry with you….so the question is: Smartphone or entry level camera?

Continue reading “Smartphone or entry level camera?” →
22

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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Liquid Houses

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Liquid Houses

Camogli Church seen from a submerged camera
1/250 sec – f/8 – ISO 100

This is how it looks when you photograph the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta in the moment a wave washes over your camera and the lens is half submerged.

Continue reading “Liquid Houses” →
43

Feet Up

Two pairs of sand covered bare feet
Feet Up | 1/800 sec – f/8 – ISO 200 – 100 mm

Feet up! Relaxation is the main theme of our vacation on the Ligurian coast. We head down to the beach almost daily. Great food and drinks, reading and swimming is the main program. And an occasional grip to the camera if a beach shot jumps into my view.

Continue reading “Feet Up” →
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Street? Beach!

Bathers at Laigueglia Beach seen from out the water
1/640 sec – f/6.3 – ISO 100 – 15mm

Sure enough we spend ample time at the beach, during our Ligurian vacation. And this is always a good opportunity to put my rugged Olympus TG-4 camera to action. Because who says you can shoot street photography only on terra firma? Street? Beach! Sea!

Continue reading “Street? Beach!” →
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Liguria Explored – Coastal Cycling

Passing through a former railroad tunnel on a bike

Yesterday we explored 24 kilometers (15miles) of the beautiful Ligurian Flower Riviera by bike, the cycling lane following the railway line of the former coastal railroad from Genoa to Ventimiglia.

Continue reading “Liguria Explored – Coastal Cycling” →
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