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.
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.
More monochrome photography in this post. Taken yesterday on a stormy highway while enroute to our Southern Home in Italy. No worries, I didn’t drive under the influence (of photography). Our e-car was driving autonomous on the highway in Southern Bavaria, supervised by Big Boy sitting behind the wheel. While I was snapping at the amazing cloudscape with ever-changing light with my iPhone 16 Pro Max from the passenger seat. To see more images of this photographic road trip continue after the jump….
In this image waves meet love. Hmmm….can you call this a street photograph when it was taken at the beach? The question came up the in the comments of my previous post. While the question is valid, the answer is simple. Street photography isn’t defined by where it’s taken, but by what it captures. It’s about observing real, unscripted human moments in public spaces. A beach, just like a sidewalk, a subway, or a park, is a public stage where life unfolds naturally. Or as Shakespeare says “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women, merely players” which is the motto of this blog.
Taking with my iPhone 14 Pro. If you are looking for tips and inspirations around street photography, check out my free Learning Center.
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.
The Lion never sleeps. Neither does his marble companion on the other side of the grand stairs leading up to Genoa’s San Lorenzo Cathedral. The silent sentinel just lies there, watching the threshold and people come and go. Somehow it also feels welcoming, inviting passersby to lean against it or climb up and sit for a moment. My kids did exact that when they were little, turning the ancient guardian into a temporary playground companion. The pedestal beneath the beast is hardly empty. There seems to be always someone sitting there, resting, watching other people or, like in this case, checking whatever on the cell phone.
I took the image with my Nikon Zf and the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR. Specs are 1/160 sec @ f/6 , ISO 400 and 60mm focal length. Monochrome jpg out of camera.
Today is Befana, as the Feast of Epiphany is called in Italy. Traditionally observed on January 6, it commemorates the visit of the Wise Men in Bethlehem, celebrating the moment Jesus is revealed to the world. Across many cultures, the day is marked with festive customs, special foods, and local celebrations that reflect its message of revelation and unity. Here in Italy, the children get their presents from the Befana, a friendly old woman depicted as a witch. Befana also marks the end of the Christmas season. And for Genoa, this is the last day the Christmas lights are turned on in the evening. Traditionally, The Significant Other and I spend the first week of the new year in our Southern Home at the Ligurian Sea. And over the past days we have enjoyed strolling through the medieval city center and the harbor, enjoying the decorations. Join us for some impressions of the Genoa Christmas Lights….
There is nothing to worry about – the young talents are already roaming the streets. I captured this image of a next gen photographer the other day on the streets of Genoa.
The photograph was taken with my Nikon Zf and the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR. Specs are 1/400 sec @ f/6.3 , ISO 450 and 200mm focal length. Jpg out of camera.
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