Venice with the Ricoh GR IIIx
This is the first post in a three-part series on shooting Venice with the Ricoh GR IIIx. This post covers the more classic, single-frame images of the city. The second, Reflections of Venice with the Ricoh GR IIIx, focuses on the reflections hidden around every corner. The third, Double Exposures of Venice with the Ricoh GR IIIx, turns to in-camera double exposures.
On the way home, I had the chance to spend half a day in Venice, from early afternoon to sunset. The weather was pleasantly warm and the sky deep blue. I took some black-and-white images of Venice before with the Zeiss Distagon 28mm f/2.8 (you can see them in my earlier Venice post) this time, however, I opted for the Ricoh GR IIIx, as I wanted to be as light as possible while walking around the city
It did take some time to warm up and compose an image that wasn't obvious or boring. For all the incredible corners Venice has to offer, simply pointing the camera and blindly shooting doesn't work, even somewhere this interesting. I noticed one of the red brick walls so characteristic of the city, and the light seemed to be hitting it at just the right angle. I opted for a slow shutter speed and waited until a person walked into the frame to add a touch of movement.
I like the color in the image, but I see two main improvements. Firstly, the small votive niche on the right is cut in half by the frame edge. From a composition point of view it would have been better to include it fully or exclude it altogether, rather than catch it just halfway. Secondly, the walking figure is lost in the shadow. The image could have been more compelling if the person's silhouette stood out more against the lit part of the wall.
While walking up to an intersection of two calli, I noticed a corner building that was incredibly lit. It doesn't have the usual Venetian architecture, but the light made it look very three-dimensional. The deep shadows at the bottom add a sense of depth, but the street light in the top right ruins the composition a bit.
The next shot captures the campanile of San Marco framed by an arch of the Scala Contarini del Bovolo. The framing works well: the deep shadows create a nice contrast with the sunlit tiled roofs and the iconic shape of the campanile beyond
After a short walk to Piazza San Marco, I took a shot of the campanile again, this time from its base. The tower is impressive in size, and the contrast between the red bricks and the blue sky works very well.
Not many people are aware of this, but in front of the Mercato di Rialto there is a gondola service that, for just a couple of euros, lets you cross the Canal Grande and experience riding the famous Venetian boat. It was in this setting that I took a picture of the gondoliere, the man rowing the boat. The tired expression on his face tells the story of a long day's work under the sun.
As the sun was setting, I found myself in Cannaregio, the part of the city I probably know best, as I spent quite some time around this area in the past. I noticed a house that was catching a stripe of the last warm sunlight and took a photo.
Another interesting thing about Cannaregio is that in summer it offers an incredible sunset view over the lagoon, especially from Ponte dei Tre Archi.
The water in the canal also had incredible color and texture. It was moving with such plasticity that it almost felt like you could walk on it. The warm sunset tones perfectly complemented the deep blues of the shadows and gave the surface an almost pixelated look.
As the sun fully set, we reached Piazzale Roma and took the cableway to the parking lot. This offered the last chance to capture the incredible colors of the sunset.
This concludes the first post in the three-part series on shooting Venice with the Ricoh GR IIIx. If you liked these images, you might want to check out the second part, Reflections of Venice with the Ricoh GR IIIx and the third, Double Exposures of Venice with the Ricoh GR IIIx.
