FAQ Portraits during a Venice Photo Walk

Behind a nearly negative feedback on Tripadvisor …I got close to get my very first negative feedback after 2 years…and 138 excellent comments!

Dmitriy and his wife, a lovely couple from Russia, took a photo walk, before the meeting we agreed about a Gondola Portrait Photo Walk then due to being a bit late in the day I told them would have been a  Normal Photo Walk and I would have taken few photos….and charged them accordingly. Final results…and rightly so… he was not too happy with the pictures on the other side I knew I had just “taken” some informal pics so was happy with my work.

In some way apart the stress for me and Dmitriy, it was good for me because it teach  me a few more things about this kind of  portraits during a photo walk or a gondola ride

So let’s try to wrap up  some ideas for me and my future guest…

- I have removed the Portrait add on from the Photo Walks. Was far too risky and iffy. I will be more than happy to take for free a few snaps with your camera during a Photo walk. Just ask

Then….few words of advice if you are planning to have your photo taken ….

• This is not the right service if you want the pictures to be a memorable lifetime event. Does not sobstitute  a wedding or engagement photography session either!
• Try to listen to the photographer if he tells you that light is not particularly nice at that time of the day
• Properly groomed and nice hair go a long way
• Wear  smart clothes and nice shoes…do not wear shorts or tennis shoes
• Smile and look at the camera ….at least few times
• A photographer is not  a magician…..if  I look like Danny DeVito…. in pictures I will not be George Clooney …no matter the photographer I used
• Please remember that a mini portrait session during a Gondola or a Photo Walk will never be like a full portrait session in terms of equipment, lights, time …but also price!!  Check here  for my Portraits Sessions
• Check and then check again my portfolio and my style. If you do not like 100% my style it is very unlikely you will like your pictures….there is no if or but… Ask me for details of other colleagues.
• If you are unhappy talk with the photographer, explain the problem.
• During a session I will take may be 150-250 frames but you will ONLY get an edited version with between 15 to 25 images depends on the package you have chosen . You will never get ALL the shots or the RAW (Negative files)

Keeping it Fun! 

A good expression on every face is the very heart of the family portrait. Organize everything before your session so that you do not feel hurried and hassled. This will ensure good expressions!

Clothing

I like to design family or couple portraits with a coordinated color scheme. Keep this in mind when you choose your wardrobe. You do not have to be matchy-matchy, but colors should compliment each other. Usually, I recommend warm-toned clothing for your family portrait. We suggest Black (always flattering ), ‘ Navy Blue, Forest Green, and Burgundy Red, our favorite color. Solid white shirts or pants will emphasize the clothing and not the person. In harsh light white clothing can create a long list of avoidable issues. So, our recommendation is to limit solid white clothing if you can. Yes, Levi’s are fine.

Look for Pose Inspiration

I often try to find poses in magazines or online but send me ideas of images you have seen before abd that you like.

Think Action

A picture of a couple with  faces side-by-side can be nice, but even a beautiful image can be a bit boring if it is static. I will try to incorporate action into your portrait. Please remeber to try to engage in some action

Tell a Story

Powerful images tell stories. Help me in telling how you as a couple normally interact with one another!  Are you serious and very deep/romantic? Or  constantly giggling and playful?

 Get intimate

A quiet moment in a hug, or a soft kiss can be the perfect image to capture a relationship.

Photo By: Marco Secchi

Photo By: Marco Secchi 2012

Photo By: Marco Secchi 2012

Few Links

How to tell what to wear

Roula and the Girls, portraits in Venice

Roula, Christina and Nicole an amazing gang around Venice for few portraits, fun and a Spritz ;-)

Nicole on Medium Format

Amy & Chris Portrait Session in Venice

A lovely couple with a fantastic family during a portrait session along the Grand Canal and few hidden areas of VeniceHad a great fun with them!!

...on Venetians Gondoliers and why I decided not to work with them.....

Gondola rides are a must for every tourist visiting Venice. However, there are two main guidelines that one should keep in mind: if you find it too expensive, don’t go through with it, and if you think the price isn’t too steep, make sure you understood what the gondolier said!Venice has official rates for gondola rides, and the standard cost per boat not per person is €80 for a 40-minute ride. Exceeding that time will merit €40 per 20 minutes. At night, especially after 7pm, prices can reach €100 for 40 minutes. A gondola can carry up to six people.

These are the official prices.....and I am pretty sure there are honest gondoliers...that do apply them. Unfortunately more often then not the average requested price is around €100/120 the time is much short...even just 20/25 minutes. There have been recent cases, where Tourist have been charged €400!!! It is simple a case of reading local and national press...to find out

Why I have decided not to work with them.....

If I board on a Gondola I classify as a Professional Photographer and I or my clients are charged a minimum of €120 to €150 for 30 minutes, this is based on the assumption that this is a Special Service and that I as a photographer will charge my clients much  more simply  due to the fact I am taking pictures on a Gondola!!  This is absolutely bollocks....as a photographer I do not charge my clients based on where they want their picture taken but on my time and number of images... to me it does not make any difference if they choose for they background a wall of bricks....A factory...a bridge or a Gondola!! if you try to explain this to a gondolier (most of them being really rude and arrogant) you will end up being insulted!

As I was saying above ...and I know it is wrong to generalize, most of them are absolutely pure 100% rude.... I had cases of clients insulted or treated in a very arrogant way. They truly believe they rule Venice and nobody is as good as them...despite that most of them make their good money in Venice..pretend they love this city.....but then  live on the mainland!!!

For the above reasons I have decided not to be part of this scam, I do not want to be robbed or my clients be cheated....and rather be working with a nice Sandalo!  I will inform of my decision the President of Associazione Gondolieri and him or any Gondolier is more than welcome to reply and contradict me!

The above stock image shows the difference between a Sandalo and a Gondola

An Introduction to Rembrandt Lighting For Portrait Photographers

If you’re a beginning photographer, chances are you’re still in the process of building up your arsenal of studio lighting. Being able to get the most out of a small lighting setup can be crucial to your photography. For those working with a one or two light setup, Rembrandt lighting can help you achieve professional quality portraits with a minimal amount of equipment.

Click Here:  An Introduction to Rembrandt Lighting For Portrait Photographers.

Vaporino

When you walk in the winter fog, there seems to be no division between water and embankment, life and death, love and hate. You feel that you can walk through walls, through sky, through time.

My Venice is the Venice of winter, the Venice of Cannaregio, the Venice of fog. Walking down the Fte Nove  in la nebbia, wearing rubber boots against the high water, it is hard to tell where terra firma leaves off and sky and water begin. The city seems to hang in the air like a mirage. Sounds bounce off the waters and deceive you with their closeness or farness. Figures appear and disappear around corners. The past beckons. It is quite possible to believe that it can take you and never give you back.

Related articles

• The peaceful pleasures of Venice in winter (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Venice Photo Tour

During your Photo Tour of Venice your professional photographic guide will point out details invisible to the untrained eye and reveal the best vantage-points on your chosen route. Learn to tell a story through images, take great shots of iconic monuments and capture atmospheric images off the beaten track.

Venice Photo Walk

So bring your walking shoes and be prepared to discover the mysteries of the city. Bring your camera and learn how to have more fun with your camera.

• Discover parts of Venice less traveled by tourists. • Hear interesting tales and stories • Take better photos • Turn your photos into exciting stories. • Have fun !

Let a Creative Italian Photographer walk you through the city of Venice in an unforgettable Photo Walk capturing real candid moments of your stay in beautiful pictures. Enjoy a relaxed vacation and bring home remarkable pictures of your visit.

Touring Venice can be a very exciting experience, but it can also be quite an adventure if you are unsure of which places to visit and how. Language barrier may also represent a curious obstacle but it can also be frustrating. We offer innovative and unforgettable Photographic Toursto welcome you in the most fascinating and romanitc place in the world. Experience Venice through the eyes of a native Italian Professional Photographer. He will guide you in an exclusive tour through the most interesting Venice landmarks and monuments.

All city excursions are exclusively custom-made to fit your needs. You can explore the sites whichever way you like and at your own pace.

Walking around Venice together with a professional photographer is an enlighten experience. He will show you all the tricks of the game but it is also a fun and new way to visit a city like Venice. You will be able to visit, see, experience and tour places, situations, people that would be otherwise difficult to come across. The Photo Tours will take you through off-the-beaten tracks to the most important monuments and landmarks. You will avoid the tourist pedestrian highways and will take more secluded, intimate and truly Italian passageways. Let it be romantic, creative, fun and friendly, the astounding imagery will do the rest. We will show you the right places to eat, where true Italian dwell and the hidden beauties of the wonderful city.

• Tripadvisor Venice Photo Walk with Marco Secchi rated "excellent" by travelers
• Venice Photo Tours website

The Glass Alchemist

Elena a glass artist in Murano blows glass next to a glass furnace on December 18, 2010 in Venice, Italy. There are only few female glass artists is Italy and they face continuous challenges in a traditionally male dominated field.

There are not many people (and things!) that I admire and that I could watch for hours while they work, without losing concentration after few seconds. I have seen them all...and often better.  Elena is an exception, seeing her at work with glass is unreal....

Elena Rosso Website