I have just returned from a month in Italy and it is good to be back. But now comes the work. In addition to all of the other things I have to do, I have 5300, give or take, photos to sort through and organize. No easy task.
We travelled with our daughter and son in law to a wedding in his family in Abruzzo. What a party! Then we went up to Susan’s family in Tuscany. This was a trip to spend a month with family. We got a few side trips in but not many. And we were fed by everyone to the point of the surreal. But such food! I have a habit of photographing the food in Italy – nothing fancy – I just get my camera out at meals we have that seem attractive. Great fun and the food is such a part of a trip to Italy!
So I have to organize my pictures, create my usual slide show and get copies of those Joe, our son in law, would like to have into his hands. And of course we promised those in Italy copies of this and that. Only then will I get to really work on my pictures and do what I want with them. I got lots of good pictures on this trip. I think I am getting better; maybe a little?
Taking pictures when you are travelling with family can be frustrating. I think photography teaches you to see deeper into your surroundings than others do. I was forever straggling behind to capture images that my wife and kids just walked by. And while catching up to them I would see something else and stop for that. I was always falling further and further behind. A couple of times I lost them altogether. But I knew this would happen and was mentally prepared for it. And Susan is really patient. But all in all we got some good pictures.
So it is time for another project: “100 Images of Italy 2014”. I want to select the best 100 images from this trip and create a photo portfolio. I want to select 100 images that will convey the impact that Italy had, and continues to have, on me. The goal is to create an impression of the country we saw, Abruzzo and Tuscany. I will create a separate menu heading for this under “My Portfolio” and you can follow along with me as I work on this over the next several months.
As you can see from these few samples, I have lots to work with. I have not done so here in this short post, but I will comment on them as I post them so you can see why I chose these particular images and why I feel they convey the impact of the country on the senses. It will be a journey of marvels!
This is not a travelogue so the photos will not be simple landscapes and buildings and Roman ruins. No, that is not enough. It will be emotions and impressions: food; door knockers, doorways, shops, people in restaurants; all the things you see about you that stand out as being part of the experience. Even blank stone walls are part of the Italy I love. I hope you enjoy looking at these images as much as I enjoyed taking them.
