I am up before sunrise
and out the door in the earliest light of day, ready to check this city
out. The Piazza San Marco is literally at the end of our short calle so I
am there in no time at all and the space is practically empty. Even the
pigeons are mostly, somewhere else.
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| The red chairs of Caffè Quadri and yellow chairs of Caffè Lavena, Piazza San Marco |
The coloured chairs of the
famous cafes are still out in neat rows but the cafe's are closed, the
arcades are dark. There is a purple hue in the sky as dawn breaks.
Without all the people it is easier to appreciate the grandeur and scale
of the square. It's classical facades, the rows of arched windows of
the Procuratie vecchie that seem a nearly infinite repeat of arches and
columns. It is just a quick, early look before heading back later with
Vivienne for our first Venice photoshoot. I grab some snaps as I scope
out locations for shots; there is already some bridal party activity
happening. It will still be early so we won't be mobbed, but we will not
be alone either.
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The red chairs of Caffè Quadri, Piazza San Marco.
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Arcade of the Biblioteca
Nazionale Marciana.
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The winged Lion of St Mark and Saint Theodore on their columns.
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Molo - Gondolas and the dome of Il Redante catching first light.
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At the Molo locals are walking dogs. Brides with grooms with photographers with assistants are seeking a personal patch of Venice for their own private use. Dawn is breaking and the morning sun cuts lacework patterns across the piazzetta through the silhouette of the palace and lights the attic of the Campanile. Golden angel, green tiles, white stone on red brick, the winged lion of St Mark warm and glowing. I follow the light across the basin as it lifts the hue of the lagoon and catches the dome of Il Redante and makes golden the Globe, Atlas and Fortune at Punta Dogana. A man in a red shirt and blue jeans sweeps the jetty between moored gondolas still shrouded under their blue canvas covers. The dome of 'Salute' is next to find itself illuminated in the soft Venetian light. Behind me is Saint Theodore on his column and Zeus on the library's corner with his pantheon of statues bathe in the same morning glow. So much beauty in just the turning of my head. I make a few impulsive shots to note the scene and then it's time to go back to the hotel room.
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Saint Theodore & Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana
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| The Campanile glowing in morning light. |
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St Marks Basilica
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Fine art giclee prints are available for purchase.
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Telling stories in pictures all over..
Kent Johnson, Sydney, Australia.
0433 796 863
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