Venice In Close-Up – Photographing Venice In All Its Exquisite Detail

The longer you spend in a city such as Venice in Northern Italy, the less you have to worry about the big picture and ticking off sights, and the more time you have to take in the tiny details. Photographing Venice in close-up allows you to focus on the minute details of history that abound in the city.

This was our eighth trip to Northern Italy‘s enchanting city of Venice (and we had stayed in an apartment rental in Venice one summer many years ago), yet each day as we’ve strolled around the city we’ve noticed exquisite details we’ve overlooked before: finely carved statues, antique clocks hanging above shop doors, wall plaques bearing coats-of-arms, and intricate reliefs on the capitals of columns.

We’d settled into a centuries-old palazzo on the Grand Canal for two weeks, as part of our year-long grand tour of the world focused on slow, local and experiential travel. So far we’d learnt about the history of this city built on water with marine scientist Luca Zaggia on a bragozzo, a traditional Venetian skiff, learnt about Venice’s art and architecture on a Renaissance walking tour with a local historian, and got tips to painting Venice from a Venetian artist.

We’d met the Venetian publishers of My Local Guide to Venice for more local tips, had Venetian cooking lessons with a Countess in her home, talked and tasted Venetian farm-to-table cuisine with the chefs at Venissa on Mazzorbo, learnt about Veneto wines on a sipping tour with a local sommelier, and shopped the Rialto markets with the owner of our favourite Venetian restaurant.

I’d been researching Venetian cuisine and Venice’s culinary history, recipe testing and cooking away in our palazzo kitchen, sharing recipes for poached eggs with asparagus and pancetta for Weekend Eggs and bigoli con salsa for The Dish, while Lara was seeking out off-the-tourist-trail Venetian boutiques and designers and artisans such as master bookbinder Paolo Albi.

In between all that, we explored every nook and cranny of Venice’s more off-the-beaten-track neighbourhoods, soaking up the local vibe, Lara making notes for stories, me photographing the minute details I’d overlooked on previous trips to Venice. And that’s exactly what I recommend you do on your Venice trip.

Venice In Close-Up – Photographing Venice In All Its Exquisite Detail

Once you have covered Venice’s top sights and must-see places, from St Mark’s Square to the Rialto Markets, the more that photographing Venice becomes about noticing and honing in on the exquisite little details of the architecture, sculpture and art that abounds in this enchanting city.

I should confess that this is something that we’ve always done, with our backgrounds in film-making and photography. You always shoot wide, mid-shot, and close-up to tell a complete story.

I apply this same storytelling convention when photographing a restaurant. I photograph the room first, a waiter or the chef in the room, and then the plates of food, and the little details, such as a waiter holding a plate or a close-up of Champagne bottle labels in a bucket of ice.

As a traveller with a passion for photography, you can apply the same visual storytelling rules when photographing a city – provided you have enough time there to really explore. Which is why staying in a Venice holiday rental is a must, as it allows you to settle in for longer and get around the prohibitive prices of Venice’s hotels – as lovely as some of them are.

Each little architectural detail tells a story – about an esteemed family, an influential figure, a social custom, or a rule or law – but even before we investigate their meaning and dig a little deeper into Venice’s culture and history, it’s satisfying enough simply to appreciate and capture their beauty.

Venice is a city to get lost in to discover these details – even if you can geo-locate where you are with your smart phone. (I recommend leaving the phone at home.) It’s worth venturing off-the-beaten-track and away from the bustle of the crowds to find these small sculptural details.

You might even come across a local restaurant that tourists can’t find and have a great lunch or dinner as a reward – this has happened to us numerous times. Just get out there and explore!