People of Italy

When traveling, I love to do "street photography." That is, photogaphing people doing ordnary - and sometimes - extra ordinary things. I hope you enjoy these candid moments.
  • people slide show 1200-9010015 What's the first thing you do after arriving in Rome? You Eat! We're sitting in an outdoor cafe, sipping wine and waiting for our salami pizza to arrive. : Rome, street
  • people slide show 1200-9010017 In this photo, my camera was sitting on the table and I was using the tilting LCD screen to take the photo. Had this guy seen me he would have tried to shake me down for money. He played one song, then toured the tables looking for payment. Sorry, one song won't cut it. : Rome, street
  • people slide show 1200-9010031 St. Peters Square, Rome. : Rome, st peters square
  • people slide show 1200-9020157 A bar tender somewhere in Rome. : Rome, street
  • people slide show 1200-9020160 Most restaurants in Rome have outdoor seating, so the waiters stand by the entrance waiting for customers. Table for two? : Rome, street
  • people slide show 1200-9020167 Gelato is one of the favorite past times in Italy. Here's a line at one of the many Gelato stands. This one was near the Trevi Fountain. : Rome, street
  • people slide show 1200-9020169 I was only trying to get a photo of the sign to prove we were really there. This accommdating gentleman thought I was taking a picture of him. The fountain, by the way, was closed, dry and under renovation. Booo! : Rome, street
  • people slide show 1200-9020175 This is one of my favorite photos of the trip. I love the back lighting on the couple, the spot of light on the back table, and the ever-present waiter waiting in the shadow. : Rome, street
  • people slide show 1200-9020193 Next to gelato, lemons are a favorite in Italy. I was attracted to their color, and putting the lady out of focus in the back ground was a bonus. : Rome, street
  • people slide show 1200-9020195 I love back lighting. This, and a number of other shots, was taken on a guided walking tour of the center of Rome. I'd love to know what her Tshirt says. : Rome, street
  • people slide show 1200-9020204 Gelato is good to the last bite. This shot was taken as the young lady was leaning against one of the massive columns of the Pantheon, which was built from 118 to 128 AD. It's in mighty good shape for 2000 years old. : Pantheon, Rome
  • people slide show 1200-9020224 This gentleman is watching the bikes as his companions, no doubt, are in a gelato shop. Taken in the Piazza Navona in central Rome. : Piazza Navona, Rome
  • people slide show 1200-9030363 In Rome, there is a pizza stand on every corner, and usually some in between. The pizza in Italy is different from ours. Theirs doesn't have as much cheese, and if you order a "pepperoni" pizza, you'll get a pizza with the peperone peppers, not what we call pepperoni. The closest thing is a hot salami pizza. : Amalfi coast
  • people slide show 1200-9030369 This was a hot day in Positano on the Amalfi coast. Other than fanning herself, I'm not sure what she was up to. : Amalfi coast
  • people slide show 1200-9040443 What part of NO don't you understand? This gentleman is obviously painting "NO." Other than that, I have no idea what is going on. : Capri
  • people slide show 1200-9040461 We were waiting for the funicualar (sounds rather anatomical, doesn't it?) to take us back to the port of Capri. I couldn't help but notice the guy, seemingly zoned out, with the character wielding a sword behind him. This is what the famous French street photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson would call "the decisive moment." : Capri
  • people slide show 1200-9040465 This guy was making flip flops on the sidewalk while you wait. Taken in Capri. : Capri
  • people slide show 1200-9040471 This guy was eating - and drinking - his lunch on the shore of Capi harbor. Notice the seagull on the right. : Capri
  • people slide show 1200-9040509 I love open-air markets. They are so colorful. This one was found in Sorrento, which is across the bay from Naples. : Sorrento
  • people slide show 1200-9040519 One thing I like about smart phones - people get so absorbed in them that I can take their picture and they never notice. This was taken on a bridge over a deep gorge in Sorrento. : Sorrento
  • people slide show 1200-9040529 Three gentlemen solving the world's problems in Sorrento. I held the camera at waist level and pressed the shutter as I walked by. That's why purists might notice that it is somewhat less than crispy sharp. : Sorrento
  • people slide show 1200-9050606 This guy just looked like he was having fun. I asked if I could take his picture and he glady agreed. However, I was not allowed to photograph the two, heavily armed special forces guys standing next to him. Taken at the the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. : Assisi
  • people slide show 1200-9050616 Also taken at St. Francis in assisi. : Assisi
  • people slide show 1200-9050628 The village of Assisi is a typical small Italian village with its narrow, steep streets and aging buildings. This guy is watering his "garden." : Assisi
  • people slide show 1200-9060796 Another "garden," but this one was found in Venice. : Vinice
  • people slide show 1200-9060861 This was taken in Venice during our night-time gondola ride. I love the lighting on this one. I'm not sure what the two ladies are doing there, with no one else around, but I doubt if their mothers would approve. OK, it's not up to my usual standard of sharpness. But it was shot in the dark, a rocking gondola, and I had a fair amount of wine at dinner. : Vinice
  • people slide show 1200-9070963 I just like the two hats. St. Marks Square in Venice. : Vinice
  • people slide show 1200-9081107 Another couple zoned out on their smart phone. Taken in Verona. : Verona
  • people slide show 1200-9081124 These guys are sitting on a wall of the Cathedral of Milan, one of the largest, most awe-inspiring, overwhelming churches in the world. And they have their noses in their cell phones. Check out our other slide show to see what the cathedral looks like. : Milan
  • people slide show 1200-9091210 Taken in Como, Italy. I like the light and the way the red jacket pops against the stone work. : Como
  • people slide show 1200-9091215 This guy is a street performer who appears to be sitting back supported only by his right leg. I realize it looks like he's sitting on his suitcase, but he isn't. I figure there is metal on the ground under the rug that runs up through his pant leg and allows him to sit. I tried this myself and managed about 1/2 second before I fell on my, um, posterior. : Como
  • people slide show 1200-9091227 Taken inside the Cathedral in Como. : Como
  • people slide show 1200-9091235 Everywhere we looked, people were engaged with their smart phones. These guys are street vendors, whom our tour guide referred to as "gypsies." : Como
  • people slide show 1200-9091259 I hope this young lady is returning from a costume party. Taken in Como. : Como
  • people slide show 1200-9091260 A local "taxi" in Como. : Como
  • people slide show 1200-9091284 This was a wedding photo shoot outside of the church in Baveno, Italy, which is on the northwest shore of Lake Maggiore. We had some free time in Baveno, and had great fun wandering the streets of this old village. : Baveno
  • people slide show 1200-9091329 This gentleman is the proprietor of "The Pirate" restaurant on the Isola Madre island, which is in the middle of Lake Maggiore. A launch took us out there for a festive dinner one evening. I must apologize for the fan in the back ground. I must be more careful. : Baveno
  • people slide show 1200-9101359 I took this picture because I thought it was hilarious that we actually had to buy a ticket to use a public toilet, and that they would actually hire people to take the money. That's Janet's hand paying her. A moment after I took this photo, this young lady started yelling at me and chewing me out! Most of it was in Italian, so I couldn't understand what she was saying, but somehow I figured that she objected to my taking her photo. She's the only rude Italian we ran into. But, I would really like to read her next job resume. : Pisa
  • people slide show 1200-9101380 We couldn't miss the Leaning Tower of Pisa! But what I found more fun was photographing the tourists "holding up" or "pushing over" the tower. I think these Japanese ladies are trying to push it over. : Pisa
  • people slide show 1200-9101387 Here are another couple of street performers just outside the gate at the Leaning Tower. Again, there has to be a metal frame work supporting the guy on the stand. They were like this when we entered Pisa, and they were still in the same position when we left an hour and a half later. : Pisa
  • people slide show 1200-9111482 Just a pretty lady and her dog. This was taken in Florence, one of the prettiest cities in the world. : Florence
  • people slide show 1200-9111501 Another street performer in Florence. : Florence
  • people slide show 1200-9111503 A street artist and admirer in Florence. I like the low perspective of this one. : Florence
  • people slide show 1200-9111530 Platform shoes and cobblestones are a risky proposition. Florence. : Florence
  • people slide show 1200-9111541 Biking and texting. Would you call that bexting? The apocalypse will soon be upon us. : Florence
  • people slide show 1200-9121671 These guys are the Swiss Guards who guard the Pope. Very colorful but frilly uniforms. The one on the left is holding a pike, which, during the middle ages was a fearsome weapon against knights charging on horseback. However, I doubt that they encounter too many charging knights now. : Rome, st. peters
  • people slide show 1200-9121674 This was at our reception for our final dinner of the trip. Our host is on the left, next to our tour guide, Anna. : Rome, farewell dinner