Rome is much like a visual sonata . . a
mixture of congruous movements, contrasting tempos, keys, moods and styles.
It's the ultimate movie set, made ready to photograph, day or night.
Gino the photographer at the Trevi Fountain
Perhaps the most interesting subject to photograph in
Rome are the Romans themselves. The citizens of Rome can be described as
opinionated, stylish, dramatic, stubborn and publicly expressive. When
observing the city's inhabitants I am often reminded of the most successful brand
in history, SPQR (Senatus Populus que Romanus), . . the Senate
and Roman People . That pride of citizenship may or may not be
true today but I'd like to think it still holds water.
A word of caution . . always ask before you shoot.
Photographing people in public requires discretion and tact. The 'golden rule'
. . do unto others as you would expect them to do unto you, works. I got
friendly with a homeless guy Marcel. He lived on the main pedestrian way on
Isola Tiberini, the Island on the Tiber. He had a dog (unfortunately paralyzed
from the waist down), two parakeets, potted plants, a bicycle, a tent and he
seriously called this place his home. Several thousand people walk pass this
spot everyday. He was part sane and part crazy especially when he got
plastered. Individuals like Marcel, who live on the edge, interest me, in part,
because of the photographic potential and the stories they can tell. Marcel who looked about 60 Years old, had a
hand held digital movie camera and he recorded himself in a personal diary.
While I was visiting Marcel one day, a tourist approached him and photographed him
without asking permission. Marcel picked up his movie cam and turned it on the
tourist. He got in his face and hounded him for a couple hundred yards. I was
seriously impressed by that and I got a good laugh out of it. To Marcel people
were guests in his house. So therefor the simple courtesies we expect from
others work great when they grace our own communications. But as a last resort,
always have a pocket full of single Euros on hand out when the need
arises.
Why do I love photographing Rome? Simply put It has all
the right ingredients photographers crave. The art of life itself in
this earthly treasure is omnipresent. I easily give Rome a rating of ten on a
scale of ten for just about any endeavor. If photography is one's pleasure,
Rome will not disappoint. William Shepley Rome Master Class Workshops
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