Even Venice Is Powerless Against A Smartphone – One Shot Story

Taking meaningful photos in Venice is quite challenging because the strong déjà vu effect can blind you to the city’s beauty. I’m not talking about the myriad selfie-taking tourists who want to take home — or publish on their social media profiles — a small part of the city’s soul. They are not expected to understand even the fundamentals of photography, and they don’t actually need this knowledge to achieve their goal. I have no problem with that.

People with ‘heavy calibre’, though, are a different matter. If they’re not going to walk around with massive bodies and lenses just for show, they should at least know a thing or two about photography. This is why I don’t understand why they all go to the same places, look for the same things and take photos from the same point of view.

No matter how much one may like the outcome, it will resemble the countless other photos flooding the internet. In short, being ‘original’ in Venice is tough.

One solution is to shoot at night, when the placese are freed from the crowds that flood the city during the day. Emptiness reclaims its space, and there is less visual noise to distract the eye, so it can capture a moment within the moment, as in this photograph.

In Piazza San Marco, the Caffè Florian is an institution. It’s not just about sipping a coffee; it’s about the whole experience. The Caffè Florian’s timeless aura is enhanced by classical musicians who play properly arranged themes for the patrons. In the case of this photo, they were playing Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2, which was made immortal by the ballroom scene in the film Il GattopardoEyes Wide Shut. At first glance, the meaning of the photograph seems clear: a couple is enjoying romantic music in one of Venice’s most iconic places; however, that was not the reason why I took it. I was pushed to take the shot by the discomfort I felt at seeing the woman scrolling through her phone instead of enjoying the atmosphere.

Just to be clear, I am not passing judgement on the woman’s behaviour. She may have had good reasons for using her mobile while the musicians were playing; nevertheless, I couldn’t stop myself from asking what her smartphone could offer that was more captivating than enjoying such a beautiful moment.

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