Back into the Countryside
There are a number of classic Tuscan scenes, and it is tempting to photograph just them. The famous zig-zag road comes to mind, and it is unique. When we first arrived, it was sunny with great shadows.
I was down in a field with one participant, pointing out potential hazards, and as soon as everything was set up, the clouds came in, along with some rain. Not bad rain, but still rain, and any interesting shadows were gone for the nonce.
We told our group to be patient, as there were plenty of other things to photograph. For me, it was the back side of this building.
Textured and colorful in a muted sort of way, it spoke of age and history.
I worked with another member of our group on wonderful plant pots hanging on the wall.
“Signora?” I called.
“Si?”
And in my fractured Italiano, I asked permission to photograph. After all, we wanted to photograph private property, and it was only polite to ask first.
While our student was working on a shot, I grabbed this one. I liked its simplicity and gentleness.
The sun came out, and we urged out group to head back to do their shots of the ziggy-zaggy road, as I sometimes call it. Arnie should have gotten a great shot from his position, and after critiques, we’ll see what the others did.
Our next stop was a chapel up the hill. It is small and charming, and there is a little cemetery. Some walked up the hill, while Arnie and I moved the cars. I pulled into the parking area under a magnificent old tree, got out, and went to open the gate. It would not open. It has always been unlocked.
A car came by, and I flagged it down. An English couple was in it; they were staying at a small inn up the road.
“Yes, my husband tried it, too,” explained the lady, “which was a surprise, because our host said it was always open.”
Well, not today. Quickly, we scrambled to head to another location.
As one of the people in my car said, “This is like storm chasing.”
The light was getting better and better, and we hurried to get to one of our favorites plugged into the GPS. Would we make it in time?
Yes, and it was well worth it. The sun came through an amazing cloudy sky and produced an effect I have not often seen. It was gorgeous and full of drama.
And it kept changing. As most of the clouds passed by, we got another effect as the sun set.
“WOW,” we all exclaimed.
It was nine and half-past wine o’clock and time to head off to dinner. We were a little closer to our borgo than the day before, and it was still light out, making navigating the twisty roads so much easier.
We returned to the same restaurant and had the same table and same waiter. There, we enjoyed good conversation, food, and wine. Another great way to end another great day.
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and here I am, stuck at work in München ! Looks like you are doing your usual great work, getting great work from the participants, and maintaing ‘freshness’ in the work 🙂
Barry & ‘Tini,
Mille grazie!
Take care,
TBC