Campo San Zaccaria, a photo from Venice, Veneto

Photographer's Note

Campo San Zaccaria, Castello, Venice, with the faзade of the eponymous church.

Campo San Zaccaria is an attractive square dominated by the beautiful 15th/16th century church by Antonio Gambello and Mauro Codussi, built in a harmonious Venetian mixture of late-Gothic and Renaissance styles. To the right is a garden where you can glimpse the archways of the convent cloister. When 15th-century Venetian girls showed more interest in sailors than saints, they were sent to the convent adjoining San Zaccaria. The wealth showered on the church by their grateful parents is evident. Masterpieces by Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto and Van Dyck crowd the walls. Bellini's altarpiece is such a treasure that Napoleon whisked it away to Paris for 20 years when he plundered the city in 1797.

This quintessentially calm and serene Venetian "campo" is just a stone's throw from the hordes tramping around Piazza San Marco. But as you can see, this square wasn't at all crowded. Just this elegant gentleman before that elegant faзade.

EXIF data:

Focal length: 50mm
Shutter speed: 1/180 sec
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 200

alvaraalto, rbassin, kasianowak, Royaldevon, jean113, adores, ourania has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

alvaraalto (42804) 2016-03-17 3:23

Hello Will,
For a moment, looking at the thumbnail I thought Zorro had left the Campo San Zaccaria.
The gentleman with his large black coat and the black hat gives the right dimension to this image than don’t need any colour.
Lovely picture of high quality.
Groet Rob

holmertz (102636) 2016-03-17 3:37

Hello Will,
It would have been a pity to have a crowd disturbing this view. It's just enough with this gentleman and the pigeon. The details of the wall deserve a lot of attention. Considering the treasures found here I must have seen this church. Unfortunately I don't remember it, and it's not even half a century since I was here. My memory is failing me terribly. But I still remember enjoying this neat composition the moment I saw it.
Kind regards,
Gert

snunney (130967) 2016-03-17 3:41

Hello Will,
Excellent choice of black and white brings a nostalgic feel to the scene with this elegantly dressed gentleman also contributing much to the mood. I like the framing very much and the fine rendering of the architectural detail.

dta (98848) 2016-03-17 3:58

hello Will ,
Not the "colors of Venice" here , but an excellent choice of the B&W for this composition . Prefect framing of the part of the interesting facade , and the "elegant man" and the pigeon perfectly placed .
Regards

CLODO (45116) 2016-03-17 5:31

Hiya Will

First of all, I like the different values of the hues from white to black with many grey tones, then the triangle made by the statue above the open door, the pigeon and the smart man playing on his mobile phone to get some indcations about the place and the church behind him.

Cheers
CLODO

Sergiom (117241) 2016-03-17 6:43

Bonjour Will,

C'est photo prend toute sa valeur et son essence grвce а sa transformation en noir et blanc.L'homme а la cape est mystйrieux et magnifique devant cette йglise. Le pigeon est vraiment beau en avant plan.

Amicalement

Serge

Nicou (193806) 2016-03-17 7:03

Hlelo

Trois йlйments en noir le pigeon l'homme а la cape et la porte quelle symйtrie et en fond la faзade de l'йglise blanche superbe compo et vue merveilleux.
Bravo et amitiй
Nicou

king (4242) 2016-03-17 7:42

Hello Will,
Picture looks like a movie-scene. Most important question: What is the connection between your elegant man and the pigeon. Is he just reading the message that the bird delivered a moment before?
And of course, you are right, this is a beautiful church and you have to walk not much steps for changing crowded in uncrowded squares.
Enjoy your day,
Huub

GyurMaster (24818) 2016-03-17 10:21

Dear Will,

I could say you were lucky, but as I learnt from a discussion from Gert, only good photographers can make use of fortunate 'constellations'. No doubt it is an excellent composition, even one more person would ruin it. My eyes first sighted at the beautifully illuminated facade of building, then went down to the black guy, moving forward to the pigeon and finally back to the dark door, closing the circle.

Really excellent photo.
Best Regards,
Gy.

rbassin (27472) 2016-03-17 10:57

hello Will
unк trиs belle composition en N&B, l'architecture de la faзade est superbe, bien saisie avec de bons dйtails, et toujours de magnifiques proportions.
Belle insertion de l'homme en noir.
Bonne soirйe
Roland

Silvio1953 (221493) 2016-03-17 11:06

Ciao Will, lovely B&W composition, I like pigeon in FG, fine details, wonderful light and splendid clarity, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

Cricri (176) 2016-03-17 11:39

Hi Will
Une image bien composer, йquilibrer entre la statue, la personne en noir et le pigeon, bon choix du N/B, bravo pour le cadrage , la rйalisation
belle soirйe
cricri

lousat (139198) 2016-03-17 12:14

Hi Will,very original post from Venice,it's nice to see something of different from there,great capture of the facade and the man in black is like the cherry on the cake,i like it! Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

kasianowak (17676) 2016-03-19 0:34

Hi Will
Masterful composition with all the elements in the right places: the man in his carnival (am I right?) costume, the door, the statue above and even the pigeon in the foreground. Black and white is a great choice, it brings out the patterns and textures of the facade.
Makes me miss Venice.
Have a nice weekend
Kasia

Royaldevon (85862) 2016-03-20 2:30

Hello Will,

This looked Zorro on the thumbnail!

It's a fine, well composed scene from a most under-frequented part of Venice! Everything in the composition is well placed, even the bird! You have revealed some excellent sculptural and architectural decorations in your sharply exposed photograph.

Have a good Sunday,
Bev :-)

jean113 (27819) 2016-03-20 7:37

Hello Will,a very interesting and well balanced picture from Venice.
The fact that the man is wearing a cloak just adds to the intrigue, not normal wear for many of us!
The details are in excellent sharp focus, and the b/w served you well.
Interesting notes too.
Regards Jean.

macjake (98408) 2016-03-26 10:17

Hi Will
this guy looks like a middle-aged super hero with that cape :)
who does he think he is? haha

this is the kind of scene where I really like to scroll down the frame and enjoy all the architectural delights, and there are many of them.

when we get down to the bottom, we're surprised to see this super hero. cool post, easy to like and appreciate it
cheers
Craig

npecanhuk (79329) 2016-03-27 11:51

Hi Will!
Very interesting and attractive picture, with special regards to the black & white, exposure, vertical format and, of course, that smart composition!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

adores (46979) 2016-04-22 16:42

Hi Will!
Another great b&w! The facade is very beautiful but the man with his hat and cloak and also the pigeon are perfectly placed. It's a really great composition!

ourania (51103) 2016-04-26 23:46

Hello Will,
both the setting and your composition are so moody and elegant. The scene with the gentleman and the pigeon has been integrated in the rhythm of the setting so smoothly, it pleases visually and entices us to look for a story. I like the role the tint and contrasts of the monochrome play in the narration and atmosphere. I find a connection between the gentleman and the staue above, he looks timeless. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a lovely day,
Ourania

speedymanu (3701) 2016-09-05 7:27

Hello Will

a timeless feeling exudes from this image. I really appreciate the way the dark areas are placed through the image, balancing the lighter areas. The pigeon in the foreground is a nice plus.

Have a nice day