Italy

After three days in the Cinque Terre, my wife Karin and I gave a visit to Genoa a try. We entered a train from Corniglia; it took about 1h 20 minutes to arrive in Genoa. I bought a cold Aloe-Vera drink at the railway station, then paid a little amount to upgrade to the first class and we had a relaxing ride in an air-conditioned compartment. After a long walk in Genoa, we took a hop on-hop off -bus where I could capture some beautiful moments of the drifting in the city.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

I think Lake Como with the city Como got famous because of the stars like George Clooney, which have a villa there. The village Bellagio got famous because of the casino in Las Vegas with the same name. My wife Karin and I took a speedboat tour which had ship stations at each village at the lake. One stop was Varenna, where you can walk through a fantastical botanical garden, which is very neat and has a broad spectrum of Mediterranean plants and trees.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: ILCE-7RM2
• Aperture: ƒ/11
• Shutter speed: 1/60s
• Focal length: 24mm
• ISO: 80

You can drive up the mountain road until 2999 meters, then take a walk of about 1 kilometer, and you will stand before that nature spectacle called Tre Cime di Lavaredo (“three merlons”). The jagged mountaintops of the Dolomites surround the whole area. Big valleys are at your feet. The weather god meant well with me, I had some short moments where the fog went away, and I could shoot photos with the three peaks. On the way back, rain was pouring already. 🙂

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop, Color Efex Pro

• Camera: ILCE-7RM2
• Aperture: ƒ/11
• Shutter speed: 1/40s
• Focal length: 31mm
• ISO: 100

Como has a beautiful old town for walking around and chilling. Many restaurants and bars, shops with organic food, boutiques, and sunglass stores. At the lake, there is a promenade for exploring the view of the surrounding hills and harbored boats. In the middle of the city lies the magnificent Como Cathedral.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: D-LUX 5
• Aperture: ƒ/5
• Shutter speed: 1/640s
• Focal length: 5.1mm
• ISO: 100

The morning in the eternal city is a highlight. The cafes are opening, smelling the espresso. The streets get cleaned, the first shops are opening. A unique light all over the city.

Post processed with: Luminar, Photoshop

• Camera: D-LUX 5
• Aperture: ƒ/4
• Shutter speed: 1/1000s
• Focal length: 12.8mm
• ISO: 80

I made a late night photo tour at Piazza San Marco and its surroundings. In the meantime, my wife and friends were sitting in an Italian bar and were drinking an Averna with ice and lemon slice. But I could not let slip the opportunities to take photos of Venice in the night. Mainly when I’m alone, I could use my tripod without any pressure to move on. However, in the end, I had my photos and attended the bar for a round of drinks.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: ILCE-7R
• Aperture: ƒ/4
• Shutter speed: 3.2s
• Focal length: 70mm
• ISO: 100

Taking the uphill road to 2990 meters to the parking place of the Three Peaks brings you to the starting point of an impressive mountain panorama. Choose the direction to the Three Peaks, and you will get this view which is a spectacular photo motive. I shot this photo during a light rain, but no problem with the waterproof Fuji X-T1. 

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: X-T1
• Aperture: ƒ/5.6
• Shutter speed: 1/180s
• Focal length: 34.5mm
• ISO: 320

From time to time I want to shoot with older cameras. For this photo, I used the Panasonic FX-150 which has a Leica lens, 14.8 megapixel, a CCD sensor and costs about $ 40 at eBay. I placed it on a table in a bar and took some evening shots. It’s always interesting to see how this older technic works out. After shooting, I got an Averna with ice and lemon slice, my favorite aperitif.

Post processed with: Luminar, Photoshop

• Camera: DMC-FX150
• Aperture: ƒ/2.8
• Shutter speed: 1/13s
• Focal length: 6mm
• ISO: 800

I recommend discovering the neat villages like Varenna or Bellagio at Lake Como with a ferry. You can buy a hop-on-hop-off ticket like with the red-line buses and can plan a flexible schedule. Since we knew before-hand that we wanted to go to Varenna first, we took a speedboat from the city of Como. It only takes half the time, so you have more time for sightseeing.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: ILCE-7RM2
• Aperture: ƒ/4
• Shutter speed: 1/1000s
• Focal length: 39mm
• ISO: 160

Varenna is one of the amazing Italian villages which surround Lake Como. Best reachable via a ferry. You will see very neat botanical gardens, with many gardeners trimming the plants, watering the flowers and disposing the leaves and branches from the ways.

Post processed with: Luminar, Snapseed

• Camera: Pixel 2 XL
• Aperture: ƒ/1.8
• Shutter speed: 1/11765s
• Focal length: 4.5mm
• ISO: 135