January 7, 2013, Posted by admin in News, Notes, Perugia, Tourist Attractions & Destinations, Travel & Tourism, Umbria
Perugia guide to the best photo ops
Being led through a foreign city by a knowing local is a treat I hadn’t tried before a travel blogger conference in Umbria last year, where a Perugia guide goaded us to the best sights of the city.
I normally avoid travelling around in groups, as I’m a bit allergic to large tourist herds. But last year I made an exception. In May I participated in a travel blogger conference in Umbria known as #TBUMBR. And the programme included a photo walk through Perugia with Canadian travel photographer Ken Kaminesky.
There was also a local guide – or rather two Perugia guides attached – so we entered the minimetro accompanied by a seemingly endless speech on the wonders of this light rail project. The chatter went on after we had reached the first stop in the pedestrianised city, so we were kind of squeezed between good manners and our interest in photography, until someone made it clear to the guide that we were in Perugia to use our eyes and not our ears. From then another guide took over, and we ran through the main street Corso Vannucci to the San Lorenzo Cathedral and up to the top of the hill and down through the Rocca Paolina offering a variety of magnificent views in, over and beneath the city. With plenty of time to discuss white-balance, aperture and motifs along the way.
It was a very inspiring day, and the Perugia guide was a great help by understanding our needs and directing us to the most evocative and photogenic places. As a perfect ending, we met Steve McCurry before dinner. And that, I suppose, is as close as anyone gets to travel photography heaven.
Unfortunately, the beauty of the experience did not really reflect on my photography of the day. But I got a lot of pictures of other travel bloggers taking pictures. And some great local hints on what to see next time I visit Perugia on my own.
More on Umbria and neighbouring regions
Pilgrim trails: A brick for Assisi
Ripatransone and the narrowest alley in Italy
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14 Comments
January 7, 2013 2:15 pm
Kristian @http://twitter.com/ohiofestivals
Nice but where are the cioccolatini?
January 07 2013 16:16 pm
admin
Good question. They weren't part of the views along the border of town.
January 8, 2013 12:05 am
Leigh
I’d love to do some photo tours and in fact am off with my photography instructor for a day tomorrow looking for snowy owls and hopefully photographing them.
January 08 2013 08:43 am
admin
Must be nice to have your own personal photography instructor. Wonder how that's achieved?
January 8, 2013 1:06 am
Laurel @Laurel_Robbins
I loved our tour of Perugia, such a photogenic city!
January 08 2013 08:47 am
admin
Indeed. Though I'm sure the tip of getting up at 4 am to have the city for yourself just around sunrise would have proved more productive.
January 8, 2013 8:26 am
Mary {The World Is A Book} @worldbooktour
I’m not much of a tourist herd fan or group tours either but would love to do a photography tour. These are beautiful pictures and definitely a cool picture of all the travel bloggers and their equipment.
January 08 2013 08:50 am
admin
Yes that's quite a lot of travel bloggers for one photo. Could be used for a 'Where is Wally' quest:)
January 8, 2013 6:53 pm
Steve
Not understanding photography very well, I always find it amusing when there’s a large bunch of photographers standing around the same area. It always looks like they’re taking pictures of each other, and now I know they really are.
January 09 2013 14:40 pm
admin
Ooops. I really gave away an amateur photographers' secret there.
January 8, 2013 7:03 pm
TheTuscan
Such an important and rather long part of my life. I have mixed feelings towards Perugia. It was home.
A long history dating back to centuries B.C. (like other towns in central and southern Italy it is among the longest continuously inhabited towns in Europe), rather closed people, a lot of culture in a provincial environment, wonderful yet dark architecture… and probably much more aspects I’m not even aware of.
My favorite view from Perugia uptown is from the east spot, just out from the end station of the minimetro, looking down to the Tevere valley.
January 09 2013 14:39 pm
admin
I supposed a lot of us have mixed feelings towards a city we have lived in and left. I do. Yet I appreciate your reflections on Perugia and it's people. And you are right. The view of the Tevere valley is among the best. Don't know why I haven't included a photo taken from there in the graphics.
January 10, 2013 9:49 am
Sophie @SophieR
A few years ago, I got stuck in traffic in Perugia and as a consequence, I have a rather stressful impression of the city. A city for walking, not for driving, must be the conclusion. (True for many Italian cities, I suspect)
January 10 2013 13:43 pm
admin
Sorry for your frustrations about Perugia, but you have certainly got at point about Italian cities not being suitable for driving. The problem is, I think, that most of the town infrastructure was established long before anyone used a horse and cart.
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