Best photo ops in
Perugia
Being led through a foreign city by a knowing local is a treat I hadn’t experienced before a travel blogger conference in Umbria last year, where a local guide led us to the best photo ops in 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.
Some of the pictures from our guided photo tour of Perugia.
Be clear about what you want from your guide
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 on another guide took over, and we ran through the main street Corso Vannucci to the San Lorenzo Cathedral, 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.
Meeting the man behind the camera
It was a very inspiring day, and the guide was a great help by understanding our needs and directing us to the most evocative and photogenic places. As a perfect ending, we got to meet Steve McCurry, who is the man behind the camera for some of the most iconic photographs. For aspiring travel photographers that is quite a treat.
View of the city and the surrounding landscape.
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.
Nice but where are the cioccolatini? :-)
Good question. They weren’t part of the views along the border of town.
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.
Must be nice to have your own personal photography instructor. Wonder how that’s achieved?
I loved our tour of Perugia, such a photogenic city!
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.
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.
Yes that’s quite a lot of travel bloggers for one photo. Could be used for a ‘Where is Wally’ quest:)
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.
Ooops. I really gave away an amateur photographers’ secret there.
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.
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.
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)
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.