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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.



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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.

Photo ops Perugia

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.

Photo ops Perugia

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.

More on Umbria and neighbouring regions

Pilgrim trails: A brick for Assisi

Signals from heaven

Undiscovered Umbria

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14 replies
  1. Kristian
    Kristian says:
    January 7, 2013 at 2:15 pm

    Nice but where are the cioccolatini? :-)

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      January 7, 2013 at 4:16 pm

      Good question. They weren’t part of the views along the border of town.

      Reply
  2. Leigh
    Leigh says:
    January 8, 2013 at 12:05 am

    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.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      January 8, 2013 at 8:43 am

      Must be nice to have your own personal photography instructor. Wonder how that’s achieved?

      Reply
  3. Laurel
    Laurel says:
    January 8, 2013 at 1:06 am

    I loved our tour of Perugia, such a photogenic city!

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      January 8, 2013 at 8:47 am

      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.

      Reply
  4. Mary {The World Is A Book}
    Mary {The World Is A Book} says:
    January 8, 2013 at 8:26 am

    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.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      January 8, 2013 at 8:50 am

      Yes that’s quite a lot of travel bloggers for one photo. Could be used for a ‘Where is Wally’ quest:)

      Reply
  5. Steve
    Steve says:
    January 8, 2013 at 6:53 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      January 9, 2013 at 2:40 pm

      Ooops. I really gave away an amateur photographers’ secret there.

      Reply
  6. TheTuscan
    TheTuscan says:
    January 8, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      January 9, 2013 at 2:39 pm

      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.

      Reply
  7. Sophie
    Sophie says:
    January 10, 2013 at 9:49 am

    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)

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      January 10, 2013 at 1:43 pm

      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.

      Reply

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