And so you arrive ...at Diana and Micha's house.
They offer the most beautiful surroundings at their B&B in Italy.
I went wandering in the early morning light on Tuesday. The light, the buildings, the colours, the countryside ... I risked Stendhal Syndrome.
Note: this is where we will be hosting the photography and storytelling workshop in Italy. There is one place left.
What say you?
Each product, be it pasta, olive oil, pesto, cheese, sauces or wine, has been tasted by us. This is the only way we be sure of truly advising you. We travel around Italy searching for the local products that bring excellence to your table. This is our passion !!!!
Francesca, writing about the shop, Le Gramole.
I interviewed Francesca and Norma about their shop, located deep in the historical heart of old Genova, back in 2011.
It's a special shop, in a special area of the city. As for Francesca and Norma, they're really special too but I imagine you knew that was coming.
They welcome everyone into their shop. They're happy to take the time to talk, to advise, to suggest. I have heard them speak Italian, French, and English, and there are always smiles.
I really recommend you take the time to visit them when in Genova. You won't regret it.
Francesca was preparing for a one-on-one food tasting while I was there at the weekend ...
I happened to be in Genova on a weekend when the food market, known as Sapori al Ducale, was open and trading.
Researching it, I discovered that the food on display came from farms and food artisans located all over Italy. You can imagine the quality ... it was mouthwatering.
There were oil producers, all kinds of wines and spirits, cheese, cold meats, sausages, honey, preserves, handmade pasta, desserts and organic produce, just to mention a little of what I saw there.
It is surely a place where' passion, professionalism, tradition and history' come together.
And now I am in a beautiful city, in a truly beautiful city, Genoa. I walk on marble, everything is marble: the stairways, the balconies, and palaces. The palaces are so close they almost touch and from the street, one can see noble ceilings, all richly painted and gilded...
Here I open my eyes wide on everything, innocently, simply ...'
Gustave Flaubert.
There are streets like this in Genova ...
Via XX Settembre is a street that always makes me want to stop and attempt to capture something of the light.
It's still beautiful even when it rains.
Above all, life for a photographer cannot be a matter of indifference.
Robert Frank.
I love portrait photography.
I enjoy people intensely and I think that informs the work that I do.
My intention is always to show the person just how beautiful they really are ... without Photoshop. No intervention required. Really, show me something of your true self, something of your soul ... trust me, and I'll show you you.
Not that those words are ever stated. And as a photographer you need permeable boundaries on your own self. It's good if you're gentle. Be willing to show some of your soul too.
Portrait photography, at it's best, is an exchange. And it's about trust.
I met a remarkable woman yesterday and I can't wait to write of her work here. More to follow, just as soon as her website is up.
