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Home to globally significant art collections, sculpture, and architecture, Florence has been at the center of Italian artistic life for more than 10 centuries. Situated along the banks of the Arno River, the city is very much an urban center with a metropolitan population pushing one million. Streets are narrow and congested, parking non-existent. From medieval times, under the rule of the Medici family for several generations, Florence was a center of finance and commercial activity. Along with their success in business, the Medici were the enablers of what was to become the Italian Renaissance, which not only marked a period of incredible creativity, but also defined what we consider Art to this day.

Florence offers enough to keep a photographer busy for a long time. Summer offers generally bright and sunny (often hot and humid) days, which will make photography in the streets next to impossible due to unmanageable contrast. Winters are cloudier, but the hordes of tourists are largely absent, enabling one to spend more time in popular locations without the constant fear of someone tripping over one’s tripod. Many historic locations bar the use of camera equipment entirely while others have flash and tripod restrictions. Check ahead if you have your heart set on shooting a specific location. Early morning and evenings are when the light comes alive, especially along the Arno. The Ponte Vecchio is a perennial favorite subject (though decidedly flat in winter light). There are wonderful panoramas of the city from the Piazzale Michangelo, a quick 25-minute walk from the city center. On all my trips to Florence I have enjoyed photographing people being themselves, whether tourists awed by the sights, or locals going about daily life with a remarkable nonchalance concerning the famous place in which they work and play.