Oh Siena

In a crowded place like Siena, one cannot not capture strangers in photographs. I wonder, together with The Snow Melts Somewhere (else, luckily), if they had all put make-up on, knowing they would end up in my photo.

As we were sitting on the steps of Siena Cathedral yesterday, right in the middle, in front of the most beautiful doors, facing numerous cameras and selfie sticks and tablets, I was wondering if there was an internet search tool that could search photos by date and time and location. In this way I’d have plenty of new photos of me all of a sudden.

And when bestia was drinking water off my hand in the famous square where that bareback race is run, uncle remarked that a guy was taking numerous photos of us quite openly. If anybody comes across these photos, please notify me here.

In the meantime, I was shooting them right back of course, people, tourists, passers-by, whether I wanted to or not, as I usually do.

I’ve been thinking a bit about my unwritten rules. If you happen to pass by my lens, I’ll wait for you to pass, but if you go together well with everything else in the frame – sorry but not sorry – I’ll click. I will never search for you paparazzi-style and focus on your face. I will never follow you around, no matter how interesting you are. I will never start with you and build a photo around. Rather, I will use you for the sense of proportion, or direction, or life.

No need to put up make-up just for me though – I’ll much rather take you as you are.

So there are several people in the photos that follow, but the starring role goes to the city. Let’s see how it is there.

How a city is made.

Take a woman…

…and a man.

Make them meet… (These two were posing on purpose, I’m telling ya. They just wouldn’t leave!)

…and fall in love.

Let the neighbours gossip.

Let them eat…

…and create.

Then he goes to the bank.

And she goes shopping.

That is not all there is. There are flowers too.

One building more impressive than the next one.

And the next.

And the next.

I could crop out the man on the right, but then the frame is gone.

What do you say, guys? Cool town, right?

Selfie craze.

Flowers, I said, till the end.

Photo: a © signature mmm production