#puglia2018

[thealexbadia]

Missing those sunsets so much!! #shamelessselefie #puglia2018 #endlesssummer #fbf

[thealexbadia]

Summer memories. #itspugliagiampy2018 #puglia2018 #love (at Masseria Pettolecchia - La Residenza)

[thealexbadia]

Best holiday. #puglia2018 #endlesssummer #grateful (at Masseria Pettolecchia - La Residenza)

[maryflormilano]

#noi #bellicomeilsole #puglia #puglia2018 #lamiaterra #weddingtime #fabio&vale #auguriamicomio (presso Masseria Montalbano)

[jambenje]

BUONGIORNO 🇮🇹 #puglia2018 #italy #holidays #puglia #onestbien #Awesome (à Cavallino, Puglia, Italy)

[louhumphrey-blog]

Taranto - Puglia 2018

Day 18 1st May 2018 - Taranto

I had arranged with a friend of a friend to go for a walkabout in the old historic part of Taranto. It's not a place that you would be advised to go to on your own as a tourist…. So I was very lucky to be able to go with Angelo and his family. He is known to the locals so it was pretty safe. I’m not sure what I was expecting as I’ve visited old ancient places before, but old Taranto was different to anywhere I have been before. This was a place that was definitely off limits to tourists. It had an edgy atmosphere and you were very aware after a while that you were being watched, even followed. What probably didn’t help was me deciding to take a picture of a hole in the wall! Without realising that this was a deliberate hole for passing /exchanging drugs.

Taranto is a place that would warrant a whole project in itself and it was difficult to just select a few images to get the balance with the rest of the work. This is a place where people are still living in run-down decrepit unsafe buildings, where they have their own way of doing things. Apparently, the police don’t bother going in and it seems to be self-managed...

Around 500 Bc it was thought to have been one of the largest cities in the world with an estimated 300,000 population. The buildings that exist there now were obviously built on top of the ancient ruins with ruins discovered in the 1970’s which date back to 6thC BC.

(source: https://www.lifeinitaly.com/tourism/puglia/taranto)

Taranto today is a large commercial port as well as a key naval base. It has a strong industrial heritage with steel, iron, and food manufacturing plants.

Strongest images from this shoot:

1525 / 1529 / 1533 / 1541 / 1542 / 1544 / 1549 / 1552 / 1553 (hole in the wall!)/ 1554 / 1557 / 1564 /1578 /1589 / 1592 / 1627 /1650 /1656 / 1657 /1659 / 1660 / 1662 / 1663

I have selected 1533 / 1554 and 1589 to use in my final 20.

I’m pleased with the portrait shot 1533 this face is full of character and makes the viewer wonder what kind of life has been lived. I think the blown out background works well to help frame the face. I should have set the exposure for the face...but I've managed to lift the shadows and dim the highlights to compensate for this.

Image 1589 has a nice balance to it, the two more modern building blocks either side frame the old block in the centre creating an interesting view of the old and new converging and existing together.

I think Image 1554  will compliment the face 1533 and also be a great image to finish on. Blue tarpaulin a white sheet and a red curtain to provide shelter and shade from the strong sunshine. When placed against the old dirty white wall it just seems to work, simple and effective shapes.

[louhumphrey-blog]

Day 17 - 30th April 2018

I wanted to get some close-up shots of the old ceramic jug which had been repaired with crude metal staples. Apparently, this would have been the repair undertaken to fix a ceramic pot to get extended use from it. The metal staples are crude and obvious and must have taken a degree of skill to insert them without causing further damage to the pot. I had been looking around for old objects that would complement the portraits that I have captured. Having something old from the region to pair up with the portraits to help tell the story and consolidate the theme. I tried several different shots indoors and outdoors but wasn't happy with what I got. I think the idea was better than the reality. I think the best one from this set was image 1370. By focussing on just a small element for focus and blurring the rest out with a shallow depth of field. I’m just not convinced it would make sense with the rest of the final selection.

I also wanted to reshoot the rusty saddle to see if I could get any more or improved shots. Whilst I quite like the fact that a little Gekko sat quite still on the saddle and posed for me I think they are just a little contrived. It was also a bit overcast and cloudy on the day which had a big impact on shots captured.

[louhumphrey-blog]

Day 16 -  wild horses again along the road from where I was staying. This time I've managed to get a closer look at him! 

didn't realise there was a mini classic car show on in Martina Franca! almost missed this but managed to stop and get some pictures before it was all over! also managed to get another really strong portrait shot (Image 1253). This is a friend of my friends, while she was chatting away to him I asked if I could take his picture, he seemed a little taken aback, to begin with but I think I've managed to capture a sense of self-assuredness and pride? I think the background blur here works really well. It helps to frame and contextualise the image. I have selected this one as one of my final 20.