The Italian Files

I am finally getting around to scanning more of my film from Italy last year. The first two images are from Venice and the last from the tower in Verona. It is nice to see where my style began to really come into its own, since I feel photographing so much while studying abroad really helped me be more decisive with my pictures.

Studio Journal - Seeing Through Things

I managed to scan some black and white film from my time in Italy. There is evidence that my idea has been sitting around in my mind for quite a while now in terms of spaces. I love the idea of seeing through things--down alleyways, through doorways, windows, etc. Also, stark contrasts between light and dark.

I'm a Sucker for Windows

I love nice lighting and big windows, which was basically an attribute that all of Europe had. I decided to start compiling a series of photographs based on different windows. These are a few that I liked. The top two are the Guinness factory and the bottom two are from the Baptistery and the Camposanto Monumentale (Cemetery).

Finally Home

I should have arrived home on Saturday the 19th, but on Friday night it decided to snow in Florence for the first time in about 10 years or so...

The Ponte Vecchio is somewhere in the background

On our way to Friends Pub for one last time.

A snow covered Duomo

The view from the terrace.

The view on the train to Rome.

It was definitely gorgeous and the experience of a lifetime to see snow in Florence, as well as have the opportunity to have a snowball fight and annoy all the Italians, but it ended up being hell the next day when it was time to leave. There wasn't actually a lot of snow, but the next morning when I went to catch my 7am train to Rome, there were already delays of up to an hour and eventually my train was even canceled. Unfortunately for me, it hadn't snowed in Rome and there were no delays flying out of there, so when I finally did catch a train from Florence it was about 9:30pm and I didn't make it to the airport until about 12:30...my flight was at 12:15.

And here's where the bitterness really kicked in.
I had no cell phone, barely any cash (because I expected the most money I would need was when I arrived home), and had to buy an entire new flight more or less. Since I hadn't missed my connecting flight in Dublin, technically, I could call the airline pay a penalty fee and buy another ticket for the difference, which is what I did, however I couldn't get a flight until Monday and the price was still astronomical. It was almost what I had paid for my round trip flight.

Luckily, I didn't get stuck at the airport for 2 days... I actually ended up in Gaeta, which is a whole other story within itself.

I've been Thinking

And so I've realized exactly why I want and need to go home.

It's 5:17am, I'm a bit drunk, but I am finally catching friends I haven't talked to in a while. And yet tonight has been a roller coaster of emotions. My roommates and I went to dinner and theater with our Cinema teacher and it was absolutely amazing. I didn't quite understand the theater part, which was about wine because 1) it was in old Italian and 2) my mind was wandering half the time.

My emotions have been more than a hot mess in the past few 2 weeks and I am ready for something new, although I have quite a bit of sorting out to do when I get home.

I am ready for a semi-image change, a return to my regiment, a reintroduction to climbing, and working at the Trattoria. I will certainly miss Italy, but there are so many people I have left behind, that I absolutely miss from my life and in my semi-drunken state I am realizing that to its full extent.

10 days. Wow.

Also, I am well overdue for an escape from the absolute confusion of my house that is more or less the epitome of the Real World. But what else would you expect from 8 different people living in close quarters for over 3 months, who coincidentally go to the same school, but have never met and would probably never meet in their lives. (And of course, the famous just friends situation + you have a boyfriend, but who's judging).

And like I've said the whole time. We shall see what happens when I get home. haha.

I found this picture while rummaging through my computer bored out of my mind during class the other day and I love it. It's from a used furniture store in Chicago.

Roma

I have not exactly been the greatest at keeping up to date with my photos. My digital camera is officially dead, so I have been trying to deal with that and I have been shooting film as well as growing lazier and less motivated to take pictures. Since finals are coming up, I will probably be spending lots of time procrastinating, so I will try my best to be counterproductive and edit and post more pictures.

Like a Child in a Candy Store

So I broke down and bought a tripod--more or less something I should have done all along.


My room--a complete mess of course.


The kitchen--surprisingly clean.


The terrace at night.
Halloween night.More fooling around with long exposures.

I haven't felt up to it lately, but eventually I want to make my way out in Florence at night to take some night shots. I took a lot of nice pictures on Sunday in Fiesole, but I haven't had a chance to sort through them yet. Basically, this is my new toy.

Last Weekend in Firenze

The city really isn't that big, but I haven't really spent much time wandering around it. Last weekend I decided I would try to see what I could find away from the center of the city and parts of it almost reminded me of being home.

Home in Firenze

Since I finally spent a weekend home I was able to catch up on taking some photos I had been meaning to shoot. These are the hallways of my apartment. They are gorgeously lit during the day.

Amalfi Coast Part III

The last day was spent in Capri. Another gorgeous day spent cruising around on a boat, cliff jumping, and swimming. I even got to enjoy a nice Caprese sandwich.

Amalfi Coast Part II

On Saturday the weather was a million times better, so we went to Positano.


It more or less made the trip worth it--the water was the perfect temperature for swimming and it was nice to sun bathe in October.


The beach was gorgeous, but I enjoyed the walk down to the beach through the little town much more than the ocean.