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This is the blog of Steve Burkett of Italy, Our Italy

The Venice That Isn’t There

If you've taken a look at my Ancient Venetian Doors collection, what you see is a Venice that doesn't really exist. 

What you see in the door photo below isn’t exactly what you would see walking the streets of Venice today.  What I create for you is the door you would see if you were walking the streets of Venice 600 years ago.

I spend hours removing electrical conduits, mail slots, bells, and any other items that contradict the feeling that you are in the Venice of yesterday – which is just where I want you to be.

You can see the difference in the ‘before’ photo below.  That’s the year 1415 above, and the year 2015 below. It’s the same door, it’s the same surrounding brick, stone and plaster – it’s just a different time.


Now here is another example of the classic Venetian door of yesteryear. 

While below is the door of today – laden with ringers and extraneous piping.  This is the Venice that I don’t want you to imagine in your dreams.  It’s not the more romantic Venice of a time gone by when electricity was not even an imagined concept.


Finally, the example below finds us passing a more modest door – this one not an entrance to a canal-side palazzo, but a more humble abode.  No matter the stature of the residence, I believe in presenting the entrance in a more generous light…giving it the best chance of a days-gone-by charm – just for you.

Notice that I’ve taken the liberty of moving the early peacock-themed plaque from above the wall  to the place where a window used to be.  We’ve moved from an entrance with very little charm, to one loaded with charm. This takes us from a blot on the conscientiousness to an agreeable memory.


Whether in Venice or any other Italian town, I just can't pass up a door or window without stopping to take a photo.  Sometimes I really have to stretch my imagination to visualize a dramatic improvement from what is before me.  But, this transformational process is what fuels my passion for processing my photos.

Each of the ‘Ancient Venetian Doors’ on the website illustrates how I am dedicated to bringing you a fine-art photographic memento of your dreams of Venice…your dreams of walking through Venice in a different time…your dreams of love and romance in a timeless city in a magical lagoon within a by-gone world. I hope you don't mind!

 

Ciao for Now!

p.s. Feel free to comment below