When I was in Venice, I joined a photography walking tour with Arved Gintenreiter. This was my first time on a photo tour and I had a wonderful time. Sure, you can follow Arved around and get some great photos. But, the most worthwhile part of the adventure was learning from another photographer.
Every one has their own style and technique. And, seeing how someone else will approach the same scene was an eye opening experience. Arved challenged us with different assignments. So, instead of falling in the same rut where I will end up taking a similar photo time after time, I had to tackle different scenes which I would not ordinarily try, such as shooting into the light.
Here’s a photo taken shortly after sunset of Santa Maria della Salute.
Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm, ISO 100, 58mm, f/10, 30s
At the time, I was so focused on the water that every shot ended up about the same. Sitting in front of the computer, I now wish I had taken one with more sky and less water just for the sake of comparison. Don’t get locked in.