Early morning, a quiet canal and gondolas docked and waiting for the day's activity... this is Venice.

I was captivated with the children as they interacted with the pigeons in Piazza San Marco. The joy in this curly headed girl's face pretty much sums it up. This image was captured on Ilford XP2 film with a Zeiss 135mm fixed lens, no auto focus on my cameras back then.

The Bridge of Sighs is truly an iconic landmark of Venice and a black and white presentation gives it a timeless feel. The blur from a slow shutter speed gives the canal reflections a softness.

I found this little girl's expression humorous and the context begged the question that has become the title of this image. This image was captured on Ilford XP2 film with a Zeiss 135mm fixed lens, no auto focus on my cameras back then.

This black and white photograph has been scanned and then toned and softened digitally to capture the romantic feel of Venice while still retaining the fell of the original black and white image. It was originally captured on Ilford XP2 film with a my trusted old Contax RTS camera.

I captured a series of images of this girl as she interacted with the pigeons. In this image the white bird added just the right contrast. This image was captured on Ilford XP2 film with a Zeiss 135mm fixed lens, no auto focus on my cameras back then.

While photographing the children in Piazza San Marco I spied a couple of newly weds having their photos taken and slipped in one of my own. What a great place to have your weddings pics. This image was captured on Ilford XP2 film with a Zeiss 135mm fixed lens, no auto focus on my cameras back then.

Another in the series of images of this girl with the pigeons. I don't recall what prompted this gesture and expression but I believe it had to do with some pigeons taking flight. This image was captured on Ilford XP2 film with a Zeiss 135mm fixed lens, no auto focus on my cameras back then.

In Venice there is no shortage of canals and gondolas awaiting the capture of their portrait.

A toned black and white print originally shot on Ilford XP2.

The pattern on the tile floor of this courtyard translates well into black and white, complementing the fountain and architectural elements of the entry gate.

The beauty of Moorish architecture does not lie in the color combinations alone as this image shows. Tonality and patterns are involved as well. Strip away the color and the intricate beauty can still be seen.

I was drawn by the interplay of light and shadows among these arched columns.

Light, shadows and intricate architectural details abound in the Moorish palaces.

Strong sunlight and shadows define this colonnade and its architectural elements.

Classic Moorish architecture tiles surround a door flanked by a column at the Alhambra palace in Granada Spain.

Tile, tile and more tile. It seems glazed tile covers everything in Spain. The tile on this stairway creates additional visual interest to the compositional elements of the staircase.

This Moorish door in Toledo makes for a simple composition.

A Moorish fountain and courtyard at the Alcazar palace in Sevilla Spain.

An elaborately decorated doorway at the Alcazar in Sevilla Spain.

Courtyards lined with arched columns abound in Sevilla.

Columns and Moorish architecture of the Alcazar palace in Sevilla Spain.

This Moorish chairs beckons one to sit and relax in the Alhambra, the grand Moorish palace in Granada Spain.

This is classic Tuscany. Cypress trees lining a winding road to a farmhouse on a hill. Although it may appear that these scenes are so common that it is easy to create good images, such is not the case. Finding the right vantage point, with the right light and that is accessable is not as easy as it would seem.

This little chapel is on the main road between San Quirico and Pienza. It is often photographed and there is a small pull off. However, it still requires the right light and atmosphere to capture a unique image.

Morning light and shadows create ever changing patterns across the landscape as in this scene in the Val d'Orcia.

The winding road to La Foce is at the southern end of Tuscany. There are a number of places from which to photograph this road but again, getting the light right is a key to success.

I was in awe as I would wander out into the stark barren hills. Clouds would roll across the sky casting shadows and creating mood. And off in the distance would be the characteristic cypress trees standing as sentinels on the ridges.

There is great distance between the hills and valleys which become defined layers as haze and fog set them apart.

Visiting Tuscany in the fall means that the fields have been harvested and plowed under, leaving contours in the brown dirt. The low light of the morning sun created a shadow on this furrow which wound through the hills adding an element of interest to this composition.

Whether photographed from above or below, each farmhouse has its unique look, but the vantage point can make a big difference in the composition.

This home was in a quiet little piazza in the hill town of Radicofani. It is off the beaten path and apparently not frequented by tourists.

We passed this cluster of olive trees growing on a hillside in an olive grove as we walked from a car park into the hill town of Montichiello. Most of the hill towns are limited to pedestrian traffic and tourists have to park In a public lot outside the told town and walk in. Some of the walks in can be fairly steep but we like the stroll.

I came across this abandoned farmhouse one morning as it was raining. Suddenly the rain let up and clouds rolled across the great expanse of the sky very quickly. There was a constant change of light and I was consumed with the ever changing scene.

This home in Montefioralle appears to come with a cat, at least for this photo shoot.

These old abandoned farm buildings were rather ordinary and I had driven by them several times. However, on this day it was the late afternoon - early evening light that captured my eye as I drove by. I quickly turned around and drove back to the scene, unpacked my equipment and began to photograph.

The thin little sliver of road in this image helps to anchor the leading lines in the composition that are created by tonal variations in the landscape.

Fog and mist hovered in the valleys below the Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano on this fall day when we visited in 1998 on our first trip to Italy.

The medieval hill town of Barga lies in the northern region of Tuscany and the lanes are steep and narrow. The old town was quiet and pleasant when we visited.

Montefioralle was a quiet hill town in the Chianti region which is in northeastern Tuscany. The drive up to and beyond the town was steep and the road was narrow. It was my wife's pick as she had read about the town and wanted to visit, however she found that the drive tested her bravery.

The dappled light in this scene coupled nicely with the colors and tones to create an interesting composition in black and white.

This was our view from the terrace in the morning at breakfast when we stayed in Siena on our first trip to Italy in 1998.

The stark landscape of the Crete Senese in Tuscany was undergoing constant charge as the sun and clouds moved across the sky. As we walked this dirt road through the area it was fascinating to watch the patterns unfold.

The piazza is at the center of life in Italy and this image captures it well. Here in this piazza in San Gimignano people visit, stroll and share time with one another, la dolce vita.

The morning sun warms a Tuscan farm as clouds begin to dissipate and give way to another day under the Tuscan sun.

I have referred to the subject of this image as a mill but cannot say I know for a certainty. It was in a valley below and I have made the assumption based on the architectural style alone. 

Haze and sunlight create tonal layers that distinguish the farms in this scene.

We just happened upon this secluded courtyard while travelling through the hills one day.

Another view of the valleys below San Gimignano being enveloped by mist and fog.

We left Montepulciano and after crossing the valley, as we were driving away, I noticed the beautiful sky from the distant hill. I had to find a place to park and walk back seeking a vantage point. I found several and beganphotographing until some dogs began to chase me away.

Pienza in the morning light.

The piazza is the center of life in Italy and this piazza in San Gimignano is bustling with afternoon activity. This image was photographed during my first trip to Italy in 1998 with Ilford XP2 black and white film.

Architectural elements are the key compositional feature in this image which was photographed on a trip to Perugia in 2005.

This cluster of olive trees was growing in a little grove on a terraced hillside and photographed on my trip to Tuscany in the fall of 2014.

The terraces at Villa Garzoni in northern Tuscany are amazing. I thought black and white seemed to capture the architectural structure in this garden.

The austere Tuscan landscape of the Crete Senese is quite dramatic. The sparse cypress trees among the hills are renowned, but it was the light that really captivated me. Sun, clouds and shadows rolled across the landscape and it was in constant change. These are the elements that can create a dramatic black and white image. 

Stone, window, steps and an archway... all the architectural elements needed for a black and white composition.

What a grand old olive tree this is! Sitting in the midst of an olive grove under a cloud filled blue Tuscan sky.

The simple composition of this image is strong. The column gives architectural context and the strong sun casting shadows on this wall is accented by the two little squares on the wall.

Quiet solitude strolling a cobblestone lane in the Chianti hill town of Montefioralle.

This little chapel sits on a farm along the road between San Quirico and Pienza. The fact that it has been photographed so many times and is a an iconic landmark in the Tuscan landscape does not diminish the setting.

These steps on one of the terraced staircases at Villa Garzoni make an ideal subject for black and white architectural photography.

These stone steps to the entrance of a stone home in the Tuscan hill town of Montichiello look so inviting.

The Spanish Steps without people? Yes, if you get up early enough in the morning. It was quiet and peaceful, yet I was just waiting for Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck to appear, they missed their cue... or perhaps I was a few decades too late. 

A large oleander accents a secluded old stone courtyard in Tuscany.

A black and white image with a splash of color. This little red fishing boat was photographed in the harbor at Vernazza along the Cinque Terre on my first visit to Italy in 1998.

This image was captured on Ilford XP2 black and white film during my first visit to Italy in 1998. It was the breakfast view from our hotel terrace each morning.

The stone steps of this stairway in Perugia create leading lines into the scene and are a key component to the architectural elements of this image.

Looking out toward the Tuscan hills over the rooftops of Siena.

Verona is one of my favorite cities in Italy. Piazza Erbe in Verona is surrounded by buildings with wonderful old deteriorating frescoes. They are not easy to photograph as they are up high and the piazza is not very wide. This image is lovely in color but I like the black and white version as well.

This scene is also located along Piazza Erbe in Verona. The crumbling old buildings have great ambiance.

A less familiar view of the Spanish Steps in Rome.

The Val d'Aosta in northwestern Italy is host to quite a few castles. They served as a defense from invading armies coming over the Alps. I visited Val d'Aosta in the fall of 2000. This image was captured on Ilford black and white film. My attention was drawn to the shadows cast on the castle by the strong side lighting against the mountains in the background. I have digitally toned this image for some added interest.

The abandoned abbey at Murbach in Alsace France is situated in a picturesque location. The wooded valley of this French landscape is peaceful and quiet. According to history that was the source of its demise. The monks found the solitude not to their liking. They preferred being located closer to larger town and used a perpetual renovation project as the excuse for moving out. That was centuries ago and it has remained abandoned to this day.