Gondolier Under the Bridge

A gondolier passing beneath one of Venice's stone-arched bridges — the figure at the stern, the long sweep of the oar, the curve of the arch closing the frame above. The bridges and the boats below them are essentially the same age; both have been moving in their respective patterns for centuries, and the moment one passes under the other is the moment Venice photographs itself.

Made in late September 2016 in black and white during my first trip to Italy. The under-the-bridge composition is one of the great Venetian frames — Canaletto worked it in the eighteenth century, and every photographer working the canals since has tried their hand at it. The image is best made in monochrome, which lets the architectural shape of the arch hold the picture together.