Have you ever gone right back to a location you had recently visited? I’m about to. Last September we were in Venice for a week. Now I’m going back alone in January. Let me explain.

Marlene is off on an extended trip to India with a group to further her studies in Vedic Astrology and visit a series of temples. I’ve been thinking about Venice since we were there, and also getting ever deeper into photography.

So, I’m taking an 11-day trip to Venice just to shoot. Might not be enough time to eat…

For me, Venice is simply the most photogenic city in the western world. It is perhaps the only city where you can be in any street, even without any famous landmarks, and immediately know it’s Venice.

This won’t be news to photographers, but if you want to seriously take pictures, you’ll want to be on your own. At best, perhaps with another photographer who is interested in doing exactly what you’re doing. Nobody else wants to hang around while you set up a tripod, wait for the light to be just right or for a crowd to clear.

Even shooting “grab and run” style gets on the nerves of anyone else with you. I completely understand that. So, this is a chance to take my time, make photography a priority and plan my days accordingly.

That means getting up early, having breakfast and being on the location before the sun rises, to catch the pre-light and first rays. Towards the end of the days, I want to be at specific locations to make the most of sunset and the blue hour.

And that’s not all… because there will be perfect opportunities for night photography. I’m looking forward to long exposures of boats in canals, streetlights and cafés (yes some of them keep tables out year round) and deserted streets.

Venice in January means fewer tourists, daytime temperatures between 6 and 8 Celsius and perhaps some fog which could be interesting. January also means lower prices on accommodations. I rented what I hope is a wonderful Airbnb apartment right on a small canal, just off of the Grand Canal.

A quick tip for photographers shooting on location: try to stay as close as possible to where you want to do most of your shooting. It’s not worth the savings to start every day miles from where you’re going to be working.

In this case, the apartment is just around the corner from the Grand Canal and a major vaporetto (water bus) stop. It’s also one of Venice’s most interesting neighbourhoods, so there will be plenty to shoot. The Rialto market is nearby (early morning shoot one day) along with dozens of hole-in-the-wall restaurants for snacks and lunch on the run.

From our last trip, I already know some of the locations I want to cover. But there are so many neighbourhoods in Venice that we hadn’t visited, and I knew from reading that I’d want to explore, discover and shoot them.

I’ve planned every day for a specific neighbourhood. That way, I know the day before where I’m going first thing in the morning and what I expect to find there.

The main tools I used to prepare: Instagram, Google Street View and the photo app The Photographer’s Ephemeris. I also have four guide books (the most unusual ones – Monocle Magazine’s guide to Venice, and Secret Venice which really gets into minutia, which I love).

What’s the Photographer’s Ephemeris app? Glad you asked. Its main function is to show you exactly where the sun and moon are at any location at any time of day. It also gives the exact times of sunrise, sunset, golden hour, moonrise, etc. That way you don’t show up at a location wanting to shoot buildings lit by the sun to discover they’re in shadow.

It may sound obvious, but really the main attraction is just being in Venice. Nothing compares to the experience of walking in that city, slipping down alleys and over arched footbridges, alongside canals instead of roads, taking boats rather than cars, surrounded by buildings that are centuries old… it puts you in a state of wonder all day long.

Then there is the art. Much of it is still in the churches for which it was originally commissioned. So, in addition to houses of worship, the churches become art galleries. Many of the finest paintings by Titian, Tintoretto and Bellini hang in Venetian churches.

Have you ever wished you had all the time in the world to do exactly what you want?

And then you get the time, and now the pressure is on to deliver. That’s sort of how this feels. Over a week to do nothing but take pictures. That’s a first for me.

I wondered whether I’d get tired or bored doing this. Or whether I would like my shots when I’m done. I think I’ll be fine. I sure hope so, because there’s no Plan B.

How did the photography trip to Venice work out? Read 11 Days of Photography in Venice.

Read about the extraordinary kindness from Italians we experienced every day in Italy.

Take advantage of our Top 5 Tips for visiting the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s in Rome.

Read about the exceptional week we spent in Venice – including opera at La Fenice.

Join us in learning about Mariano Fortuny, a true renaissance man of Venice, and make sure you visit his palazzo.

This account of Monticchiello, a small Italian hilltop village, will open your eyes to its history and brush with annihilation.

We planned to go to Cinque Terre, but didn’t. Why not?

Portugal, outside of the main cities, is a wonderful country to drive. We rented a car for three weeks and the drives were one of the highlights of the trip. Here’s what you need to know for a great experience renting a car in Portugal.

Travel Resources

There’s nothing like having WiFi wherever you go. We rented a Teppy portable WiFi and carried it with us everywhere. With a Teppy, you can connect your phones, tablets, laptops and gaming consoles just like you connect to WiFi at home.

Use the apps on your phone including your favorite GPS apps without paying expensive cellular service fees.

It’s also perfect for uploading pictures, sending emails or just web browsing. We also used it for online work on the road including web updates and social media.

Teppy portable WiFi works around the world. Try it on your next trip.

For hotel accommodation, we like Booking.com. Photographs show off the properties, and real reviews help you choose the hotel that’s best for you. You’ll find a great selection, current prices and pages that make booking easy.

Remember, Italy is one of the world’s most popular destinations and can get very busy, so book early to get the best selection and price.

Click here, and you’ll get $25 off your next reservation on Booking.com.

We’ve also rented Airbnb throughout USA and Europe. We wrote an article about renting Airbnb, 12 Tips for a Great Renting Experience to help you make the right decision. If it’s your first time renting Airbnb, click here to get the equivalent of $50 CDN off your first booking.

Along with the websites and other travel planning tools, we still like to have a guide book handy. We’ve tried them all, and these days we prefer Lonely Planet books.

Use our link to get 10% off your total order when you enter EARTHTRIPPERS10 during checkout, where it asks for the Discount Code. Please note, this offer is valid only in USA and Canada.

These days there are many things that can happen when you travel, aside from getting bumped from a flight. That’s why we always get insurance for our trips. It covers damage, loss or theft of our belongings, health issues and if necessary, emergency evacuation. Better safe than sorry.

Whether you’ve just booked your trip or are already underway, you can get covered by World Nomads. It’s one of the most popular insurance companies designed specifically for travellers. See if it’s right for you.

Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. If you click on them and buy something or book accommodation, we receive a small commission at absolutely no cost to you. This helps with the cost of operating this site.