Store Windows

Carnival Masks in Store Window, Venice

We were walking through the canal streets of Venice one evening when I spotted this store window and came to a screeching halt. I had to have this shot of the Carnival Masks.

During the day, they were white with red and black paint – nice, but not dramatic. The gold color came from the lights in the store window at night and brought them to life. The interfering reflections were everywhere – from the interior lights, from the opposing store window just a few feet away, and from our reflections standing in front of the store. I had to get at an angle to the window and above the reflections so I could shoot down. I also had to be sure the camera was reading the light on the masks and not the reflections or background. I looked around.

We had just come over a small bridge, so I went back to it and stood part way up. I was almost parallel to the window, so I stepped out about 6 inches so the lens was at a slight angle. I was high enough to shoot down slightly. I used the telephoto to frame down and made sure the little meter square in the viewfinder was pointing at one of the masks. I held my breath and braced my elbows in my waist so the camera wouldn’t move. It worked.