Photographing Florence: Light, Bridges and the Duomo
Florence is a city of stone, river and marble, packed into narrow streets. Timing and position matter more than any lens you carry.
Work with the low sun
The golden hour, shortly after sunrise or before sunset, gives redder, softer daylight than the middle of the day. It warms the city's stone, and the early-morning version is also the quietest time to work. Stay on after sunset for the blue hour, the period of twilight when the remaining light turns mostly blue and street lamps begin to balance the sky.
The Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval stone arch bridge over the Arno, known for the shops built along it; today they are mostly jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. It was the only bridge in Florence spared from destruction in the Second World War. Its neighbours, the Ponte Santa Trinita and the Ponte alle Grazie, are natural places to photograph it from across the water.
The Duomo
Florence Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design by Arnolfo di Cambio and completed by 1436 with a dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. Its exterior is faced with polychrome marble panels in shades of green and pink alternating with white. In the tight square around it, a wide lens and a careful eye for converging verticals are more useful than distance.
Narrow streets
- Look for light falling into a street rather than lighting the whole of it; a single lit doorway makes a picture.
- Shoot along the street to stack facades and show depth.
- Respect residents and shopkeepers; a doorway is someone's home or business.
Crowds
Early morning is the simplest way to photograph famous places without people. Otherwise make the crowd part of the picture, or wait for a gap and work quickly.
Developed 2026-10-22