As December settles in, I wanted to share a few moments from a recent journey through Italy that Sue and I took.

We spent time in Rome, Florence, and Orvieto. Three very different places, but each one pushed me in the same way as a photographer. You show up, deal with what’s in front of you, and figure it out. No ideal conditions. No clean setups. Just working the scene until something holds.

Rome was constant motion. Crowds, construction, nowhere to stand still during the day. At night, long exposures let the movement move. People passed through the frame and the Colosseum stayed put. That’s when the images started to come together.

Florence asked for something different. I went back to the same locations more than once. Not chasing a shot, just paying attention to what changed. One night gave me the Duomo. The next night gave me the moon rising over Brunelleschi’s dome.

Orvieto didn’t fight back the same way. Quieter. Built into rock. Fewer distractions. It was less about working around things and more about noticing what was already there.

 

Then there was Michelangelo’s David. Standing in front of it is intimidating. Photographing it even more so. Editing those images felt less like interpretation and more like restraint. You don’t improve something like that. You just try not to get in the way. I couldn’t walk away. Every small shift revealed something I hadn’t noticed before.

 

I’m still working through hundreds of images from this trip and will continue sharing them as they’re finished. These photographs are part of a larger body of work from Italy and Europe and will become part of my Italy and Europe series, available on my website and at future shows in 2026.

 

If you’ve been following along, thank you. I don’t take that lightly.

 

And if you’re spending more time indoors this season, Alive in the Desert is still available. Click the link below.

👉 Order Your Signed Collector’s Edition Here

Michael