ciao elisabetta

The last week in Florence was insane because we had to piece together a final project with basically nothing, while still continuing to shoot for the final, and see everything we hadn't seen but wanted to.

The last day of shooting by the river was very peaceful for me and the project all started to come together in my head. I shot the last riverbank, which is the first one i ever saw and was initially attracted to. LIke every photo project I do, I feel as it becomes a self-portrait, so I kind of realized some things in what I was shooting and why i was shooting these, what most people call as disgusting places, in such a beautiful city. I never saw them as disgusting, at least not in the same way. Finishing shooting brought closure to my entire European trip. I felt confident about what I had shot and that i had finally gotten a style about my work. Those feelings might have changed now as soon as i had to piece together a final. There is nothing more frustrating than having all the images that you shot in your head, but not having the ability to make a contact sheet, so you must aimlessly scan as many images as possible to make some vague attempt at a final project.


Because I have so many images and it is such a segregated project, meaning it is to show the differences of the riverbanks and so the images become categorized and separated into the different riverbanks, it was extremely difficult to critique. What it came down to is that I needed more images for them to see, all of the images I showed were beautiful, and that editing was going to be the most challenging task. Yes, i knew this. Probably the most ungratifying critique of my photographic education. Besides that it was probably the best critique I have ever been to. Everyone talked, everyone was so interested in everyone else's work, and even though we had such a variety of skill level, most everyone's work came together so well. Diana is an amazing woman and teacher and I advise anyone to take a class with her. My experience was hightened by the fact that her partner, Jackie, and newborn daughter, Francesca, was with us the entire time. Jackie, being a socialogist, had some extremely interesting inputs into our critiques and discussions, and Francesca is nothing but pure joy. I don't think I have ever loved a baby as much as I love her.

Other things that happened that week:

Someone turned my wallet into the police, the police, i assume, took my actual wallet and the 120€ that were in it, but mailed everything else that was in my wallet back to the school. So fortunate and saved me the hassle of filing a police report in italy for insurance purposes and having to get new id's.

Went to the science museum in florence and saw all of galileo's tools, including his middle finger preserved in a reliquary.

Went to, we thought was going to be the ballet, was a modern dance show instead, in an outdoor ampitheater. that was awesome. I haven't seen much modern dance, so i thought it was pretty cool. My roomates have seen a lot of dance and said it wasn't that great. The environment was awesome thought because it was in the Boboli Gardens.

Had a lovely dinner at Terra Terra, which was the restaurant below our apartment that we had befriended the waiter, Christian. They were very fun and playful with us and gave us some free wine. It was a hefty dinner though, with three courses, all delicious. It was a very delightful evening.

Had a farewell dinner that Columbia paid for at a traditional restaurant that was very nice, especially since there was a big bottle of chianti for every four people. A little too much food though.

I said my goodbyes here, since me and my roomates departed the next day for Milan and I would be staying there for the next three nights, then flying to London. I was kinda glad to leave Florence. I would have to say Florence was not my favorite city in Italy, but there were good times. I will miss the royal blue bust of a woman in my bedroom we affectionately named Elisabetta, due to the fact that we lived on Via Santa Elisabetta. The oddly colored Matador painting in the living room will be missed as well. I wanted to steal it and take it home, but it would have been rather large to fit.

ciao florence. ciao milan.