This article features a selection of photographs captured handheld with Nikon 1 gear while on a Palermo walking tour. I’ve always found it fascinating how people can be in the same place at the same time, and see the world around them so differently.

No doubt the other folks who were on our Italy tour captured images that were much different than the ones included in this article. Everyone has their own creative instincts and interests!

NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.

As part of our guided tour of Italy we took an overnight ferry from Naples to Palermo. While I captured a few images around the harbour in Palermo, I find that I tend to be drawn to create images where I get in tight to subjects.

Colours and shapes, like the cart in this image tend to catch my eye as I walk by. Grabbing very quick images when part of a guided tour is always an interesting experience. I enjoy the challenge of creating photographs when my time frame is very compressed. It reminds me of my newspaper days.

My wife often teases me when I create some of my ‘weird stuff’ as she likes to call it. If something catches my eye and intrigues me for whatever reason I find that I can’t help but press my shutter release.

Some subjects attract my attention because of bright colours. Sometimes they also have an interesting historical or sociological context.

Patterns and geometric shapes jump out at me regardless of where I happen to be. I love to find balance and eye flow in these opportunities.

As photographers we all have our own approach to street photography. During our Palermo walking tour this scene looking down a narrow side street presented itself. Unlike other photographers, I purposely avoid including people that I don’t know in my street photography as I find them distracting.

Unusual signage, advertising and street art jumped out at me throughout our Palermo walking tour. I find these to be interesting expressions of local culture.

These examples of ‘urban art’ are encouraged in some cities, and are a bane in others.

These creations are often easy to miss as they are frequently located in alleyways and on narrow streets off the main roads.

The names and signage of various retail shops can cause me to pause to capture a quick photograph.

I include typical architectural images during walking tours, but will often focus on portions of a building that are away ‘from the maddening crowds’ below. Note the use of a corner exit as well as equidistant composition technique in the image above.

The symmetry of repeating patterns has always appealed to me. Whether they manifest themselves as stacks of hats outside of a small shop…

Or displayed as colourful brochures in metal racking.

High contrast colours in very simple geometric shapes grab my attention.

I look for the unusual… the bizarre…

The delicate…

And, occasionally the macabre.

Sculptures are often found in urban settings, and our Palermo walking tour revealed many to our group. I seldom create images of entire sculptures as I usually find the emotions captured in specific details to be especially poignant.

I always take time to glance down when on a walking tour. There are so many visual treasures beneath our feet that are so easy to overlook.

The simplest of subjects can have their own sense of power and balance in a composition.

I love finding everyday objects to photograph, and the immediate creative challenge that they present. Like imagining an empty beer bottle in a magazine advertisement.

Or finding the symmetry, balance and eye flow in what first appears to be just a jumble of melons.

Capturing the reality as I pass a fishmongers stall… complete with flies and a pinkish red colour cast from a sun shade overhead.

Our Palermo walking tour revealed so much about this fascinating city. It is easy for us to only see a display of ties for sale, neatly placed on a sidewalk display. We risk missing the fact that this is someone’s livelihood, and how they provide for themselves and their family.

Technical Note

Photographs were captured hand-held using camera gear and technology as noted in the EXIF data. Images were produced from RAW files using my standard process.

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