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LUMIX Global TOP > OUR PLACE > Recent Activities Vol.9: Notes from Sicily

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Recent Activities

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Recent Activities Vol.9 Notes from Sicily – Susan Wright

I was commissioned by the OUR PLACE World Heritage photographic project to document the UNESCO World Heritage site, Syracuse and the Rocky Necropalis of Pantalica in Sicily.

My equipment for this assignment consisted of a LUMIX DMC-G1 camera, standard LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. lens and LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. lens.

The World Heritage site of Syracuse and the Rocky Necropalis of Pantalica is vast and consists of many elements, and monumental buildings and churches, which combine aspects of Greek, Roman and Baroque history. This shot was taken at the “magic hour” - just after sunset when the sky has not yet gone dark blue but the building lights are on.

Statue and Baroque Palaces in the Piazza del Duomo, on the Island of Ortygia, Syracuse.
The LUMIX G VARIO telephoto lens brings the background up closer and help frame the statue at the same time as getting rid of the street clutter which is often in a city location-parked cars; advertising billboards, etc.

Cathedral (Duomo) of Syracuse. The original site was the Greek Temple of Athena erected 480 B.C., the columns of this ancient temple dominate the interior of the cathedral. They create a nice contrast with the background wall and its old historic statues.

I used a tripod for the interior shots of the cathedral. Using a slow shutter speed blurred the movement of visiting tourists. It is often difficult photographing around tourists so “blurring” them can add movement to a shot and show that it is a public space without distracting from the historic location.

I experimented with low angles, placing the camera on the floor and using the tilted LCD to compose the shot. The attenuated viewfinder is one of the big advantages that you get from using an electronic viewfinder camera.

I particularly liked the LUMIX DMC-G1 in a situation like this where I was able to grab some quick candid shots of the construction workers repairing this old Roman Amphitheatre. It was far less imposing than much larger cameras and therefore made for more spontaneous, natural photographs of people at work. This is a great advantage for a location based photographer.

The custodian of the site Stefania La Mesa, who was born within the park itself, gave me a personalised tour of the site recounting her memories as a child growing up and playing in the Greek Theatre, Roman Amphitheatre and stone quarries. This gave me a very good insight into the park and I was also privileged enough to be shown in areas where most tourists are restricted.
Named the Dinosaur’s Ear by the famous Italian artist Caravaggio, the opening to the stone quarry was so called, because it is so silent within the cave that you could here a pin drop. I used a tripod in all of these situations to allow for a good depth of field while maintaining a low ISO.

The site of Pantalica is about a 2 hour drive from Syracuse. The park consists of approx. 5,000 tombs carved into the vertical rock walls. I was very grateful for the light weight of the LUMIX kit which gave me quicker mobility and agility to cover quite a bit of distance. The long 200mm lens (35mm camera equivalent: 90-400mm) was great for zooming into details of the tombs high within the cliff walls.

The Optical Image Stabiliser also came in very useful as it was an overcast day and with low light. I found the LUMIX very versatile in this situation. The ability to choose a 16:9 ratio was ideal for capturing the vastness of the cliffs and valleys.
This assignment was a good all-round location shoot with both interiors and exteriors and the LUMIX G Micro System camera worked well and was ideal for this varied type of work.

* 35mm camera equivalent.

Photographer Susan Wright

Susan Wright is an Australian freelance photographer based in Rome, Italy. She specializes in travel, lifestyle, editorial and portrait photography.

With a lifelong passion for travel and the outdoors, Susan has spent the past 20 years creating spectacular images for books, magazines, calendars and government tourist organizations.

Now working under commission in Italy, she spends her time travelling through the country capturing the essence of its lifestyle and culture, chic destinations and timeless monuments.

Her Website:

http://www.susanwrightphoto.com/[Open New Window].

Recent Activities Vol. 8

Recent Activities Vol. 10

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