Siena

Siena is among the most visited cities in Italy. Surrounded by Tuscan landscape, it is a charming medieval city with a distinct character. In addition to the medieval Duomo, it has a shell-shaped city center the Piazza del Campo. Surrounded by trattoria and bars, it is the spot for soaking sun rays on a lazy afternoon.
Siena is also known for its horse race, the Palio. Held twice a year, horses are raced around the Piazza del Campo ridden bareback and carrying the code of arms of the various districts in and around Siena. It is more than a horse race, I was told it is like the passionate competition one would equate with a football Derby match in Europe,
I took this picture on the Piazza del Campo, where a Japanese bride was photo-testing her gown. Of course the background of her picture was the Duomo and its adjacent tower. While bridal pictures lend themselves to natural B&W capturing, they can also be, well, boring.... I did wait for a few minutes to capture an unposed moment, and it did come when the photographer, a Japanese young man wearing an expensive Italian suit, turned his camera around and started endlessly clicking for photos of tourists.
The bride gave up posing, and I clicked.
Taken with a Minolta Autocord Twin Lens Reflex camera.

©Vahé Kazandjian, 2013