Who's Photographing Whom?
Welcome to Venice, where the main attraction isn't the 500-year-old architecture—it's watching tourists photograph other tourists photographing tourists.
Up on the bridge: a firing squad of smartphones and cameras, all aimed at the gondolas below like they've just spotted a rare species in the wild. "Look honey, authentic Venetians in their natural habitat!"
Down in the gondolas: passengers craning their necks upward, returning fire with their own cameras. "Look at all those people on the bridge! This is SO Venice!"
And then there's me, photographing the entire circus, which means someone behind me is probably photographing me photographing them photographing each other. It's like a Russian nesting doll of tourism, except everyone's holding an iPhone.
The gondolier in the red dress has clearly given up trying to figure out who she's supposed to smile at. The answer? Everyone. And no one. We're all just taking pictures of people taking pictures at this point.
Venice: Come for the canals, stay for the existential crisis about whether you're experiencing the moment or just documenting other people failing to experience it.
Who's Photographing Whom?
Welcome to Venice, where the main attraction isn't the 500-year-old architecture—it's watching tourists photograph other tourists photographing tourists.
Up on the bridge: a firing squad of smartphones and cameras, all aimed at the gondolas below like they've just spotted a rare species in the wild. "Look honey, authentic Venetians in their natural habitat!"
Down in the gondolas: passengers craning their necks upward, returning fire with their own cameras. "Look at all those people on the bridge! This is SO Venice!"
And then there's me, photographing the entire circus, which means someone behind me is probably photographing me photographing them photographing each other. It's like a Russian nesting doll of tourism, except everyone's holding an iPhone.
The gondolier in the red dress has clearly given up trying to figure out who she's supposed to smile at. The answer? Everyone. And no one. We're all just taking pictures of people taking pictures at this point.
Venice: Come for the canals, stay for the existential crisis about whether you're experiencing the moment or just documenting other people failing to experience it.