The Beauty of Venice - Italian photographer, Jacopo De Michelis

Jacopo De Michelis is an Italian photographer living in Venice and showcasing its beauty through his Instagram platform. In his interview with us, Jacopo humbly emphasises the fact that you can have a full-time job, basic camera knowledge and even just a mobile phone, and still find some success through photography and amass an online following.

“Once I have decided on a shot, I can wait a long time for someone to pass by exactly in the position I need them to. I also like to shoot at particular times of day or with particular weather that can completely transform certain places”

Buongiorno Jacopo! Thanks for letting us interview you. Please, tell our readers about yourself! Are you originally from Venice? What do you like the most about living in this famously beautiful city?

I was born and grew up in Milan. I moved to Venice 15 years ago because of my job (I work in a publishing house). Venice is a city with many problems (too many tourists, high water, expensive prices, etc.), but living surrounded by such a timeless beauty is always a joy and a privilege.

What are a few of your favourite landmarks in Venice to visit and photograph? Do you have any secret tips - locations that are not usually visited by tourists? And please, do share with us your favourite café in Venice! If there is one thing one has to do when traveling to Italy, it's drinking an espresso somewhere outside in the sun.

There are too many! There are plenty of wonderful hidden spots everywhere in the city. A couple of my favourites are Sotoportego del Filatoio and Scala Contarini del Bovolo.

As for bars, in Venice, they are more famous for spritz and “ombre” (small glasses of wine) than for coffee. However, apart from those in San Marco square - really expensive - a lovely one is Caffè dei Frari, just in front of the Frari church.

What do you like best about photographing cityscapes and what got you into it? Do you enjoy any other photography genres?

It’s something natural and spontaneous to me, and I don’t know exactly why I’m attracted by it. Maybe it’s just because I have always lived in cities. If I was living in the countryside, perhaps I would shoot nature and landscapes.

I also tried portraits and fashion for a while. I liked it but I almost completely stopped due to a lack of time.

Have you always shot with Nikon and what has influenced your decisions when it comes to photography gear? If you were heading out into a city and could only take one lens, which one would you take with you?

My technical skills are quite low. I chose Nikon and it works well for me, but I think everybody must decide on his/her own.

If I was forced to choose only one lens to shoot in a city, I think it would be a medium wide-angle lens (unless a zoom lense is allowed, of course).

You are quite involved in a few different Instagram pages such as @alluring_venice, @tv_pointofview, @tv_buildings and, of course, your personal photography page @geidiemme. How did you get involved in such a wide range of community activity? What are your experiences working with an array of people all over the world, and what do you like the most about the Instagram community? And lastly, something our readers are always really interested in: Have you been able to get jobs or collaboration opportunities from your involvement in these Instagram pages?

Those are some feature feeds that asked me to be part of their community, but I only contribute to them with some photos, I don’t manage them. Therefore, it’s not a lot of work at all.

The amazing community on Instagram is a constant source of inspiration, feedback, and creative exchange. I met a lot of interesting and talented people from all over the world thanks to it.

The most interesting job I found through Instagram was with Deutsche Welle, a public German television programme. I did some kind of documentary on Venice through a series of IG stories posted on their profile.

How often do you use your Huawei p20pro for photography? What do you think are the limitations of a phone camera compared to a professional DSLR or mirrorless camera, for example?

I use it often since I take a lot of my photos while I’m around for other reasons (mostly my job) and always have my phone with me.

The main limitations of cell phones are the lack of different lenses and bad performance with low light. But other than that, a good phone which allows RAW format can take really awesome pictures.

However, I’m convinced that it isn’t the gear that makes a great photo, it’s the eye.

You have also done some travelling. What are some of your favourite places that you have visited, and is there somewhere that you have not been yet but really want to go to?

It may sound strange, but since I mostly travel with my wife and son, I shoot less on holidays than during my everyday life. I’m in love with Paris, anyway, and shooting there was awesome. I also dream about going to Iceland, and I really hope I will be able to visit it someday.

Minimalist themes seem to be a common occurrence in your photo compositions: one or two people in a shot, a single gondola on the canals, or a moody, foggy cityscape are the views that dominate your feed. Do you consciously look for minimalist/moody compositions when you go out? In other words, do you purposely avoid bustling and crowded streets to shoot? If so what do you like more about this style of photography?

There are themes I’m quite obsessed with regards to photography: symmetries, frames, reflections, a lonely and melancholic mood. I take great care of the composition in my photos, but I also like that there is a living element inside them (one or two people, a gondola, a seagull). Once I have decided on a shot, I can wait a long time for someone to pass by exactly in the position I need them to. I also like to shoot at particular times of the day or with particular weather that can completely transform certain places (Venice with fog, for example, becomes so mysterious and dreamy). Taking photos is a lot about exploring the endless expressive possibilities offered by the variations of light.

How do you go about contacting and working with brands? Do you ever have brands reaching out to you? For someone wanting to start working with brands or models, what advice could you give them?

I’m quite passive about it, I must confess. But if a brand contacts me proposing something interesting and that is coherent with my style, I like to do collaborations from time to time.

Have you got any exciting projects or trips coming up that you could tell us about?

I had some but, unfortunately, as has now happened to many, the virus postponed them indefinitely.

Is there much editing that goes into your photos? What programs do you use to edit, and do you enjoy the editing process? Do you sell prints as a source of income?

I use different editing apps like VSCO, skrwt, Snapseed, and Photoshop. I think in digital photography, post-production is fundamental, but I try to maintain a natural feel in the pictures I edit.

For me, photography is a passion, so I don’t do much to get money out of it; although when it happens, I’m not unhappy.

Instagram is full of photographers, bloggers, and influencers who seem to always be travelling the world. Your account, therefore, stands out because you mainly explore and photograph the city that you live in while creating a really interesting and beautiful feed. I think that it is a good example of what you can do in your own "backyard" - if you're willing to go out and look at what is around you. Surely, it is also a lot easier for people to do. Do you have any thoughts about this or insights that you could share with aspiring photographers and other creatives who might not have the means to travel the world?

I have a full-time job and a family, so I don’t have much time to travel, but I’m lucky enough to have a charming “backyard”. I shoot what is around me, which is mainly Venice, where I live. I look for beauty in everyday life, subtracting instants of ephemeral harmony from the flow of time.

I think that you must learn how to shoot a city, capture its mood and soul, and this may take time. It happened to me to find difficult photographing places I didn't know. [Don't really know what he wants to say in this last sentence]

I don’t want to pretend I can teach anything to anyone, but there is a piece of simple advice to take better photos that I can share: shoot more, publish less!