Piazza San Marco

If you could take just one photo: Clear May day in Venice

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Entering Piazza San Marco, you'll stumble upon a sea of festive faces—some painted, some smiling and some wearing the most intricate and creative masks you've ever seen. Carnival in Venice is a big deal, and it's a photographer's playground. Costumed locals wander the streets surrounding the piazza, and sponsored by the council, it's their job to pose for your camera. While you won't be the only photographer in town, capture the attention of a masked one by showing passion and dedication to securing the shot. Try various angles, think of the background and attempt to get a pose which oozes emotion and showcases the eyes beneath the mask. Each costume is adorned with intricate detail so get up close and showcase the creativity and amazing designs. Tip—while most costumed locals speak fluent French, Italian and a little English, some outfits impair their hearing and speaking ability, so don't be offended if they don't respond!

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Admit it: you're a sucker for the occasional cheesy tourist photo. No? Then you should probably skip Venice's Piazza San Marco altogether. But if you have a soft spot for a kitschy Kodak moment, a snapshot with the semi-domesticated pigeons in Venice's most famous square is as requisite as a scene of a gondolier or a sun-dappled canal. The birds are only too happy to pose for the camera—just stand still for a few seconds and put your arms out a bit, and they'll fly up. If you've seen Hitchcock's The Birds, fear not—these flocks come in peace, to give you a silly picture to send back home.

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Walking through Piazza San Marco makes the outside world feel inconsequential. Still untouched by noise pollution (except for that coming from the hundreds of pigeons scouring the ground for crumbs) the square seems to exist outside of time on a warm evening. As the orchestras continue to play, as the sky changes from blue to pink, whether you are gazing at the beautiful Doge's Palace, strolling among the vendors selling Murano glass, or having a glass of Barolo at Cafe Lavena, St. Mark's Square is one of the most ethereal places on earth.

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