What if there was a drink that you could enjoy after your Italian meal that would help with digesting that scrumptious experience? There is! At least, these liquids are claimed to accomplish this.
Those are the words that I had planned to start with today, as I was to end my series on Eating in Italy by covering the ‘Digestivi’ of Italy (not sure what that is? Then come back next time to find out). But hey, something came up that will significantly add to the discussion of the aforementioned ‘Digestivi’. So, that discussion will wait just a short while for things to play out. In the meantime, please enjoy my transformation of a produce stand…that sounds strange doesn’t it? To see of what I speak, read on…
“ I’ve seen my friend Mike reaching to test the ripeness of a fig at a produce stand...only to have his hand slapped”
My goodness, it’s gotten late…and dark. I’ve spent a bit too much time exploring Canareggio this afternoon after returning from a day on the Venetian lagoon-island of Burano, which you can experience here.
Many of the shops of the day turn out to not be shops of the night. However, the neighborhood produce stand is still open. There, I see a woman asking about the produce…and she is in the process of getting a reply from the purveyor.
It’s late afternoon and what I see is not that interesting, so as I process my photos, I want to give this image more a late-night look. And, I want a more intimate repartee between the buyer and the seller. So, I’ve got work to do! Let’s get started.
The Basic Snapshot
As usual, I present to you the original snapshot. There’s a bit too much illumination for what I want to create. So, I’ll create a scene that would occur later in the evening. And do you see intimacy I’m looking for here? No, I don’t either.
The basic snapshot
Let There Be Dark!
I’ve now made this woman’s stop to purchase her supper a bit later…I hope I haven’t spoiled her evening.
From late afternoon to evening
Let There Be Two!
Four persons in the photo don’t lend the image the sense of intimacy that I’m searching for. The other two characters in this tableau have to go. Those who were walking in the background have now mysteriously disappeared…poof!
Extraneous characters removed
Now, 2 are gone…and 2 remain.
Exposure Adjustment
It’s time to adjust the lighting in certain parts of the image. You’ll notice above that the highlights are much too bright. We call that being ‘blown out’ in the digital darkroom. I’ll make some adjustments to the lighting, now.
Blown out lighting toned down
Convert to Black & White
An old photographic axiom is that when colors are not essential to the scene, convert to black and white. I’m invoking that axiom now.
When we say ‘black and white’ in the photographic world, we rarely actually mean that. A photo that has only pure black and pure white would be an extremely high-contrast photo, wouldn’t you agree? That has a place in photography, but not here. To illustrate that point, I’ll show you a version of the photo above which has only pure black and pure white.
Ouch! That doesn’t do much for the intimate mood I’m after…more like a harsh encounter.
Below, we now have a grayscale image that has almost completely black in the shadows, to almost white in the lights of the produce stand. Looking at this image below, you may think that there are portions that are pure black and maybe some that are pure white…but there aren’t. My software says ‘No’, and it doesn’t lie. So, we now have an image with a nice gradation of grays, or greys, if you prefer.
Conversion to ‘black and white’
The Final Photo
OK, here it is. I’ve cropped it to a more intimate scene. There appears to be a good interchange between the late-night shopper and the fruit vendor. I’m happy with this final version of “Late Night at the Produce Stand”.
The final version of ‘Late Night at the Produce Stand’
Can you tell what he is showing his customer? He is demonstrating the quality of a large mushroom…probably a portabella by the looks of it on closer examination.
By the Way, What Does That Sign Say?
‘Please, don’t touch’
There’s a sign occupying the center of the photo. I was going to remove it, but I think it relates an important point to you, our Venetian-produce-shopper-of-the-future.
The sign shows a hand reaching out with a “nope, don’t do it” symbol overlaid. And the words, “Por favor, no toque”. Translated it says, “Please, don’t touch”…and this particular sign is in Spanish, by the way, not Italian. There is also a “Bitte nicht beruhren” for the German shoppers. And, there’s even a “Please, don’t touch!” sign for us English speakers, or I should say, readers. You can see those other two signs in the original photo at the top of this page. Why is there not a sign like these written in Italian? Because, they know better.
This is typical of the Italian produce market, and much different than the markets in the US, where one can touch the produce to your hearts content. I’ve seen my friend Mike reaching to test the ripeness of a fig at a produce stand on Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo (that’s Saints John and Paul, but they’re not who you think they are, but that’s another story) only to have his hand slapped with a harsh, “Non toccare!” So, Mike was relegated to pointing out the figs he wanted, without the benefit of giving them just a little bit of a squeeze to see if they were ripe. So, ‘buyer beware’, and ‘as is’, is the way of the day.
Thus ends another transformation. This one was a bit gentle, with no major changes in construction of buildings, boats, doors, windows, and such.
There will be a time when you might see me at a produce stand in Venice, as I try to sneak a gentle fruit-squeeze to test the ripeness of a chosen delicacy. Maybe we can work together, as you divert the seller’s attention, perhaps asking, “How do I get to Piazza San Marco?”. Let’s do it! But, until then, I say…
Ciao for now,
Steve
p.s. Mike’s figs were ripe and tasty!