A short break from reality

Venezia, February 2025

Eleven years ago, for my 50th birthday, i went on a photography trip to Venezia at carnival time. It was my first experience of looking at the world through the camera. And what a world!!! A world, worth sharing with my eldest granddaughter. Or maybe this is just an excuse to go back, to a place where reality is surreal, but in a good, beautiful and grand way.

Where in order to escape reality, you have to actually go outside and experience it.

Morning, Venezia, Carnival time, February 2025

And who could not use escaping reality, if only for a few days in these indescribable times.

Venice, a year ago. The beginning

February 2014, exactly a year ago a dream came true. Little did I know than that at the same time a new one was born. Photography.

This trip was a gift my husband and I gave ourselves for my 50th year birthday. To see the Carnival in Venice. Since at the time I was fighting the camera in order to photograph my jewelry - he thought a tour led by a photographer would be great.

Venice at any time, but in particular at Carnival is indescribable. Neither words not pictures can do it justice. Impossible to romanticize at it is the definition of romance. "Like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go" as Truman Capota said.

'Why don't you check out the 'woman photographing' organization?' asked our wonderful photographer guide.

I did. I enrolled to the advanced photography class. And a year later - here I am.

Venice magic by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

Sunset at Venice