The photo of “me holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa” – it’s a quintessential part of any Italian photo collection. If you’ve been to Pisa, you either have one of these photos in your archives or you thought about making one. It’s impossible to avoid the temptation as soon as the Campo dei Miracoli comes into view, because in every direction there are people posing for their own photos.
Ever since I went to Pisa, I’ve wanted to go back and spend time simply photographing the people in the field surrounding the tower – and not the tower itself. Thankfully for my sense of immediate gratification, someone’s already done just that.
I recently came across this photoset by Roberto Venturi on Flickr, and Roberto has kindly allowed me to post some of my favorites here in a slideshow. I love them for how silly they look out of context, and I offer them as a reminder to those of us who are always trying to take more interesting pictures when we travel – a simple change of perspective can make all the difference.
Oh, and another thing – if you’re planning to get your own Pisa photo during your trip, these pictures may give you a chance to think up a more creative pose. There are a few exceptions here, but for the most part people are posing as if to show that they’re holding up the tower with their arms as it leans toward them. And while I won’t deny the crudeness, I do give creativity points to the fellow in the last photo of the slideshow. You get three guesses as to what his pose is meant to show – and the first two don’t count.
>> Look for cheap flights to Pisa and cheap hotels in Pisa to stay the night and see more than just the tower!
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Thanks again to Roberto Venturi for letting me showcase these photos here – you can check out the full set on his Flickr page.
all photographs by Roberto Venturi and may not be used without permission
