Fun in Tuscany: A Couple Photoshoot in Florence
March in Florence can be unpredictable. Some days feel like winter is still holding on, others give you a glimpse of spring. The morning I met Gina and Kyle was one of those rare days in between. Cold in the shade, warm under the sun, and unexpectedly bright for the season. Gina had reached out to me months before their honeymoon, already knowing she wanted a couple photoshoot in Florence. You could feel her excitement even through emails. It’s always a good sign when someone is already emotionally connected to the idea of the day before it even happens.
We met in the morning at Ditta Artigianale. She had mentioned they both care about good coffee, so it felt like the right place to start. No rush, no pressure. Just a coffee, a bit of conversation, and slowly getting used to the camera being there.
From there, we walked.
That’s usually how I like to approach a couple photoshoot in Florence. Not jumping from spot to spot, but letting the city unfold naturally. Looking for good light, quiet corners, reflections in windows, small moments in between.
I was shooting with both digital and analogue. The rhythm changes a bit when you carry film. You slow down, you wait more, you choose differently. Florence helps with that. It doesn’t ask you to hurry.
At some point, we stopped by a fruit stand. Gina loves strawberries. Kyle… I think he joined mostly to support the moment and blend into the scene. It worked well. These small, almost insignificant moments often become the most personal ones later.
They were both very easy to photograph. No stiffness, no trying too hard. Just present.
Somewhere near Ponte Vecchio, I handed my Contax G2 to Kyle. He started photographing Gina, and I stepped back for a moment, shooting them with my digital camera. That small shift changes everything. It stops being about being photographed and becomes something shared.
As we moved through the streets, something else started happening. People noticed them. Smiled. Said “auguri” as they passed by. At first, Gina and Kyle were a bit shy about it, but after a while they leaned into it. Florence has that effect. You don’t stay invisible for long.
After finishing around the center, we walked up to Piazza Michelangelo. I always like ending there. Not just for the view, but for the pause it creates. You arrive, you sit, you look at the city you’ve just walked through.
We sat on the stairs for a while. Kyle tried Ichnusa, which apparently doesn’t exist back home in Durban, South Africa. I had a Campari Spritz. The sun was still strong enough to warm us up, and the day slowed down again.
We talked about many things. Politics, life, art, food. The kind of conversations that don’t feel planned, but stay with you longer than expected.
It was a good day.
Not only because of the photos, but because of everything in between.
