“There can be doubt that Florence is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities on the face of the earth. I have had the good fortune to have made sporadic visits there since the seventies. On arrival in the 'cradle of the Renaissance' I find that it is first necessary to revisit familiar old friends such as the Duomo, Uffizi, Piazza della Signoria, Pitti Palace, etc. A long walk (or run) along the Arno is also de rigueur. Bridges have long fascinated me, and I photograph them whenever I can. Some of my favourites include the Charles Bridge in Prague, Brooklyn Bridge in New York, Pont des Arts in Paris and Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. There are many more, of course, and the Ponte Vecchio in Florence is very high in my estimation. I have photographed it several times, for the most part unsuccessfully. Many average pictures of this exquisite bridge lie dormant in my negative archives. However, I believe that this study of Ponte Vecchio from 1988 is an exception and rises high above my other attempts. The photograph was made on a late Winter afternoon. I had been out of Florence that day exploring the countryside, but there was something about the light that drew me back to the centre of the city. A light mist was in the air, and it was chilly. I knew the location on the Ponte Santa Trinita from where I would photograph. I had reconnoitred it on walks, and as we all know, fortune favours the prepared. I arrived just when the daylight was beginning to fade, and streetlights were coming on. I placed my camera on a tripod, composed the image and began to make pictures. My exposures must have been in the range of one to ten minutes in order to capture movement in the water. In the print, I can see figures on the bridge, so the exposure for this negative would have been on the shorter side. The balance of light and darkness works perfectly for me. Any lighter and there would too many details, any darker and the lights would become too bright and prominent. I think that suggestion is often more important than description. Too much information can sometimes be redundant if we are already familiar with subject matter. Whereas more sparse elements in an image can act as catalysts to conjure up our own experiences and memories. Such is the case for me with this print of Ponte Vecchio. Every time I view this print, I am immediately transported back to Florence and in my imagination, I can once again wander around and experience this Italian jewel. Negroni anybody?
I first printed this negative in 1993, five years after the negative was made. The final print in the numbered edition of 45 sold in 2013.” Michael Kenna 2020
