Florence Private Photoshoot at Piazzale Michelangelo

5.00

(15 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We’d barely made it up to Piazzale Michelangelo when our photographer, Giulia, waved us over — she had this easy smile, like she’d done this a hundred times but still found it fun. The square was already buzzing, even though it wasn’t quite sunset yet. You could hear bits of Italian and English mixing together, and someone nearby was playing guitar (not very well, but honestly it added something). I kept fiddling with my hair because the breeze kept picking up, carrying that faint smell of espresso from the café behind us. Giulia just laughed and said the wind actually made photos look more “alive.” I guess she was right.

She led us around to these little corners I never would’ve noticed — not just the classic view over Florence with the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio (which is as good as everyone says), but also spots where the sunlight hit the old stone walls just right. At one point, she asked us to walk slowly along the balustrade while she snapped away; I felt awkward at first but then forgot about it because we started joking about how many tourists were trying to get the same shot on their phones. Giulia told us a bit about growing up in Florence and how locals come up here for graduation photos or just to breathe when the city feels too crowded down below.

I didn’t expect to laugh so much during a photoshoot — or to feel kind of moved by it? There’s something about standing above Florence, hearing church bells echo off all those red roofs, knowing someone’s catching that moment for you. When we got our digital pictures later (super quick turnaround), I kept going back to one where my partner’s hair was blowing everywhere and we’re both squinting into the sun. It’s not perfect but it feels real, you know?