Amalfi Cathedral

Amalfi Cathedral rises dramatically at the top of a broad staircase in the heart of Piazza del Duomo, its Arab-Norman facade a striking mix of striped stonework, golden mosaics, and ornate archways that reward close attention as much as wide establishing shots. The staircase itself is one of your best compositional tools, drawing the eye upward toward the facade and giving you natural foreground interest when you include people ascending or descending. A wide-angle lens, somewhere in the 16-24mm range, works well for capturing the full facade without stepping too far back into the narrow piazza. Morning light hits the front of the cathedral beautifully, especially in the warmer months when the sun rises to the east and illuminates the gold mosaics. Midday can be harsh but reveals the detail in the stonework. The surrounding cafe seating and market stalls add life to street-level compositions if you want environmental context rather than an architectural study. (Amalfi, Campania, Italy)