San Giorgio Maggiore
Perched on its own small island directly across the Bacino di San Marco, San Giorgio Maggiore gives you one of the most iconic compositions in Venice, with the white Palladian facade and campanile rising cleanly above the water. The most celebrated view is actually from the opposite side, shooting back from the Riva degli Schiavoni or Punta della Dogana toward the church, where the building reflects in the lagoon and sits beautifully against open sky. Sunrise is the prime moment, when warm light hits the white facade and the basin is calm and relatively boat-free. If you cross over by vaporetto, the campanile offers a sweeping elevated view back over Piazza San Marco and the rooftops. A 70-200mm lens helps compress the water and isolate the church from the Zattere or Dogana shoreline, while a wide angle works well if you are shooting from the island itself. (Venice, Veneto, Italy)
