It's so interesting that I'm reading this today as just yesterday, I added Matera to my Italy itinerary. I'm hoping that 60 days is enough to explore the country though I'm sure it doesn't even come close. Thanks for the inspiring images!
As usual, your text and images make such a separate art thing in itself.
"But what interested me wasn’t simply its age. It was how little distinction the city makes between centuries." What a succinct way to describe these ancient cities where time marches on. And on. It's almost disorienting to think of how many generations of people have lived there.
"It felt like a small version of the city itself – not frozen in time, but allowing time to pass through it." The photograph that illustrates this sentence, or vice versa, is incredible. It's amazing to carry that idea when reading, seeing the image and then imagine what is happening on the other side of the door.
Your conclusion is the best. It's the small moments that are the most human, not the vistas we all seek to photograph or describe or paint. Wonderful post!
Hey... coming from you, this is such a huge set of compliments! You know that I love your writing and your photography (and your painting), so having you reading and looking at this stuff is really so great. Thanks for the kind words. Hope you're doing well this hot (and now hazy) midwestern summer.
Yeah... we're supposed to be in the UP right now, but couldn't get there for a few reasons and we're kinda glad because it's super-smokey there now. Even hazy in southern Wisconsin today.
What a place! 9,000 years is hard to imagine. And one wonders when the rock became a construction material like the tufa in Orvieto. You've placed Matera on my long list of places to explore. Like Andrew I was drawn to the arrows of light shooting the door. Talk about leading lines.
thank you for your fabulous submission Of photos and words. The "warm tone photos were truly outstanding and the words were also very important and good !! I did like all the photos and will only comment one of them The next to the last one witht the sunlight magically streaming through the door is very outstanding and the total subtle range of "black and white" are quite remarkable in the feeling they offer to the viewer !
Vassyl - I think you can't attach photos in the comments here... but I hear ya... Matera is a place that, once experienced, stays with you - including all the stairs and hills! Hope you two are doing great!
It's so interesting that I'm reading this today as just yesterday, I added Matera to my Italy itinerary. I'm hoping that 60 days is enough to explore the country though I'm sure it doesn't even come close. Thanks for the inspiring images!
Matera is really amazing. Enjoy!
Oh, the photography. What a love letter to Matera.
Michelle! Thank you so much for those kind words. It was certainly love at first (and subsequent) sight!
We were there in Sept of 2024. Your pictures are amazing and capture the magic and beauty so well. Thanks for sharing, Jeff.
Thanks, Carol! It's one of those places that sticks with you - especially the first time; like nothing you've ever seen before.
As usual, your text and images make such a separate art thing in itself.
"But what interested me wasn’t simply its age. It was how little distinction the city makes between centuries." What a succinct way to describe these ancient cities where time marches on. And on. It's almost disorienting to think of how many generations of people have lived there.
"It felt like a small version of the city itself – not frozen in time, but allowing time to pass through it." The photograph that illustrates this sentence, or vice versa, is incredible. It's amazing to carry that idea when reading, seeing the image and then imagine what is happening on the other side of the door.
Your conclusion is the best. It's the small moments that are the most human, not the vistas we all seek to photograph or describe or paint. Wonderful post!
Hey... coming from you, this is such a huge set of compliments! You know that I love your writing and your photography (and your painting), so having you reading and looking at this stuff is really so great. Thanks for the kind words. Hope you're doing well this hot (and now hazy) midwestern summer.
You're too kind!
I'm in a painting workshop in Door County (first time) and it's like a campfire out there! Smoky and smelly. Wow.
Yeah... we're supposed to be in the UP right now, but couldn't get there for a few reasons and we're kinda glad because it's super-smokey there now. Even hazy in southern Wisconsin today.
Enjoy your workshop!
What a place! 9,000 years is hard to imagine. And one wonders when the rock became a construction material like the tufa in Orvieto. You've placed Matera on my long list of places to explore. Like Andrew I was drawn to the arrows of light shooting the door. Talk about leading lines.
Thanks for the wonderful images and prose.
Thanks, Steve… it’s quite a place indeed.
thank you for your fabulous submission Of photos and words. The "warm tone photos were truly outstanding and the words were also very important and good !! I did like all the photos and will only comment one of them The next to the last one witht the sunlight magically streaming through the door is very outstanding and the total subtle range of "black and white" are quite remarkable in the feeling they offer to the viewer !
Thank you, Andrew!
Just on Saturday I was talking about Matera with a friend from there and saying I need to go there sometime and visit the city. :-)
It's really an astonishing place - so unlike anywhere else I've ever been - or even ever seen photographs of!
I was convinced already... But thanks for reinforcing it! :-D
I well remember your course beginning in Matera in 2021. Living in the caves was distinctive. Here is my photo of a stairway well walked:
Vassyl - I think you can't attach photos in the comments here... but I hear ya... Matera is a place that, once experienced, stays with you - including all the stairs and hills! Hope you two are doing great!
Matera is a wonderful place to make photographs!! And you did it beautifully.
Thanks so much for reading and looking!