Venice photographer shares intimate look at life in the floating city

VENICE, Italy — A Venice-born photographer is offering a personal look at the floating city, capturing both its iconic landmarks and the quiet corners tourists rarely see. The story is part of our “Journey to Italy” series focusing on life and culture ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Photographer Andrea Perotta, who grew up in Venice, said wandering without a plan is the best way to understand the city. 

“Wandering around to try and get lost. That’s probably the best way to discover Venice,” Perotta said in the segment.

Perotta described his process as walking until the light tells him it’s time to take a photo. 

“When I see the light, that’s the right moment,” he said. He added that photography remains his “big passion.”

Much of Perotta’s work aims to reconnect with the Venice he remembers from childhood. 

“In the picture, I try to see again my old Venice,” he said. Some of the locations he photographs are tied to neighborhoods where he grew up. “It reminds me — exactly,” he told reporter Scott Swan while revisiting a familiar area.

His images highlight well-known traditions, from gondoliers to Carnival, but also document how the relationship between photographers and everyday Venetians has changed over time. 

“The relationship that there is with a photographer and the physical people — it has changed completely,” Perotta said.

While he celebrates the tourists who support Venice, Perotta said he also seeks out places where authentic local life continues. 

“We love tourists,” he said. “We don’t have any problem about that. But sometimes we need to find some real Venetian life area.”

Perotta’s photos blend the city’s famous vistas with the hidden spaces he believes many visitors unknowingly pass by. 

“One of my favorite spots,” he noted while describing a quieter area his camera often returns to.

The Opening Ceremony for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will take place Feb. 6.