Italy Vernazza

Awesome area to photograph Vernazza. Many many prominent / famous photos have been taken from this location.

A wide angle lens is highly recommended. This was shot at 11mm on a Nikon crop frame... So about 16mm full frame. I would also recommend a polarizing filter, minimally. If you'd like the smooth water effect you'll also need an ND filter.

To really capture a well balanced sunset without doing bracketed shots you would probably need a gradient filter. I don't own one, so I had to use bracketed shots to make the HDR image.

However another photographer shooting this location with me did use a gradient filter. The sky can be very bright. So using a gradient filter will help to darken the sky and allow a longer exposure to bring out the detail of the city.

Take a train to Monterosso or La Spezia. Then hop on a regional train which travels through the Cinque Terre (4 euro). Do not consider to attempt to drive.

Once in Vernazza find the trail which leads south to Corniglia. The spot is about 0.3 - 0.5 from the trail's beginning. It's pretty obvious. You'll be facing North - North West.

Specifically, you'll notice a metal railing to prevent people from falling off the cliff. However, past the railing there is a nice spot just big enough for a couple tri-pods. This is where I took the photo! I don't recommend doing this! If you do decide to go beyond the railing as I did, be extremely careful because there is very little space. If you make a wrong step you will plummet ~30-50 meters off the cliff to your death.