berchman Loc: South Central PA

That near Genoa, not Florence.

msbanks720 Loc: western washington

you are so lucky! 5 days in one of the world's most beautiful cities...first thought - bring a wide angle lens. don't know what you shoot, but for me it would be the canon 10-18 efs and get close and look up! some of my best shots were from ground level shooting up to catch architectural details and blue sky between buildings. if your legs are up to it, climb the 537 steps to the top of the Duomo for jaw-dropping panos of the entire city. halfway up there's a cutout to get close to the frescoes on the inside of the dome. piazza Michelangelo is killer for city shots especially at dawn or dusk. if you can arrange some fog for a foray into the boboli gardens, it turns the entire landscape into a mysterious "shooting gallery" with long avenues and angles galore. exit the boboli gardens at the far end along the remains of the original city wall and wend your way back to centro for amazing vignettes and side street shots. a zoom like the canon 18-135 is versatile and lightweight. the other posts are right-san gimignano is the place to go - the "manhattan" of Italy - make sure you stop before you get to the city for a stunning shot of the towers from a few miles away - really gives some punch to the term "hill town." if you are going in the fall, it will be truffle season and the incredible aroma of pasta sauces with truffles will stay with you forever. climb to the top of the main tower for amazing shots of the city and the countryside. if you are a wine lover, montalcino is the place for a day trip, to sample Italy's finest red wine, Brunello! the Fortezza is a great photo place as are the steep and often winding pathways between streets in this classic Tuscan hill town. a chance to do some up close work with a super wide angle or check out the vistas defined by arches or gateways. I could go on forever (been there 3 times) but I won't. leave you with a few food suggestions - first, almost all the food in Florence restaurants is incredible - you have to really work hard at it to find a bad meal. second -ribollitta - never eat in a restaurant where the ribollitta is more than 7 euros - and have some - it is one of the greatest things you will ever put in your body. no kidding. third - make reservations - fiorentinas take dinner seriously and you may find a lot of places put up signs that say they are booked for the night - get a cheap Italian phone so you can make local calls - if you see a place or hear of one on your travels, call them and reserve a place. fourth, at least once, do dinner the Tuscan way - spend at least 3 hours over multiple courses with lively conversation and excellent wine (by the way, the house wine is almost always the best deal on the list). bring your camera and take pictures of the dishes and everything else. in Tuscany, food and eating aren't just sustenance and activity, they are a way of life. as they say "chi mangia bene, vive bene" who eats well, lives well. dining out in Florence is almost a religious experience. finally, do not stand in line. ever. for anything. make reservations for entrance to museums and galleries. do not wait for an hour at il latini or any other popular restaurant. here's a little known secret about Florence -JUST ABOUT EVERY PLACE YOU CAN EAT WILL BE AMAZING. make friends with the owner or the chef and use what little Italian you know to do so. and here's one last photo hint - go two bridges down from the ponte Vecchio and look back - stand in the center of the bridge and take the classic ponte Vecchio shot - do it in RAW so when you get home you can change things to bring out the colors of the bridge and the buildings along the lungarnos.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

I spent a few days in Florence in the early 1980's. Since then I've been all over Italy, including Sicily, Calabria, Cinque Terre, Puglia, the Campagna, and the hill towns. I hated Florence. Why? Walking the incredibly narrow sidewalks dodging the cars and motorcycles whizzing by and the buildings looming over me as to intimidate me. And then, joined for dinner by an Italian friend, native of Bologna, we had a crappy meal with lousy service.

I hope that Florence has changed since then. I've been told by a guy who is an expert in Italian things that the buildings were deliberately designed to loom over the pedestrian so as to impress with the power of the Medicis. I've read that Florence, like Venice, is jammed with tourists.

fishgroder

For a great dinner and beautiful views try Trattoria Omero.It is outside of Florence and you can catch a taxi to get thereAlso in Florence is I Latini

msbanks720 Loc: western washington

so you were in Florence 38 years ago and you have never gone back. so unfortunate that your pristine experience was ruined by tourists. go figure. if it wasn't for the tourists, the whole city would have fallen into the ground by now. who do you think ponies up the money to maintain everything that makes Florence great. yes, the streets are narrow and hey, vespas are ubiquitous in Italy where petrol is $15 a gallon! get over it. and buildings appear tall because the streets are narrow - the medicis did not do it on purpose - they had enough wealth to rub it in your face in other ways. they did it because architecture and the renaissance called for grand plans and grander buildings. always good to have "a guy who is an expert in Italian things" to make sure you know what you are talking about. if you hated Florence because of the cars and vespas and buildings, I bet you loathed roma, Napoli, Palermo, Genova, Venezia, Milano and just about every other place you can go in Italy. even with the hordes of tourists, if you choose your time wisely and plan out an itinerary, Italy is one of the greatest places anyone can visit. la serenissima is still one of the truly magical places on this earth. your best bet is to watch rick steve's from the comfort of your living room so you don't have to rub elbows with the locals or actually make contact with anyone.

Harald

There is hardly anything in Florence that is not worth a picture - the famous stuff, of course, but also the gelato store's offerings, a sidewalk cafe, a Vespa parked next to old buildings, the merry-go-round, the traditional foods, glasses of wine...

Jim S Loc: Barrington RI, DC now Hilton Head,

In Florence go across the river and head to Piazzele Michelangelo and shot the town with the Duomo Florence as your main subject but include as much of the city that you want.
Also go to the town of Fiesole it is just outside of Florence. Lots to shot including Florence. Go to lunch at Villa San Michelle $$$$ but very good and overlooking Florence.

titoeric

If you get to Fiesole, don't fail to visit the museum there. Not so much for photos as for the history. My wife & I spent a whole afternoon there and loved it.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

I always appreciate being corrected by an expert in all things Italian. It's truly impressive that you know how I feel about the cities you mentioned that I've spent time in although you left out a number of others that I've been in like Bologna, Torino, Ravenna, Verona. I actually took five years of courses in Italian at the university so I could tell Italians in their native language how much I disliked their country.

jtwind

To be blunt, if you need suggestions for Florence and Tuscany you're in deep do do. There are great photo opportunities everywhere you look! Enjoy

Bullfrog Bill Loc: CT

They are everywhere!

Tronjo Loc: Canada, BC

In Florence, you will have more than enough . You may climb up to Giardino Bardini - beautiful view of Florence from the top.
If you rent a car, take the old road Florence - Siena SR222. Beautiful rolling hills with vineyards. Old Siena is unbelievably beautiful. Then, a day drive in the back country through small hill towns like Pienza, Montepulciano, Bagno Vignoni, is very much worth, both for landscapes and medieval architecture.

ledoux Loc: New Orleans

You could take the Express train one day to Rome. 90 minutes and you will be there. Also, the train ride to Piza is lovely. But know that Florence is truly ground zero for the Renaissance. Do much to see. The architecture is unmatched. Wide and ultra wide angle lenses. And some long glass. Try the Ponte Vecchio at sunset. And then there is the food. Early morning in the huge Mercato Centrale is rope for images and fresh produce.... And fromaggio..... Lots of fromaggio

rdemarco52 Loc: Wantagh, NY

We had a very knowledgeable tour guide in Florence who explained in detail the life and times of Michaelangelo. When he finally led us to the statue of David, we were ready to understand and appreciate this masterpiece. Then, two days later, we were in the Sistine Chapel looking at Michaelangelo's magnificent ceiling.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Best to buy your Uffizi Gallery tickets on line if you have a specified date, going to be crowded in summer, plan to spend awhile. Michelangelo's 'David' is at the Accademia Gallery and is another must see site. Lots of back alleys and small streets for great photo ops. Don't forget to indulge in a Tuscan Steak, you won't forget it. Side trips in Tuscany are plentiful, some have previously mentioned some great little towns for opportunities...Believe me you won't lack for photo opportunities. Enjoy your trip to Tuscany Karl