The Duomo di Milano (Milan Duomo) is one of the largest and most spectacular Gothic cathedrals in the world, and capturing it at sunrise offers a completely different perspective than the crowded daytime hours. This shot was carefully timed to catch the sun emerging from behind the buildings, creating a dramatic starburst effect that illuminates the cathedral’s intricate marble facade.
The Duomo is the largest church in Italy! Larger than St. Peter’s Basilica and the third largest in the world. It has an incredible six century construction timeline that started in 1386.
Rising early to photograph the Duomo is well worth the effort. The piazza is virtually empty at dawn, allowing for unobstructed compositions, and the soft morning light brings out the warm tones in the cathedral’s white Candoglia marble. The equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II in the foreground adds depth and scale to the image, while the starburst draws the eye directly to the architectural marvel.
For photographers, timing the sunrise is crucial. Use your favourite app (eg. PhotoPills) to know precisely when sunrise happens and where it will rise behind the Duomo. The starburst effect is achieved by using a small aperture (typically f/16 or smaller) which creates those beautiful sun rays as light diffracts through the camera lens. The key is positioning yourself so the sun emerges at just the right moment to create this dramatic effect without blowing out the highlights. I had a bit of trial and error on positioning of my tripod and actually where the sun peaked over the distant buildings.
This image was captured as part of a an amazing 12 day trip to Italy. If you are interesting in an amazing Italian itinerary check out this blog post.