cell phones | Adventures of a Carry-on

I’ve been traveling to Italy for about five years now. That’s not counting the very first trip in 1999, which would make it twelve years. Each time I visit I notice something new, and I also notice that the same things catch my attention, time- after -time. One thing I’ve consistently noticed is that Italians are always on their cellphones.

In truth, I don’t think Italians talk on their phones any more than other peoples, the difference is they are outside in the streets and cafes where they can be seen.

And that’s one of the reasons I love Italy. Life is lived outside. Families, friends, lovers, can be observed walking, talking, eating, enjoying life.
This makes Italy a great place for street photography, one of the reasons I like to travel. Always hoping to capture an image that will be memorable. An image that will forever stop time and communicates the essence of that moment. I never get tired of wandering around with my camera, sitting in a piazza or on a street corner, and photographing whatever catches my eye.

Over the years, I have created a small collection of photographs of Italian people talking on their cell phones. I wasn’t sure if I would ever do anything with them. Then I saw Alessandro Cianpanno’s blog here on WordPress. It was from him I got the idea to organize a post featuring the cellphone people.

Thanks to the nature of the web, this is happening more and more. I see a photo that someone else took and I recognize the exact spot they were standing when they took the photo. Or I get an idea what to do with some photos that previously may have ended up in the trash bin. I think it’s one of the reasons people blog. What do you think?
By the way, I don’t know why but I have no images of women talking on their phones. I thought about this when I was in Rome last. Perhaps women move faster than men?