There’s something about Italy that resists being captured in a single frame. The colour, the culture, the stillness. It asks for more room to breathe. That’s why, for this trip, I left most of my gear behind and brought just one camera: the Hasselblad XPan.
I wanted to see what would happen if I stripped things back. Just me, some rolls of film, and the XPan. No backup cameras, no safety net. Just one frame at a time.. It’s not about ticking off landmarks or chasing the golden hour. It’s about simplifying the process to capture something more elusive: how it feels to be there.
From film stock choices and light planning to the challenge of making familiar places feel fresh, this post walks through the thinking, the preparation, and the moments that made the journey cinematic.
I brought the Hasselblad XPan to Italy
What film gear I would normally bring
Cinque Terre is a dream destination for many, picturesque villages on cliffs next to the ocean hidden away between steep mountain ranges. Houses draped in colour, each village a historical landmark by itself. Previously only accessible by sea, now well connected by train. It is no secret that these villages are a dream to photograph.
With this in mind, I would bring anything that I could use to bring this to life. This would mean my Hasselblad XPan and the Hasselblad 500c/m. In addition I would bring a digital camera to allow me to shoot in very low light situations, when natural light has disappeared and fluorescent light only highlights certain spots in town.
Why I brought the Xpan
Carrying all this gear quickly becomes a burden — physically and creatively. Additionally, it will result in fear of missing out, shooting on one camera, will rise the question whether I also shouldn’t shoot it with another. To reduce the amount of hassle and get the best image, it is best to reduce options and limit myself, to make myself more innovative. The opportunities and challenges that arise with the use panoramic film camera like the Hasselblad XPan is one that can keep you busy for days. Still, how do you approach places that have been captured countless times and still find something new? In such situations I often consider not even taking photographs, because it is too commonly done. Yet I wondered how these unique scenes could work if photographed with my Hasselblad XPan. The XPan helped me seek out unique perspectives of Italy on film. Not just what was there, but how it felt to stand still in its presence. Additionally, not only could I put the panoramic film ratio to good use in Cinque Terre, but also in other places of Italy where I was going to travel to as well. It will bring a filmic feel to a trip that might fade as a memory.
How I prepared for Italy on panoramic film
There are lots of topics to Photograph on Panoramic Format in Italy, but I didn’t go looking for the obvious. Italy gives you the postcard moments whether you ask for them or not. What I chased were the quiet moments, the in-between light, the empty streets when siesta hushes everything. In panoramic film photography, the obvious choice would be photographing grand landscapes in Tuscany or cityscapes that can be found in ancient Rome. However, I was searching for something more Italian.
Where life and landscapes get to interplay. One where the photographs depict a way of life that can only be found in Italy. A timeless feel, simplicity, one where you could almost hear the joy of summer when looking at the images. This meant photographing people in places that echo the rhythms of Italian life — slow, sun-soaked, and steeped in charm. Accentuate colours that I associated with Italy. Together they will make a still from a movie, where the atmosphere can be felt and the sun radiates warmth through the image.
I knew this will not be the usual subject for panoramic film photography, but rules can be broken to tell a story. As long as you stay true to yourself.
Planning the times of day to shoot
A typical saying is: shoot during the early mornings and end of the day. Even when I often agree, I don’t think this optimises your time in a country and does it remove a time of the day that can give great imagery as well. Even though it is very limiting and requires you to be intuitive, it is possible. Therefore I shoot photographs during all times of the day, but obviously have my preference.
Golden hour. It drapes the Italian scenery in a cinematic warmth, enriching every texture and shadow with a golden rim. I creates a warm glow, the shadows are less hard and it naturally radiates the summer feel. This is either in the morning or the evening. With sunrise and with sunset the gold light is there.
Midday contrast. Italy is very hot in summer, at midday the sun can be very high, shadows can disappear. You will have stark contrast between highlights and shadows. Therefore this is often avoided for photography. However, this can also be a more peaceful moment during the day, because most people hide from the sun. People slow down. I brought black and white film as it could work great during this time of the day. Stark contrast often works well in black and white.
Low light photography. Low light photography is one of my fav moments to take photographs [link to blog], as it minimises distractions, it hides elements that might not add value to the story I am trying to tell. One of my personal tips for analogue travel photography in Italy: embrace the evenings. Low light conceals the clutter and enhances mood. To allow this I brought specific film to allow me to shoot in less bright situations.
With the sun a burning overhead, relief was found in the water on hard pebbles, it lures everyone in as it is the only cool tremor against the fierce heat. The pale skin stands out against the emerald blue water flowing in between the monumental mountain ridges.
What panoramic film I brought to my Italy trip
To allow myself to shoot during any time of the day, I brought different types of film. I prefer to take photographs with softer light and during lower light situations, for that reason the majority of the film I brought was with a slightly higher ISO. For example I brought a lot of Kodak Portra 400 film. For brighter times of the day, I had Kodak Portra 160. These two types of colour film I used to shoot most of my scenes. Then I had some Ilford Delta 400 and 100 35mm film to shoot when the sun was high.
Lastly, just I case I finished a roll of film at the end of the day, I brought some Kodak Portra 800 film. This allows me to shoot in lower light situations.
Cinque Terre on film - a panoramic dream
With this series, I set out to capture more than just a place. I wanted to embody a feeling. A feeling that most people are familiar with, but in this instance specifically revolving around the hazy warmth of an Italian summer. Without any association to a specific moment in time. The goal wasn’t nostalgia. It was timelessness.
Using the Hasselblad XPan, I focused on scenes that felt stripped back and essential. Clean compositions. A conscious effort to remove anything that didn’t need to be there. Resulting in subtle details. What remained were moments that felt like nothing was bound by time, like they could have been taken yesterday, or twenty years ago.
Much of it was shot along cliffside paths of Cinque Terre. However, in hindsight, it could have been shot anywhere in Italy. Only subtle references remains of le Cinque Terre. There’s a quiet elegance to the feeling of summer in Italy and how strongly I relate a war, breeze and the sounds of the ocean with each one of these images. Especially when you step back and let the environment speak for itself. I wanted to honour that. Let it breathe in the frame.
This collection is about simplicity and mood. Warmth and refreshing. Quiet, whilst filled with the sounds of the ocean with subtle laughs and giggles of people in the water. These are places that fill my heart — with warmth, with stillness, with that unmistakable sense of summer in Italy. Cinque Terre offered a perfect canvas for XPan panoramic photos — where timeless charm met the distinct rhythm of Italian coastal life.
Born from a desire for quiet solitude and safety, nestled deep within the embracing mountains, Cinque Terre was once a refuge, a myth in the world. Yet, what was built for isolation has now blossomed, drawing hearts from across the globe to witness its breathtaking, storied beauty.
Conclusion
Photographing Italy on panoramic film wasn’t about chasing the most iconic views — it was about capturing how the country feels. The warmth of a summer afternoon, the quiet stillness of early mornings, the soft glow of twilight. With the Hasselblad XPan in hand, I found a format that encouraged restraint and rewarded simplicity. Even with a carefully crafted plan, the outcome always shifts. When capturing the feel of an Italian summer, you must let instinct guide the lens.
From planning around light to choosing the right film stocks, this journey was shaped by intentional decisions, yet was guided by serendipity and the willingness to break a few rules. Cinque Terre and beyond became a canvas for timeless imagery, where mood took priority over detail and story trumped spectacle.
In the end, this wasn’t just a travel series, it became a study in how panoramic film can strip away distractions and invite the viewer to feel the scene, not just see it. And for me, that’s where the magic of panoramic photography lives.