The Glow of the Navigli

Wander through the enchanting atmosphere of Milan’s Navigli district, where the shimmering waters of the Naviglio Grande reflect colorful canal-side houses and charming pedestrian bridges. As the day transitions into evening, the golden hour light bounces off the rippling canal, creating postcard-worthy images. Emanuele, a professional photographer with a keen eye for urban storytelling, guides you through this vibrant setting. He offers hands-on tips for framing candlelit restaurant facades, glinting café windows, and couples strolling under lamplight. His expertise ensures your shots transcend simple documentation and speak to the soul of the district. As twilight deepens, the Navigli come alive with local nightlife: lively bars, laughter spilling onto cobblestones, music drifting through open doorways. By the end, you’ll have a portfolio of images that reveal the romantic, electric poetry of Milan’s canals at their most captivating moment.

As daylight fades and the Navigli take on their most cinematic light, reflections ripple across the canals’ surfaces, doubling the facades, windows, and bridges in constantly shifting compositions. The atmosphere is rich with contrast — between motion and stillness, architecture and water, golden tones and evening shadows. You’ll move along the water’s edge, experimenting with angles and reflections that capture both the waterways and the surrounding urban character. Emanuele, whose photographic background includes reportage and street portraiture, offers guidance that goes beyond the technical. He helps you train your eye to notice subtle gestures, layered textures, and the rhythm of everyday life unfolding across the canals. What makes this session distinctive is how it combines setting and time: the Navigli at sunset are both vibrant and introspective. Emanuele’s approach invites you to read light as narrative and to frame not only what you see, but also what you feel.

Emanuele Dello Strologo lives between Genoa and Milan and has been photographing with passion for over 12 years. His journey began as a self-taught photographer and quickly evolved into professional collaborations, first with Corbis and then with Getty Images. Through these experiences, he shaped the visual language that defines his work today. Emanuele focuses on reportage, portraiture, street and black-and-white photography — genres that continue to inspire him deeply. He often carries his camera with him, always on the lookout for meaningful moments in everyday life. His images reflect a keen eye for detail and a deep curiosity about the world around him.

Comfortable shoes, your camera, an extra battery and memory card.