The winners in the 1st Edition of the OneDay In Venezia
photo contest (2015-2016)
Grand Prize Year 2016 + March 2016 Winner Annik Susemihl (Germany)
wins a “week-end in Venice Italy” and trip for 2,
a solo show at the Giudecca 795 Art Gallery;
the high-quality print of her winning photo and participation in the finalists’ group show.
An unusual homage to Venice and its people: hands, work, experience.
Paola Volpe (I) e Rosemary Wilmot (UK) are 2nd and 3rd place.



A weird perspective tricking the eye, with the (upside down) acqua alta catwalks “lifting” Venice and the Zattere.
The monthly winners of the 1st edition (from October 2015 to September 2016),
finalists for the Grand Prize
Alfredo Aleandri (Italy), Marco Cendret (Italy), Tiziano Chiesa (Italy), Michael J. Damone (USA), Marco Dilavanzo (Italy), Sue Henderson (USA), Luca Lamanna (Italy), Alessandro Secondin (Italy), Annik Susemihl (Germany), Paola Volpe (Italy), Rosemary Wilmot (UK), Joseph Zarzano (USA)
The winners of the 1st edition (2015-2016) in their own words
ROSEMARY WILMOT has been our first monthly winner, the first one to enter our Hall of Fame.
“I first read about the competition in Buongiorno Venezia which I have subscribed to for about 8 years now. I was so happy to read about this competition and very excited to win the first Month and be joint winner for December. I have loved photography since I was 8 years old and now truly wished I had followed it as a career. It has been a constant passion in my life and I am never without a camera it is an extension of my personality. My dream of visiting Venice had always held a very magical place in my heart. The excitement of the very first visit – the first time – which can never be repeated. The very first thing I saw was the milkman, then the laundry man and the dustmen all by boat of course. Wow…
Then for the one and only time I have seen someone moving house standing in a boat holding onto his wardrobes whilst gliding past me eating my lunch. The seductive light makes you feel so alive, the first view of the Palazzo’s on the Grand Canal with light streaming onto them, and the canals streaked blue and gold with mirror images. The first evening I spent in Venice a group of teenagers were dancing in a circle in the Piazza San Marco because of their love of Venice they were shouting Venice we love you… The Alleyways and hidden corners abound with street life and street theatre that is unique. There is always something to photograph, to catch a memory and make memories, to capture a special moment in your life. You cannot visit a more beautiful or evocative city, to love her is to be seduced for ever and always to be at her command, camera in hand for the wonders of everyday life before you.”
“Ciao, this is Tiziano Chiesa. I’m retired, and an amateur photographer, from Turin Italy. I use to spend at least 20 days in Venice every year.
Why Venice? Because every time, during my long walks, I find new corners to discover and depict in my pictures. I walk calli leading to desert or adorned campi, among trees, with red benches where the locals and the tourists can sit.
Every time, a visit to the Accademia bridge is a must for me, the wooden bridge over the Grand Canal where I can take a picture of the wonderful panorama. And then, a lot of events to attend, and art shows in the historical center and the Giudecca as well. In every season I shoot lots of pictures, making up a huge archive. Some people long for Africa, whilst I am longing for Venezia.”
SUE HENDERSON wrote to us:
“While working for an international cruise company, I was blessed to visit Venezia weekly for several seasons. I have loved throwing away a map and intentionally getting ‘lost’ in different neighborhoods appreciating the Friday Sabbath in the Ghetto district or a quiet Sunday morning near the docks. Wandering off the beaten path to see laundry hanging or purchase wine from neighborhood shops and fresh fruits straight off the market boats is a true pleasure. It’s especially a joy to capture the renown light of the City and the view of the lagoon from high above. I wish there was a way to capture the graciousness of the people of Venice, and the sounds and smells in a photograph – those moments when you hear a voice or musicians before you arrive in a small square then sit and savor a coffee or pastry and take it all in. Pure magic.”
See below for ROSEMARY WILMOT’s presentation (October 2015 competition)
PAOLA VOLPE entitled her winning photo “Young Venice”.
“I am 54, I live in Chiavari (Genoa), and have been taking photos as my passion for 20 years. I attended courses and workshops, participated in photo competitions, and collected many awards. I love visiting exhibitions and museums, also of other art forms. I am curious by nature, and timid by character, perhaps this makes it easier for me to hide behind the lens of my faithful companion, my camera. In 1997 I attended a workshop with Maestro Fulvio Roiter in Venice; learning about photography in this magical and mysterious place has stimulated my desire to explore life through photography, wandering and meeting the most diverse situations, catching the magic and mystery, perception and emotion in each shot. Every year I offer myself two trips as a present, one in some European city and one, since many years now, in Venice. They are my soul’s journeys, aimed to rediscover myself and live in a non ordinary dimension, where the wonder and curiosity are the vital elements for my well-being, essential to my peace and serenity.
In my photo ‘Young Venice‘ the protagonists are indeed the main actors on a natural and extraordinary stage, where no choreographer or designer could invent anything that history and art have not already created. Children play, happily running, the boys meet exchanging words and moments of life, young adults smile at each others.
And Venice is the background to those people lucky enough to walk its calli and campielli, along the canals, and all roads really leading here to the happiness of the soul. I have so many pictures still in my drawer. I would like to continue trying to improve what for now for me is just something personal”.
ALFREDO ALEANDRI, born in 1977 and living in the province of Pisa, Italy, told us:
“I am an amateur photographer with a long-standing passion for photography. I started shooting with film cameras and I switched to digital only recently, considering the times were right for this change. After embracing different genres in the past, at present I am only interested in “street photography”, and looking for my distinctive style. In the past I have visited Venice several times as a tourist, but last year I decided to return with the intention of shooting original and unpublished images, a real challenge since it is one of most photographed city in the world! Venice has undoubtedly fascinated me for her multiple facets, offering incentives to any lover of photography, across all photography styles”.
Annik Susemihl, the winner of the March 2016 contest, is also the Grand Winner of the 1st edition
Hi, this is Annik Susemihl from Germany. I am an amateur photographer and since one year and a half I have only beenusing a DSLR.
During my first visit to Venice I was pretty sick. I could not explore the city and was very frustrated. And I had so looked forward to such photo tour. My “affaire” wih Venice had started in such a bad way!
But my husband offered me a second stay in the city, this time for Carnevale. Alone with my camera, I was able to walk the city for three days. Great!
I discovered a wonderful city with a unique atmosphere and wonderful places, and nice people to meet. Venice in winter time has drawn me into its spell. Despite my endless walks I kept discovering wonderful nooks and alleys. Far away from mass tourism and stereotypes, Venice revealed to me a piece of her soul. My staying in February reconciled me not only with the city. I now feel connected with Venice and its unique atmosphere. History seemed to address me directly from walls and canals, buildings and places. A fascination that I can hardly explain. I always enjoy watching details and exploring places outside the mainstream. So this is how I took the submitted photos.
My winning photo was taken at San Zaccaria. In the midst of many people and the bustle, an old man sat, painting. His hands were drawn from many years of hard work. With these hands, he painted his Venice and every brushstroke seemed to me like a declaration of love. Alone at his easel, deep in his artwork, he was a world of peace and reverie himself. This has inspired me to try to capture that moment. Such a view of Venice from a very different perspective emerged. Such details, I love. Show me the soul of a place or a city! I am already looking forward to my next visit to Venice!
This is Marco Cendret. And I can say I am a true Venetian.
I love my city and, apart from a short time spent in South America, I have always lived here. We who were born here, have a feeling of the big change in the past 50 years, not in terms of architecture (this is quite impossible), but in terms of lifestyle for those few remaining Venetians.
Now the city, as opposed to when I was a child, is more chaotic, packed with more and more visitors, and its “spell” is blurred. One day when I was accompanying a girlfriend with her camera in an off-the-beaten-track walk, I realized how much magic and hidden treasures still remain.
Glimpses of places that can make you take a leap back in time, situations found nowhere else in the world,due to the uniqueness of this city, and atmospheres of unique beauty. I had an inspiration and a wish: to make up a memory of these places and unique moments before they disappear. Mine is kind of a mission: to freeze stories and images of MY Venice, a wonderful city out of time, but whose soul is, inevitably, being stolen.
And this is Marco Dilavanzo, author of the “Tattoed Gondolier”‘s portrait.
Born in 1964, since 10 years ago I have been dedicating my spare time to this passion that has “kidnapped” me.
“Soul, heart and eyes guide your art of photography. Also grey tones play their part in it. I often find them transporting black and white in a rough sea of emotions…”
This is a comment to one of my shots, I am proudly using it as my motto a and it is exactly what I try to convey with my works. I accompany my shots with phrases and poems which I find on the web, guiding the viewer to a moment of reflection beyond the image, to the real content.
My Venice is shy, Venice is my secret, my Venice is poignant, my Venice is unforgettable.
Hi this is me, Luca Lamanna, born in 1971. I live in Marano Lagunare near Udine, and I am an amateur photographer.
My passion and relationship with photography started in the Nineties during a journey to Jamaica, when I had fun documenting my one month vacation day by day. That journey opened the way to my curiosity and interest for the world of photography, it’s been a real discovery.
From then on, for me there has never been a trip without a camera. With time I discovered that my photography style can be described as a “street photography” genre.
Whenever I have some spare time, I try to visit any city, even close to mine, to get to know it and take pictures of what attracts me: this is specially true for Venice, a unique city in my opinion, also because is so full with people from all over the world. To me Venice is an incredible source of inspiration and knowledge, with numerous scenes that I try to freeze in a shot.
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Hi, my name is Joseph Zarzano, from the USA.
I’m 67 years old and my love affair with Venice began many years ago. In 2005 I took my first trip to Venice and it was as magical and beautiful as I had imagined.
I have always loved photography and Venice was a city where every photo looked like a postcard from paradise. I returned in 2010 and most recently in June 2016. I’m already anticipating a return in the future.
I work in the financial industry in NYC, and enjoy traveling in Italy. I have visited Florence, Rome, Amalfi and several cities in Tuscany. Hope to visit the Giudecca 795 Gallery to be inspired by the amazing contributing artists on display there. Ciao, until then.
My name is Michael J Damone. I am a father of two wonderful boys and a daughter-in-law. I am married to Lisa who provides much of the emotional and financial support for my photography habit. I first discovered photography in 2001 at the very beginning of the digital revolution. Since then my family and I have traveled extensively while photographing the varied landscapes of the United States. We particularly enjoy spending time in the national parks of the American west.
In July 2016, we took our first trip to Venice where we spent four incredible days. We loved every minute of our stay in Venice. From the warm welcoming people to the magnificent architecture, Venice is truly a photographer’s dream location. It is impossible to visit Venice and not come away truly inspired by the experience.
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this photo contest. I am honored that one of my photos was selected as the August contest winner.” (Profile photo: courtesy of AJ Damone, Michael’s son 🙂
Special thanks to Alessandro Secondin, for the use of his photo in our promotional campaigns.

Thank you, this is such a great opportunity, for an amateur photographer like me!
This is Alessandro Secondin, ciao! I was born in Venice in the early Seventies, but I live in the Friuli region, in a town called Porcia. As often as I can, I come back to the most beautiful city in the world, every time discovering special spots still unknown to me and little known to the “classic” visitor.
I have always been fond of art in its various forms, and some years ago I started to devote myself to photography. As a photographer, I would rather not label myself, though lately, I have been giving my preference to landscape photography. To me, photography is an intimate moment above all, rich with emotions and silent narrations. Thru my shots, I try to tell my story, mixed with the story of my subjects. It is like an intimate journey, manifesting itself in every image.
Who will be the next winner? it could be you!
Get inspired by the photos awarded in the following editions:
- 5th edition (2020) work in progress
- 4th edition (2019) .
- 3rd edition (2018) .
- 2nd edition (2017) .
Reopen the photobook of your memories!
Select your best photos of Venice, and enter the current
edition of the OneDayInVenezia.com Photo Contest!
Who will be the next contest winner? it could be you!
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