Travel & Culture Gallery - Image of the Year

Like moths to a flame, people are drawn to Italy’s most grand and opulent square, the Piazza San Marco in Venice. By mid-morning, the crowd will appear so thick that from a distance, one wonders how it can be crossed. In contrast, at the dawn, the piazza belongs only to photographers and the masks who take the masquerade most seriously. By the time they don their elaborate costumes, make-up and masks, many will already have next year’s Carnevale planned. The old-hands can be spotted by their convincing poses and acting, like Monello, the jester in this image. The less experienced or talented will tend to stand like statues in front of gondolas, arches or the basilica, used as their props. Those who pay more attention to detail will have blackened the area around their eyes to prevent distracting flesh from appearing through the eyeholes of their masks. The interactions between photographer and subjects are concluded by an exchange of business cards. Then the players move swiftly onwards to the next act on this most grand of stages. It’s the greatest show on earth.

Equipment Used: Canon 5DMkII, 85mm 1.2MkII, ISO 400, f2, 1/500, handheld. Monochrome conversion in Photoshop CS5.

About the Photographer: Kah Kit Yoong has worked as a photographer since 2005. If you're interested in my awards and publications, there's a list on my website.