Almost exactly 53 years ago, from October 4th to 7th, 1971, at the amphitheater that you can see right behind the train, one of the greatest concert films, in my opinion — Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii — was recorded. This film has become a classic, and it inspired me in many ways back then. I still rewatch it from time to time, and walking through the empty, early morning Pompeii with that music in my headphones was an amazing experience. The filming primarily took place in this very amphitheater, which, by the way, is the oldest arena in the world, built in 70 BC. Incidentally, at the entrance to Pompeii, in souvenir shops alongside the usual trinkets, you can also buy a Pink Floyd t-shirt — the echo of that event still lingers in the air :)
To the right, you can see a small part of the ancient city of Pompeii, and to the left, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The idea for this shot came to me just 15 minutes after I bought tickets to David Gilmour's concerts in Rome. I immediately began thinking about the trip's duration and the shots I wanted to take, and the first thing I did was to look for historical places near the railroad. Naturally, the amphitheater in Pompeii was the first place I checked. After confirming the sunrise and sunset times in October, I envisioned a dawn shot, where the sun rising from behind the mountains would illuminate the train and Pompeii. However, the composition was originally supposed to be different. On the day of the shoot, I realized that the trees were taller than I had anticipated, and I had to completely rethink the shot. Despite the much more modest result, I was still pleased with the final photo.
