It can be hard to get a sense of the “real” Venice in the tourist hot spots surrounded by hundreds of other sightseers. That’s why this umbrella, depicting a Venice long gone, being held aloft by a tour guide to keep her flock near by, appealed to my ironic sense of humour.

It took several minutes of waiting for the right moments to get these shots. I think the tour guide was beginning to think she had a stalker after I’d spent ten minutes or so by her side. Thankfully when I got chatting to her, she could see the funny side too.

All photographs © all rights reserved Miles Pilling