Nostalgic pay phones in a narrow alleyway – Venice by Yahya Algehaili

In a narrow Venetian alley, a row of public payphones is mounted against a worn wall. It is an everyday detail that has almost disappeared from modern streets, which makes the scene feel unexpectedly distinctive. The repetition of the phones, the confined space and the dark perspective of the passage create a strong visual rhythm. Bright daylight enters from the left, while the phones themselves remain partly in shadow, naturally drawing the eye deeper into the image.

I photographed this scene on Ilford Delta 400 black-and-white film using a Nikon F3. Monochrome suits the subject particularly well because it removes distraction and emphasises shape, texture, light and repetition. The metal phones, rough walls, graffiti and shadowed corridor combine into an image that feels almost timeless. The subtle grain of the film reinforces that atmosphere.

What I like most about this photograph is that it does not show one of Venice’s famous monuments. Instead, it captures a small piece of everyday urban infrastructure that feels both familiar and obsolete. That gives the image a more personal and less touristic quality. As wall art, it has a graphic, urban character and works especially well in interiors that suit black-and-white photography, analogue street photography and architectural details.