The first time I visited Florence was during university while on my study abroad. Being the art lover I am, I had a mile-long list of things I had to see while in Florence – the Duomo, Gates of Paradise, Da Vinci’s Adoration of the Magi, and of course, Michelangelo’s David.

Each day the line into the Galleria dell’Accademia wrapped around the block. On my last day in Florence, I was committed to standing in that line for as long as it took. 4+ hours later and they announced they were closing the museum and cutting off ticket sales. I slid in as one of the last group of 10 admitted that day. So when I rounded the corner and saw David at the end of that long gallery hallway, I cried. Overcome with how breathtakingly beautiful and perfect David is.

To this day, Michelangelo’s David stands as one of the most moving works of art in my book. Michelangelo carved David from a discarded block of marble. A massive slab previous sculptors had deemed unworkable. But day by day, for over two years, he chiseled away in utmost secrecy until David was complete.

I think about the history of David often and for me, the history of David has become a metaphor for our journey through life. I like to think Michelangelo had a vision of David inside that discarded block of marble. But he had to chip away every day to reveal him. In our own life, every day we chip away at our fears, imperfections, grief… we do what Michelangelo did. We chip away and in the process reveal our most brilliant self.

During my latest trip there I was able to shoot Florence on film. I draw my greatest inspiration from my travels abroad and these film photos instantly take me back there. All film photos were taken on my Canon EOS 3 with Portra 400 film.