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| DATES | Wednesday 26 – Sunday 30 April 2023 Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 April 2024 |
| DURATION | 5 days, 4 nights |
| THEME | Landscape, Travel and Night Photography |
| SUITABLE FOR | From beginners to experts (details in USEFUL INFORMATION) |
| PHOTOGRAPHIC GEAR | Digital reflex or mirrorless, any brand (details in USEFUL INFORMATION) |
| PARTICIPANTS | Max. 5 participants with 1 guide or Max. 10 participants with 2 guides |
| TUTORS | Gabriele Lorenzini |
| PRICE | Now on offer for the same price as last year: 2.490 $ |
OUR PARTNERS FOR THIS TOUR
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… and many other locations far from the usual tourist routes and often unknown, which you will discover during the journey!
On your first day in Italy, we’ll meet you at 3pm in the lobby of the hotel in the heart of Florence.
Reaching the hotel is easy from Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station as well as from Florence, Pisa, Bologna or Rome airports. Our tour operator will help you find the best solution for the travel and will provide all the information you require to reach the hotel.
Once together we will go out for a pleasant walk in the historic center of Florence during which you can take the first photos.
Then we’ll head to a local restaurant for dinner and we’ll review the itinerary of the journey and become acquainted with each other.
After dinner you’ll again have the chance of taking a walk in the historic centre of Florence to get become acclimatized to the city and the Italian ambience.
You will then spend the night at the hotel in the historic center of Florence.
Accommodation: Florence
We will leave the hotel about 1 hour before sunrise and head to the famous Piazzale Michelangelo and photograph the sunrise over Florence.
After our shoot we’ll return to the hotel for breakfast and to pack for the next stage of our journey.
Once fed and prepared we will travel into the magnificent Tuscan countryside.
The day’s itinerary includes two of the most exemplary architectural gems of the region, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni.
Monteriggioni is a picturesque hilltop village. The slopes that ascend to the medieval town, whose castle was founded in the thirteenth, century are cultivated with vineyards and olive trees.
Both villages are perfect for genre and street photography. We’ll grab a quick breakfast and of course a delicious cup of traditional Italian coffee before exploring and photographing the villages.
In the afternoon, we’ll take you to a restaurant for lunch before we relocate to Baccoleno to for our sunset shoot.
After sunset we will walk through the streets of Siena, admiring such sights as the Piazza del Campo where every year the famous Palio of Siena takes place.
We will accommodate you at a hotel in historic center of Siena and have dinner in a typical Tuscan restaurant.
Accommodation: Siena
Today we’ll start shooting at dawn in the Crete Senesi, a small area south of Siena, whose name comes from the clay present in the soil. The clay gives the landscape a characteristic bluish-gray color and appearance often described as lunar. This terrain is characterized by gently rolling hills, lonely oak and cypress trees and isolated hilltop farms.
We will have breakfast in a bar with a great pastries and cappuccino before progressing to the Abbey of San Galgano. A roofless Abbey which was desecrated and abandoned in 1789.
After a farmhouse lunch we will continue the journey to the Val d’Orcia, where we will arrive in time to photograph the sunset over the famous Cypresses grove near Torrenieri.
Our hotel for the night will be in San Quirico D’Orcia, one of the most beautiful medieval villages of Val d’Orcia. Dinner will be in a local restaurant.
After dinner, weather permitting, we will dedicate ourselves to shooting the Milky Way and startrails over the Tuscan landscape.
Accommodation: San Quirico d’Orcia
Today starts early, before dawn. This morning we’re shooting one of the most famous villas in Tuscany, Podere Belvedere. We will then hold an image assessment session reviewing our work so far and a post production master class using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
After lunch we will move on to photograph the famous Cypress tree lined Monticchiello road which meanders its way through the Tuscan countryside. Following this we’ll pay a visit to the wonderful, UNESCO protected, Vitaleta Chapel.
At sunset we will travel into the San Quirico d’Orcia countryside near Poggio Covili to shoot.
After returning to the hotel and dinner, we will visit a different location from the previous eve and hone our night shooting techniques.
Accommodation: San Quirico d’Orcia
Your last day in Tuscany, will begin by photographing the sunrise in one of Val d’Orcia’s beautiful locations: the famous Villa Gladiator.
A well photographed location but always worth a visit especially during the early morning when the soft sun and mist can create a beautiful scene. From here we will travel to the beautiful old town of Pienza where we can enjoy freshly baked pastries and a cup of Italian coffee. Pienza has a lot to offer photographically so we’ll explore the narrow streets of the old town, we may even visit some of the wonderful cheese and wine shops.
Following this we will return to the hotel for breakfast and to pack.
The drive back to Florence will take about two hours after which you can decide whether to be accompanied to the Santa Maria Novella train station (at 14:00) or airport (at 15:00)…or you could stay a few extra days and enjoy some more of the magical atmosphere of Tuscany and Italy.
The meeting point is at 3pm on the first day of the trip in the lobby of the hotel in the heart of Florence, where tutors will be ready to welcome you upon your arrival.
Reaching the hotel is easy from Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station and closest airports are Florence, Pisa, Bologna and Rome.
Our tour operator could help you find the best solution for the travel and provide all the information you require to reach the hotel.
Transportation from any airport in Italy to the hotel in Florence could be arranged if needed.
The Travel Agency and the tutors are available to advise on the flight that best suits the needs and the place of departure of each participant.
Contact us to receive additional information about flights.
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During the Tour
After the Tour
The tour will be confirmed when the minimum number of participants required have subscribed. Don’t buy your flight tickets until you receive a confirmation from us.
All communication regarding the tour will be by e-mail.
If you cancel your subscription before the tour is confirmed we will refund the amount in total.
If you cancel your subscription after the tour has been confirmed refunds will be as follows:
– More than 15 days before the start of the tour you will be refunded 50% of the total cost.
– Less than 30 days before the start of the trip no refund will be granted but we’ll do our best to refund as much as possible.
Refunds will be paid by bank transfer approximately one week after the scheduled tour end.
Activity Level: Easy – Short walks over mostly level ground.
The tour itinerary is always dependent on weather, as the weather can indeed be unpredictable.
Vista Photo Tours
via San Donato 149
40127 – Bologna (BO) – Italy
VAT: IT02445160399
Phone: +39 339 8723878
(Mon-Fri 9-18 CET, English language only)
Email: info@vistaphototours.com
Punto Viaggio snc
Fully Licensed Tour Operator
Via Soldato Anselmo, 4
12080 – Monasterolo Casotto (CN) – Italy
VAT: IT03405540042
After the registration you will receive by email the Travel Program and all useful information.
You will also be placed in a reserved group on Facebook where you can talk with the tutors to prepare yourself for the trip.
Discover the most useful information on our Photo Tour by clicking on the sections below:
Type of hotel accommodations
If you do not have companions and do not choose a single (it carries a surcharge and is not always available), you can share the room with one of the other participants.
Contact us if you want more information on this aspect of the trip.
Physical requirements
Photographic skills required
Not sure if this photo trip is right for you? Contact us and talk directly with the tutors of the Workshop.
Photographic equipment required
To participate in the Workshop the following equipment is required:
Before departure we will send you an email with all the useful information about the most suitable equipment for this trip and our buying guides for tripods and filters, which will help you understand if it is appropriate to improve the your photographic kit. If you don’t want to wait, you can immediately get the guides by clicking on the banner at the bottom of this page.
Photographic equipment not necessary but recommended
Climate and clothing
Before departure we will send you an email with lots of detailed information on the most suitable clothing and accessories for this trip.
Baggage
Identity document
Power outlets
1. Type F (Shuko) sockets like this:
2. Type L sockets like this:
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In our Travels and Workshops you will be constantly followed by tutors who will help you at all times during all shooting sessions.
In this way you can immediately learn new shooting and post-production techniques to get the most out of your photos.
Starting from several weeks before with all the information to help you prepare for the tour, up to the post-Workshop tutoring via Facebook and email, we will be at your complete disposal to provide you all our knowledge.
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This is a real individual landscape photography workshop: in every moment of the tour the tutors will literally be by your side to give you advice and suggestions specific to your needs.
Thanks to their experience, knowledge of the locations and their advices you can capture the best moments of light, improve your shooting technique, learn how to plan your next photographic tours, obtain more from digital post-production and learn nice tricks to always get the best possible photos.
This Workshop will provide you with a series of skills and knowledge that will allow you to capture all the beauty of the places you will have the chance to visit, organizing your resources in the best way, using the best shooting and post-techniques production, taking advantage of any light and weather conditions in your favor.
As always in our travels the common passion for photography and the desire to enjoy the beauty of the places will create a fantastic climate in the group , where everyone can relax and have fun, tell their own experience, ask for advice, and above all give free rein to photography without limitations, thanks to the schedule specifically designed around photography.
Upon return from the trip, our tutors will continue to follow you via Facebook or email, helping you in the selection and post-production of your best photos.
You could join a private group on Facebook where you can share your photos with tutors and other participants, to request comments, opinions and advice.
Professional photographer specializing in travel and landscape
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Testimonial - Tuscany tourAs a beginner, I was concerned about the possibility of understanding technique and interpretation, especially considering that the course was aimed at both beginners and enthusiasts with a little more experience. Vista guides were very good at introducing simple but at the same time effective concepts and rules, moving the work as much as possible on the practice, rather than on the theory, and assisting each of the participants on the field, during the shots.
To crown it all, a close-knit group of participants and many, delicious, EAT IN THE COMPANY in one of Italy’s best … lands !!
Testimonial - Tuscany tourAs always, a very interesting workshop with attention to every aspect. Vista guides are trained tutors and in a short time they succeed in establishing a beautiful atmosphere with the whole group. Val D’Orcia is beautiful and the perfect weather made it possible to organize the days (sunrises and sunsets!) Perfectly. All great, highly recommended!
Testimonial - Tuscany tourI can say that I am really satisfied with the concepts you transferred to me and I congratulate you on finding true ones Professionals.
I hope I can have the opportunity to repeat with you another experience because the past was truly instructive. It is also fascinating for the peculiarity of the location, which, with the good fortune of having had good weather, was easily lent to Our shooting.
I thank you again and I greet you with affection.
Testimonial - Tuscany tourMy opinion can only be positive! tutors are very competent and always available, the atmosphere is never heavy and you are always at ease without ever renouncing to take advantage of the time for shooting or post production. In fact these two are balanced and there is always space to comment on the shots taken in the classroom, which I think is really useful! The organization is equally well developed and obviously the location is lovely! At the same time, tasty Tuscan dishes are combined in places selected by the teachers, which I must say never leave disappointed !! Absolutely recommended!
Testimonial - Tuscany tourApproached my first workshop with a lot of curiosity, a desire to confront other people with my same passion, I found in Vista guides clarity and simplicity, full availability in offering advice and criticism to improve every aspect of my photographic activity. I find that the workshop is suitable for photographers with different backgrounds, because it provides references to follow for beginners (like myself), but also interesting ideas for those who already master the technique. The workshop locations are designed and everything is organized in detail, to optimize the experience (including restaurants!).
Testimonial - Tuscany tourBeautiful places and good company have made the course less challenging than expected. It was worth it though: we learned night photography techniques, but above all the sessions in the classroom allowed us to learn first and then put into practice what was explained and above all very useful comments on the shots taken which really help us to grow and improve. Thank you
Testimonial - Tuscany tourI enjoyed every moment of this intense workshop! Important the briefing before going out in the field and fundamental the comment of the photos taken: so many tips and ideas to avoid mistakes and to improve photo after photo! With this workshop I learned how fascinating landscape photography is. There are so many elements to consider when looking for the perfect photo. Excellent level of teachers, Vista guides, who have been by our side at every moment, adapting to everyone’s needs. The landscape of Val D’Orcia then speaks for itself: simply magical! Would I recommend this course? Absolutely yes! Both to those who already have a good foundation and want to improve their landscape photography technique and to those who want to try to approach this fantastic world! Thanks to Vista guides and to the whole group that has faced this wonderful experience with me.
Testimonial - Tuscany tourAlthough I still have a lot to learn thanks to this workshop, I believe I have improved my skills a lot. It was a set of “first times”: the first time with the tripod, the first time with the remote control, the first star trails … and I discovered that I really like the landscape photo. The field work is what eventually makes you make the leap in quality and I would say that there has been fieldwork !! I recommend it … even to those who, like me, have just started. Thanks for everything
Testimonial - Tuscany tourI wanted to thank you all for the fantastic days! For me it was a completely new experience. It was an opportunity to deepen my new passion and I have to say that I returned home with a wealth of noteworthy notions. Impeccable organization, fantastic locations!
I will definitely participate in other WS.
Vista guides very helpful and well prepared!
Thanks and see you soon!
Testimonial - Tuscany tourHi guys, first of all I would like to thank you very much for the warm welcome, availability and professionalism shown both by the guides during the workshop just ended. Your enthusiasm, attention to detail, the attention paid to the needs / doubts of each of us, without saving your energy, was truly commendable. I was very impressed then by the extreme attention you paid to evaluating each shot, without neglecting any detail / suggestion even in the least significant composition. Personally it was a very important moment of reflection and discussion on themes, details and details dear to me, unfortunately often undervalued, which certainly have a great impact on the success of a landscape with a more professional cut from a simply “tourist” type. The approach to the choice of locations and the perfect knowledge of the occurrence of certain atmospheric conditions, not all, given that it is not yet granted, demonstrates the fact that behind it there is a scrupulous preparation and a lot of work behind the scenes. Well done, this really gives you so much honor. I thank the guides again for this opportunity you offered me for photographic growth. Best wishes and best wishes for your work.
Testimonial - Tuscany tourExcellent Workshop, both in terms of logistics and education. The ability of Vista guides in managing the group and its teaching, shows a remarkable love for photography that is not found everywhere. The choice of theory, practice and leisure times are excellent. Workshop with considerable personal satisfaction in terms of photography. I learned so many things about a subject like panorama photography, which many think they know but that are complex to achieve and without good teaching alongside are almost unattainable. Congratulations to Vista guides for your ability to transmit the passion towards the world of landscape photography.
Testimonial - Tuscany tourWhat can I say … GREAT workshop !!! Extraordinary teachers, availability, patience and PROFESSIONALISM at the highest levels! Perfect organization, great food, FABULOUS LOCATION !!! Beautiful the relationship that is established during the course between teacher and student and very useful in direct comparison of the shots just taken! The great passion on the part of Vista guides, is transmitted to the great and enriches your luggage on the notions of Photography !!! Experience to be relived for sure! Thanks again to all of you friends !!!
Testimonial - Tuscany tourBeautiful experience and very interesting also from the didactic point, the very prepared and good instructors in exposing what to do and what done, while watching the photos taken. Beautiful company, all very interested in improving, full respect by all, workshops to be repeated as soon as possible. a greeting to all that I hope to see again in other workshops.
Review: 5 stars
Testimonial - Tuscany tourI decided to participate in this workshop in order to learn more about aspects of photography that have always had a certain charm about me, but which I had always neglected in the past. I found in the workshop a genuine, calm and patient context but at the same time tight and in approaching the set goals. I was happy because I realized that there is even more to know, I could disconnect from the routine in a wonderful place like the Val d’Orcia and I met stimulating people.
Testimonial - Tuscany tourI believe it is right to comment on the experience of this Workshop. Vista guides … two hilarious people who take their work with extreme seriousness. Very professionally prepared, they treat topics and always answer questions exhaustively using a language that everyone can understand. Always ready for you as soon as you request attention. The organization was impeccable, excellent logistics. At the end of the course there are notions to treasure, so I am very satisfied with this great experience. My compliments to Vista guides for the way they do their work.
Testimonial - Tuscany tourThe workshop was truly exceptional! The fruits of what I have learned will make me improve a lot; in particular it was very useful the part in the classroom before the shooting sessions, during which viewing previously made shots were highlighted the most common problems and errors that occurred previously. The suggestions and advice of Vista guides on the composition were absolutely fundamental. The sessions were then an excellent gym and the variable climate contributed as it gave us the opportunity to immediately experience what we learned about composition techniques. Finally, the comment and criticism phase of our shots immediately allowed us to check the progress made. I think that Vista workshops differ from the others in that the professionalism, passion and dedication of the organizers emerges.
Testimonial - Tuscany tourExcellent workshop, exemplary organization!
Fabulous location !! Always spectacular sunrises and sunsets !!
Only one morning the weather conditions were adverse … but on the way back we took some shots home anyway !! 🙂
Then … Vista guides are fantastic !!
Highly recommended to photographers of any level !!!!
Testimonial - Tuscany tourThe course has been organized in detail. The tutors have always been available to requests for clarifications and / or suggestions. The sessions in the classroom have been conducted with professionalism, giving the necessary technical clarifications for the exits and, importantly, the commentary of the shots taken, in order to improve the following ones .Other important aspect is the choice of the places and the hotel, the latter in an optimal and excellent level.
I will participate in other courses already planned, sure to find a good company, like the one in Val D’Orcia, and to enrich my knowledge in photographic and post-production shootings. Thanks to the tutors Vista guides
Testimonial - Tuscany tourIt was a fabulous journey, in search of particular cues to resume one of the most beautiful landscapes in Italy. Congratulations especially to the tutors Vista guides for the professionalism, demonstrated and the simplicity with which they explained difficult concepts.
Testimonial - Tuscany tourIt is the first workshop I attended. Thanks to Vista guides, very professional and serious, but at the same time endowed with a noticeable dose of sympathy that allowed them to create, right away, a nice working group. Always available and very attentive to the personal needs of the participants. In any case, they are able to teach you so much, both to those who are beginners and to the more advanced participants. I have certainly enriched my knowledge in the field of landscape and also in post-production. Perfect organization both in the choice of the hotel and in the photo locations. I’m ready for a new workshop. Highly recommended.
Testimonial - Tuscany tourThe organization of the workshop was excellent. A tight, punctual and unexceptionable program in every respect. Excellent accommodation. Comparative sessions with other participants are fundamental.
Finally, my congratulations to Vista guides who turned out to be two available and versatile teachers. They know how to convey their experience with a very effective teaching formula. I returned home with an invaluable wealth of experience and new bases to continue having fun with photography and post-production.
It is an experience that I warmly welcome and that I will redo the first useful occasion.
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