I was offered a free villa in Hollywood, but I said no thank you, I prefer to live in Italy
Green rolling hills and steep alleys of fortified medieval towns, golden mists in the morning over Val d’Orcia and Florentine architectural marvels, silvery olive gardens and distinctive local cuisine – Tuscany is all this and much, much more. The profound feeling of tranquility pervades you from the first minutes on this bountiful land and stays with you forever.
Our base for the whole trip will be wonderful rural villa at the heart of Val D’Orcia. It’s a great place with a spectacular view, located picturesquely among famous Tuscanian rolling hills and cypress trees. Spacious rooms, verandas, large halls with massive fireplaces, a gourmet restaurant, even outdoor pool will help us find the right mood to appreciate Tuscanian landscapes. And, of course, fabulous local vines and masterpieces of the local cuisine aren’t bad either!
Every day we’ll take radial trips off the villa to the fields or towns; there are plenty interesting places to shoot in any weather, we’ll barely see a tiny part of this land – but enough to understand why it became the cradle of Italian Renaissance.
This is a full-board tour, which includes not only photography course, but amazing food at italian restaurants, wine tasting and many more surprises.
Highlights of the tour include:
• Visit Podere Belvedere, the most-photographed villa of all Tuscany
• Climb the walls of Pienza and see the rolling green farmland in the valley beneath
• Meet the first rays of the day near the walls of Castiglione D’Orcia, one of the highest points over the famous valley
• Walk the farm roads in the smooth hills of Torrenieri and see its famous cypress grove
• Visit the tufa rock towns of Sorano, Pitigliano, and Sovana, first inhabited by ancient Etruscans – and relax in the hot thermal baths of Saturnia under the moon
• Walk the streets of medieval villages
• Discuss the finer points of photography in a dedicated master classes at the villa, complete with a projector
Our timetable (see below) isn’t carved in stone; it will heavily depend on the actual weather. On a grey rainy day we could walk the wet cobblestone streets of medieval towns, hunting for reflections and bright colors accentuated by rain – or just sit down by the fireplace and have a discussion or another master class in processing and panoramic photography. But the baseline itinerary will look like this:
Day 1
We meet you at Rome Fiumincino airport, arrivals T3 hall at 1pm. Right after the meet-up, we depart to the heart of rural Tuscany. We photograph at sunset and then leave to check in at our villa. Right after we have delicious Tuscan dinner. (D)
Day 2
The day starts early, way before dawn. This morning we’re shooting one of the most famous Tuscany villas, Podere Belvedere. Right after that (if the mists favor us) we move to the south from San Quirico and have a second shooting session. Then we return to the villa for breakfast and a photo processing master class. After lunch, we’re off to the famous Villa Gladiatore, and after the sunset we take a stroll on the ancient Roman village of Bagno Vignoni, just several minutes’ drive away from our sunset shooting location. Then we return to the villa for a gourmet dinner and a relaxed evening by the fireside. (B/L/D)
Day 3
We meet the first rays of morning sun near the walls of Pienza, to shoot the classical but ever-changing picture: famous villas wrapped in the morning mist under the first sunrays. We’ll try to find a less-than-obvious point of view a bit lower than the usual shooting location. After the session, we’ll go to Pienza, to walk its narrow streets, smell the freshly baked pastries, and enjoy a cup of wonderful Italian coffee. Of course, a short stroll wouldn’t be nearly enough to do justice to this exceptional town; even several days won’t probably suffice. And Pienza isn’t even all about architecture: it’s an absolute must to appreciate the local wines and cheese too. We’ll visit a little nondescript wine shop near the main plaza; but don’t let the looks deceive you – the owner is one of the most famous sommeliers in Italy, supplying wines for the Holy See and the Pope himself. And of course, we’ll get to taste the famous Pecorino di Pienza, one of the finest sheep cheeses in the world, rumored to be a favorite of Lorenzo Medici himself.
Then we return to the villa for breakfast, another master class and a lunch. In the afternoon we visit Val d’Orcia and its emerald hills; the evening location will depend on the weather. (B/L/D)
Day 4
We’ll plan our day starting from the sunrise at Crete Senesi. This place is famous for its lunar hills but not quite as popular as Val D’Orcia. We greet the sun in there and then drive back to villa “hunting” for the layers of mist on the way back.
Montepulciano and Monticchiello were founded by ancient Etruscans about 8 century BC, so they’re roughly as old as Rome itself. Both of them are perfect for genre and street photography, so that’s what we’ll do this day after delicious lunch in one the villages. At sunset we photograph at one of our favorite sunset spots in rolling hills of Tuscany. Then we’ll return to the villa for dinner.
(B/L/D)
Day 5
We’ll have our morning shooting session near capella Vitaletta in Val D’Orcia (if the weather is good, of course). After the breakfast we’ll have a discussion in photo composition and create a shooting plan for the next days. After the lunch, we’ll drive to Montalchino for an afternoon shooting session from the walls and an evening street shooting afterwards. (B/L/D)
Day 6
Today we’ll visit Sorano and Pitigliano, two tiny but bright gems in the Tuscanian crown. These Etruscan towns, hewn in tufa rocks, keep the ancient spirit to this day. Not many tourists, let alone photographers, visit these settlements, so we’re in for a rare treat: narrow and steep cobblestone alleys, potted flowers outside of house doors, mossy red bricks and fantastic colors. We’ll have a lunch in Pitigliano, and after the sunset shoot, finally return to our villa for dinner. (B/L/D)
Day 7
Yes, this is our last day – and yes, we still have an option to get up before dawn. We’ll have our morning session near the villa, though – to have time to pack our luggage and leave to the airport. Then breakfast, and after that we pack our bags and leave to Rome. At 2 pm we drop you off at the Rome Fiumincino airport. (В)
Pricing:
Total price: 4900 USD per person twin share (full board, 3-course meals, all transfers, wine tasting etc)
Single supplement: 750 USD
Maximum Number of Participants: 12
Difficulty: easy
Included in the price:
– All transfers
– Lodging
– All meals as stated in the tour itinerary
– Instruction and master classes by two professional guides
Not included in the price:
– Airfare
– Optional wine
– Visas (if applicable)
– Single supplement (750 USD)
What to bring
Gear:
– DSLR camera with tripod and remote shutter release
– A wide angle lens. For example, Nikkor 14-24 or Canon 17-40. Best lens for use in wide-angle scenes or architecture photography
– A middle-zoom lens such as a 24-70 mm
– A telephoto zoom lens, such as a 70-200 mm. One of the most essential lenses in Tuscany. Be sure to have additional tripod mount to this lens.
Wear:
– Waterproof and windproof jacket (consider the average temperature +5 – +10 C at nights and +10 – +20 C during the daytime)
– Waterproof pants
– Warm jacket and thermal pants
– Wellingtons or fishing boots
– Casual clothes for dinners and lunches and photography workshops
