This Tuscany Photography Workshop is not the usual cliché Tuscany. This Tuscany Photography Workshop is located in the diverse and dramatic landscape of northern Tuscany. Northern Tuscany has a more mountainous and therefore, a more varied landscape than the southern parts of Tuscany.
Our Tuscany photography workshop is hosted in the Garfagnana region of north-west Tuscany. Garfagnana lies in a more isolated region of Tuscany which keeps it tucked away from the hordes of tourists associated with many other parts of Tuscany. This ensures that during your entire workshop, you are able to relax from the stresses and strains of everyday life, avoid the crazy driving and not worry about being ripped off in every shop and restaurant. The landscape of northern Tuscany blends rugged mountains with broad valleys where olive trees, vines and chestnut trees form a lush green blanket, contrasting with traditional terracotta roofs. This provides a diverse and idyllic scenery for our photography workshops and is beautiful in every season. This all lends itself to you having a memorable and truly inspiring photography holiday.
Our base for our Tuscany photography workshop is the stunning photogenic medieval town of Barga. The town sits proud of the Serchio valley and offers panoramic views in all directions while its medieval network of tight narrow streets, flanked by ancient architecture, presents photographers with no end of opportunities.
Oh, and the food! The Garfagnana region of Tuscany is famous for its food, both in variety and quality. Even Italians travel from all over Italy to spend time in Garfagnana because of its scenery, clean mountain air and its cuisine.
Martin has spent over 30 years visiting this area and has amassed thousands of photographs, many of which have been sold. He has an intimate knowledge of the area, its people and its culture and will be able to guide you through every step of this Tuscany photography workshop.
Regardless of your experience, you will learn and progress your photography techniques rapidly under the close guidance of Martin and Tom. They will be present throughout each day’s shooting and will work closely with you to ensure you get a collection of images that you will cherish for life.
Well done! You’ve found the Tuscany photography workshop that is a bit more special. It’s unique, diverse, amazing value and will provide you, and a partner, with a memorable holiday as well as memorable photographs. Your photography will permanently step up to a new level.
lmcgee –
A thoroughly recommendable workshop in the beautiful Garfagnana.
Martin is a gregarious, witty and warm man, an excellent teacher with a wicked sense of humour and an incredible store of funny stories and jokes to accompany all the learning.
We two (near-beginners) had a great week as he put us through our paces, filling us with knowledge, techniques and tips in a very relaxed manner, never intrusive or impatient. He coped well with the varying skills levels in the group, taking time to coach and support each of us.
From the first moment we were encouraged to see things differently via the camera lens to compose a good shot. Simple tips like scouting the location for a more interesting aspect; using shadows to add interest to a photo; how leading lines of different types make a better photo and to reflect on what final result we wanted before shooting. Technical skills were practiced throughout, such as using different apertures or shutter speeds for correct exposure, when and how to use different filters, long exposures, HDR shots and night-time photography.
Martin brought us up hills and down dales to visit the many different photogenic locations he has researched around the Garfagnana and nudged us into finding the best views and aspects within each. And, an extra bonus, the sun was splitting the stones for the whole week!
While we were both a bit dubious in advance about post-production, the very first session had us convinced. Martin paced our sessions perfectly, introducing new techniques, repeating where necessary and allowing us to practice what we had just learned, again unfazed by our different skills levels. We learned a huge amount about Lightroom and got some practice with Photoshop, making magical improvements in our photos. Long winter nights now seem shorter as we look forward to reviewing and improving favourite photos from the workshop and from over the years.
All the while we gorged ourselves on excellent coffee and pastries, luscious ice-cream, sit-down or picnic lunches and delicious evening meals in typical restaurants of the area. One evening we even got a live, open-air operatic concert thrown in.
Of course another positive aspect of a week like this is meeting new people and working together so it was lovely to spend time with the ever-helpful Gudrun and her mum Hulda. Gudrun’s beautiful photos and enthusiasm for the wonders of her northern Iceland make it a must-go place for the future.
While a good, fun week learning more about photography was important, what really counts is what we took away from the workshop. I have no doubt that I will take better photos in the future based on what I learned and am really looking forward to spending time this winter on my computer reworking some old photos. As for Carol, this workshop has changed her life! Within a week she had bought a new tripod and a macro lens and is spending every free moment putting all her new knowledge into practice.
Thank you Martin for making this a great week, sharing your knowledge and skills in a gentle, professional and encouraging manner.
I have no reservations recommending this workshop to anyone interested in improving their photography skills in a fun atmosphere in a beautiful location.
Upvote if this was helpful (0) Downvote if this was not helpful (0) Watch Unwatch Flag for removal
IRENE –
Wow, what can I say. This was a great week from start to finish. Martin was great, he took us to some amazing places, and shared some great skills for post production which helped loads when I got home with editing my hundreds of memorable photos. Also, lots of laughs along the way.
On returning home after the workshop, Martin has continued his helpfulness by making himself available for any post production questions.
If you’re considering booking this workshop, then stop thinking about it and just book, you won’t regret it. 5 stars given without any hesitation.
Upvote if this was helpful (0) Downvote if this was not helpful (0) Watch Unwatch Flag for removal
Alex –
Martin was very knowledgable and took his time explaining things during the workshops. I learned a lot and brought home some great memories from the trip-as well as some amazing photos! The area of Tuscany was beautiful and provided some incredible sunset shots. The booking and payment process was smooth and I found it easy to contact Martin throughout the run up to our workshop.
Upvote if this was helpful (0) Downvote if this was not helpful (0) Watch Unwatch Flag for removal
Jane –
The workshop in Barga was a great experience. The photography training was thorough and I liked the fact some post-production lessons were offered. Barga was a lovely setting for the workshops to take place. I would recommend to friends and family considering this type of holiday.
Upvote if this was helpful (0) Downvote if this was not helpful (0) Watch Unwatch Flag for removal