Italia, anyone?

A week or so ago, a friend of Diana’s and mine contacted me about teaching a workshop while on an exotic excursion in and around a town in the Italian Alps.  I will admit to being hesitant at first.  I have almost forever been the "home is where I’m safe" guy.  That means my day starts at home, I go to my studio, I get done, and go home.  I love being home.  And the thought of venturing out, not just beyond my home, but outside my country and into a very small area in a country I’ve never visited was, well… daunting.

So Daniela (the friend/vacation arranger person) asks me to give it some thought and let her know what I could come up with as far as an educational workshop that would fit with an existing program which includes tours of some of the area’s most incredible scenery, food, wine and entertainment.

After a few days, I had some ideas in mind, but I wasn’t really sure how they would play out within the existing scheme of the vacation agenda.  So, Daniela visited the studio on Wednesday to give us an idea of not only what to expect, but more about the gist of the adventure.  And after the first hour, I was going into a daze.  Diana soon recognized this and quickly rushed me a large mug of hot coffee.

By the time we were done talking, I realized that the location (San Martino di Castrozza in the foothills of the Italian Alps) was quite nearly The Perfect Place for a sweeping approach to a lot of different photographic possibilities.  But I had to rein myself in a bit, because a) everything I’d want to cover could last for months, b) there’s so much more to see and do that there’s no way I could keep your attention for more than a few hours at a time, and c) *I* want to see more of the sites.

So, after all that, what are we looking at?  This is more or less preliminary, but the general concept is the same:

1) The trip is from August 29-September 7.  The time we spend in San Martino di Castrozza would be the majority of the time there, but each day we would venture out to surrounding areas.
2) Each day of the trip, something new is going on.  A photographer who lives there is something of a nature/landscape expert in the area, and conveniently quite an amazing photographer.  Alessandro Simon is a full-time photography instructor for The Alpine Adventure Agency, which is owned by Daniela and her husband, Ken.  Alessandro would be showing you the best places and settings for your equipment to get great images of the scenery around you (and above you, and below you, etc.)
3) In the afternoon for six of the days of the trip, I will have an opportunity to work with you to find the best places and angles to take advantage of the sweeping and intimate imagery available for portraiture and wedding photography.  The town itself has so many wonderful places, that it will be hard to contain yourself.  We have already lined up a beautiful model (a local) who is happy to pose for us during these portions of our workshop.
4) In addition to the photo workshop and opportunities, you will also have the opportunity to hike, take an amazing cable car ride, dine in some of the most incredible restaurants, learn from expert chefs in a cooking demonstration, visit a glacier lake, a fabric maker, an amazing wood sculptor, enjoy local entertainment, and so much more than I can possibly explain here.

Things are still unfolding, but my plan is to create a workshop that will truly prepare you for the adventures in photography, both at home and in exotic locations.  Optional evening sessions will be available (and we’re still working out the details on that) to explore new horizons in lighting, composition and posing your subjects.

Please contact the folks at Alpine Adventure Agency to get started.  Information on pricing, availability and the agenda will be available soon.

Comments ( 2 )

  1. Amy - San Jose

    Enjoyed the post

  2. An Italian Workshop « PhotoGeek

    [...] this post, I told you about working with The Alpine Adventure Agency to come up with a photography workshop [...]

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