Italy Photography

DAY 1: NEWARK (FOR THOSE WHO OPT TO TAKE THE GROUP FLIGHT)

As the group flight takes off, the trip officially begins!

DAYS 2 – 7: FLORENCE (WITH DAY TRIPS TO NEARBY PICTURESQUE TOWNS)

We base ourselves in Florence, seat of the Italian Renaissance and home to masterpieces by Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci. Surrounded by all the art and culture the city has to offer, you’ll take in the history of the Renaissance as you compose professional quality portraits and landscapes. The stately, perfectly proportioned architecture of Florence gives us an ideal aesthetic background to work with in our photographic explorations of the city. Our Florentine itinerary includes the Duomo, the Accademia and the Uffizi, the Boboli Gardens, the famous outdoor markets, an artisanal chocolate shop, and so much more. Our base in Florence is a historic 16th-century palazzo just steps from the Duomo in the heart of the city. While in Florence we’ll take day trips into the rolling Tuscan hills to explore some of the most charming villages and small towns in Italy. 

DAYS 7 – 10: VENICE

Venice is our home for the last three days of the trip. This floating, magical city is like no other in the world. In Venice we will visit the majestic St. Mark's Square and Basilica, as well as the bustling and ancient fish market in the Rialto neighborhood. Venice is the perfect city to get lost in with a camera in hand, so we will be sure to wander the silent, narrow back streets and passages in this most charming of cities. We’ll concentrate on light and reflections as we explore the Venetian canals and labyrinthine alleyways and explore the islands of Murano and Burano. This enchanting city on the water will capture your heart and lens like no other and it is the perfect setting to finish up a summer of travel with TFT.

IMPROVING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS

Whether you’re a point-and-shoot beginner wanting to learn how to think like a pro and kick your travel photography to the next level, or an experienced DSLR shooter looking to refine your skills and get fresh ideas, this trip is for you!

Our goal is to teach participants to adopt the mindset of a pro so that with time they learn how to choose their subjects and compose unforgettable shots. In order to provide quality personal attention, we will divide our group into beginner and intermediate/advanced levels. We will concentrate on shooting urban scenes, portraiture, and landscapes, and teach students how to take advantage of available light both at night and in low-daylight/indoor conditions. Basic skills, including proper adjustment of the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture will also be covered.

Essential equipment for all participants:

• Digital camera with manual controls (compact or DSLR)
• Memory card (minimum 4GB), USB cable, camera battery, charger

Recommended Equipment:

• Laptop computer
• Lonely Planet’s “Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures” ($14.95 on Amazon). We will be referencing this book throughout the trip.

Intermediate/Advanced Group: To be considered for the Intermediate/Advanced group, we highly recommend that you bring a DSLR camera. 

Lenses: Many DSLR cameras come with an 18-55mm standard lens, which is great. If you decide to bring more lenses, we recommend a 50mm fixed lens, a zoom lens, or a wide angle lens such as 10-20mm.