VAL D’ORCIA, TUSCANY, ITALY

May 22-28 2016 – 6 nights/7days
Cost: $ 2,799
Tour Leaders: Doug and Lorenza Sloss
Group size: Max 6 / Min 3
Availability: Registration Closed

With its iconic landscapes and ever changing dramatic light, the Val d’Orcia region of Tuscany is a photographer’s dream come true. Come join us next spring as we tour and photograph the  fantastic Tuscan landscapes. With its medieval castles and hill top villages overlooking gently rolling hills sprinkled with charming farmhouses, groves of cypress and rows of vineyards, it’s no wonder the Val d’Orcia is an internationally recognized Unesco World Heritage Site, protected as a natural and cultural park.

The Tour

You will be traveling with Doug and Lorenza, great photographers and all-round nice people. On our trip, mixed in with beautiful photography and hands-on instruction, you’ll be able to enjoy wine tours, city tours and classroom learning, in the perfect combination. The Val d’Orcia is an area of great beauty where an almost perfect and enchanted landscape can be explored alongside the area’s rich cultural, artistic and historic heritage. Its incredible beautiful landscape made of gentle rolling hills, scattered with medieval hamlets and small towns, olive groves and vineyards, has been celebrated and loved for centuries and has been an inspiration for all artists. Photo opportunities in this region are endless, and we know exactly where they are and the right time to photograph them.

We’ll often get up before the sun does and have some long days, but walking distances are limited, which make this tour easy and accessible to everyone. We’ll also make some time to rest and post process, discuss and evaluate our images, maybe with a glass of wine or two! We like to keep our group small, max 6 people, to dedicate extra attention to each of our guest in a friendly, laid back atmosphere.

Also with Lorenza, our Italian in the group, there will be nothing lost in translation!

The perfect accommodation for our Tuscany Photo Tour

We’ll be staying just outside Pienza, where we’ve reserved an entire Agriturismo, a family run Tuscan farmhouse ideally located near many of Val d’Orcia iconic locations to fully live our experience immersed in nature.

The farmhouse dates back to the 1400s and in every single detail you’ll see and feel the love the owners have poured into restoring this place. The apartments are simple yet elegant, they are furnished in the typical rustic Tuscan style and fully equipped with everything you need, including a kitchen. In front of the building, set in a spacious garden and looking over the spectacular landscape of the Crete Senesi, is the pool, where you can spend time tasting the farmhouse’s very own handcrafted beer. In the warm and welcoming atmosphere of their restaurant, we’ll be enjoying meals with only fresh, genuine, locally produced Tuscan ingredients that have been carefully chosen and sourced from here and other local farms.

Reserve your spot to come photograph Val d’Orcia and enjoy the peaceful, slower pace of life in the countryside with us. Bring back incredible images and unforgettable memories.

Some of the Tuscan highlights we’ll visit during the tour:

  • The sweeping vistas of the Val d’Orcia, home to many of Tuscany’s iconic photo spots
  • Podere Belvedere, Cappella della Madonna di Vitaletta
  • Agriturismo Terrapille (The Gladiator Road)
  • The Romanesque Abbey of Sant’Antimo
  • Bagno Vignoni and the thermal waters of Piazza delle Sorgenti
  • San Quirico and the famous cypress grove of Torrenieri
  • Guided city tours through the medieval streets of Pienza and Montepulciano
  • Hilltop visits to the communes of Castiglione d’Orcia, La Foce and Monticchiello
  • Wine tours in two of the great wine regions of the Val d’Orcia
  • The roofless Abbey of San Galgano 
  • Siena, its Piazza del Campo, Il Duomo, and the Torre di Mangia
  • The lunar landscapes and charming farmhouses of the Crete Senese
  • Post-processing instruction and image critique sessions with Doug and Lorenza

Topics and Techniques we’ll cover in the field and classroom:

  • How to create compelling landscape compositions
  • How to properly expose for an image in a variety of light
  • Understanding DOF in order to properly focus for a landscape scene
  • Focus stacking and Panoramic Images
  • How to photograph the night sky and bring out the Milky Way
  • Workflow techniques for Lightroom and Photoshop
  • Raw conversion and color correction 
  • How to use adjustment layers and masks to bring your photographs to life 
  • Using Luminosity Masks and Exposure Blending for maximum dynamic range 
  • Creative dodging and burning to shape light in your photo 
  • The Orton Effect for fine art 
  • How to best sharpen for the web 
  • Post-processing instruction and image critique sessions with Doug and Lorenza
  • May 22-28 2016  –  6 nights/7 days

  • $ 2,799

  • Single Room Supplement: $500

    Prices are based on double occupancy. Single rooms are subject to availability. We try to accommodate participants who request single accommodations, as well as those looking for a roommate. If a single room is requested or if we are unable to find you a suitable roommate, you will be required to pay the supplement.

  • Still looking for answers? You’re welcome to contact us with your specific questions.

Deposit and Cancellation

  • A deposit per participant is required at the time of registration to reserve your spot.
  • Trip fee balance is due 120 days before tour begins.
  • Payment in full is required when registration is completed less than 60 days before the departure date.
  • Trip fee cancellation policy:
    91 day or more before tour begins: $300 cancellation fee.
    61 to 90 days before tour begins: $500 cancellation fee.
    31 to 60 days before the tour begins: 50% of the tour price is non-refundable.
    30 days or less before tour begins or anytime after departure: 100% of fee is non-refundable.
Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information.

REGISTRATION OPEN

Deposit: $500.00

What’s Included:

  • 6 Nights accommodation (May 22-28)
  • Pickup and transfer from Florence Santa Maria Novella (SMN) rail station to Val d’Orcia
  • All transportation around Val D’Orcia during the photo tour
  • All breakfast and dinners
  • 2 extensive wine tours
  • 3 guided city tours (Montepulciano, Pienza and Siena)
  • In field and classroom photo instruction
  • Post-processing instruction and image critique sessions with Doug and Lorenza
  • Transportation back to Florence Airport or Train Station

What’s Not Included:

  • Airfare and transportation to and from Italy
  • Transfer to and from airport and hotel in Florence
  • Snacks and drinks outside of our included meals
  • Wine and other alcoholic beverages
  • Tips for guides, etc
  • Departure transfer / Train ticket
  • International medical and travel Insurance

While our travel itinerary is never set in stone, daily adventures for the Tuscany Photo Tour typically look like this…

Sunday May 22nd

We meet you at Florence Santa Maria Novella (SMN) rail station at 1:00 PM after which we’ll immediately depart for the Agriturismo La Fonte, our home base for the week. It’s about a 2 hour drive through beautiful countryside which will give us our first visual taste of Tuscany.  After checking in, we’ll have a welcome party by the pool to meet each other and unwind from our initial travels. Over some wine and cheese, we’ll casually get to know one another and touch on all the exciting and beautiful places we’re going to see and photograph.

As the sun begins to set we’ll head for the high walls of Pienza a few kilometers away, and arrive at our first shooting location of the week for sunset.  From here, we’re offered a grand sweeping vista of the Val d’Orcia bathed in the warm light of afternoon  and a wonderful view of the Agriturismo Terrapille, the farmhouse made famous in the movie “Gladiator.”  Wth its cypress lined road, the Gladiator Road is one of the most photographed scenes in Tuscany being the setting of the scene where Maximus returns home.  After sunset, we’ll head back to La Fonte for a delicious home-cooked Tuscan meal, a brief orientation for the next day’s plans and a good night’s rest.

Monday May 23rd

Our day starts early at a location just a few kilometers outside La Fonte. This morning, we’ll drop below the walls of Pienza for our first sunrise session. We’ll greet the first rays of morning light, photographing the famed Agriturismo Terrapille from various vantage points taking advantage of the changing light and early morning mist as it moves through the valley. We’ll then move to a second location before heading back to La Fonte for a delicious breakfast and warm mug of cappuccino before downloading our morning images and having a master class session on post-processing and composition.

After a short period of relaxing by the pool grounds of La Fonte, we’re off to Montepulciano, a medieval and Renaissance hill town and commune famous for its pici pasta and Vino Nobile both produced in the surrounding countryside. We’ll have a quick lunch then go in a guided tour of town before heading into Cantina del Redi’s massive wine cellar cut deeply into the rock under the town to ensure a consistent cool temperature for aging the area’s most famous wines. After exploring the cellars and an Etruscan Tomb below, we’ll resurface to taste the famous wines and cheese of the region.

Before leaving Montepulciano, we’ll photograph the Sanctuary of San Biagio from above, then make our way back towards Pienza photographing the sanctuary and town from a lower location. As afternoon light begins to bathe the landscape with warm tones, we’ll explore more of the surrounding hillsides, centering around the Podere Belvedere to learn the importance of location scouting. Afterwards we’re off towards the Capella di Vitaletta to photograph the sunset before returning to La Fonte for a well deserved dinner and hand crafted beer.

Tuesday May 24th

We are up early well before sunrise to go photograph Il Belvedere, one of Tuscany’s most famous and photographed villas. As the sun rises and the morning mist dissipates, we’ll photograph the the locations we scouted the night before for different takes on this classic tuscan villa. Afterwards, well explore more farmhouses, villas in the soft warm light of morning before heading back for breakfast and another informative masterclass on post-processing.

We’re then off to Pienza for a walking tour of town, a quick lunch and sampling of pecorino cheese and then on to Monticchiello to explore this quaint hilltop village and its surrounding countryside. After a mid-afternoon cappuccino and pastry to revive us, we are off to Bagno Vignoni and its famous thermal waters in Piazza delle Sorgenti. An earlier dinner this evening will afford us plenty of time at our sunset location tonight, the famous cypress grove near Torrenieri. If conditions permit, we’ll photograph well into the blue hour before heading back to our farmhouse for an evening glass of wine and discussion of the day’s adventures.

Wednesday May 25th

This morning we’ll greet the rising sun near Poggio Covili photographing this agriturismo from vantage points both high and low to capture some unique imagery of this classic farmhouse. We’ll also explore Castiglione d’Orcia and the surrounding countryside before heading back to La Fonte for an early breakfast before our next adventure. While the morning light is still soft, we are off to photograph the Romanesque Abbey of Sant’Antimo.

After exploring the hilltop town of Montalcino, we’ll have the opportunity to tour one of the most prestigious cantinas in the area to taste the region’s most famous wine, the Brunello di Montalcino, and sample some of the local meats and cheese. By mid-afternoon we’re on our way back towards Pienza to capture more sweeping panoramas of the region and enjoy a delicious dinner at another farmhouse before turning in for the evening.

Thursday May 26th

It’s a massive day of exploration as we head out well before dawn to arrive inside the Crete Senesi region to greet the sunrise. We then make our way to Siena for hot coffee, pastries and breakfast before a guided morning tour of Siena, where we’ll explore the city’s quaint narrow streets, discover a unique vantage point high inside the Torre di Mangia and walk around the Il Duomo photographing its famous interior and artwork.

There will be plenty of time to explore, have lunch, do a bit of shopping and sample some local sweets before we head back towards Pienza for more imagery of the Crete Senesi farmhouses in warm, afternoon light. We’ll photograph sunset near San Quirico or Pienza before having our evening meal at La Fonte. Should the night skies permit we can even head back out and photograph the Milky Way at a nearby secret location.

Friday May 27th

Another sunrise greets us this morning and after breakfast we head out to explore the area around La Foce. With so much to explore we may leave todays activities up for a vote to possibly revisit some locations or head out and explore some new compositions. Whatever we do, it will be an adventure!

Saturday May 28th

Up early for one last sunrise and morning session near our agriturismo. Then back to La Fonte for breakfast to pack for our return to Florence. We can then drop you off at the airport or train station where you can return home or continue your travels in Italy.

Photo Gear:

  • You’ll need a DSLR and one general-purpose high quality zoom lens at a minimum. Bring a Nikon, Canon, any other brand or a mirrorless system. If you have a camera body backup, bring that along too.
  • Sturdy Tripod – You’ll capture better images with one. Need a recommendation? Manfrotto and RRS make great tripods that fit various budgets. Ideally you’ll want one with a ballhead that can accommodate camera/lens plates – which make it easy and stable to switch back and forth between horizontal and vertical compositions.
  • Lenses –  For photographing the Tuscan landscape, a good wide angle zoom (14-24, 16-35, 17-35, 17-40), a mid range zoom (24-70, 24-105) and a telephoto zoom like a 70-200 are ideal. You can get buy with just one high quality zoom lens, but if don’t have all this glass or want to try something new, BorrowLenses.com or LensRental.com both offer attractive rental packages that will get you through the week and rest of your travels.
  • Laptop so you can download and review your images after each day of shooting and preferably with Lightroom and Photoshop on it to download and process photos during the week
  • Filters – While not required, having a select few in your pack can help you create stronger images in certain situations. A Circular Polarizer, ND Filters, and the Big Stopper are just some recommendations which can help cut glare, balance in camera exposure and boost creativeness.
  • Memory cards – Three is a good number. Just have enough to get you through an entire day of the tour without having to download images. That way you can download and backup your images in the evening, then reformat your cards for a fresh start each morning.
  • A remote trigger for your camera’s shutter.
  • Batteries and appropriate chargers for your camera. Italy is in Europe so don’t forget power converters if you need them.
  • Consider getting a rain cover for your camera. Even if the weather is bad, we’ll get some awesome shots. And don’t forget to bring along a lens cleaning cloth.
  • If you’re interested in making panoramic images, consider bringing along some panoramic gear.
  • A comfortable camera backpack for carrying all your gear – I personally use the F-Stop Loka which is excellent
  • While we recommend travel insurance for every adventure, consider some additional EQ insurance for your photography gear and look into Lenstag, which helps locate and recover stolen gear fast.

Personal Items and Weather Conditions:

Average temperature for this time of year:  55°-70° F  (9.4° – 16.5°C)           Average monthly rainfall for this time of year: 3 inches (8 cm)

Try to pack and travel as light as possible. Ideally, this means having one piece of luggage and your camera bag. Traveling light makes air travel easier and allows you to move around airports, train stations, cities and accommodations with less effort.

As we’ll be spending a great deal of time outdoors, please make sure you bring at least a light weight rain jacket in case it rains. A comfortable pair of hiking boots or sturdy walking shoes will suffice for the trip but Tuscany mornings generally have plenty of morning dew throughout the tall wet grass, fields and back roads of the countryside so you may also want to consider a pair of gaiters to keep your pants dry or bring along some lightweight rain pants. As shoes can get wet during our adventures, you may also want to bring along a change of shoes so you’ll have dry footwear for the evening.

It also can be somewhat cool this time of year during early morning photo shoots, so consider packing a fleece, sweater or lightweight jacket to keep you warm during our morning sessions. And once the sun rises, you may want a hat and sunscreen to protect yourself as well.

Reserve your Spot