Cinque Terre Photography Workshop and tour
Photograph this UNESCO World Heritage Site in Italy
small group photography workshops
Photograph outstanding coastline
The Cinque Terre is a beautifully rugged stretch of coastline on the Italian Riviera with five tiny, colourful fishing villages set like jewels into the Ligurian Coast. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park; an area recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
This breathtaking landscape, rising from the turquoise blue sea, provides stunning views. Over the years it has attracted many writers among them the English Romantic poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron.
For the photographer, it offers a myriad of opportunities.
You will learn…
- Appropriate camera settings
- Lens choice
- Working with the available light
- Composition techniques
- Depth of field & focusing
- Exposure & the histogram
- Use of filters
- Shooting in low light
- Shooting panoramas
- Long exposures with water
Ability level
- Suitable for all except the complete beginner
Fitness/Mobility Level
- Good – quite a bit of walking will be required to get to some of our shooting locations. There are uphill sections, numerous flights of steps and also uneven ground.
Tutors
- Sarah Howard with assistance
Workshop Details
Group Size
Max 8
Dates
April 15th - 19th 2024
Duration
4 days / 4 nights
Price
Workshop fee - £1130
(Deposit 30%)
Accommodation - €650 (£555)
Meeting Place
Pisa Airport
Photographic Locations
Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Portovenere, Corniglia, Monterosso
Included
4 days of photographic tuition and demonstrations, 4 day train pass, boat ticket to Portovenere, park entrance fee, all tuition fees
Excluded
Flights, 4 nights single occupancy ensuite accommodation with breakfast (€650), Pisa - Monterosso al Mare return train ticket, all meals other than breakfast, personal insurance, equipment insurance
Accommodation
4 nights at Hotel Villa Adriana, Monterosso (single occupancy ensuite bed and breakfast) - I can arrange this for you but you will pay the hotel directly.
Waiting List
To be informed of new dates or cancellations please click the icon to fill out the waiting list form.
Insurance
We recommend you take out both personal and equipment insurance.
Improve your Photography skills whilst taking in the stunning scenery of the Ligurian Coast.
A photogenic landscape sculpted by Man
The jagged and steep coastline, which stretches for over 15km between Levanto and La Spezia, has been shaped by its isolation and transformed by man over the years into an intensively terraced landscape suitable for agriculture, such as growing vines and olive trees. Adapting to the rough and inhospitable land, man built compact settlements directly onto the rock with winding streets, grouped round religious buildings or medieval castles and small fishing harbours. The area and its five villages, which date back to the later Middle Ages, represent the harmonious interaction between man and nature to produce a landscape of exceptional scenic beauty.
Photograph colourful fishing villages
Part of the appeal of the Cinque Terre is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars are not encouraged. In fact, the area was almost inaccessible, except by the coastal paths and the sea, until the Genoa-La Spezia railway was built in the 1870s, passing through all the villages and Portovenere. Being harder to access has helped to protect its unique heritage.
Over the course of the workshop we’ll explore the area at our leisure travelling on foot and by local train; the best way to access the villages. We’ll also be walking on the ‘Sentiero Azzuro’; a trail which connects the five villages. From this trail we’ll find some wonderful, dramatic views of the coastline and villages.
Portvenere
Aside of the coastal views, at street level there are also tremendous photographic possibilities down at the harbours and of the colourful houses. Let’s also not forget the locals who nurture the surrounding vineyards and who themselves provide for some wonderful photo opportunities.
During our time here we will take a boat trip to Portovenere; a village known for its picturesque harbour lined with brightly coloured houses, and also for San Pietro Church, perched at the edge of the rocky promontory.
Charming harbours and cobbled streets
Each village possesses its own charm and personality, and we will explore and photograph them all. Some great shots are to be found by wandering the narrow streets, capturing details and little cameos that all help tell a story of the region.
The oldest village; Manorola, is home to colourful houses which cling to the rugged cliffs. It has more grapevines than any other Cinque Terre village and a waterfront promenade lined with fishing boats.
Nearby Vernazza which has a long history as a fishing village, is decidedly quaint and perhaps the most characterful of the five. The steep cobbled streets which cut through the closely packed houses provide interesting backdrops against which daily life unfolds.
Cinque Terre Photography Workshop - General Information
The workshop is aimed at anyone who wants to improve their photography so photographers of all levels of experience are welcome. It is not suitable for the complete beginner.
We will give you both practical and technical advice, as well as individual guidance and hands on demonstrations in the field.
Aside of helping you choose the best camera settings, we will also look at composition, developing your vision and the use of various filters.
I will be on hand to provide as much support, advice or guidance as you want.
We will be staying at the 3 star Hotel Villa Adriana in Monterosso, approximately 7 minutes walk from the train station. The hotel is just a short distance by train from the villages of Vernazza and Riomaggiore. 4 nights single occupancy accommodation will be arranged for you but you will pay the hotel directly at the rate of €650 (approximately £555)
The nearest airport is Pisa to which low cost flights are available with Easy Jet from Gatwick or BA from Heathrow. Exact pick up/drop off times will be confirmed but based on the current schedule, pick up will be at at 12 midday on the 15th and drop off at 9:30am on the 19th.
Please contact me BEFORE booking your flights.
You will be met at Pisa airport on April 15th at 12 midday and together we will transfer to our hotel in Monterosso by local train. The journey should take around 1.5 hours. We will meet later in the afternoon again for introductions and a programme brief before our first shoot followed by dinner. Our photography commences again the next morning with a sunrise shoot and runs through until sunset on the final day. There will be an optional sunrise shoot on the last morning before our transfer back to the airport (time TBA).
We will visit a number of locations over the course of the workshop which will offer you numerous challenges and allow you to fully explore your creative potential.
There will also be time to review and critique your images and the opportunity to discuss them together as we look back on our photography.
The workshop has a relaxed format and is designed to be enjoyable as well as well as educational, so aside of improving your photography you can also enjoy the beautiful surroundings and most importantly have fun!
A minimum of 5 photographers is required for this workshop to proceed. PLEASE DO NOT BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS until I give the go ahead.
Transport will be by local train and boat throughout. You will also be on foot some of the time.
Good – there are a number of steep streets in the Cinque Terre as well as uneven ground on some of the walks.
1-2
- DSLR or mirrorless camera ideally with both wide angle and telephoto lenses
- Tripod
- Cable/remote release
- Whilst not essential, you will benefit from bringing neutral density graduated filters; a polariser and a neutral density filter.
- A rain cover for your camera.
- A laptop and card reader is very useful to select and review your images for the purpose of our image critiques but not essential.
Before buying any equipment or if you are unsure of what to bring, please email sarah@imageseen.co.uk for more information.
Please ensure that you insure your photographic equipment. It is also recommended that take out personal insurance in case you need to cancel.
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