Whether you’ve dreamed of visiting Tuscany for the first time or never forgot its beauty and want to return, can you picture yourself in this scenario?
You are visiting a local Tuscan farm that specializes in sheep cheese, you are served an incredible home-made meal outdoors while you gaze upon a stunning view of the Val D'Orcia below. How could you possibly experience this without taking pictures? On the way back to the charming Renaissance town where you are staying for the week, you are driven down a winding dirt road while Barbara, one of your personal guides, teaches you about the gorgeous expanse of flowers and other flora surrounding you. Then Joel, your personal photography instructor, points out several rolls of hay bails set against a picturesque landscape and asks Alessandro, your personal driver, to pull over so you and your fellow travelers can photograph the scene. You consult with Joel to help you with some creative aspects of your photography while Barbara is helping your friend, a less seasoned photo enthusiast, with some settings on her camera.
After capturing this intriguing slice of Tuscan life you return to “your” village and have a cappuccino, soak in some local life, rest a bit and meet later for another fantastic slow meal with local wine pairings. You cap off the evening by experiencing and photographing the sun setting on a panoramic valley of rolling hills, farms and Tuscan villas against a mountain horizon.
This is not only possible and affordable but an actual description of just one day in an 8 day photo workshop conducted by internationally published photographer Joel Wolfson and his wife Barb, naturalist and instructor. Joel and Barb specialize in an un-touristy small group approach to experiencing the Villages of Tuscany. Their workshops are designed so non-photographer companions or spouses have an equally enjoyable experience. They’re offering their "Villages of Tuscany" workshop in May of 2010 and Villages of Provence in September. If you’re thinking about joining this tour, sign up soon. They limit the number of photo participants to 8 people to insure everyone’s participation is personalized.
Here are some links for more information:
Blog from their last Tuscan workshop: http://bit.ly/12LAoc
Villages of Tuscany workshop: http://bit.ly/tuscany10
Villages of Provence workshop: http://bit.ly/provence10
Workshop schedules: http://bit.ly/wkshp
Instructor biography: http://bit.ly/jwbio
For more information on Italy and on how to live the passionate Italian lifestyle of great food, wine and attitude, visit the Toscana Mia Blog
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Comments
I love the idea of a tour like that - relaxing, personal and appreciative of the land. Great column!
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