Day 1 - Saturday - Arrival and welcome dinner
Arrive at Pisa airport to be greeted by your hosts and driven to the 300 year old farmhouse. Whilst enjoying aperitifs on the terrace, there will be a short introduction to the workshops and a chance to chat about your level of experience with your tutors. You’ll then have the time to photograph a stunning Tuscan sunset or capture some evening landscapes before dinner. A delicious evening meal prepared by your talented host Angela all made from fresh local ingredients and accompanied by wine

Day 2 - Sunday - Pienza
You start the day early after breakfast and coffee, where you’ll have your first photography lesson on location near an atmospheric 18th century villa surrounded by rolling hills. A short drive from this villa is the beautiful town of Pienza. This is the home of pecorino cheese and one of the founding towns of Renaissance urban planning together with the focus of your second photographic location of the day. After a delightful picnic lunch in the Val d’Orcia, you’ll return to the farmhouse for a bit of time to relax. You will have a tutorial in the basics of Photoshop before dinner which will be taken out at the local trattoria with the group (at extra cost)

Day 3 - Monday - Sant’Antimo Abbey and Photoshop workshop
Your second day of photography tuition will be taken in the vineyards surrounding Sant’Antimo Abbey, one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in Italy that dates back to the 9th century AD. You will visit the Abbey itself, capturing the play of light on the handsome façade and the atmospheric interior. After lunch your second Photoshop tutorial takes place at the house where you’ll learn some key skills to transform your images. Dinner will be taken at the house, followed by an opportunity to view images from the day and a discussion with the tutors

Day 4 - Tuesday - Bagno Vignoni spa and Gallina
Following breakfast your first stop will be the spa town of Bagno Vignoni and then on to a ruined farmhouse with impressive views over the fields of Gallina. You will put into practice the skills acquired over the previous two sessions and get to grips with lighting challenges. After a picnic lunch you will head back for some time to relax and recap before another Photoshop session in image editing. Dinner will be taken at a local trattoria tonight (extra cost)

Day 5 - Wednesday - Siena
After breakfast you will take off to Siena, a city famous for its history, art, cuisine, museums, medieval cityscape and of course the palio (the traditional medieval horse race) This fantastically picturesque fortified city will be the focus of the morning’s photography. You will practise capturing life in an Italian city through portraits, reportage and architecture. You’ll return to the farmhouse in the afternoon to freshen up before heading up to Montalcino. Founded in the 10th Century AD, Montalcino is one of the prettiest hilltop towns in Tuscany and famous for honey as well as wine and olive oil. You will enjoy a honey tasting before shooting the dramatic sunset from the town wall, before travelling down to Sant’Angelo in Scalo for an al fresco meal in a local trattoria (at extra cost)

Day 6 - Thursday - Landscapes, Photoshop and San Quirico d’Orcia
After breakfast you will go out to photograph striking scenery and classic Tuscan motifs including characterful farmhouses, cyprus trees, winding strade bianche and an isolated church as you put the skills learned over the previous sessions into practice. The Photoshop tutorial focuses on ways to enhance your images and a discussion about printing. Late afternoon light will be captured at the atmospheric church and barns near San Quirico d’Orcia, an enchanting little medieval town in the Val d’Orcia nature park. Dinner is taken out at a local trattoria (at extra cost)

Day 7 - Friday - Sant’Angelo in Scalo, wine tasting & individual review
This morning you will photograph the spectacular view from Sant’Angelo in Scalo over a lake framed by umbrella pines. You will then head up to the pretty stone village of Sant’Angelo in Colle. A great opportunity to taste the area’s fantastic wines whilst in the Val d’Orcia you’ll visit a local winemaker Alessandro Bocci who produces Montecucco DOC wine. You’ll also have a tour of their 15th Century wine cellar in Montenero. There will also be time to speak with your tutors individually and to work on your images. In the evening you will enjoy a finale farewell dinner at the house, where everyone can show their favourite images from the week’s workshops

Day 8 - Saturday - Departure
After breakfast, and also depending on flight times, there may be a chance to have a pasta lesson or an excursion to the seaside to capture Tuscany’s famous rows of pines and seascapes on the way back to Pisa for your flights home. You will return home with fantastic images, enhanced photographic skills and techniques along with memories and flavours of an area of Italy rich in everyway

The itinerary is for guidance only and is subject to change depending on the group’s needs and wishes.

The stunning 300 year old Tuscan farmhouse boasts 3 beautifully furnished apartments with 6 bedrooms.

The accommodation where you’ll stay is a unique blend of traditional farmhouse, complete with beamed and cotta ceilings, combined with the utmost comfort of modern private bathrooms and kitchens. Set in the heart of the striking Italian country side the farmhouse boast 5 acres of land, olive groves where your hosts cultivate their own olive oil and exceptional views, the accommodation is the perfect setting for your photography holiday. The retreat grows olives and also has beautiful gardens and a swimming pool for you to benefit from the warm Tuscan sunshine