Tuscany Photo Tour (7-Day) Italy 2024
- Regular price
- $6,180.00 AUD
- Regular price
-
$6,180.00 AUD - Sale price
- $6,180.00 AUD
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- per
SFR 3600,00 | Euro € 3750.00* | US$ 3985.00* Per Person Sharing
TUSCANY IN SPRING/FALL PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR
TUSCANY - ITALY 2024. Join us on our next ‘Chianti Region’ Photo Travel Tour spring edition, where we will take you to the most breathtaking locations Tuscany has to offer. Fully guided by two seasoned travel professional experts, Martial Fatton, Blue Tongue Tours’ landscape photographer, and Sam Letizia, local guide - My Italy Your Way. Let yourself be charmed as we scroll the old historic cobblestones of Tuscany, exploring its most iconic sights, as well as some of our favourite hidden gems.
Escape the busy touristic circuits, experience a private and personalised itinerary specially designed for photographer as we explore Tuscany’s backcountry from first light to sunset. The Italian Chianti Region in spring is spectacular, the fields are in full bloom, sprinkled with shades of lush green backdrops, yellow and white blossoms, bright red poppy fields, wild climbing roses, and intense pink Sulla, "lupinella selvatica", (French honeysuckle) - flowers.
TUSCANY IN THE SPRING & AUTUMN IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE TIME TO VISIT FOR SO MANY REASONS. THE COUNTRYSIDE COMES TO LIVE AND THE LIGHT IS JUST RIGHT!
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FULLY GUIDED 7-DAY PHOTO TOUR OF TUSCANY IN THE SPRING/FALL
valley, as well as enjoying the last light at specially selected prime shooting locations.
In addition to spectacular iconic photography landmarks such as the medieval hill towns of Montepulciano, Montalcino, Monticchiello, San Quirico d’Orcia, and Castiglione d’Orcia, you will also have the opportunity to enjoy a rustic private Italian cooking class and food photography session. We guarantee a wealth of photographic opportunities, including small group tuition, practical notes and one-to-one support tailored to your individual needs while on-location learning the importance of composition, available light and non intrusive street photography techniques.
A unique opportunity to work alongside professional photographer Martial Fatton and LTG Global Awards Winner Blue Tongue Photography Tours.
Tour Highlight and Inclusions
This Exclusive small-group photographic adventure has been carefully put together, allowing you to experience a diversity of breathtaking Tuscan landscapes and iconic scenery. We guarantee a wealth of photography opportunities, including small group tuition, practical notes and one-to-one support tailored to your individual needs while on-location learning the importance of image composition, available light and night photography techniques.
We like to think of ourselves as explorers rather than tourists and our approach to this photo tour reflects our slow travel philosophy. By spending six nights based between a couple of location, we will be able to experience the daily rhythms of life in small Tuscan towns.
- Experience a unique itinerary specially designed for photographers
- 6 night twin-share accommodation in specially selected accommodation
- Refer to 'Date & Cost' for single room supplement
- Sumptuous breakfast (6x) during the duration of the photography tour
- Welcome dinner on your fist evening in Tuscany
- Comfortable air conditioned vehicle (incl. 2 water bottle pp p/day)
- Private cooking class and food photography session
- Small group size - min. 4 to max. 7
- 1x instructor and 1x local tour guide/ driver
- Landscape, architecture, street & people photography tips
- An array of iconic landmarks with plenty of photography time
- Panoramic views over Tuscamy at sunset
- Breathtaking sunrise shoot in the charming Tuscan country side
- Montepulciano, Montalcino, Castiglione d'Orcia and other spectacular sites
- Short accessible walks to explore some of the best photo locations on tour
- At least 2 sunrise & 2 night photography session
- Camera settings & technique to take the perfect shot every time
- As it is our own personalised photo tour, we can stop when and where we want!
- Personalised photography advise from Martial - Professional landscape photographer
- Fully escorted tour in English, French and Italian
- Photography group of 4 – 7 participants maximum
- Complimentary Lightroom / Photoshop editing session, advice and trouble shooting
Dates
June 1 to 7 | 2024 (SOULD OUT) (7 Days)
October 19 to 25 | 2024 (7 Days)
Cost: AU$ 6180* | single supplement AU$ 1375.00*
SFR 3,600.00 | Euro € 3,750.00* | US$ 3,985.00*
A 5% discount apply to those coming from the Venice or Dolomites tour.
Note: all prices have been calculated in Swiss franc, exchange rates between currency may vary from day to day.
Single supplement SFR 600.00, Euro € 612.00, US$ 648.00
Take 5% off of the total costs of any tours when you sign up for 2 or more international tours* or two+ participants on the same tour (*conditions apply, not valid with any other offers, applicable only when booking your seat (s) directly with Blue Tongue Tours). Spouse, companion & non-photographer welcome.
This Tuscany photo tour is offered as a stand-alone or post – Venice or Dolomites tour extension May 2023 or Zermatt & Paris May/ August 2023. It is a perfect tour to include a non-photographer companion. Observers/ non-photographers companions can either tag along while you are out taking photographs, or do their own exploring of Tuscany’s surroundings and we’ll all meet up in the evenings to share a few stories of the day’s events.
A $1500 non-refundable deposit will secure your spot. Click here to make your deposit »
What is included?
- 6 nights accommodations
- All Breakfasts (6x) and welcome dinner (1x)
- Daily private transport to our photography locations
- All entrance fees and tolls as well as ground transport throughout the duration of the tour.
- Martial & Sam's expertise in guiding and photographic instruction
What is not included?
- Airport transfer to pick-up and drop off locations
- Meals, lunches, dinners & alcohol
- Personal spending money
Level of physical difficulty: 2 out of 5
This 7 Day Tour / Workshop starts in Venice for those coming the Dolomites or Venice tour & Florence/Siena (Pick-up location TBC closer to the date). It is suitable for beginners and experienced photographers of all ages. A moderate level of fitness is required (some walking/ steep hills and uneven ground).
Itinerary
Tuscany in Spring/Autumn Photo Travel Tour (6 Nights)
Tuscany in the spring & Autumn are my favourite times to visit, it is truly one of the most exciting cities in the world to explore and photograph. This Landscape & Travel Photography Tour gives you the opportunities to learn all the inside tips and tricks you need to know on how to capture amazing Landscape, people images, architecture and amazing nightscape as we explore the iconic countryside of Tuscany.
Plan on spending the evening in Florence or alternatively Siena if you are not already with us on the DOLOMITES OR VENICE PHOTO TOUR depending on the seasons. This will allow you time to get some rest before the tour begins and also ensure that we can leave on time for the start of our Tuscany Photo Tour.
DAY ONE
If you are continuing the journey with us directly after the Dolomites or Venice Photo Tour, we'll meet at Venice Train Station in the morning and travel together to Florence, where our personal driver & local guide will be awaiting our arrival to take us down to Tuscany
Our Tuscany Photo Tour group meets in Florence Train Station at 1pm for departure to Tuscany via our second pick up point in Siena. It is roughly a 90 minutes journey between Florence and our accommodation in Tuscany. After checking into our hotel, we will have an orientation meeting to get to know each other and go over the agenda and final tour itinerary for the next 6 days. Martial will give you a short tutorial on how to set your camera to take the perfect short every time and how to use of your histogram before heading out to explore the area and capture our first sunset at a location nearby.
Due to prices structure, exchange rate and room availability, we don’t always stay in the same hotel, however we always stay central. Address will be confirm in due time.
DAY 2 - 6
We’ll have 5 full days to explore the magical Val d’ Orcia region and beyond with our own vehicle and private driver/ local guide. The destinations we will visit include the medieval towns of Montepulciano, Montalcino. Montichiello, Castiglione d’ Ocia, San Quirico d’ Ocia and explore some of the iconic rolling hills and Terrapille farmhouse in the area; this is some of the most iconic landscape in Tuscany and scene featuring in move like Gladiator with one of our own, Aussie actor Russell Crowe.
On some mornings, you will have the option to rise early to capture the breathtaking Tuscan countryside in the early morning light, during the blue hour and at sunrise, with the morning mist rising in the valley before enjoying breakfast back at our accommodation. Or you can enjoy the comfort of your bed for an extra couple of hour – your choice!
All our selected accommodations offer a healthy and wonderful buffet breakfast. Daily after breakfast, Sam Letizia, our local guide & private driver, will take us to specially selected photography locations to capture and explore some of the region most charming and remote sites, including medieval towns, a day in the vineyards, private wine tasting and a couple of star gazing evenings, under the guidance of Martial Fatton, your professional landscape photographer and tutor/ guide.
In addition to eating authentic Tuscan cuisine in a variety of small local restaurants in the evening, we’ll enjoy some light delightful lunches in villages that we’ll explore each day, enjoying fresh local Tuscan produce while taking time to pause and relax on a small terrace under the Tuscan sun.
In the evening, when all the tourists have gone back to Florence or continued on to Rome, we’ll enjoy the peacefulness and tranquility of the smaller charming country towns, enjoying a cheeky glass a limoncello or some local grappa on a terrace. We like to think of ourselves as travellers and explorers rather than tourists, and our approach to our photography tours reflects our ‘go slow, get down & get close’ small group travel philosophy. By spending 5 nights based in one location, we are able to experience the daily rhythms of life in a small Tuscan town.
DAY 7
Our Tuscany Photo Tour group will depart after breakfast with a stop at Siena Train Station or Florence for those not continuing with us on the Cinque Terre Photo Tour and leaving us today, where you can catch a connection to Florence (app. 1.5hrs) or Rome (app. 3hrs).
Tuscany in Spring is a must do, the countryside is in full bloom, sprinkled with shades of greens and foggy mornings!
September has a warmer and more peaceful end of summer feel, but equally as nice and romantic.
A perfect add-on before your TUSCANY PHOTO TOUR is our ITALIAN DOLOMITES OR VENICE PHOTO TOUR or following straight after our TUSCANY TOUR join us on our CINQUE TERRE PHOTO TOUR extension.
* This is a sample itinerary, our itineraries are subject to change depending on weather and other circumstance beyond our control. Changes in the itinerary are always made to provide our guests the best possible experience, in a secure and professional way.
Photography Outline
Landscape, nature, architecture and night photography
In addition to great daily photo opportunities and night excursions, we will also touch on the following photography topics, including:
- Understanding your camera
- Working with available light [read & understand the light]
- Dare to go manual Vs Auto camera settings
- How to read your histogram and how to fine-tune-it
- Adjust your image exposure in relation to your subject
- Depth of Field calculation
- What lenses should you use?
- Camera settings to take the perfect shot every time
- Image composition, the golden rules and how to break it!
- Filters, Neutral Density and Neutral Density Grads
- Long exposure and waterfalls
- Night photography tutorial
- Capturing raw
- Introduction to Photoshop & Lightroom Post-processing
Personal Items and Weather Conditions
Temperature range for this time of year: 12C to 25C in May and 18C to 25C in Sept – early October, but it can get very cold and humid.
Average monthly rain for this time of year: 4day/ May and 5day/ Sept
Two pairs of shoes: One sturdy pair for in the field that you can get wet if we have a rain day. One pair for evenings or the next day in case the first pair is not dry.
Light weight rain jacket and rain pants. You don’t have to go all out here, but it will also help you to keep warm at night. * I really suggest a rain jacket if nothing else, the rain gear will keep you dry when walking in the countrysite in the early hours of the morning. I have a pair of Teflon rain pants & jacket, super light and perfect to keep in you camera bag in case of a sudden change in the weather.
Hat and sun screen protection.
Be organised and pack smart. Sturdy shoes, hat and sunscreen are essential. We will email you a more detailed and updated recommendation list on what to bring with your booking confirmation depending on the time of the years and weather conditions. I recommend packing a basic easy to grab jacket or lightweight rain coat, etc. in a smaller backpack or in your camera bag in case the weather changes suddenly.
A warm jacket, long trousers and a jumper or light jacket during spring & the late summer month is a must. It can get really cold late afternoon with the sea breeze all year round.
Please pack light, as we have limited amount of luggage space in the Van - one piece of luggage plus a camera bag per person. I usually travel with a 40x60cm case including my close and personal items, plus a backpack style camera bag. Laundry service is usually available in most hotel and accommodations. Some airlines are also now charging for more than one piece of checking luggage.
Equipment
Camera Equipment
Your favourite DSLR camera, a multi focal lens (i.e 18-70mm) or fix lens, the wider the angle the better (i.e 14, 18,20mm full frame camera and 10, 12mm cropped sensor camera), and a medium to long-range lens (i.e. 80-300mm), plenty of memory cards and fully charged batteries. A small steady tripod & cable release for long exposure is essential. Don’t forget to bring your camera manual if you are not 100% sure about your camera functions.
Please note that for better results a recent DSLR digital camera is preferable (0-5yrs old) as technology changes. Polarizer filter, Neutral Density and grabs filters are not a prerequisite but are great tools to have for long exposure and colour saturation.
This workshop is suitable for beginners and advanced photographers of all ages, however a good sense of humour and minimum fitness is recommended. Sturdy shoes, suitable warm cloths, drink bottle, a head torch and a good camera bag… remember, you will be the one carrying your own photography gears!
Tour Extensions
A perfect add-on before your Tuscany Photo Tour is our popular Dolomites & Venice photo tour in Northern Italy or after your Tuscany Photo Tour to join us on our 4-Day Cinque Terre photo tour
Take 5% off of the total costs of any tours when you sign up for a second European Tour or TWO+ participants.
Italian Dolomites
May 4 to 11 | 2023 (7 nights)
Click here for more information »
Venice (Italy) | Queen of the Adriatic
May 11 to 15 | 2023 (4 nights)
Click here for more information »
Cinque Terre (Italy) | Land of the five villages
May 21 to 24 | 2023 (3 nights)
Cancellations, Refunds, Guides & Weather Policy
Cancellations and Refunds
Cancellation Policy: A 25 – 50% non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your seat depending on the tour that you have selected - refer to individual itinerary. Seats to be paid in full at the time of booking or within 4 weeks of departure on all Australian tours except all extended tours; 8 weeks for Karijini, Exmouth to Broome, Golden Outback & Southwest WA, Margaret River, Kalbarri Coral Coast 5-Day and Wave Rock, and 12 weeks on all extended European & USA tours including: Paris, Zermatt, Venice, Tuscany, Italian Dolomites, Swiss & French Alps tour and USA Canyons & National Parks. Cancellations less than 30 days on day tours no refund; 12 weeks for all extended tours, including: Karijini, Exmouth to Broome, Golden Outback & Southwest WA, Margaret River, Kalbarri Coral Coast 5-Day and Wave Rock, it also includes all our international tours & workshops: Paris, Zermatt, Venice, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Italian Dolomites, Swiss & French Alps tour and all the North American tours. Deposits non refundable except tours cancelled due to sever weather, mechanical failure or minimum numbers not met; full refund will be given. Minimum and maximum numbers are at the discretion of the operator. Tours already commenced no refund. No refund for tours missed due to lateness & sickness. Travel insurance and public liability (in the even you accidentally damage someone else property) are mandatory on all our extended tours and highly recommended on day tours as well. Check-in 15 minutes prior to departure. Maximum 1 baggage* per person i.e. Camera bag water bottle jumper (Extra luggage* allowance on all extended tours (1 pp – personal effects) NOTE: We cannot guarantee that you will see kangaroos emus or any wild animals on our tours nor wildflowers as they are seasonal. For MasterClass workshops extended tours and international travel policy please check our website or individual tours.
Tour Guides
Our tours leader is Martial Fatton – Blue Tongue Tours Owner/ Operator, however we reserve the right to provide a photographer of our choosing, which we guarantee is competent of their position. Your assigned photographer might change from initial notification until the tour departure due to illness, engagements or any other reason deemed necessary by Blue Tongue Tours, not limited to the photographers listed on this site. While we do our best to match you with a photographer of your choosing if requested, for these reasons we cannot guarantee a specific photographer for an individual tour.
Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of inclement weather, before the tour commences, you have the option of a) continuing the tour as planned and we’ll do our best to concentrate the tour to areas sheltered from the elements. At prior request, we can provide an umbrella. Or b) rescheduling the tour at no additional cost (availability permitting).
Itineraries are subject to change depending on weather and other circonstances beyond our control. Changes in the itinerary are always made to provide the best possible experience and safety of our clients!
