A Few Spots Remain for Summer 2012 Workshops

Learn more about your personal response to photography and see how you can develop your own style by joining me in Tuscany and Venice in early June of 2012.

A workshop is one of the best ways to really grow as a photographer because it’s one of the few times when you can really concentrate on yourself as a photographer. We’ll spend our time immersed in both photography and Italian culture and you’ll learn from other participants as well as from my years of experience of photographing and thinking about photography.

For more information, see the links below or drop me an email or give a call to 630.202.3635

Workshop students at work!

Jeff Curto Italy Photo Workshops – 2012

Registration Now Available for the Summer, 2012 Italy Photography Workshops in Tuscany and Venice!

In Search of the Personal: Photographing
Southern Tuscany
Saturday June 2 to Saturday June 9, 2012

The Val d'Orcia, Tuscany - Photo by Amanda Dussault, Workshop Participant 2009, 2010 & 2011

How do photographers develop a personal style? When – and how – can a photographer begin to establish a direction in his or her work? Perhaps most importantly, what makes a photograph become a “personal” statement?

We will work though a variety of strategies to help us tap into that creative part of our photographic selves. Through lots of image making, a blend of  formal and field instruction and plenty of time for discussion and critique, we will work to uncover themes and lines of vision that may not have been previously evident to you.

And we’ll do it in Tuscany!

There are few places on earth like Tuscany. Its landscape is the landscape painted by the great artists of the Renaissance. Its architecture is known for its sense of proportion, beauty and attention to minute detail. Its people are distinctive, friendly and resilient. Its food presents simple flavors with extraordinary precision and grace.  Its light is soft, enveloping and revealing. This experience will allow you to experience Tuscany’s remarkable culture, people, landscape and hill towns and work towards a personal photographic response to the Tuscan sense of place. I will push you to go beyond the picturesque and help you discover your own response to the texture, rhythm and spirit of Tuscany.

We will divide our photographic time between rural and urban locations and everything in between. There will be big towns that hustle and bustle and villages so small that fewer than two dozen people reside there and time has stood still. We’ll photograph churches set in remote landscapes and cathedrals perched on the highest point of the hilltop towns. Twisting roads lined with cypress, endless fields dotted with the colors of spring wildflowers and gems of architecture will spread out before our cameras. You will meet – and photograph – Tuscan artisans who make wine, cheese and olive oil. You will learn about Tuscan art, culture and history. Some mornings, we’ll be up early to catch morning light; some evenings, dinner will wait while we catch the last rays of the sun. Our driver will get us to the right places at the right time for the right light.

Venice: Light, Atmosphere & Drama
Saturday June 9 to Wednesday June 13,  2012

Venice: Piazza San Marco at sunrise - Photograph by Jeff Curto

Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.” So wrote Truman Capote. Other writers and artists and poets have tried to capture the essence of a city that Italians call “La Serrinissima” – the most serene one. It’s a city of water and stone but also a city of tremendous atmosphere and theatrical drama. Once one of the richest and most powerful republics in all of Europe, Venice is now one of the most well-preserved historic cities in the world. It’s made up of 118 islands connected by footbridges and riddled with winding canals, creating a place that has an amazing quality of light and presence that is all its own.

Photographically, our objective will be to capture both the dream that is Venice and the everyday life of Venetians in their water bound world. Our time will be divided between the theatrical riot that is the central part of the city, the quieter and less touristed “sestieri” or neighborhoods outside of San Marco and the placid solitude of the Venetian lagoon and its outlying islands. We will also make time to look at and contemplate the images we make, with critique, guidance and advice I will help to push  you  towards richer, more complete photographs.

Working from the delightful and centrally-located Hotel Al Piave, we will work on photographing the essence of a city that is made up of light, air, water, stone and drama. I will work with you to help you develop your own response to this astonishing and magical city. Writer Fran Liebowitz said, “If you read a lot, nothing is as great as you’ve imagined. Venice is — Venice is better.” She’s right.

See work from previous workshoppers here!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2012 Venice Photography Workshop – Details & Itinerary

Venice: Light, Atmosphere & Drama
Saturday, June 9 to Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Only Three spots remaining; contact Jeff now to hold your place: jeff@jeffcurto.com or 630.202.3635

Piazza San Marco at sunrise - Photograph by Jeff Curto

Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.” So wrote Truman Capote. Other writers and artists and poets have tried to capture the essence of a city that Italians call “La Serrinissima” – the most serene one. It’s a city of water and stone but also a city of tremendous atmosphere and theatrical drama. Once one of the richest and most powerful republics in all of Europe, Venice is now one of the most well-preserved historic cities in the world. It’s made up of 118 islands connected by footbridges and riddled with winding canals, creating a place that has an amazing quality of light and presence that is all its own.

Photographically, our objective will be to capture both the dream that is Venice and the everyday life of Venetians in their water bound world. Our time will be divided between the theatrical riot that is the central part of the city, the quieter and less touristed “sestieri” or neighborhoods outside of San Marco and the placid solitude of the Venetian lagoon and its outlying islands. We will also make time to look at and contemplate the images we make, with critique, guidance and advice helping to push you  towards creating richer, more complete photographs.

Working from the delightful and centrally-located Hotel Al Piave, we will work on photographing the essence of a city that is made up of light, air, water, stone and drama. I will work with you to help you develop your own response to this astonishing and magical city. Writer Fran Liebowitz said, “f you read a lot, nothing is as great as you’ve imagined. Venice is — Venice is better.” She’s right.

Register for the workshops here!

Day 1                           Saturday, June 9

Some workshop participants will be continuing on from the previous week’s Tuscany Workshop, but for those who are just joining in at this point, you can meet us in Venice at Hotel Al Piave.

Get out and begin to explore Venice on your own before you gather before dinner for introductions and some general instruction from Jeff. We’ll talk about some ways that we can approach the challenges of photographing in Venice and lay out our plans for our time together in this inspirational city.

Day 2                       Sunday, June 10

Now that you’ve had a good night’s rest, we’re ready to begin our photographic exploration of Venice in earnest. Where else to start but St. Mark’s Square?

Our expert guide will meet you and escort you on a walking tour of this romantic city that begins in San Marco Square with the magnificent Basilica of San Marco. One of the most unique cities in the world, Venice offers priceless art, stunning architecture and an element of mystery with its canals and winding alleyways. Admire the church’s rich, detailed mosaics and the sculptures that adorn this enchanting structure. Next, learn about Venetian art and style with a tour of the gothic Doge’s Palace that dates to approximately 1309, and its trove of treasures. This visit concludes in the Rialto area where clients will stroll over the city’s oldest and best-known Rialto Bridge to end in the bustling Rialto Market for a glimpse of local life.

As you’ve seen, Venice has its fair share of monuments, museums, and decorated churches, but frankly just about the best thing you can do today is ignore all the sights and just wander the streets aimlessly. You won’t have to try too hard to get lost, but… it’s OK; you’re on an island so you can’t get too far off track. You’ll stroll past slowly decaying Gothic palaces decorated with pointy Byzantine windows, stumble across pocket-sized campielli (squares) where the news du jour is exchanged and discussed, and duck into the shade of a tiny bar to share a glass of wine (ombra here in Venice) with the locals. To best avoid the tourist crowds, head deep into the residential neighborhoods of Castello (especially in the eastern half); northern Cannaregio, especially the Ghetto (the medieval Jewish quarter); and La Giudecca, another large Venetian island not connected to the rest by any bridge.

Burano Wall - Photograph by Jeff Curto

Day 3                  Monday, June 11

We’ll have a relaxing morning of informal critique, photographic instruction and discussion and, after lunch, get around like the Venetians do… by vaporetto or water-bus. You’ll first visit Venice’s birthplace, T orcello, which is about a 40-minute ride from the main islands of Venice. It made its reputation as a haven 1,500 years ago — nearly 500 years before Venice became an empire — when mainlanders, escaping invading barbarians, settled here. Venetians love to go there once in a while as they are attracted by its calm and the greenness of the island. Unlike Murano and Burano, T orcello is practically uninhabited and still has a lot of archeological proof of its glorious past, including a magnificent Byzantine-Italian cathedral, the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, dating back to 639 A.D. The mosaics of this church alone — especially those of the 12th century Madonna and Child and the 11th and 12th century Last Judgment — are worth a visit to the island. But while the opulence and artistry on the walls are arguably as fine as can be found anywhere, don’t forget to look down. The floor mosaics complete the medieval kaleidoscope.

Next stop: Burano, with its brightly painted houses, is world-renowned for intricate lace making and provides countless artistic opportunities. There are many charming yards and squares where drying laundry adds to the general decorative gaiety of Burano. Along the lagoon shore you’ll find superb views of Torcello (with, on a clear day, a mountainous backdrop) and smaller islands like San Francesco del Deserto. The town of Burano covers the island, with several small canals acting as thoroughfares. There are a couple of larger squares, and many little lanes and alleys. The town’s fishing industry can be glimpsed along the canal sides and around the island’s shores, where there are tiny fishing harbors. There are no essential tourist attractions other than the island itself and its general ambience. Apart from the painted houses, Burano’s most identifiable landmark is the island’s church, San Martino, which has an impressively-leaning bell tower, to rival the most slanting of Venice’s campanili. Inside the church is a Crucifixion by Tiepolo.

You’ll then enjoy dinner on Burano before heading back to our hotel.

The Rialto, Venice - Photograph by Jeff Curto

Day 4                  Tuesday, June 12

This morning, explore the Dorsoduro sestiere with an expert guide. You’ll spend about 90 minutes together and then you’ll be able to go off on your own. Dorsoduro, with its art colleges and university, has long been home to artists, designers, writers and educators. In 1750, the Gallerie dell’Accademia (now a museum housing such masterpieces as Giorgione’s “Tempest” and an array of

Bellinis) first opened as an art school. Peggy Guggenheim, the American heiress and inimitable art patron, settled in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni in 1949, which is now home to the outstanding Guggenheim Collection.

The city’s oldest squero, a boatyard for building gondolas, is around the corner of two canals, San Trovaso and Ognissanti. The boatyard is a startling sight: three wooden lofts constructed in a decidedly Tyrolean style appear like an oversized alpine cuckoo clock rising out of a lagoon. Dating to the 17th century, the boatyard was built by the original gondola-makers, all natives of the Dolomite Mountains, where wood for boat-building was harvested.

In the Ca’ Rezzonico, a splendid 18th-century palace facing the Grand Canal, is a fantastic 1788 Battaglioli painting, “La Laguna Gelata” (“The Lagoon Frozen Over”); in it, figures in a gondola armed with an ax chop their way through the ice. Designed by Baldassare Longhena, architect for the Salute Basilica, Ca’ Rezzonico was incomplete at the time of his death and passed through various families. Robert Browning’s son owned it in the late 19th and the poet died there in 1889. Cole Porter rented it for several seasons in the 1920s, playing host to a dazzling Red and White ball in the 5,600-square- foot ballroom. Since 1936, Ca’ Rezzonico has been open as a museum dedicated to the 18th century in Venice. Handsomely renovated in 2002, the picture galleries feature the marvelous Zianigo frescoes by Giandomenico Tiepolo.

Dorsoduro has one of Venice’s liveliest squares, Campo Santa Margherita, where you will see Venetians living their everyday lives—kids kicking soccer balls around, old men talking and playing cards, women shopping for daily staples. There is a wonderful quay area, Zattere, to stroll along the water. Gelateria Nico is in this area; they have wonderful gelato. The fruit flavors are truly divine.

Return to the hotel in the early afternoon for image download and preparation of a slideshow of your best images, arranged into a group that is informed by theme, composition and concept.

Dinner together.

Rialto Market Triptych - Photograph By Jeff Curto

Day 5                  Wednesday, June 13

Take a private boat to the Santa Lucia train station or the airport for your departure.

Register for the workshops here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2012 Tuscany Photography Workshop – Details & Itinerary

In Search of the Personal: Photographing Southern Tuscany
Saturday June 2 to Saturday June 9, 2012

Only four spots remaining; contact Jeff now to hold your place: jeff@jeffcurto.com or 630.202.3635

The Val d'Orcia, Tuscany - Photo by Amanda Dussault, Workshop Participant 2009, 2010, 2011

How do photographers develop a personal style? When – and how – can a photographer begin to establish a direction in his or her work? Perhaps most importantly, what makes a photograph become a “personal” statement?

We will work though a variety of strategies to help us tap into that creative part of our photographic selves. Through lots of image making, a blend of  formal and field instruction and plenty of time for discussion and critique, we will work to uncover themes and lines of vision that may not have been previously evident to you.

And we’ll do it in Tuscany!

There are few places on earth like Tuscany. Its landscape is the landscape painted by the great artists of the Renaissance. Its architecture is known for its sense of proportion, beauty and attention to minute detail. Its people are distinctive, friendly and resilient. Its food presents simple flavors with extraordinary precision and grace.  Its light is soft, enveloping and revealing. This experience will allow you to experience Tuscany’s remarkable culture, people, landscape and hill towns and work towards a personal photographic response to the Tuscan sense of place. I will push you to go beyond the picturesque and help you discover your own response to the texture, rhythm and spirit of Tuscany.

We will divide our photographic time between rural and urban locations and everything in between. There will be big towns that hustle and bustle and villages so small that fewer than two dozen people reside there and time has stood still. We’ll photograph churches set in remote landscapes and cathedrals perched on the highest point of the hilltop towns. Twisting roads lined with cypress, endless fields dotted with the colors of spring wildflowers and gems of architecture will spread out before our cameras. You will meet – and photograph – Tuscan artisans who make wine, cheese and olive oil. You will learn about Tuscan art, culture and history. Some mornings, we’ll be up early to catch morning light; some evenings, dinner will wait while we catch the last rays of the sun. Our driver will get us to the right places at the right time for the right light.

La Foce, Tuscany - Photo by Andreas Overland, Workshop Participant 2010

Because we will work with digital photographic equipment, we’ll be counting on its rapid feedback and we will be able to critique our images individually and via digital projection as a group. I will work with you as you edit your downloaded images to help you find your own personal sense of the places we’ll explore. Because the group will be shooting together and editing together,  you will learn a lot from your fellow students as well.

I have limited this experience to a maximum of 7 photographers in order to ensure the best level of personal instructional attention. While I welcome participants with any level of photographic experience, most participants will have a basic understanding of photographic processes and technology and should be comfortable using their digital SLR camera in manual mode.

Register for the workshops here!

Day 1       Saturday, June 2       Rome to Pienza

We will meet at a pre-determined location in Rome at 9:00 a.m. and transfer to Pienza, our base for the week. On the way to the property, we will stop in Civita (Drive is 84 km, will take about 1 hour, 50 minutes. Civita di Bagnoregio (now two towns due to erosion), one of the most impressive sights in the area. Dated back to the Etruscan period and partially rebuilt it in the medieval period, it is a little town where just 30 people live, with no cars or supermarkets. It requires a bit of a hike on foot, but it’s worth it. Stroll, explore, and sketch the town for a couple of hours. We’ll then stop for lunch at Il Fumatore before we continue on to Pienza.

Then we’ll move on to our base for the week, Il Chiostro di Pienza, where you’ll settle in and explore the grounds. If you’d like, have a glass of wine before dinner as we get to know one another. We’ll then enjoy a traditional Tuscan dinner, prepared for us at the hotel, review the program, and prepare for our first full day tomorrow.

Tuscany, 2010 - Photo by Lewis Dunn, Workshop Participant 2010

Day 2       Sunday, June 3     Pienza

Stay in Pienza today. After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll start by seeing the highlights of this important city with an expert guide. The tour will include an overview of the town by foot along the cobblestone streets, the Cathedral built by Rossellino between 1459-1462, the Piccolomini Palace with its collections of antique Furnishings, paintings and weapons, and a stop in the pecorino cheese shops lining the quaint streets.

In the afternoon, you’ll be able to photograph as you’d like and get input from Jeff. Meet in the early evening for additional instruction and a casual dinner in town.

Day 3         Monday, June 4

Tuscany, 2010 - Photo by Kathryn Caruthers, Workshop Participant 2010

Meet for breakfast. We’ll then depart at 8:30 for a combination of visits to some or all of these these charming places (depending on time). San Quirico d’Orcia surprises at every turn of its medieval streets: stone archways, Gothic churches, the Romanesque-Gothic Collegiata and the Horti Leonini, a superb example of the Italian garden. The enormous garden opens into a wide perspective flight, the effect of which is helped by the perfectly geometrical beds of box hedge. In Castiglione d’Orcia there are marvelous views from the Rocca (castle) over the Val d’Orcia. Lunch at Pane e Companatico. Jeff and the driver know the area very well and will determine the specific itinerary at the time.

Before dinner, enjoy an extremely interesting talk by Maria Elena Torchio, an expert in all things Sienese. This will help set the stage for our day in Siena tomorrow. We’ll then enjoy dinner together in Pienza.

Day 4          Tuesday, June 5

Siena, Tuscany, 2009 - Photo by Bud Hines, Workshop Participant 2009

After an early breakfast, we will proceed to Siena, often referred to as Italy’s most beautiful hill town, with its enormous scalloped-shaped Campo, its marble black and white striped Duomo facade, and its superior placement on three ridges, offering beautiful vistas over this medieval city. You’ll break for lunch on your own, followed by more photography or time to explore the city independently; the choice is yours. We’ll return to Il Chiostro at about 3:30, where we will download, edit, and critique images.

Tonight dinner will be at Il Rossellino, a very small and wonderful place in the center of Pienza.

Tuscan Countryside - Photo by Barbara Kohn, Workshop Participant 2010

Day 5        Wednesday, June 6

Sant' Antimo, Tuscany - Photo by Kathryn Caruthers, Workshop Participant 2010

Breakfast and meeting followed by a late morning departure from Il Chiostro.

We will head into the countryside to visit an artisan cheesemaker, and learn about cheese production, followed by a light lunch consisting of pecorino cheese, salami, salads, bruschetta made with the estate’s extra virgin olive oil.

We will then proceed to one of the highest Tuscan hill towns, Montepulciano. There are dozens of Renaissance palazzi and churches, odd-shaped squares and corners, and, of course, a Duomo to photograph. There are plenty of opportunities for tasting the famous Vino Nobile di Montepulciano at local cantinas as well.

After we finish our time here, we will venture to the beautiful estate of La Foce , for a tour of the gardens in the late afternoon/early evening. This estate has a wonderful history. The Villa itself was built in the late 15th century as a hostel for pilgrims and merchants traveling on this busy road. In 1924 the property was bought by Antonio and Iris Origo, who dedicated their lives to bringing prosperity and cultural and social changes to this poverty-ridden land. During WW II, the Origos took care of many children whose parents sent them there from the north of Italy. Today the estate – a combination of woods, cultivated fields and olive groves – is run by the Origo daughters, Benedetta and Donata.

Dinner on the way back in Pienza, at Il Terazzo Val d’ Orcia, which is just outside the city walls.

We’ll then head back to the hotel for some time to work on your images.

Day 6       Thursday, June 7

We’ll begin the day with an early breakfast and an 8:00 departure in order to make the most of the unique properties of the early-morning light. After 40 minutes or so, we will arrive at the gorgeous Abbazia di Sant’Antimo, situated in magnificent solitude. One of the most beautiful Romanesque structures in Italy, Sant’Antimo provides endless photographic opportunities, both outside and inside (photography not allowed during services). If we are lucky, we’ll be able to hear the monks chanting, which occurs seven times per day.

Proceed next to the Altesino Winery for a tour and tasting with a light lunch.

Next, we will proceed to the town of Montalcino, a very well-heeled town, famous as the birthplace of the excellent Brunello di Montalcino wine, made entirely of the Sangiovese grape. You’ll have time on your own to explore; perhaps you would enjoy a visit the 14th-century fortezza, and drop in to the Enoteca la Fortezza wine-tasting shop which is located under the fort.

Day 7       Friday, June 8

We’ll focus on our work at the Chiostro today. Free morning to enjoy and photograph Pienza as you’d like. After lunch on your own in town, download and edit images, and receive instruction in creating an audio slideshow of your best images from the week. Final critique and dinner at the hotel.

Day 8      Saturday, June 9

After saying our goodbyes, we’ll depart for the Chiusi train station after an early breakfast and you

can take a train to your next destination, be it Rome to fly out, Venice to continue with the workshop, or someplace else on your own. (Note: If you have other plans that don’t fit well with that, we can work with you to make alternative arrangements.)

We are proposing the 9:02 train from Chiusi to Florence. If people are not continuing on to Venice, they can then leave the group there in Florence. Arrive at 10:48. For those continuing on, 11:25 train from Florence to Venice, arriving at 13:33.

For those who are just joining in at this point, you can meet us in Venice at Hotel Al Piave.

Get out and begin to explore Venice on your own before you gather before dinner for introductions and some general instruction from Jeff. We’ll talk about some ways that we can approach the challenges of photographing in Venice and lay out our plans for our time together in this inspirational city.

Register for the workshops here!

Workshop Students - 2009

 

 

 

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