ITALY - Fine Photography, Fine Wine and Fine Food
SOLVENIA- Photograph The Undiscovered
OCTOBER 7 – 15, 2016 – ITALY
OCTOBER 16 – 22, 2016 – SLOVENIA EXTENSION
ITALY - Fine Photography, Fine Wine and Fine Food. Join Randy Hanna for a photography trip into two of the most iconic areas of Italy - Tuscany and Umbria. Throughout this adventure I will be working closely with Max, my local guide, to take you to iconic photography locations as well as those special treats that are off the beaten path. While our focus will be photography, we will enjoy exploring fine wine and fine food along the way; in fact, this adventure includes one formal wine tasting event and a wonderful cooking class. An optional extension into Slovenia will follow this trip.
You will be collected from the Rome airport on the morning of October 7, the first day of our adventure. We will depart from the airport at 10:00 a.m. sharp and travel along scenic roads to Spello, stopping along the way at renowned scenic locations. We will check into our 4-star hotel in Montefalco, then enjoy a memorable dinner that will set the stage for the rest of our trip.
Days 2 and 3 (8-9 Oct) are dedicated to exploring and photographing Spello, Assisi and Spoleto and their numerous treasures. From the Saint Francis house to the little narrow streets of Assisi and their mystical atmosphere, you will experience something absolutely unique and off the beaten path. We will visit the oldest winery of Umbria and treat ourselves to a much-deserved wine tasting.
Day 4 (10 Oct) brings us real mountains as we drive up to the village of Norcia continuing to Mount Vettore. We will be photographing at the oldest village of Umbria, Castelluccio di Norcia and the Pian Grande. Both are a photographer’s heaven. The village is also known for gourmet food and is regarded as the Italian capital for Black Truffles and pork.
On Day 5 (11 Oct) we’ll depart Umbria and ‘shoot’ our way to Tuscany, with a stop in Cortona for a true Italian lunch like you’ve never experienced before. Our new home will be 4-star accommodations in the San Gimignano area. We will base the rest of our trip out of this area as we explore Siena, San Gimignano, and Monteriggioni.
Day 6 (12 Oct) is all about Siena and its treasure trove of photographic delights. From old world churches and scenic streets full of flowers to breathtaking views and rich culture, Siena is one of the oldest Roman villages that has been transformed over the centuries from a medieval walled town to a charming hilltop village. With photography opportunities around every corner, you will be very busy.
On Day 7 (13 Oct) we will photograph the fabulous medieval village of San Gimignano where you will experience the feeling of an untouched medieval strategic town that has been perfectly preserved. After our day of photography, we will treat ourselves to a wine tasting at a private vineyard owned by the descendant of the Mona Lisa, the Princess Guicciardini-Strozzi.
Day 8 (14 Oct) will have us photographing the castle of Monteriggioni. The afternoon has us slowing down just a bit as we experience a Tuscan cooking class in a classic farm-style setting next to our hotel. This will be our final wine and dinner event to top off a wonderful adventure.
Day 9 (15 Oct) will be our travel day back to the Rome airport. You should not book your departure flight before 5:00 p.m. For those continuing on the Slovenia extension, you will overnight in Rome at the Airport Hilton. This is the end of the Italy portion of our trip.
SLOVENIA EXTENSION
Day 1 (16 Oct): we will fly from Rome to Trieste and transfer to Ljubljana and go onward to Lake Bled. The adventure starts with an afternoon shoot to capture ‘golden light’ at iconic Lake Bled. Evening get-together for a welcome dinner and to discuss plans for the remainder of tour.
Days 2-4 (17-19 Oct) will be focused on Lake Bled and the Julian Alps. We’ll take 2 full days to explore the beautiful Gorenjska region starting with a sunrise shoot at the shore of Lake Bled. From Bled Castle, perched on the cliff top, we’ll capture superb panoramas of the lake with its island and Baroque church.
We’ll visit the spectacular Vintgar Gorge, a perfect location to experiment with capturing fast-flowing water and to try out some long exposures. Our second glacial lake is Lake Bohinj, which has a very different feel than Lake Bled. Here we’ll take time to hone our composition skills at the lake shore and capture creative reflections. A short drive takes us to several surrounding picturesque villages where you’ll have the opportunity to capture traditional agricultural architecture including the landmark hay racks of Slovenia and classic scenes of rural village life. We will cap off the evenings with lakeside sunset shoots.
Days 5-6 (20-21) will have us exploring and photographing Ljubljana and central Slovenia. We leave the Alps and head to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia and a gem of a city. During the next 2 days we’ll wander the charming streets of the old city, camera in hand, and capture the highlights such as the baroque churches, diverse architectural details of buildings, and the castle. We also will try our hand at some street photography and candid portraits in Ljubljana’s bustling marketplace and along the café-strewn riverbanks. Depending on weather, we’ll make a half-day trip from the city into the countryside to capture a few of Slovenia’s many scenic locations.
On Day 7 (22 Oct) we will depart from this wonderful gem of a county. Following breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer to the airport and begin our journey homeward or onward. End of services.
Price: Italy: $5,295 per person sharing, single supplement $1,100
Price: Slovenia Extension: $4,295 per person sharing, single supplement $750.00
WANT TO JOIN US? Simply call Eyes on Africa at 1-800-457-9575. You can also email Nicky@eyesonafrica.net to request your spot. PLEASE copy furnish me on your signup at randy.hanna@gmail.com
What’s included:
Italy: All transportation, meals, lodging from the 7th thru the end of the trip, one formal wine tasting, one Italian cooking class, the services of a professional photographer, and the services of an English-speaking guide for the entire trip.
Solvenia: All transportation starting in Rome on the 15th, transfers, hotel in Rome on the night of the 15th, all meals, lodging, the services of a professional photographer, and the services of an English-speaking guide for the entire trip.
What’s not included: International flights, visas or international transit fees, tips for our local guides, and anything not specifically mentioned in the inclusions.
What can you expect? First off, we will take great care of you. There will likely be more food and wine that you need and the photography opportunities will be grand. The photography will be both structured and unstructured which will allow you to follow your feet on several occasions. There is nothing like exploring the meandering cobble stone streets looking for those unique photos that usually get away from everyone else. You can expect most of our trips to focus on those locations that are off the beaten path. We will be staying in 4 star hotels or equivalent during our entire trip.
Randy will be with you the entire trip as your photo leader and will cover classic landscape techniques such as using ND filters, long lens landscape shooting, long exposures, special effects and much more. He also will help you improve any Lightroom or Photoshop skills that you desire to work on. Max will support us in Italy and Luka will support us in Slovenia. Non-photographers are welcome!
Photo credits: Italy: Kevin Kubota, Slovenia: Luka Esenko, used with permission.