Venice Photographic Workshop – Burano Lights – Venetian Lagoon

Burano Lights – Venetian Lagoon

Night Image of Burano Island Italy

During the workshops I give in Venice, I usually visit Burano one of the islands in the Northern Venetian Lagoon. Burano is 45 minute Vaporetto Ride from Venice. the Vaporetto Ride itself is an experience, it’s great to see Venice from the sea.

Burano is known for its lace and its gorgeous colored buildings and home. Around 3000 residents live on the island, in houses that are painted in all the colors of a rainbow. I would highly recommend visiting Burano, you can wander the streets and take photos of this beautifully colorful fishing town, where women stayed home making lace, while the fishermen went out to the sea to fish. Each fisherman was able to recognize their house from afar Because every house was painted in a different color of the rainbow.

1-I opened several raw images and after checking for motion blur and I selected Raw image 4032 CR2 to work with.

CR2 Raw image

 2-In the basic pallet I made adjustments with the exposure +0.60 Highlights -28 and Shadows +27 and set Daylight on the White Balance drop down menu.

Adj made in Basic Pallet

3-Using the Clone and Healing tools I removed a few people, antennas and other distracting

Distractions cleaned with the Cloning and Healing brushes

4-With Nik software Color Efex Pro I used Tonal Contrast to bring down the highlights and pull out the shadows.

Nik software Color Efex Pro I used Tonal Contrast

 5-Next in Color Efex Pro 3.0 I used the Film Effects. In the film drop down menu I selected Kodak Portra 160NC

Color Efex Pro 3.0 – Film Effects – Kodak Portra 160NC

 6- In the Film Effects pallet I selected the Film Details dropdown menu which shows the presets for Sensitivity and Saturation.

Film Effects pallet – Film Details dropdown menu

7-Using the adjustment sliders I tweaked the Color Sensitivity and Saturation.

Adjustment sliders tweaked in Color Sensitivity and Saturation

 8- In the Film Effects pallet I selected the Film Details dropdown menu which shows the presets for Grain.

Film Effects pallet – Film Details dropdown menu Grain presets

9-I set the sliders to 0 on all grain setting to removed the grain preset for the film type      selected. I  usually do not want grain effects on my images.

Film Effects pallet – Film Details dropdown menu Grain set sliders to 0

      

2013 Lucca, Greve and San Gimignano in Tuscany with our final day in Rome

Lucca, Greve and San Gimignano in

Tuscany with our final day in Rome

Oct. 23-29 2013

$775 / Limited to 8 Students

Moonrise over the Curia, Roman Forum

Lucca an ancient Etruscan walled city 20 miles north of Pisa is a great place to spend our first day capturing images. Pisa has an International airport and is a major train hub which makes it an easy entry and exit location. The Etruscan city’s were taken over by the Romans when there influence spread first through Italy and then the known world.  In the Heart of the Tuscan region we’ll be capturing images while staying in the Chianti countryside with time for wine tasting a cooking class and some Photoshop work. San Gimignano built by the Etruscans and known for its skyscraper towers that were built by wealthy merchants during the Renaissance. Ancient Rome beckons to be photographed from the Vatican to the Colosseum and so much more. Our field time will be spent on composition and proper use of light. We will spend some time processing images using Photoshop and Nik Software to help you with your processing skills. There are training video at my website and tutorials at my blog that you will be able to reference when you are processing images at home. Our goal is to teach you how to capture   beautiful images and explore how to create the images that continue to inspire.

• Learn tips and tricks used by the professionals to create impressive photographs.
• Discover new viewpoints, interesting details which might be overlooked, see the
world photographically.
• Learn to sense the direction of light and how to capture the magic moment.
• Improve your photographic technique.
• Learn your camera and how to get the most out of it.
• Have fun!

Brief Itinerary:

Day One: 4pm get together in Lucca, Italy to go over equipment and if time allows Photograph   at sunset.
Day Two: Photograph at sunrise in Lucca then relax over breakfast before heading to Chianti.
Day Two– Five: Photograph at sunrise and sunset in the Tuscany, Italy and when the light is right.
Day Five: Photograph at sunrise in the Tuscany, Italy then relax over breakfast before heading to Rome for afternoon and sunset images.
Day six: Photograph Sunrise in Rome and go over final thoughts over breakfast before saying goodbye.

Rome is an Ancient city full of history and after breakfast I would recommend taking  a small group tour with Steve and or Grazia after breakfast on October 29 to learn some of Rome’s history. There knowledge of  the history and architecture in Rome is always a treat.  http://enchantingrome.com/

2013 Pisa and Lucca in Tuscany and the Cinque Terre Photographic Workshop

Pisa and Lucca in Tuscany,

the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera 

Oct. 17-23 2013

$775 / Limited to 8 Students

Riomaggiore-Cinque Terre

Pisa famous for its Leaning Tower and the Piazza dei Miracoli is a great place to spend our first day capturing images.  Pisa has an International airport and is a major train hub which makes it an easy entry and exit location. The Cinque Terre is rich history is the perfect photographic venue with a variety of images that are wonderfully unique. The Cinque Terre is a beautifully rugged stretch of coastline with five tiny villages set like jewels into the Ligurian Coast, we’ll capture it’s charm and beauty. It is one of those places people tend to read about once and then dream about forever. Lucca an ancient Etruscan walled city 20 miles north of Pisa is a great place to spend our first day capturing images

We will photograph sunrise and sunset in these wonderful cities. Our field time will be spent on composition and proper use of light. We will spend some time processing images using Photoshop and Nik Software to help you with your processing skills. There is a training video at my website that you will be able to reference when you are processing images at home. Our goal is to teach you how to capture beautiful images and explore how to create the images that continue to inspire.

• Learn tips and tricks used by the professionals to create impressive photographs.
• Discover new viewpoints, interesting details which might be overlooked, see the
world photographically.
• Learn to sense the direction of light and how to capture the magic moment.
• Improve your photographic technique.
• Learn your camera and how to get the most out of it.
• Have fun!

Brief Itinerary:

Day One: 4pm get together in Pisa, Italy to go over equipment and if time allows Photograph at sunset.
Day Two: Photograph at sunrise in Pisa then relax over breakfast before heading to the Cinque Terre for afternoon and sunset images.
Day Two– Five: Photograph at sunrise and sunset in the Cinque Terre, Italy and when the light is right.
Day Five: Photograph at sunrise in the Cinque Terre, Italy then relax over breakfast before heading to Lucca for afternoon and sunset images.
Day six: Photograph Sunrise in Lucca and go over final thoughts over breakfast before saying goodbye.

When the Music Stops – The Florian Venice, Italy

Venice a Photographic Treasure

When the Music Stops – Venice, Italy

 

Venice which is one of my favorite places to photograph was our first stop for the Italian October Photographic workshops. Venice’s elegant decline holds stunning photographic treasure waiting to be discovered.  Walking down every walkway one has only to look around every corner to find wonderful courtyards with storefronts and elegant old palaces each having its own story waiting to be photographed.

Since its beginning Venice has literally risen from the sea. Situated in a strategic position on the Adriatic Sea, Venice is comprised of 117 small islands floating in the Venice Lagoon. With easy access to the major sea lanes of what  was then the civilized world during the period from the 11th century till the 17th century, it grew to become the commercial powerhouse of the Mediterranean.