Photo Italy, April 2012

Six years ago I received an interesting email from an Italian photographer who was temporarily living in Toronto. His name, Giorgio Milone.  Via my website, this Giorgio Milone saw a similarity in our style of shooting and our approach to photographing people.  He asked me if it would be possible to get together for a “famous Canadian breakfast” and talk about our industry and what it was like to be a Canadian wedding photographer.  In my usual overly busy style I did not have time for a breakfast, instead I offered a half hour tea and an opportunity to come out on a commercial shoot for Dogs in Canada. Within twenty minutes of meeting, we hit it off and kind of knew we were kindred spirits.  Since then we have enjoyed learning and growing from each other about business, art and life. 

In 2006, Giorgio returned the favour of participating in a shoot and gave me the opportunity to photograph my first all digital wedding with him in Tuscany.

 I had been dreaming of going to Italy since I was 19.  I spent 10 days in his beautiful country not as a tourist, but as a guest.  I had meals that were so delicious it is impossible to compare.  (Ladies, I’m sure you’ve read about it in “Eat, Pray, Love”).  

I laughed so much, thoroughly enjoying both the Italian sense of humour and sense of spirit.  Let me tell you, they LIKE to debate!  And, I photographed endlessly.  At last, I had the freedom to explore for countless hours.  I sat with a fountain for a whole morning.   I cherished the timeless sense of time that I had been given.  Italy is beautiful; it is as simple as that.  Life there moves at a different pace, and quite honestly, it is a better pace then what we must succumb to in North America.

So now, it’s time to go back!

Giorgio and I want to create a special photo travel workshop for a small group of people to experience.  Giorgio will lead us through his country like a photographer looking for inspiration, peace and a new point of view.  We want to bring a creative group of people together for an adventurous time.

The journey will begin in Rome on April 15 and take you through tiny villages and many off the beaten path places. We will travel together to Lazio, Abruzzo, Umbria and Tuscany. We will visit the sites of Villa Adriana, Civita di Bagnoreggio, la Scarzuola, Foligno, Spoleto, il Sassovivo, Alba Fucens, Campo Imperatore while we make our way to Tuscany. 
We will steer away from touristy spots and instead explore spaces with interesting stories and sensuous textures.  Some nights we will sleep in villas, other nights a monastery or a castle ruin. We will share many meals together in family-owned cozy restaurants, eating food prepared fresh that day.

 During our time together we will explore these incredible places, exchange ideas, get inspired and treat ourselves to the luxury of truly making time for ourselves to be creative. The photography side of your travel experience will offer demonstrations and creative guidance from Giorgio, Trina and Scott Mooney.  Scott is Trina’s husband and so happens to be the studio’s Photoshop expert. There will be many hours available to you throughout the day for exploring and trying out creative assignments.  We will meet regularly to provide constructive feedback on your images to support you in your artistic development.  And of course, when we are out shooting together, both Giorgio and Trina will be available for one-on-one assistance. 

Our aim is to create an environment for sharing experiences.  We will literally and figuratively “go somewhere new” together!

If you are interested in joining us, please call me at 519-767-2948.

Ciao,

Trina

Photo Italy 2012 details:

7 days from April 15 - April 21, starting and ending in Rome.

$2700

Includes:

• the workshop experience
• admissions to places that are a part of the workshop
• accommodation with continental breakfast (including the night of April 21)
• all lunches 
• transportation 

Does not include:

• flight (we figured it would be more flexible for participants this way to fly on points, and have the option to choose to fly in and out of Rome via other European cities)
• taxes and credit card service fee if paying by Visa or MasterCard

 This workshop is for an intimate group of 10 people.  Our transportation is limited to two vans, therefore it is necessary for travel companions to be participants in the workshop. A $1000 deposit is required to retain your spot in this adventure. The remaining balance is not due until the beginning of April 2012. 
Registration deadline is February 8th, 2012.