Our Photo Workshop in Puglia is for adventurers! Located on the heel of the boot in southern Italy, Puglia remains largely undiscovered and still holds a rawness and an authentic experience for photographers. The welcoming people of Puglia, the sunshine and the thousands of years of history make this a rich photographic experience each time we visit.
We will experience the unique Trulli houses in and around Alberobello. We’ll photograph seascapes and towns that cling to the outcrops on the Adriatic Sea. The pre-historic town of Matera with its cave dwellings will be our home for 2 nights and we will venture into a true Italian ghost town.
Activity Level: This tour requires good fitness, as we’ll walk 2-3 miles per day in and around the towns we visit.
Pre-Workshop: Fly into Bari or Brindisi (a little closer) and train to the city of Lecce where we’ll meet up. Alternatively, fly to Rome and take a train (5 hours, 40-100 Euro) to Lecce. Arrive a day or two early to recover from jet lag and enjoy this beautiful and historic town.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 | Lecce
Stay the night in ancient Lecce, called Florence of the South.
Day 2 | Ostuni / Alberobello
Called the “White City”, Ostuni sits perched on a hilltop, laced with narrow streets and whitewashed buildings.
Stay in an ancient an Masseria resort among the olive orchards nearby (4 nights).
Day 3 | Locorotondo / Pugliano a Mare
Locorotondo is a maze of charming streets circling to the top of the hill (the name means round place). It’s very much like the hill towns in Tuscany except the people and food are uniquely Pugliese.
Polignano a Mare is perched over the sea on a giant rock outcrop. We’ll eat lunch in a grotto looking at the Adriatic Sea and then get our feet wet in this part of the Mediterranean.
Day 4 | Gargano Peninsula / Rodi / Vieste
The Gargano juts deep into the Adriatic Sea and holds one of the nation’s most pristine national parks.
We will walk the whitewashed towns of Rodi and Vieste, clinging to outcrops and threaded with tiny alleyways that open to the blue sea.
Day 5 | Alberobello
Spend some time with the people of Alberobello.
Street shooting and architectural themes.
Rest and relax.
Eat and drink well today!
Days 6-7 | Matera
Stay in Matera (2 nights), a UNESCO world heritage site, where people have lived in caves continuously for over 9,000 years. Matera and its people make for fascinating photography.
Day 7 | Craco
Ghost town shoot and then a free evening back in Matera.
Day 8 | Workshop wrap-up and farewells
Depart for Brindisi or Bari airport or continue with Drake to Ravello on the Amalfi Coast (extension trip).
Amalfi Coast Extension | 3 Nights/4 Days
Visit Greek temple at Paestum on the way to Ravello. Stay 3 nights in beautiful Ravello, overlooking the coastline with spectacular views, gardens and restaurants.
Day trip to coastal towns of Amalfi, Positano and Atrani.
The Workshop
Our curriculum has been tweaked and pruned over 18 years to offer you only the essential tools you need. We recognize that we only have a week with you… no time to impress you with our expertise or bore you with technical trivia.
Workshop Sessions
Classroom time (one-hour sessions) is devoted to reviewing your daily images on-screen and offering helpful suggestions. In the field, our discussions center around better composition and finding great light. And of course, answering your technical questions and helping you master your own equipment.
Workshop Leader
Drake Busath, the originator of Italy Workshops, has 30 years experience living and traveling in Italy. Drake speaks Italian and has guided hundreds of photographers of every skill level to favorite regions all over Italy.
He will share what he’s learned over 35 years photographing Italy and encourage you to identify and develop your own personal style while in Italy. More about Drake
Staff
Trip Manager
A trip manager accompanies each group with 8 guests or more. This person anticipates all our travel needs as a group (i.e., restaurant reservations, ferry tickets, gelato, snacks for your room, etc.).
An experienced trip manager allows the instructor to instruct full-time instead of chasing down logistics. This is your guarantee of a safe and smooth week of learning.
Special Guest Instructor
We make it a point to invite friends with special talents as guests on the workshops, so you never know who you’ll be rubbing shoulders with.
World-class photographers who have joined us include landscape specialist and gallery owner Randy Collier, portraitists Michael Taylor and Tim Walden, editing software guru Kevin Kubota, landscape and wildlife expert Dennis Hammon, editorial photographer Jeff Allred, nightscape specialist Royce Bair, Italian pro Luigi Barbano and writer Dr. Ray Ownbey.
Ask if there will be a special guest attending your workshop.
Office and Registration
Italy Workshops offices are located in Salt Lake City, UT in the historic downtown mansion of Busath Studio & Gardens. Please feel free to stop in and visit.
We are open and reachable by phone Tues-Friday 10AM to 6PM MST. 801-364-6645
Sheryl Bird handles all registrations from her office in Boston, MA. Sheryl is reachable by email at info@italyworkshops.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What Type of Camera Should I Bring?
Any camera is acceptable, including smartphones. Automation for the beginner can make the trip fun and stress-free and, at times, increase creativity.
Should I Bring a Computer
Participants who are very comfortable with their computer are encouraged to bring it along. Editing your images during the week can enhance your learning experience. We currently use Adobe Lightroom CC for our on-screen reviews sessions. You will learn new LR editing methods and workflow shortcuts during classroom reviews and critique. Even if you’ve used Lightroom, we highly recommend brushing up before the workshop by watching the free tutorials available on Adobe.com.
If you are not fluent downloading and managing digital images, you might consider leaving the computer behind and just focusing on camera work. You can still submit images daily for review, and perhaps find more time to learn about your camera and develop a discerning eye. (Not to mention sleep happily while others are editing into the night)
Observer Participants may be beginner photographers, attending all instruction and field trips, but not required to submit photos for critique. This is a fun way to learn without pressure. You’ll still photograph the same things and we’ll still want to review your work on the back of your camera and offer individual instruction in the field.
All Skill Levels Are Welcome
Beginner and Intermediate Photographers
We enjoy helping you master those buttons and menus on your camera! Short, daily field lessons will tackle one technique at time. Further individual attention in the field helps you lock in the concepts.
Any camera is welcome (yes, even smartphones!).
Non-photographer partners are welcome to sit in on all discussions and participate at their own level of interest. (Beginners often make some of the best images we see!)
Advanced Photographers
As an advanced photographer you’ll be encouraged to:
- Build your portfolio, adding strong images every single day of the trip.
- Focus on style development, lighting and composition.
- Work in “concentrations” to produce a collection of work suitable for a gallery showing or book project.
You will return home with a body of work suitable for a gallery showing or book project that will express your personal style, as opposed to a random collection of travel photos.
Puglia Photo Tour Reviews
Puglia Photo Tour Dates
Puglia & Matera | Apr. 25 – May 2, 2018
Arrive: April 25th – Lecce, Italy*
Depart: May 2nd – Bari, Italy**
Tour Group Size: 6-12 People
Price Sold Out
$3650 / Shared Room
Puglia & Matera | Apr. 3-10, 2019
Arrive: April 3rd – Lecce, Italy*
Depart: April 10th – Bari, Italy**
Tour Group Size: 6-12 People
Price
$3850 / Shared Room
* This trip starts in Lecce, Italy, and ends in Bari, Italy. You can arrive in any major Italian city, but Bari or Brindisi (little closer) is recommended.
**Ask about an optional extension to the Amalfi Coast May 2-5.
Included:
Travel
Daily excursions and all ground-transportation starting in Lecce and ending in Bari.
Hotels
4 nights accommodations in historic Trulls houses in Alberobello, Italy.
2 nights in luxury 4-star hotel in Matera, Italy.
1 night in the historic center of Lecce.
If you wish to share a room, we’ll do our best to find you a roommate. Register Early, rooms are assigned by registration date.
Suites and balcony rooms may be available at extra cost, upon request.
Meals
All breakfasts, 2 dinners, 2 lunches.
Workshop
Workshop tuition, including instruction in the field throughout the week and on-screen review where allowed by time and hotel space.
Not Included:
- Airfare
- Trip insurance (recommended)
*Also not included are crowds of tourists, slow moving tour guides and lectures on the history of plague 🙂
Discounts
$100 off per person having attended a previous Italy Workshops event 6 days or longer.
Payment Schedule
- A reservation fee of $500 will hold your spot
- 50% of balance is due 120 days prior to your workshop
- The balance of payment is due 60 days prior to your workshop
Rooms
We use hotels rated 3 or 4 stars, always with private bath. Rooms are assigned in order of reservations received, so early signup is recommended. Ask about premium rooms, at some workshop locations for an additional supplement charge.
Single Supplements
Fees are based on double occupancy. Single supplement may be added for participants who wish to have a private room to themselves. Supplements vary depending on the hotels used. If you are traveling alone and wish to share a room with another participant, please let us know and we’ll do our best to match you with a roommate.
Cancellation fee schedule
- There is no charge for cancellation within ten days of booking your workshop.
- After ten days, reservation fees are non-refundable but may be applied to a future workshop event.
- Cancellations less than 90 days prior to workshop incur a cancellation fee of 25% of the total workshop cost.
- Cancellations less than 45 days prior to workshop incur a cancellation fee of 50% of the total workshop cost.
- Cancellations less than 15 days prior to workshop incur a cancellation fee of 75% of the total workshop cost.
- No partial refunds will be given for unused portions of a workshop.
We highly recommend that all workshop participants purchase trip cancellation insurance independently.
Cancelled Workshops
Italy Workshops reserves the right to cancel any trip for any reason whatsoever, including insufficient signup, logistical problems that may impede a workshop, hotel closures or acts of God. (We have never yet had to cancel a workshop.)
Refund of all fees paid shall release Italy Workshops from any further liability. Italy Workshops is not responsible for any expenses incurred by workshop participants in preparing for a cancelled workshop. In the case of insufficient signup to make a workshop feasible, notice and refund will be sent 120 days prior to the workshop.
Photographic Release
Italy Workshops reserves the right to photograph and film its trips in entirety. Participants should be aware that images of them may be used for promotional purposes or joint marketing efforts with third parties, without renumeration.
Reserve Your Experience Today
Group sizes are extremely limited. Please reserve early.
You can reserve your spot by filling out the form below,
or by calling us at 801-364-6645