Green rolling hills and steep alleys of fortified medieval towns, golden mists in the morning over Val d’Orcia and Florentine architectural marvels, silvery olive gardens and distinctive local cuisine – Tuscany is all this and much, much more. The profound feeling of tranquility pervades you from the first minutes on this bountiful land and stays with you forever.
Our base for the whole trip will be at Agriturismo Bonello located a 5 km from Pienza on the panoramic road to San Quirico D'Orcia. It’s a great place with a spectacular view, located picturesquely among famous Tuscanian rolling hills and cypress trees. Spacious rooms, large halls with massive fireplaces, a restaurant, outdoor pool will help us find the right mood to appreciate Tuscanian landscapes. And, of course, fabulous local vines and masterpieces of the local cuisine aren’t bad either! Every day we’ll take radial trips off the villa to the fields or towns; there are plenty interesting places to shoot in any weather, we’ll barely see a tiny part of this land – but enough to understand why it became the cradle of Italian Renaissance.
Highlights of this Tour:
Visit Podere Belvedere, the most-photographed villa of all Tuscany
Climb the walls of Pienza and see the rolling green farmland in the valley beneath
Meet the first rays of the day near the walls of Castiglione D’Orcia, one of the highest points over the famous valley
Walk the farm roads in the smooth hills of Torrenieri and see its famous cypress grove
Visit the tufa rock towns of Sorano, Pitigliano, and Sovana, first inhabited by ancient Etruscans – and relax in the hot thermal baths of Saturnia under the moon
Walk the streets of medieval Siena, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, or Volterra
Discuss the finer points of photography in a dedicated master class pavillion at the villa, complete with a projector
Participate in a pizza master class from our chef at the villa
We highly recommend that you get a travel and medical insurance. Your own domestic medical insurance and private health scheme will not cover you whilst you are overseas. The tour will always dependent on weather, as the weather can be highly unpredictable.
10-16 May 2023: Guided by Daniel Kordan & Iurie Belegurschi
He started taking pictures in the mountains since he was a child, and started developing a personal vision that became more personal and intimate over the years and turned into a full time job. Growing up in an Alpine region close to the Dolomites, this is his daily playground, but he's also starting to widen his portfolio with several trips around the world, such as Iceland, Faroe and Lofoten Islands.
His photographic style combines both wide and vast scenes as well as intimate tele-lens shots with foggy and misty conditions. Bruno believes that photography is a combinations of many factors: adventure, exploration, camping. That's why he's always looking for new and unspoiled locations to scout and bring to life with his images.
Albert loves to travel. Next to photo tours and workshops he likes to explore the world on his own or with friends. He has a passion for visiting the most beautiful spots in the world, whether known or unknown. Challenging himself is what keeps him motivated. Albert loves planning his shots carefully.
He does this with great detail to make sure his efforts have the highest chances of success. He sometimes plans days, weeks, months or even years to get that particular shot he wants. Challenging himself combined with planning and writing a story of the whole process is Albert’s specialty. He is always looking for new challenges and adventures. He is able to find beauty anywhere in the world: from misty mornings in the forests minutes away from his home to rooftops of the highest buildings in Dubai to remote locations in Iceland or the US. Next to taking photos, Albert also likes to teach and write about photography.
He occasionally writes for the most well known Photography magazines both on - and offline. Along that he has worked with many brands in the photography industry and is an official Sony Ambassador of Imaging.
His work has been featured in some of the biggest news outlets & magazines worldwide, like TIME, National Geographic and Adobe.
Born in Moldova, Iurie developed an interest in photography from an early age after his uncle converted the family bathroom into a darkroom.
Iurie moved to Iceland in 2006. Drawn in by the incredible light and landscapes, he began traveling the country, with the camera in hand, in search of inspiration and honing his skills. Continually winning awards in international photography competitions, his images have been published and put on display in a number of leading publications and exhibitions.
In 2012 Iurie founded Iceland Photo Tours, with the ambition of sharing the many wonders Iceland has to offer with passionate photographers from around the world.
After graduating from art school he studied at Moscow’s institute of Physics and Technology, which pointed him toward a career as an optics physicist. During his studies he developed expertise not only in physics, but in mountain climbing and hiking.
He regularly led tourist groups during the holidays through the Russian mountains. Right after graduation he became a guide of photo workshops and chief editor of Continent Expedition magazine, a publication about travel and adventures all over the world.
Daniel has received several awards in photography: Golden Turtle’ 13 Nature nomination winner, National Geographic Russia contest 2013 and 2014 finalist, Best of Russia ’13 and ’14 winner, Best Photographer ’13 finalist, among others. He currently spends most of his time in Norway, scouring the Lofoten islands and in Tuscany, guiding groups of keen photographers.
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