The Wild Landscape Photo Travel: Sicily - The Visual Experience
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The Wild Landscape Photo Travel: Sicily

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Sicily is an amazing location. In this unique photo trip which casually mixes the pleasure of an evening cocktail with the exploration of the Sicilian landscape, you will perfect your photographic knowledge at all levels. From active volcanos near Catania (Mt. Etna) to the immense sea of Magna Grecia, you will have the chance to see some of the most beautiful and wild landscapes in the world, all in the company of expert photographers, teachers and travelling companions who will make your Sicilian visit unforgettable. If you’re looking to better your way of seeing photographically and relax in an extraordinary atmosphere of intelligent life style and interesting conversation, than our Wild Landscape Workshop is tailored for you. 4 days for shooting, two days joining our Visual Foundation Workshop. A perfect way to merge a photo adventure in Sicily and an in depth discussion on visual culture.

What you’ll see and shoot

Don’t be misled by the workshop title. The Wild Landscape is about what you’ll find in Sicily, not only in terms of landscape but also in terms of PEOPLE. So this photo trip is not only for those who love landscapes but also for street photographers. More: as the workshop is lead by award winning photographer Massimo Cristaldi, who’s a Sicilian himself, this workshop will not bring you ONLY to famous locations (Mt. Etna, Siracusa, Ragusa, Taormina) but, especially, to remote places, in the countryside and on the beaches, where you’ll have an unparalleled shooting opportunity.  So you’ll be back not just with the iconic images of Sicily but with more intimate visions of the region. The combination of 4 days shooting and 2 days thinking, at our lodge on the northern side of Mt. Etna, where you’ll join the Visual Foundation Workshop and your second teacher, Edward Rozzo, international professor of visual culture and semiotics who will offer you an opportunity which is objectively unique.
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The Photo Travel Agenda

DAY 1 (Arrive and shooting Catania by Night)

  • 14.00 PM Arrive at Catania International Airport
  • Meet the Group (max 12 people, min 5 people) and the The Visual Experience Team
  • Get to the Hotel with our shuttle bus
  • Check in at the Hotel in Catania (the base for 2 nights)
  • 1st meeting with the group and introduction to the main destinations and to the workshop rationale
  • For those who resist: Night out shooting in Catania city (optional)

DAY 2 (Mt. Etna & The Wild Catanian Countryside)

  • Wake up early
  • Get into off-road jeeps to climb Mt. Etna
  • OPTIONAL: If you can drive a motorcycle we can optionally offer you the possibility to get to Mt. Etna on a motorbike
  • Prepare to shoot in one of the most exciting locations on earth
  • Eat @ 2.500 meters above sea level
  • Get to the countryside close to Catania (Piana di Catania)
  • Visit an historical Fascist town
  • Shoot Fascist architecture
  • Back to the Hotel
  • After dinner download photos for the image review session

DAY 3 (Syracuse and the wild south)

  • Wake up early
  • Check out from the Hotel in Catania
  • Get the shuttle bus to Siracusa
  • Enjoy Greek archeology sites
  • After lunch get to the Southernmost part of the island
  • Shoot the sea and… Swim!
  • Check in at Portopalo di Capopassero (will sleep here 1 night)
  • After dinner download photos for the image review session

DAY 4 (Ragusa and the Iblean plateau)

  • Wake up, as always, early
  • Get the shuttle bus to the Ragusa Countryside
  • Visit & Shoot Ragusa Ibla
  • After lunch get to Iblean countryside
  • Shoot in the countryside and in the nearby small towns, “hunting the locals”
  • Get Back to Catania and reach the lodge in Passopisciaro; continue with our Visual Foundation Workshop

DAY 5 (Join our Visual Foundation Group and discuss all you’ve seen)

DAY 6 (Join our Visual Foundation Group and discuss all you’ve seen)

DAY 7

  • Free morning and Small train with our tutors to Catania city center (Circumetnea from Passopisciaro)

 

What is included or not


Tuition (4 days 1 tutor, 2 days two tutors)
6 nights of Accommodation (fashion hotels and local B&B)
Breakfast
Farewell Dinner last night
Transportation within Sicily
What is NOT included
Travel by plane to Catania International Airport
Food and beverages
Lunches and dinners except Farewell Dinner last night

Accomodation

The Sicily workshop is situated in two regions. The first half of the workshop is spent in the Etna area with a location in Catania city center as base. Then we’ll move to the south and sleep in Portopalo di Capopassero, a lovely town at the southernmost part of Sicily. In the end we’ll move to our lodge in Passopisciaro, on the northern side of Etna mountain to discuss and think about photography.

Companions

Millions of people love photography but not necessarily your immediate family! That means two things, either you come on your own or you bring some of your immediate family with you. Both solutions are just fine for us. We love you and your family, but if you decide to come with your husband, wife, companion or partner, please let us know. We don’t have space in our vehicles for everyone so you’ll have to rent a car and we can surely help you with that. You’d also have to upgrade to a double room, so if you decide to come with “friends” who aren’t taking our workshop, remember to let us know so we can help you program the trip and find offers and discounts on rental cars and hotel accommodations.

Teaching

Teaching is a method of sharing knowledge. We do that on many levels during our workshops: in conversation, critiques, conferences and general discussions. The continual exchange between us all is a very important part of learning. For instance, if it gets too hot outdoors, we can retreat to a local café to have a refreshing drink and discuss our work. Most of our critiques are done on a laptop, so it’s highly advised that you bring your own. When we’re all out shooting, the teacher will first explain what we’re trying to do and why, and then he or she will remain at all times with the group for continuous counseling and advice. We never leave you alone unless you want to be! The daily critique sessions are at the heart of our learning process so be prepared to grow as we understand your work and yourself.

Is it for me?

Our Sicilian offering is what we call a ‘Photo Travel’. This means that it is open to all skill levels. All of our workshops and Photo Travels are designed to get to the heart of your photography. Travelling together is one of the best ways to see how you work and get to know you. In that way we can delve into areas of conversation which are often left out of traditional workshops. Also, our itinerary is designed to be unusual and exciting. We work on creating a tour which allows us interesting subject matter in out of the way places so we can relax and discuss what we’re doing. Obviously, traveling is part of the package but you don’t have to be an intense traveller in order to enjoy our Photo Tour. For those with energy to burn, there will be plenty of opportunity, but for those who like a relaxed atmosphere, we’ve spent special attention to finding places where we can work at a slow pace. It’s always a rewarding experience to be in a group and work and think about images and life together. Being together allows us to share ideas, hopes and perplexities. What brings us together is our love of photography and of imagery. We hope you’ll be with us on this wonderful opportunity discovering The Wild Sicilian Landscape.

Price: €3.500 per person
Days: 6
Class: Min 6 Max 12 People