Buongiorno, from our luxury castle in the Euganean Hills!

The workshop takes place in Northern Italy (home base nested between the Dolomites and Venice). The region has an amazing wealth of cultural heritage, villas and gardens from the 16th to the 19th Century with countless lakes, rivers, and streams. The gardens were built to express and acquire knowledge and as redemptive symbols for moral enhancement. The region is a feast to the eyes and the soul. This workshop is a complete experience with wines and cuisine, history and environment, and unique photographic opportunities. We are staying in a castle, where each room is a unique apartment.

Here is a short description of one of them: Il Castello is a charming apartment on the ground floor of the castle; you enter through the majestic corridor that leads to the chambers that King Vittorio Emanuele 3rd of Italy occupied in 1918. The apartment has been tastefully refurbished with antique furniture and prints. This accommodation has a main bedroom, an ample bathroom with an old-fashioned bath-tub, a second bathroom with shower, heating\air conditioning. A second bedroom (twin beds), a large dining room, and a terrace on the rear side (with garden furniture).

Breakfasts and dinners are prepared by a private chef, paired with the wines grown on the property (and in the region), and served in the grand dining rooms of the castle. What a great way to start and end the days after the daily excursions to the hidden gems of the region.

The excursions will take us to medieval towns, private gardens, artists’ studio, vineyards, and cruise on the Brenta River to discover the magnificent Palladio neo-classic architecture. Every day, we will give you a different flavor of the region by mixing the photography opportunities from architecture in medieval towns, to the grand villas during our cruise on the Brenta river, to the inside of castles and villas, to the sculptures and maze in gardens, and to the local life in the small towns.

The workshop starts in Venice, where we will pick you up either at the airport. We then drive to "our castle", stopping along the way to show you this unique region of Italy. When we arrive at our castle, we will have our first home cooked meal prepared by a private chef. The castle is going to be our home base for the duration of the workshop. On the ground of the castle, there is a historical greenhouse - dating back to 1876- with a heated and multi-function indoor pool, hydro-massage beds, cervical and foot massage, upstream swimming, effervescent bench from where you have a stunning view on the gardens. Our daily activities will be a mix of explorations, lectures, and approach to photography themes (architecture, gardens, water reflection, street scenes, night, abstract). On the last day, we drop you off at the Venice airport.

The “Italia Minore” is still an unknown region and fresh for unique experiences and photography. That said, the New York time wrote an article about tourists “putt off by the crowd”). Don’t delay your registration, as we have limited availability.

Included:
- Accommodation in a castle
- Transportation (from and to Venice Airport)
- Meals (Breakfast and Dinner)
- Entry Fees & Special access
- Guiding (2 instructors, local staff, private chef, drivers)

Ciao … Oliver.

Talented Instructors

Oliver Klink has been photographing in over 120 countries, on all the continents. He published a book Cultures in Transition, which received seven awards for best photography book of 2019. He also received the coveted 2018 Best B&W photographer of the year by Dodho Magazine. “Partnering with Claudia to discover Italia Minore is a dream come thru. Her knowledge of the region and in photography will provide participants a one of a kind experience.”

Private Chef & Local staff members (Guide, drivers, helpers) who enrich our stay with the most current information, special activities, and “ways in” to places you only dream about! The Chef will cook specialties from the region.

Topics Covered

- Photographing the beauty and diversity of Italia Minore
- Landscape, gardens, architecture, street life, vineyards
- Photograph the "hidden gems"
- Photographing daily “life” at local families
- Special access to artists’ studios
- Lecture on the history of the gardens and how it relates to photography
- Daily review of images (emphasis on “what else can I do”)
- Brainstorming sessions (theme, story telling, portfolio, hero shots)
- Post processing and workflow (efficiency, accuracy, quality)

Included

Included:
- 8 days of guided photoshoot
- Accommodation, Meals (Breakfasts & Dinners), ground transportation
- All entry fees and special access
- Instruction booklet emailed before the workshop
Not Included:
- Transportation to and from Venice
- Lunches
- Personal expenses, alcoholic beverages
- Travel Insurance
- Extra night(s) in Venice (pre or post workshop)
- Tips to local staff

Fee

Double Occupancy: $5,500
Single Supplement: $900

Deposit (non-refundable):
$800 (Double Occupancy)
$1,200 (Single Occupancy)

Full payment due by February 28, 2022 (payable by check or Credit Card - 3% service charge)

Payment

Registration:
Deposit: $800 ($1,200 for single)

Terms and Conditions

Physical Difficulty

- This is a non strenuous workshop.
- We are eating freshly cooked local Italian cuisine with local meat, vegetables, and soup.
- We are traveling on highways and small village roads.
- The photographic opportunities are incredible. It is an amazing adventure and photographic experience.

Extensions and Specials

Overview

Where: Northern Italy (Workshop starts in Milan and finishes in Venice)
When: June 2-9, 2022
Who: Oliver Klink, Private Chef, Local guides
Airport: Venice (VCE)
Accommodations: Luxury Castle
Meals: Breakfasts and Dinners cooked by a private chef
Weather: 60 – 90F. Moody Sky

Cost: $5,500 (+$900 single supplement)

Workshop details for Italia Minore

Agenda What to Bring Logistics

Agenda

8 days of guided photoshoot and reviews
June 2-9, 2022
Note: Itinerary and activities might change based on weather conditions

Day 1 (June 2): Pick up at Venice Airport
• Travel thru the Northern Region of Italy
• Arrive at the Luxury Castle (home for the duration of the workshop
• Dinner at the Castle

Day 2: 16th Century Gardens
• Breakfast at the Castle
• Beautifull Garden of Villa Barbarigo a Val Sanzibio
• Lunch at Monselice village
• Visit the quaint village of Monselice
• Dinner at the Castle

Day 3: Padova
• Breakfast at the Castle
• Visit Padova and its history
• Dinner at the Castle

Day 4: Garden and Castle
• Breakfast at the Castle
• Visit Garden and Castle of Catajo
• Lunch at Battaglia Terme town
• Dinner at the Castle

Day 5: Cruise on the Brenta River
• Breakfast at the Castle
• Cruise the Brenta River. Exploration of the villas on the river
• Dinner at the Castle

Day 6: Medieval Town and Vineyards
• Breakfast at the Castle
• Visit Walled town of MONTAGNANA and Vineyards
• Dinner at the Castle
• Discussion on local art (painters, ...)

Day 7: Quaint Village and artists’ studios
• Breakfast at the Castle
• Visit Artists studio/artisans ceramique + visit town of Este
• Dinner at the Castle

Day 8: (June 9) Garden Tours + Conclusion of Workshop
• Visit a local garden
• Breakfast at the Castle
• Drop off at Venice Airport
• Conclusion of the workshop (11AM)

What to Bring

Upon signing up for the workshop, you’ll receive a detailed coursebook describing what to bring, recommended camera gears, booking your flight, extra activities pre or post workshop.

Clothing: (temperature ranges from 60 – 90F)
- Comfortable and warm layered clothes (neutral color recommended)
- Sandals, hiking shoes
- Hat, sunglasses, and sun screen
- Rain gears/windbreaker
- Knee pads for low angle shooting

Camera Equipment:
- Camera with extra batteries and memory cards
- Landscape and culture: 16 - 200mm
- River Cruise: 200+mm
- Tripod (optional but recommended for indoor and garden shoots)

Other Equipment (Optional):
- Small notepad (notes, observations, …)
- Laptop (with power cord), memory card downloader
- Post processing software (Lightroom, Photoshop, plug-ins)
- External hard drives (backup)

Logistics

This workshop includes:
- 8 days of guided photoshoot
- Best places to photograph gardens, architecture, street photography, abstract
- Accommodation, Meals (Breakfasts & Dinners), ground transportation
- Meals cooked by a private chef at a luxury castle
- Daily reviews (including tips on post processing, file management, idea to build portfolio)
- One photography instructors, local guides, special staff (private chef, helpers)

Not Included:
- Transportation to and from Venice (VCE)
- lunches
- Personal expenses, alcoholic beverages
- Travel Insurance
- Extra night(s) in Venice
- Tips to local staff

Travel Recommendations:
- Plan on arriving in Venice no later than June 2 (at 8AM). Your return flight can be booked after 2PM on June 9 from Venice

Trip Cancellation & Travel Insurance Suggestions:

Here are a few recommendations but please browse around as services and prices vary

- Travelex Travel Select http://www.travelexinsurance.com (800) 228-9792
- Travel Guard http://www.travelguard.com/ or Travel Insurance Services http://www.travelinsure.com.
- Travel Insurance Services (Walnut Creek, CA) http://www.travelinsure.com/cobrand/select/photoex (800) 937-1387
- Atlas International Insurance (HCC Medical Insurance Services) http://www.visitorsmedical.com/atlasinternational.html
- TEN (Travelers Emergency Network) Emergency Evacuation Coverage https://www.sevencorners.com/insurance/HW7C6YH
- Medjet Assist 1-800-527-7478 https://medjetassist.com