Venice Photography Tour (5-Day) Italy 2024
- Regular price
- $3,400.00 AUD
- Regular price
-
$3,400.00 AUD - Sale price
- $3,400.00 AUD
- Unit price
- per
SFR 1990,00 | Euro € 2017.00* | US$ 2140.00* Per person sharing
VENICE 'QUEEN OF THE ADRIATIC'
VENICE - ITALY. City of Bridges, City of Light, City of Water, La Serenissima and Queen of the Adriatic are all descriptive names for this mesmerising ancient city build on water!
Capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, Venezia is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals, including the majestic Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The central square, Piazza San Marco, is host of the iconic St. Mark’s Basilica and the Campanile bell tower offering a 360 degrees views of the city’s red roofs.
Ponte dell’ Accademia, The Grand Canal, Santa Maria della Salute church, Rio Della Misericordia, the Ghetto, Burano, Punta della Dogana, San Marco Basin, ... just to mentioned a few names.
Escape the busy touristic circuits, experience a private and personalised itinerary specially designed for photographer - join us on our next Venice Photo Travel Tour in spring 2023. Fully guided by two seasoned travel professional experts and professional photographer. Let yourself be charmed, get inspired and creative, prepare yourself to fall in love with the Queen of the Adriatic, as we explore its most iconic sights, as well as our favourite hidden gems from first light to sunset.
‘There really is no place on earth like Venice. This is truly one of the most exciting and unique destinations in the world to photograph – a pure delight to the eyes for travellers & photographers!
VENICE - A CITY LIKE NO PLACE YOU'VE EVER SEEN
I especially love scrolling down the old town's narrow lanes and bridges at first light, when most people are still asleep, in quest to find the perfect composition, light and location, to shot Venice mesmerising views at dawn – morning twilight and blue hour. Capturing the city’s iconic landscape and architecture at dusk, during the evening twilight and blue hour is equally as impressive - this is the period of time just after sunset and before sunrise when during a short window of opportunity of no more than 15 - 20 minutes, the incandescent orange street light combined with the ambient blue light of the sky allows to create magical exposures.
We guarantee a wealth of photographic opportunities, including small group tuition, practical notes and one-to-one support tailored to your individual needs while on-location learning the importance of composition, available light and non intrusive street photography techniques..A unique opportunity to work alongside professional photographer Martial Fatton and LTG Global Awards Winner Blue Tongue Photography Tours.
Tour Highlight and Inclusions
This Exclusive small-group photographic adventure has been carefully put together, allowing you to experience a diversity of breathtaking urban landscapes and iconic scenery under different light. We guarantee a wealth of photography opportunities, including small group tuition, practical notes and one-to-one support tailored to your individual needs while on-location learning the importance of image composition, available light and night photography techniques.
We like to think of ourselves as explorers rather than tourists and our approach to this photo tour reflects our slow travel philosophy. By spending the 4 nights in the same location, a small and comfortable family run hotel, we will be able to come and go freely as we please, and make the most of our time in Cinque Terre.
- Experience a unique itinerary specially designed for photographers
- 4 night in twin-share room (refer to itinerary)
- Single room available for solo travellers (Single supplement apply)
- Breakfast (4x) during the duration of the photography tour
- Welcome dinner on our first evening in Venice
- Urban landscape, architecture, sunset & blue hour photography tips
- An array of iconic landmarks with plenty of photography time
- Breathtaking sunrise, sunset & blue hour session
- Ponte dell’ Accademia, The Grand Canal, Santa Maria della Salute church, Rio Della Misericordia, the Ghetto, Burano, and other iconic landmarks across Venice
- Short accessible walks to explore the best photo locations in Venice
- At least 1 sunrise & 1 twilight photography session
- Camera settings & technique to take the perfect shot every time
- As it is our own personalised photo tour, we can stop when and where we want or revisit locations to find the right light!
- Personalised photography advise from Martial - Professional landscape photographer
- Fully escorted tour in English, French
- Photography group of 4 – 7 participants maximum
- Complimentary Lightroom / Photoshop editing session, advice and trouble shooting
Dates
May/June & Sept/Oct 2024
May 20 to 24 | 2024 (4 nights)
Cost: AU$ 3,400* | single supplement AU$ 495.00*
SFR 1990.00 | Euro € 2,017.00* | US$ 2,140.00*
A 5% discount apply to those coming from the Italian Dolomites tour.
Note: all prices have been calculated in Swiss franc, exchange rates between currency may vary from day to day.
Single supplement SFR 298.00, Euro € 305.00*, US$ 340.00*
Take 5% off of the total costs of any tours when you sign up for 2 or more international tours* or two+ participants on the same tour (*conditions apply, not valid with any other offers, applicable only when booking your seat (s) directly with Blue Tongue Tours). Spouse & non-photographer welcome.
This Venice photo tour is offered as a stand-alone or post – Italian Dolomites tour extension May 2024 or Swiss Alpine Landscape tour or Paris (France) May/ August 2024. It is a perfect tour to include a non-photographer companion. Observers/ non-photographers companions can either tag along while you are out taking photographs, or do their own exploring of Tuscany’s surroundings and we’ll all meet up in the evenings to share a few stories of the day’s events.
A $1500 non-refundable deposit will secure your spot. Click here to make your deposit »
What is included?
- 4 nights accommodations
- All Breakfasts (4x) and welcome dinner (1x)
- Spritz Cocktail apero on the first night
- Entrance fees to galleries and places we visit together during the tour
- Boat transfer to Burano Island
- Martial & Jacques's expertise in guiding and photographic instruction
What is not included?
- Airport/ train transfer to hotel
- Meals, lunches, dinners & alcohol
- Personal spending money
Level of physical difficulty: 2 out of 5
This 5 Day Tour / Workshop starts in Venice and finishes in Venice. A moderate level of fitness is required (walking is the best way to discover Venice).
Itinerary
This is a sample itinerary, our itineraries are subject to change depending on weather and other circumstance beyond our control. Changes in the itinerary are always made to provide our guests the best possible experience, in a secure and professional way.
Day One
This Venice Photo Tour starts and finishes in Venice. We will meet and greet with the rest of the group at 4pm in the hotel lobby, go through a quick orientation and discuss the next 4 days’ agenda. We’ll also give a short tutorial on correct exposure and the use of the camera’s histogram to get the perfect shot every time.
We will have an early dinner at 6.00 - 6.30pm so that we can arrive in time to claim our spots on the Accademia Bridge for sunset and Twilight ‘blue hour’ photography. In the distance, along the Grand Canal, you’ll see the church of Santa Maria della Salute, a very photogenic building that offers a stellar anchor point for a wonderful composition. This is a magical place to photograph the sunset and blue hour.
Day Two
For those who wish to experience the early light, Martial will take you to a pre-breakfast session. There are some great canal and bridge compositions close by, we will also go back
After breakfast, we will make our way via Vaporetto to the Dorsoduro Sestiere (district). We love this district for getting away from crowds. Meandering east past the church of Santa Maria della Salute, we make our way to Punta della Dogana, a spectacular viewing spot looking out over the San Marco Basin, San Marco Square, the Giudecca, and the church of San Giorgio Maggiore.
After lunch, we'll introduce you to a few of our own 'Secret Photo Locations' as well as reviewing some of the images from the morning. All these locations are close enough to be able to return to them at different times of the day for the “right light.”
At 6.00pm we will make one of the last elevator trips up to the top of San Mark’s Clock Tower - The Campanile. Rising nearly 100 meters above San Marco Square this is a great time to break out your 200mm plus zoom lens to capture graphic patterns of church domes, tile rooftops, people, pigeons, and chairs and tables of elegant cafés illuminated by the low slanting light at day’s end. Dinner in one of the many fine and off-the-beaten-track restaurants. For the best quality and experience, we seek out the places that the locals frequent.
Day Three
After a leisurely breakfast, we will make our way via Vaporetto down the Grand Canal to the Rialto Fish and Produce Market. This is a great place to roam with a camera. We will explore the San Polo and Santa Croce Sestieri (districts), both wonderful areas for mid-day photography of canals and bridges and the slender elegant gondolas cruising by. We will photograph the stunning interior courtyard and stairwell of a 15th-century palazzo. This courtyard also features a beautifully carved Venetian cistern/well made from Istrian marble.
We will visit the Jewish Ghetto in the Cannaregio district. The word ‘Ghetto’ is derived from Venetian Italian meaning “a part of a city, especially a slum area, occupied by a minority group” and this was, in fact, the first Jewish ghetto. A sad aspect of Venetian history but an interesting place and a lovely quiet campo to visit nonetheless.
We will have an early dinner in the Cannaregio before making our way to the Rialto Bridge for pre-sunset shooting from the bridge.
Day Four
Okay, I know it can be painful getting up at 4:30 am and this is, of course, optional, but what a wonderful time to photograph in Venice! No crowds and great light. Our destination, San Marco Square, is one of the greatest photo opportunities in Venice: Looking south over the bobbing black gondolas across the San Marco Basin to the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in the pre-sunrise light. This is a perfect blue hour setup with the gondolas and docks being illuminated in the foreground by street lights and the church in the distance being lit by floodlights. We will expertly capture the balance between the warm artificial light and the blue ambient light of the sky. With exposures up to 30 seconds long we will make good use of our tripods.
You will not regret finding yourself here at this hour. The lights in the many lamp posts are still turned on, allowing for great starbursts at f16. This early in the morning, there are no crowds, just a few photographers and late-night party goers heading back to the stable. This is absolutely the best time to be in San Marco Square for photography. We will have the place to ourselves (hard to imagine the crowded zoo only a few hours later) and will experience the magical pre-sunrise blue hour and then the sunrise before heading back to the hotel for breakfast and a very leisurely morning. Think “Great Big Nap.”
We will then catch a mid-afternoon Vaporetto for the 45-minute journey north across the Venetian Lagoon to the over-the-top colourful island of Burano. We never tire of visiting this amazing village and always come away with stunning images.
We will have an early light dinner on Burano so that we can be ready for sunset and post-sunset blue hour photography. Perhaps our favourite blue hour shooting, anywhere in the world!
We will catch the late Vaporetto back to Venice and our hotel for our last night in this magical city.
Day Five
If you are not continuing with us on the Tuscany Photography Tour, our Venice tour ends after breakfast. Easy public transportation to both the Venice Train Station and Marco Polo Airport is available.
A perfect add-on before your VENICE PHOTO TOUR is our ITALIAN DOLOMITES or following straight after our VENICE PHOTO TOUR join us on our 7-DAY TUSCANY IN THE SPING PHOTO TOUR.
Photography Outline
Nature, Landscape, night and astrophotography
In addition to great daily photo opportunities and night excursions, we will also touch on the following photography topics, including:
- Understanding your camera
- Working with available light [read & understand the light]
- Dare to go manual Vs Auto camera settings
- How to read your histogram and how to fine-tune-it
- Adjust your image exposure in relation to your subject
- Depth of Field calculation
- What lenses should you use?
- Camera settings to take the perfect shot every time
- Image composition, the golden rules and how to break it!
- Filters, Neutral Density and Neutral Density Grads
- Long exposure and waterfalls
- Night photography tutorial
- Capturing raw
- Introduction to Photoshop & Lightroom Post-processing
Personal Items and Weather Conditions
Temperature can range from: 8C in winter to 24-25C in the peak of summer
Average monthly rain for this time of year: 3day/ Jan-Feb- Mar and 12-14day/ Jun-Jul-Aug
Be organised and pack smart on this Golden Outback Photo Tour, as we will be on the go to fit as much photography session as we can and you will have to wheel your luggage from the 4WD to are Villa/ Motel room during the trip. You will have access to your luggage at anytime during the trip, however I recommend to pack a basic easy to grab change of cloth (jacked or light weight rain coat, etc.) in a smaller backpack or in your camera bag for the overnight or in case the weather changes suddenly.
Two pairs of shoes: One sturdy pair for in the field that you can get wet if we have a rain day. One pair for evenings or the next day in case the first pair is not dry.
Light weight rain jacket and rain pants. You don’t have to go all out here, but it will also help you to keep warm at night. * I really suggest a rain jacket if nothing else, the rain gear will keep you dry when walking in the parks. I have a pair of Teflon rain pants & jacket, super light and perfect to keep in you camera bag in case of a sudden change in the weather.
A warm jacket, long trousers and a jumper or light jacket for those late evening and early morning shoots. It can get really cold in the middle of winter or on wind days.
Hat and sun screen protection.
Equipment
Camera Equipment
Your favourite DSLR camera, a multi focal lens (i.e 18-70mm) or fix lens, the wider the angle the better, and a medium to long-range lens (i.e. 80-300mm), plenty of memory cards and fully charged batteries. A small steady tripod & cable release for long exposure is essential. Don’t forget to bring your camera manual if you are not 100% sure about your camera functions. Please note that for better results a recent DSLR digital camera is preferable (0-5yrs old) as technology changes. Polarizer filter, Neutral Density and grabs filters are not a prerequisite but are great tools to have for long exposure and colour saturation.
This workshop is suitable for beginners and advanced photographers of all ages, however a good sense of humour and minimum fitness is recommended. Sturdy shoes, suitable warm cloths, drink bottle and a good camera bag!
Tour Extensions
A perfect add-on before your Southwest/ Golden Outback Photo Tour is our Half Day Perth photo tour or after your Southwest/ Golden Outback Photo Tour to join us on a Day Trip to the Pinnacles National Park Tour.
Take 5% off of the total costs of any tours when you sign up for 2 or or book an additional full day tour* (conditions apply & ONLY available to BTT direct bookings)
Perth-by-Night Photo Tour | Perth Photo Tour
Nambung National Park | Pinnacles Photo Tour
Flexible with dates | Available all year round (Jan-Fev N/R)
Cancellations, Refunds, Guides & Weather Policy
Cancellations and Refunds
Cancellation Policy: A 25 – 50% non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your seat depending on the tour that you have selected - refer to individual itinerary. Seats to be paid in full at the time of booking or within 4 weeks of departure on all Australian tours except all extended tours; 8 weeks for Karijini, Exmouth to Broome, Golden Outback & Southwest WA, Margaret River, Kalbarri Coral Coast 5-Day and Wave Rock, and 12 weeks on all extended European & USA tours including: Paris, Zermatt, Venice, Tuscany, Italian Dolomites, Swiss & French Alps tour and USA Canyons & National Parks. Cancellations less than 30 days on day tours no refund; 12 weeks for all extended tours, including: Karijini, Exmouth to Broome, Golden Outback & Southwest WA, Margaret River, Kalbarri Coral Coast 5-Day and Wave Rock, it also includes all our international tours & workshops: Paris, Zermatt, Venice, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Italian Dolomites, Swiss & French Alps tour and all the North American tours. Deposits non refundable except tours cancelled due to sever weather, mechanical failure or minimum numbers not met; full refund will be given. Minimum and maximum numbers are at the discretion of the operator. Tours already commenced no refund. No refund for tours missed due to lateness & sickness. Travel insurance and public liability (in the even you accidentally damage someone else property) are mandatory on all our extended tours and highly recommended on day tours as well. Check-in 15 minutes prior to departure. Maximum 1 baggage* per person i.e. Camera bag water bottle jumper (Extra luggage* allowance on all extended tours (1 pp – personal effects) NOTE: We cannot guarantee that you will see kangaroos emus or any wild animals on our tours nor wildflowers as they are seasonal. For MasterClass workshops extended tours and international travel policy please check our website or individual tours.
Tour Guides
Our tours leader is Martial Fatton – Blue Tongue Tours Owner/ Operator, however we reserve the right to provide a photographer of our choosing, which we guarantee is competent of their position. Your assigned photographer might change from initial notification until the tour departure due to illness, engagements or any other reason deemed necessary by Blue Tongue Tours, not limited to the photographers listed on this site. While we do our best to match you with a photographer of your choosing if requested, for these reasons we cannot guarantee a specific photographer for an individual tour.
Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of inclement weather, before the tour commences, you have the option of a) continuing the tour as planned and we’ll do our best to concentrate the tour to areas sheltered from the elements. At prior request, we can provide an umbrella. Or b) rescheduling the tour at no additional cost (availability permitting).
Itineraries are subject to change depending on weather and other circonstances beyond our control. Changes in the itinerary are always made to provide the best possible experience and safety of our clients!