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THE ON1 DESTINATION WORKSHOP: TUSCANY
with Matt Kloskowski and Tamara Lackey
The ON1 Destination Workshop in Tuscany, sponsored by www.ON1.com, will be led by Matt Kloskowski and Tamara Lackey. This all-inclusive 5 day and 4 night immersion in photography, exploration, and education is an opportunity you won’t want to miss. The entire workshop will be housed at a centuries’ old villa, Villa Pozzolo in the heart of Tuscany. This artists’ retreat and private villa, surrounded by nearly 100 acres of forest, fields, olive groves and vineyards, will be exclusively rented to our workshop group.
All participants and instructors will stay in private rooms, with ensuite bathrooms, and apartments, all located within the villa property. The workshop focus will be on landscape, portrait and excursion-based photography and will also include daily ON1 post-processing clinics and lab time, as well as a number of wonderful, optional add-ons. As an all-inclusive workshop, all freshly-made, deliciously cooked meals will be included, too, as well as unlimited wine from the villa wine cellar and more.
INSTRUCTORS
Matt is a guy that hates bios written in the third person. He…no wait … I… love teaching and photography :-) In that order. I feel that enjoying photography, and photo editing can get WAY too complicated. So my personal mission (and favorite thing to do), is to create education that simplifies the process of taking great photos, and how to edit them to get the results you’ve always wanted. I’m also very honored to be included in the Photoshop Hall of Fame, and author of over 15 books on photo-editing (Lightroom & Photoshop) and photography.
Tamara is a Nikon USA Ambassador, professional photographer, author and program host – and an individual very comfortable with third person bios. Her authentic photography, from portraits to travel photography, is featured in a myriad of major media outlets, and she has always liked using the word myriad. Tamara has been teaching photography workshops for ten years, and her recent focus includes shooting commercial assignments, primarily camera and lensing marketing campaigns, which has included a presentation of her work at the global launch of Nikon’s mirrorless system in Tokyo.
Workshop Schedule
September 22- September 26
The daily schedule of activities includes landscape, portrait and excursion-based photography, complete with daily ON1 Software intensives and lab work. Workshop topics and guided excursions will include:
- Landscape Photography, with a focus on lighting, settings, and composition
- Portrait Photography, with a focus on lighting, posing, framing and subject interaction
- Night and Starscape Photography, with Light Painting
- Macro Shooting, with Detailed Instruction
- Daily Photo Reviews
- Daily ON1 intensives and lab time
- Optional (at no extra charge) additions include:
- “Cooking Class” at the villa - food creation to food photography to dinner and dessert!
- Daily Morning Yoga Classes at the Villa, Available To All
- Movies Under The Stars
- Hiking excursions
- Wine Tasting, with the grand villa's wine cellar open to all
Daily Itinerary:
Day 1
Arrive in Florence
Meet your driver for an hour-long ride to the villa in Tuscany
Check into the villa
Welcome Lunch
Tour of the villa, views and varied grounds
Introductions and overview of the workshop
Presentation from Matt
Presentation from Tamara
Multiple Course Dinner
Optional sunset shoot
Day 2
Breakfast
Portrait Shooting
Lunch
Photo Reviews
ON1 Clinic and Lab Time
Multiple Course Dinner
Starscapes and Light Painting
Day 3
Optional Sunrise Shoot
Breakfast
Landscape Shooting
Lunch
Macro Shooting
ON1 Clinic and Lab Time
Multiple Course Dinner
Optional Movie Under The Stars
Day 4
Optional Sunrise Shoot
Breakfast
Guided Exploration Shoots
Lunch
ON1 Clinic and Lab Time
Cooking Class and Food Photography
Multiple Course Dinner – Enjoying the Fruits of our Labor!
Day 5
Optional Sunrise Shoot
Breakfast
Photo Reviews from The Week
Wrap-up of Workshop
Lunch
Meet with your driver for ride back to Florence
*All meals will be enjoyed together as a group, along with Matt and Tamara. The option of bringing a plate back to your room, if preferred at times, is also a possibility.
*Optional (Gentle) Yoga Classes will be offered every morning, at no extra charge.
*The grand villa’s wine cellar is open to everyone throughout the entire stay, as are unlimited beer and liquor options – or any beverage of choice.
PRICES & IMPORTANT DATES
All-Inclusive Workshop
5 day/4 night stay (includes lodging, meals, all activities and all drink options)
Total Cost $5,950
50% deposit due at Registration
Deposit is due at time of registering to hold your place
Final Payment due July 22, 2019
Final Payment due 2 months in advance
COMPANION RATES
Companion Payment
Total cost for companion, staying in the same room
Total Cost $1,695
50% Companion Deposit
Deposit due at time of workshop participant registering
Final Companion Payment due July 22, 2019
Final Payment due 2 months in advance
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
– Transfers upon arrival and departure for guests
- – The entire stay at the villa
- – Generous Spreads for Breakfast, Lunches and Dinners
- (Note: Including varied options for all meal preferences – vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free preferences – or any food allergies)
- – Unlimited Beverages, including full access to the wine cellar, as well as all beer and liquor or preferred beverages
- – All daily workshop activities and excursions as indicated in the itinerary
- – Q&A time with the instructors throughout the week, as well as during the ON1 clinic and lab time
- – Morning (Gentle) Yoga Classes,
- – Cooking Class with Food Photography and Dinner
- – All optional additions offered to participants
- WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:
- -Airfare to and from destination
- -Trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance
****Accommodations****
The Villa is set up in several ways. There are suites, as well as apartments. You will not be sharing a room unless you are traveling with a companion. However, you may be in an apartment, you will have your own bedroom but you will be sharing a bathroom.
FAQ's
What is the skill level for this workshop?
This workshop is for beginner to intermediate photographers and photo editors. From a photography perspective, you’ll need to know the basics of your camera and understand how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work. We can help with exact settings and tips and tricks along the way, though.
From a photo editing perspective, you should know the basics of organizing your photos and opening photos in your photo editor of choice, as well as basic exposure, toning and color adjustments. We’ll be there to help with anything more than that, as well as teach you new techniques and ideas for editing.
What gear will I need?
You’ll need a camera capable of changing aperture and shutter speed (most DSLR or mirrorless cameras will do). You’ll want to have any wide angle lens (anything in the 16 – 50mm range will do), and a zoom lens as well (70-300, 70-200, etc.). If you plan on shooting certain landscapes or night photos you’ll need a tripod. And if you’d like to photograph macro shots, you should consider bringing a macro lens, although some zoom lenses can work for this if you don’t already own one.
For portrait shooting, it is recommended that you bring a flash or a simple reflector. If bringing a reflector, a 3-in-1 or 5-in-1 reflector would be ideal, although not required.
What is the Classroom and Lab time all about?
Once a day we’ll meet in the classroom to edit photos. Think of it more as “lab” time. We’ll usually edit a few of our photos up on the screen in the beginning to give you a head start and some ideas. Then the lab time is yours to edit and have us there to answer any questions you have or give advice on settings or other creative ideas for the photos.
Do I have to know / use ON1 on this workshop?
It is recommended, but you of course can use whatever photo editor you are comfortable with. Matt and Tamara are familiar with most of them and can help you out no matter what software you use. In their presentations they will be using ON1 and will also show how you can also use ON1 as part of your Photoshop or Lightroom editing experience.
What type of physical activity will be involved?
This trip is not very intense when it comes to hiking and climbing. We will mostly be on flat ground and very little hiking is involved, though opportunities to hike more will also be available if you choose. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being difficult), we’d give this a 4. You should be able to walk 1 mile on flat ground and unaccompanied. However, most of our photo shoots will not require extensive walking.
We will be walking on sand at times, or some uneven ground. However, no place we take you to is dangerous, and you won’t be climbing rocks or have the need to balance on unsafe terrain.
What will we be mostly photographing?
Everything! This workshop will give you opportunities to stretch your comfort zone and shoot things you may not have photographed before. We’ll be concentrating on landscape and portrait photography (mostly natural light), and posing, subject interaction, advice and technical setting suggestions will always be available. We’re staying in a magnificent location with over a hundred acres of land around us. So, needless to say, landscape photography opportunities will be all around and a core part of this workshop.
But we also want to give you a peek inside of Tuscany’s smaller details and more intimate photo opportunities, so we’ll be photographing various macro and close up subjects, food – and even a night/star excursion for those of you who are up for a late night and might also want to try out some creative light painting. And the optional sunrise shoots will be pretty striking.
The best thing about your guides, and our location, is that we are all flexible. Tamara and Matt have significant photography experience and if, for example, we run into a cloudy night when we try to photograph stars, we’ll always have other opportunities and other nights – and we’ll be there to help make sure you’re getting the type of photos you want from this trip.
How many workshop participants are there?
There will be a limit of 24 participants.
We will be breaking into groups of 12 throughout the week for more detailed instruction, and everybody will have time with both instructors equally during those times.
Do I need to stay in the villa with all the participants?
No, you do not! If you would like to stay within walking distance of the villa, but be included in all the workshop activities and meals, we can arrange for another location for you to stay in. Just let us know in a note with your deposit!
Can I bring a family member, spouse, or friend along with me?
Yes! Pricing for a non-workshop participant is $1,695.00. They need to be staying in the same room as the workshop participant. They would not be receiving instruction or joining us for photography sessions, lab time or going on excursions, but they would otherwise be free to attend anything at the villa, enjoy the spacious grounds, have the opportunity to get transportation to the local village area, Florence, or any surrounding areas – and all meals can be with us.
What are the room accommodations?
The Villa is set up in several ways. There are suites, as well as apartments. You will not be sharing a room unless you are traveling with a companion. However, you may be in an apartment, you will have your own bedroom but you will be sharing a bathroom.
What airport should I fly in to?
You will fly in to Florence airport and be ready to leave for the villa on September 22nd. Pickup and drop off will be covered if you fly in and out on September 22nd and September 26th.
If you choose to extend your stay or come early, we’ll do our best to accommodate a different pickup/drop-off day, or can help to recommend a transport service for you.
What is the cancellation policy?
Due to the nature of the workshop we’re unable to offer refunds. However, if something comes up, and you need to cancel, we will try to fill your spot. If we’re able to do so we’re happy to refund your money.