Photography Study in Tuscany

By JoAnn Neal

After photographer Carlo Roberti attended the Maine Photographic Workshop in 1992 he wanted to replicate the concept in his native Italy. He discovered the country estate in Tuscany to lodge both students and staff and a nearby medieval castle, for his office, studio, and lab equipment. With the help of the director of the Maine Workshop, Roberti founded Toscana Photography Workshop (TPW), www.tpw.it, the next year.

Whatever your photographic genre, TPW has a seminar to address your need: black and white photography, arty techniques using infra-red film, nude and figure studies working indoors at the Bibbiano castle, or environmental portraits using both the workshop participants and locals as subjects. Digital photography and an Adobe Photo lab are the most recent class offerings.

The students are mainly Italian and American. Since most of the instructors are from the U.S., the classes are usually in English.

There are a couple of workshops for beginners, but the majority of classes assume prior photography experience with a thorough knowledge of your equipment. For students who want to try the latest Canon cameras and lenses, Canon provides equipment that students can sign out for a 24-hour trial period.

Spending two weeks in the rolling hills of central Tuscany at the Toscana Photography Workshop with Michael Yamashita (www.michaelyamashita.com) and Jay Maisel (www.jaymaisel.com), two of the top color photographers in the world, totally changed the way I view my photography.

Contact TPW via its web site: www.tpw.it.