Join me in Venice, as we explore the romantic city during the days of the Carnival, a festival of colors, perfumes, and music that has no equal in the world.

Venice is a wonder every day of the year, but during the Carnival it also becomes a stage upon which hundreds of performers turn their fantasies into reality. Imagine, if you will, being transported to an enchanted land, inhabited by charming and mysterious characters who move with grace and elegance.

The Carnival of Venice is an event that attracts thousands of photographers from all over the world, each one of them hoping to photograph the beautiful and rich costumes that people wear during those days. Expectations are high, but without in-depth knowledge and the right resources, photographing the Carnival can be a frustrating experience, as everyone has to fight for their spot and their time with the models. Popular locations can be very crowded and it is almost impossible to get a good shot, with the best light and a nice background.

What I offer with this tour is an experience that is completely different from the rushed and confusing one you would get by going to the Carnival on your own. Thanks to the many Carnivals I and my partners have spent in Venice, we have developed personal and intimate relationships with the best models, those who wear the richest costumes and who are accustomed to posing for the best photographers. This means having their undivided attention, dedicated to you and your small group for all the time necessary.

In the past, we have also scouted some exclusive locations, like hotels, palaces, and theaters, where you will be able to photograph the models in beautiful settings, amidst ancient furniture and tapestry, without having to share the rooms with many other photographers.

By joining this tour, you will be able to enjoy a two-fold experience:

• One experience is all about the beauty of Venice, its churches, palaces and canals. We will explore the city together and I will show you its most iconic locations in the best light, together with some less well known, but equally stunning spots.
• The second experience will coincide with the days when the Carnival celebrations are in full swing and the most elaborate and precious costumes are on display. Thanks to the closely-knit relationships we have built with the A-list models, you will have the opportunity to photograph them in hotel suites and palace halls in the course of private sessions, while avoiding the crowds.

We are not giving here a detailed, day-by-day plan of the activities, because we want to be flexible and prepared to adapt our schedule to the timing of specific events, the availability of models, and the vagaries of weather. However, we have a general plan that includes all of the following:

• Private shooting sessions with the best masked models of the Carnival.
• Exclusive access to rooms and halls with exquisite furniture and decorations.
• A gondola ride with masked models, where everyone gets plenty of time on the boat, not just a few minutes.
• Photo tours of the most picturesque Venetian locations.
• A trip to the multicoloured island of Burano.
• Private access to the laboratories of artisans that still build gondolas, marionettes, glass jewelry, and other artifacts according to methods developed centuries ago.

This is an intensive tour and you will be shooting a lot, sometimes form the early morning, if the weather is favorable.

You will photograph indoors and outdoors a variety of subjects at varying times of the day.

Depending on the circumstances, we will use natural lights, a mixture of natural or artificial continuous light and flash, or flash light alone. We will start with one flash and then add another one or even two, in a progression from simple to complex lighting schemas. We will also experiment with light painting.

Me and my team pride ourselves in being able to organize sessions that only our group will have access to. I have purposefully limited the group size to eight students in order to give everyone maximum attention and a lot of time with our models.

We will sometimes attend one of those gatherings where dozens of masks and photographers show up, but we don’t do this to get good photographs. Sometimes I go to those gatherings and I don’t take a single photo in the crowd, as I know my results will be mediocre. The reason we go there is to socialize with the models and with the other photographers, knowing that the Carnival of Venice attracts some of the best photographers in the world, which you will have a chance to know personally. I think this is a valuable experience, in small doses.

Come prepared to be presented with a lot of information and to go from session to session in a fast paced way. You will learn a lot during this tour, but it is highly recommended that you know your camera very well and understand the basics of exposure. This is not the place to come with a new camera whose workings you still have to figure out. I assume you know how to quickly set aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focusing modes and that you can shoot in manual mode. Everything else can be learned on the spot.

Getting around in Venice means having to walk a lot, as the boat buses only travel along the Canal Grande and around the city. While venice is flat, going from point A to point B usually requires going up and down the steps of a number of bridges in order to cross the numerous canals. If you have difficulties walking and have severe respiratory problems, this is probably not the activity for you.

That said, even elderly people, as long as they are reasonably fit, can join me in Venice, as they have done in the past. Whenever we have to walk, we always do so at a leisurely pace.

• Photography instruction in a small group setting (max. 8 people) by a team of skilled professional photographers.
• All entrances to museums and attractions that we will visit together as a group.
• A welcome cocktail party.

• Accommodation is not included, but we have reserved a block of rooms at the beautiful, 4-star Hotel Donà Palace, in the close proximity of San Marco. Guests of this workshop will be able to book rooms at a 15% discount over the published rate, exclusively via the www.donapalace.it website. Please get in contact with us, after you have confirmed your booking, to get a copy of the discount code.
• If you'd rather choose a different accommodation, you should book rooms somewhere in the proximity of San Marco. Santa Maria Formosa is also a good location: a bit farther from San Marco, but we'll use that square as a meeting point at times. Here are some hotels that you can use as a suggestion:
     
      Hotel Cavalletto & Doge Orseolo, Sotoportego del Cavalletto, 1107
      Hotel Bisanzio, Castello 3651.
      Hotel Casanova, Frezzaria 1284.
      Hotel Casa Nicolò Priuli, Castello 4984/5.
      Hotel Liassidi Palace, Castello- Ponte Dei Greci 3405.
• Your flights or trains in and out of Venice.
• Transportation to and from Venice airport or railway station to the hotel (I can organize private taxis for you on request).
• Local transportation tickets. You can acquire a weekly pass that covers all boat services within the city of Venice for 60€.
• Private gondola rides. We will organize private, half-hour rides with one student, one instructor and one or two models in costume. These are optional and cost 80€ per ride. 
• All meals not listed above.
• Any tips or personal expenses.
• Travel insurance (I strongly recommend you stipulate a personal travel insurance to cover cancellations and accidents).