I will be leading two workshops for Bryan Peterson in Tuscany this year. Both sessions have openings. The main site for these workshops is bryanfpetersonphotoworkshops.com.
The main workshop link may indicate that the workshops are SOLD OUT
This may not necessarily be the case
So, if you are interested, please contact me directly at [email protected] or contact the workshop administrator, Lisa Phillips, at [email protected].
I have revised the itinerary a bit to reduce the amount of driving necessary to provide you with the maximum amount of photography time “on the ground.” There’s still time to join this photographic adventure of a lifetime. I have visited this area of Italy many times, and I look forward to sharing this very special region with you.
Tuscany is home to some of the most influential and recognizable art and architecture: Michelangelo’s ‘David’ statue and the works of Botticelli, “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera.” Perhaps your reason for enrolling in this workshop is simply to enjoy and photograph the extraordinary Tuscan countryside, with its mountain paths and rolling hills covered in a sea of green. From the many vineyards and fields of wheat, painted with numerous pockets of red poppy fields and yellow mustard – Tuscany has so much to offer for photographers. And for sure, you are joining this workshop intending to sample the simple yet wonderful cuisine and wine!
Street photography, blue hour photography, astrophotography*, landscape photography, sunrise/sunset, macro photography and people photography. Tuscany offers up a smorgasbord of photographic potential, and we will be there during the BEST time of year when everything is blooming, the air is fresh and clear, and the tourist season has yet to begin.
Mark English will lead the two Tuscany workshops in Bryan’s stead in 2025.
Mark has been involved in photography for over 40 years. He is a former member of the Professional Photographers of Canada (“PPOC”), where he was recognized for his image excellence and received several awards. Mark also has a long association with Bryan, going back over 30 years, first as a student and later assisting and co-leading several workshops with Bryan. He has been an instructor at Bryan’s online school at bpsop.com for over 15 years since the school’s beginnings in 2008.
Mark has also written extensively on photographic topics and offers several titles on his website at pacificlight.ca. Please take a moment to visit Mark’s website to learn more about how he approaches image-making. You will also find descriptions of his bpsop.com courses and, most importantly, student comments about their experience with Mark as a teacher (follow this link ). Finally, you may find this free eBook helpful in understanding the issues Mark stresses in his teaching “Twelve Ways to Improve Your Photography”.
With so much to see and do, the difficulty is where to start. Mark knows Tuscany well, so you will not waste time looking for photography opportunities. We will shoot with purpose every day, beginning in Florence and moving south towards Certaldo, Sienna, Pienza and San Quirico D’Orcia, among others. Of course, you can count on shooting the famous cypress trees, the Podere Belvedere and the Cappella DeLa Madonna di Vitaleta, among others. Once we leave Florence, we will spend most of our time in this area of Tuscany known as the Val d’Orcia. This region is a UNESCO World Heritage area and is home to some of the world’s most stunning landscapes and beautiful villages.
Tuscany Workshop #1
May 28 – June 1
We will begin with a Meet and Greet on May 27 at 7 PM in the lobby of the **Recommended Florence Hotel where we discuss student goals and objectives, and Mark will provide an overview and rough agenda for the workshop. We will spend the first day of the workshop, May 28, photographing Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, and then spend a second night in Florence. We will conclude our stay in the amazing city with a trip to the Piazetta Michaelangelo above the town to the east for the sunset and blue hour. The workshop will then “hit the road” the next morning, on May 29, as we begin to move through the countryside in Tuscany. We will stay for 3 nights on the road, May 29 – June 1 and the **Recommended Tuscan Countryside Hotel. We will return to Florence, and the workshop will end around sunset on June 1.
**Recommended Florence Hotel – Students are requested to make their own reservations for three nights:
- The evenings of May 27 – May 28, checking out on the morning of May 29.
- The evening of June 1. The workshop concludes around sunset on June 1. The hotel is 5 minutes from the tram station and 30 minutes from the airport, which will enable students to easily access the airport for return flights home or on to your next destination after the workshop.
Hotel La Fortezza
Viale Milton 95-50129
Firenze
Tel: +39 055 4639101
https://www.hotelfortezza.com/en
**You can stay at the hotel or lodging of your choice, but the **Recommended Florence Hotel is where we will gather for the Meet and Greet and where we will gather for the photo shoots while we are in Florence.
Tuscany Workshop #2
June 5 – 9
We will begin with a Meet and Greet on June 4 at 7 PM in the lobby of the **Recommended Florence Hotel where we discuss student goals and objectives, and Mark will provide an overview and rough agenda for the workshop. We will spend the first day of the workshop, June 5, photographing Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, and then spend a second night in Florence. We will conclude our stay in the amazing city with a trip to the Piazetta Michaelangelo above the town to the east for the sunset and blue hour. The workshop will then “hit the road” the next morning, on June 6, as we begin to move through the countryside in Tuscany. We will stay for 3 nights on the road, June 6 – 9, at the **Recommended Tuscan Countryside Hotel. We will return to Florence, and the workshop will end around sunset on June 9.
**Recommended Florence Hotel – Students are requested to make their own reservations for three nights:
- The evenings of June 4 – 5, checking out on the morning of May June 6.
- The evening of June 9. The workshop concludes around sunset on June 9. The hotel is 5 minutes from the tram station and 30 minutes from the airport, which will enable students to easily access the airport for return flights home or on to your next destination after the workshop.
Hotel La Fortezza
Viale Milton 95-50129
Firenze
Tel: +39 055 4639101
https://www.hotelfortezza.com/en
**You can stay at the hotel or lodging of your choice, but the **Recommended Florence Hotel is where we will gather for the Meet and Greet and where we will gather for the photo shoots while we are in Florence.
Tuscan Countryside Hotel – Students are requested to make their own reservations for three nights (May 29 – June 1).
Suggested accommodation below
Tuscan Countryside Hotel – Students are requested to make their own reservations for three nights (June 6 – 9).
Suggested accommodation below
We will stay in the town of Pienza for both workshops which is about 2 hours south of Florence. Along the way, we will stop and shoot in (and around Certaldo and Siena. I have chosen Pienza for its proximity to (and commanding view over) the Val d’Orcia. Staying in Pienza will allow us (other than the trip from Florence) to minimize long stretches of driving — often not very productive but certainly tiring. In any case, there is more to shoot with a half-hour of Pienza than we can possibly cover.
There are a variety of hotels still available in and around Pienza, along with many excellent choices for dinner (and shopping if you like). Please begin investigating these soon. While we will be there before the summer tourist rush, the town is popular, so it’s important to book soon. Of course, you can use any travel website you like — I recommend Booking.com. Here is a list of accommodation alternatives. All are within a short walk of the old town centre.
L’Angolo di Peinza (www.langolodipienza.com). Fairly spartan rooms, some with kitchenettes.
Arca Hotel (hotel-arca-di-pienza.hotels-tuscany.info). 1 room available at the time of writing
Casa Cardinali (Casa Cardinali – Appartamenti a Pienza).
Oliviera Camere oliviera-camere.it-tuscanyhotel.com
L’apparita Camere https://lapparita.it-tuscanyhotel.com/
Beccofino https://beccofino.tuscanyitalyhotels.com/ Well-reviewed restaurant on-site
Millefiori www.millefioriroomspienza.it
PienzaLettings “Casa Gioia” Casa Gioia | Pienzalettings. Second floor. Stairs only Located in the old town
Camere La Carbonaia https://www.camerelacarbonaia.com/ Old Town. Self check-in/check-out
Hotel Il Corsignano https://www.hotelcorsignano.it/ Lovely hotel but a bit more expensive
We will check out on the morning after our last day in Pienza and begin our drive back to Florence, stopping along the way as photographic opportunities arise, including time in Siena.
To sign up for this workshop, visit the main workshop website (links below) to make a deposit and secure a place in the workshop.
Tuscany Workshop # 1 (May 28 – June1)
Tuscany Workshop #2 (June 5 – 9)
To get additional information or ask to be on the waitlist, send an email to Lisa Phillips at [email protected].
If may also contact me directly at [email protected]
*Note: “Astrophotography” is possible, but May and June are a bit early in the year to photograph that Premium Night Sky Subject — the enormous arch of the Milky Way spread across the entire southern sky. I will arrive several days in advance to refine our location list and will assess this before you arrive