Venice Carnival Photo Tour

Burano, often referred to as the 'colourful' island, is situated 7km from Venice, a 40 minute trip by vaporetti (a Venetian motorboat) and is well known for its lacework and small, brightly-painted houses. During this session we will begin our discussion of a variety of key skills you will develop during the remainder of the photo tour: optimising your exposures, composition, getting the most from your equipment, and how to start thinking about creating a range of images that will capture the essence of your trip to Venice.

In the afternoon we have our first model shoot, working with local models in full Carnival costume. During this session we will be concentrating on developing your portrait skills: working with both available light and portable flash; directing the models; and capturing the elegance and splendour of the Carnival costumes.

During most evenings there will be an optional photo walk: locations and times to be announced.

On Thursday morning we will take a trip to Murano, a series of small islands linked by bridges, just a 10 minute vaporetti ride from Venice. Murano is famous for its glass making and lampworking and will provide an opportunity for you to get some great shots while consolidating the skills and techniques we worked through on the previous day.

During the second model shoot we will consolidate and further develop your portrait shooting skills by concentrating on producing a range of environmental portraits: shooting your models in a variety of locations to produce images that capture the full flavour of the Carnival.

On Friday morning we will be shooting the Rialto market, one of the busiest and most exciting in Italy. During this session we will concentrate on developing your street photography and portraiture skills, in terms of working on both the technical and social aspects of this form of photography: which lenses and settings work best for portraits; how to approach and direct people; how to photograph people in context, and how to make the most of both available light and portable flash to create compelling and intimate portraits.

During the afternoon there will be an optional two hour gondola ride, where you can join Bobbi, Dave and Fabio for a leisurely cruise around the waterways of Venice. Alternatively you can shoot a location of your own choosing or take the opportunity to enjoy some of Venice's other attractions. Please note that the gondola trip will cost an additional €50 per person.

During the first three days of the photo tour we will concentrate on developing your technical, aesthetic, and creative skills.

During the 18th and 19th – the last weekend of this exciting event – we will guide you in putting these skills into practice. We will spend both days photographing in a variety of iconic locations, including St. Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge, and will concentrate on producing images that capture the heart and soul of this event.