Photography workshops, September 2026

The road to my home is broken by potholes. One autumn morning, frustrated by them, I walked and looked.


Each puddle held a small world: bare trees suspended in water, leaves drifting across reflected skies, the pale earth beneath the surface. What first appeared as damage became a mirror and a subject full of beauty. What seemed an obstacle became a place of attention.

It reminded me that photography begins not with a camera, but with noticing.


In a culture that urges us to move faster, make more, and scroll endlessly onwards, photography can offer something else. It can teach us to linger. To observe. To be present.

These workshops were born from that belief. They are not about keeping pace with technology or producing more images. They are about rediscovering the pleasure of looking, the satisfaction of making, and the quiet magic that can emerge when we give our full attention to the world immediately around us.

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Digital Photography

September 16-20 2026, Wednesday to Sunday.

Overview

This 4 night residential course for photographers - from beginners to more experienced - is for those who want to work on their photography from the initial approach to the final print. Working in a small group, participants shoot using their own cameras and develop a personal approach to making -or taking - photographs, then are helped to define their own workflow from ideation to capture, post processing, to the final print.

The surrounding Tuscan landscape — marble quarries, coastline, mountains, woods, rivers, and medieval villages — provides the visual and physical context for the work. The emphasis, however, is not on producing images of Tuscany, but on learning how experience, place, light, and process shape photographic decisions.

"Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field." — Peter Adams

 

This course is suitable for:

  • Photographers who wish clarify grey areas of their technique.

  • Digital photographers who want to expand their inspiration and practice.

  • Artists interested in photography

  • Students who want to develop their way of seeing.

The course can accommodate complete beginners as well as aspiring professionals. No prior experience is required, only an open and curious mind. Outcomes will vary!

By the end of the residency, participants will:

  • Produce a digital photographic project that demonstrates understanding of the full digital workflow from ideation to final print

  • Create a personalized home workflow system using Camera-> Computer->Printer

What You Will Do

The course is structured as six (3-day) half-day sessions, with evening reviews and discussions and introduction to the work of some of the most inspiring photographers of our time with an emphasis on their work in relation to the lesson.

Wednesday September 16th Arrival and Welcome dinner

Introductions and orientation. Lesson: Light

LOOKING AND SEEING Ideation and visualisation

Practical discussion of cameras, lenses, filters,

Lesson:The magic triangle Iso shutter and aperture

Location-based shooting sessions in the surrounding landscape and environs.

Introduction to the digital workflow

Editing and sequencing choices related to storytelling and narrative

Second shooting session on location

Extended shooting time

Advanced digital workflow

Further Editing and sequencing

Printing and refinement

Final critique and discussion

Sunday September 20th Good bye breakfast and departure

About the Tutor

I am a photographer with a long, award-winning career in fashion and advertising, working internationally for most major brands and publications. I had over 30 editorial covers of Vogue Bambini and shot 27 years of uninterrupted Baby Gap and Gap Kids campaigns. Some other brands I have worked for range from Armani, Dolce e Gabbana, Benetton, Uniqlo and Donna Karan. 

In recent years, my focus has shifted towards more personal, place-based work and towards sharing a lifelong engagement with photography as a practice rather than a product.

My journey with photography began at the age of eleven with a Zenit E and soon after I taught myself to work in the darkroom. That early fascination with film, light, and printing has remained central to my practice, whether working with analogue or digital tools.

My teaching is grounded in experience, curiosity, and attention. In 2025, I completed an NCFE Award in Education and Training, deepening my ability to structure learning around individual needs and different levels of experience.

Location

The course is hosted at our country home in Bagnone, northern Tuscany. Pisa airport is about 80km away and our local train station Villafranca-Bagnone has trains that will get you there if you prefer not to hire a car. Genova airport is a little further and further still are Milan Linate and Malpensa. The home is in a remote and secluded spot 4km from the village of Bagnone. Accommodation and meals are available on site as well as my very favourite local restaurants, creating a relaxed, residential atmosphere where discussion and reflection continue beyond formal sessions and dates and booking.

Practical Details

  • The course is run as a small residential group, allowing for individual guidance, shared meals, and unhurried time.

  • Duration: 3 days/ 4 nights

  • Location: Bagnone (MS)

  • Materials: Some Hahnemuhle paper provided

  • Participants are responsible for their own cameras although some may be available for hire.

Pricing

Tuition is priced per course:

  • All inclusive full board on 3 day course, 4 night stay, welcome dinner on arrival and goodbye breakfast Euro 950

  • Course only if you choose not to have full board and stay with us: Euro 500

Transfers to and from airport are not included.

Dates & Booking

Upcoming course dates: September 16-20 2026

For enquiries, availability, or to apply for a place, please contact:

Stefano Azario
s.azario@me.com

Places are limited and allocated on a first-come basis once suitability is confirmed.





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