Tuscany Photography Workshop 2026 - Val d’Orcia Trip Report
I’ve just got back from a week in Tuscany with a group of six photographers, and it turned into one of those trips you don’t forget.
The first couple of days gave us dramatic clouds and fog, perfect elements for injecting images with drama and dynamism. The second half of the trip opened into clear blue skies, which shifted our focus toward different compositions while also giving us the chance to savour the villages, the warmth of the sun, and long meals eaten outside. We never lost a single shooting session, which at this time of year is genuinely rare.
But let me tell you about the morning that defined the whole trip.
On day two, we arrived at one of the most iconic locations in Val d'Orcia well before sunrise, only to find a large group of photographers already there, occupying every workable angle. No room, no shot.
Plan B.
We moved to a nearby location, and within minutes we were swallowed by one of the thickest fogs I've seen in years. Zero visibility. Zero compositions. So we moved again — Plan C.
And as we drove away, I glanced back and noticed the fog had rolled in behind us with absolutely no sense of discrimination — blanketing everything, including that first location and every single photographer still standing in it.
Somewhere in that wall of white, I remember thinking that the fog wasn't working against us, it was pointing us somewhere.
Nature has a way of closing one door so loudly that you have no choice but to find another, and what's behind it is almost always worth the detour.
We waited. Patience is a skill, and that morning it paid off in ways none of us expected. The fog began to lift slowly, reshaping the entire landscape into something ethereal and backlit, with an infinite number of compositions revealing themselves in real time. It became something close to action photography, chasing pockets of light and mist as they moved across the hills.
What made that moment even more interesting was how quickly the scene forced us to simplify. With that kind of fog, you’re not thinking in terms of grand compositions anymore. You’re isolating layers, working with depth, and letting light define the subject.
Nobody planned that morning. Nobody could have. And it turned out to be the one we'll all remember.
Arnold Schwarzenegger once said that Plan B is to make Plan A work. It's a great line. It's also completely useless when you're standing in a Tuscan field at dawn and the weather has its own agenda. Here's what I've learned after years of chasing light: the photographers who adapt fastest aren't the ones who abandon their vision — they're the ones who hold it loosely enough to let something better through.
That’s the thing about having a Plan B, C, and sometimes D. You’re not lowering your expectations. You’re expanding the possibilities.
Sabrina and I don’t really think of this as a workshop. It’s a full immersion into Tuscan life, with photography as the thread that connects everything.
The accommodation, the food, the local traditions and rhythms all become part of the experience. And because of the nature of photography, because it trains the eye to notice, to slow down, to look, it amplifies everything.
I love mountains. I love difficult weather and high altitudes and the rawness of that kind of landscape. But coming back to Tuscany in spring is always something else entirely.
Those rolling hills, the greens that look almost neon, the light that wraps around the cypress lines in the late afternoon — it's a landscape you can never quite get enough of. The range it offers photographers is genuinely unmatched: vast panoramic vistas, intimate details, and the villages themselves, where a single street corner can take you from landscape into architecture, portraiture, and street photography within the same hour.
Once you're there, you feel your vision expanding. The landscape does something to the way you see.
Throughout the week we explored how field technique and post-production work in tandem, because they should. Having a clear vision of how you intend to edit a scene changes the way you use your camera to capture it.
We also worked through situations where a single frame just isn’t enough, learning how to capture scenes in a way that gives you flexibility later in editing.
One of the highlights was working through challenging situations in difficult light, something several participants were approaching in a new way, and then watching those same images come to life during our classroom sessions.
That connection between capture and edit, when it clicks, is one of the most satisfying things to witness as an educator.
What made this edition truly special was something that can't be planned: the group's genuine willingness to help each other.
Feedback flowed freely and kindly in every direction, not just technical feedback, but the kind that touches on how each person sees differently. Nobody got left behind, and nobody held back.
Our goal is always to create an environment where knowledge is never unidirectional, and this group embodied that without being asked.
What we have also refined over the years is the rhythm of the day itself.
Early wakeups and late sessions build fatigue fast, so we balance the schedule carefully between photography, rest, editing, and food.
A lot of food.
Some days, perhaps, a generous amount of food.
But how do you hold back when you're in one of the greatest food regions in Italy? We came home a couple of kilos heavier, and not one of us regrets a single bite.
Our stay at the Podere, and everything the staff prepared for us, was nothing short of extraordinary.
I’m not overstating that because I want to sell you something. It reflects exactly what every one of us felt over the course of the week. Sabrina and I have been back multiple times now, and somehow, every visit, they manage to raise the bar a little further.
That kind of consistency is its own form of mastery.
A special thank you goes to DxO for supporting this workshop with complimentary licenses of their software.
We don’t take that kind of support for granted—far from it. In a space where brand partnerships can sometimes feel transactional, it means a great deal to work with a company that genuinely invests in photographers and in what we're trying to build. That kind of support makes a real difference, and we're proud to have them alongside us.
Every image in this article was shot during the trip. The main images were edited in Lightroom, with PureRAW 6 handling the Fujifilm X-Trans detail enhancement and Color Efex 9 taking care of the light, contrast, and colour grading.
I’ve been using the Nik Collection since its first release by Google back in 2013, while PureRAW is a more recent addition to my workflow. I started using it in 2026 and quickly fell in love with it.
If you're curious, both are available with a free 30-day trial HERE, and if they earn a place in your workflow, the code ANDREALIVIERI gets you 15% off at checkout.
There’s always a sense of sadness in saying goodbye when a group has bonded so deeply.
But there's far more gratitude than sadness — gratitude for the chance to guide these photographers through such a landscape, and to make pictures together in the Val d'Orcia.
Photography is the drive.
And sometimes it's also the best excuse we have to meet extraordinary people and build friendships that last well beyond the final frame.
Join us in Tuscany!
On that note, applications for the Tuscany Workshop 2027, running from April 20th to the 26th, are already open.
If this resonated with you and you've been thinking about joining us, now is the time to look into it.
These groups are intentionally small, and they fill the way good things tend to: quietly, and faster than expected.
If you want a better sense of the experience, here’s what past participants shared.
You can find all the details and apply for a spot by following the link below.
About Andrea
I help photographers create stronger, more intentional landscape images by developing both their technical skills and creative vision.
With over 15 years of experience, I run immersive landscape photography workshops and hands-on field sessions where photographers, from beginners to advanced, learn to master camera technique, understand light and composition, and make the decisions that shape compelling photographs.
