Cinque Terre Photography Workshop

The gorgeous seascapes of the Italian Riviera

The Cinque Terre, famous worldwide for their five medieval villages with small fishermen harbours, narrow cobblestone lanes, steep slopes with terraced grape vines and romantic trails, is a place of incomparable beauty.
Recognized in 1997 by the Unesco Mankind's World Heritage, the Cinque Terre and the hinterland are today a National Park and Protected Marine Area with the aim of preserving this great cultural heritage and natural environment.
But the Italian Riviera is far from being only the Five Lands. Many other towns and villages of the Ligurian coast are no less interesting, and provide countless great spots for a fulfilling photography workshop. Just to name a few: Camogli with its Dragon's Castle a step away from the sea, the charming bay of Portofino, the colourful houses on the beach of Varigotti, Portovenere with its romanesque church clinging onto a promontory rising sheer from the sea.
The shoreline is where the three visual elements of our planet's surface, earth sea and sky, are all available at the same time. Photographing these elements at dawn or sunset, or under heavy weather conditions I believe is one of the most fulfilling experience for a landscape photographer.

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Main Shooting Locations

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore, the western-most village of the Cinque Terre, rises between two rugged cliffs that drops into the sea. The cliffs are impressive and even more impressive are the lines of tall and narrow houses built on them.

Manarola

Manarola, with its colourful fishermen's houses clinging onto the rugged cliffs and its tiny harbour, is probably the most pictoresque among the five villages. The reefs surrounding the harbour are the perfect location for photographing amazing crashing waves when the sea is rough.

Corniglia

Corniglia is placed on a flat-top cliff about 100 meters high. It’s the only village in the Cinque Terre that has not a direct access to the sea. Made of alleys and narrow lanes dug into the cliff itself, Corniglia also feature a beautiful beach, the “Spiaggione”, with big, very photogenic multi-coloured pebbles and boulders.

Vernazza

Vernazza is placed on another impressive, long and narrow cliff on a sheer drop onto the sea. Seen from the trail coming from Corniglia, the look of the cliff recalls the shape of a ship prow, and the whole town seems a ship ready to sail-off at sea. Founded in the 11th century, Vernazza developed through the centuries a strong marine tradition. The marina is a great location for strong minimalistic compositions.

Portovenere

A wonderful medieval town placed on the edge of the Poet’s Gulf, between the Cinque Terre and the city of La Spezia. The tall and narrow houses, the Genoan castle, the Church of St. Peter built in 1198 and the amazing rocky coastline are the main features of this Portovenere.

Portofino

Portofino is one of the most characteristic and exclusive locations not only in the Ligurian coast but in the entire Mediterranean sea.

Varigotti

A small town not far from Savona, established as a port by the Saracens in the middle age, features two wonderful sand beaches and it's well known for the colourful houses built directly on the shoreline.

Camogli

Camogli is a beautiful small town of the Ligurian coast, one of the many medieval villages you can find along the coast between Genoa and La Spezia. Its main feature is certainly Dragon’s Castle (Castello del Dragone), a fortress with the annexed cathedral a step away from the sea. But also the busy fishermen's harbour and the line of colorful facades of the houses along the coast are very nice subjects to see and photograph.

The Love Trail

The famous "Via dell’Amore", a paved trail dug into the rocky cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea, starts in Riomaggiore and finishes in Corniglia. The path is wonderful and offers many excellent vantage points for photographing Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia and the coastline in between.

Example of a typical

day in the field

Sunrise and early morning

Sunrise and early morning: wake up about 30-40 minutes before dawn and with a ten minutes walk from the hotel we will get to a small, very nice beach of pebbles just southeast of Riomaggiore. We will shoot the sun rising from behind the cliffs at the shore with surf and crashing waves in the foreground, and we will also focus on the beautiful, multi-coloured pebbles at the beach, which are an ideal subject for some serious abstract and close up.

rest of the morning

Mid morning: we will get back to the village and we will focus on the many very interesting features of Riomaggiore, such as the small harbour with the cobalt blue fishermen's boats, the small lanes of the centre of the town and the tall buidings painted with bright colours, in the typical ligurian style.

Lunch: we will grab a quick lunch at some bar/trattoria in Riomaggiore.

Afternoon

Afternoon: Right after lunch we will take a walk on the Sentiero dell'Amore (Love Trail), the footpath from Riomaggiore to Manarola, and we will shoot the jagged coast and cliffs along the road. In the case the Sentiero is close for maintenance (as it sometimes happens in winter time) we will get to Manarola by train. We will spend the rest of the afternoon photographing at Manarola. Manarola, with its colourful fishermen's houses clinging onto the rugged cliffs and its tiny harbor, is probably the most pictoresque among the five villages.

Sunset

We will wait for sunset at the reefs beneath the harbour. This is a wonderful spot for seascapes of great impact, with surf, crashing waves and beautiful whirls produced by the sea undertow.

Looking for more images?

Check my photo portfolio online for hundreds of images from this and other areas of Italy - Click the image below.

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Why should I take an Italy Photography Workshop with Paolo De Faveri?

Simple: because you will learn how to take better photographs. Consider a Paolo De Faveri's Photography Workshop as an invaluable add-on to your gear: a tool that will teach you how to take wonderful photos wherever you go. We make the art and technique of photography simple to understand by breaking it down into easy pieces of information that you will find useful to apply every time you will be in the field.
What will I learn?

Well, a whole lot, you can be sure. Paolo De Faveri's workshops are designed to help take your creativity to a new level. Through a combination of both in-the-field image sessions and class/lecture sessions on many different topics both technical and artistic, I want to get you to start thinking differently as an artist and spark your artistic vision. key features always include: - master the basics of landscape photography - learn how to compose effectively no matter of the subject, from macro to grand vistas - learn how to photograph with challenging lighting, such as at sunrise and sunset - learn about when and how to use filters - explore advanced photography techniques such as long exposures in broad daylight and image stitching for panoramic compositions Check the lessons section in this website for an exhaustive list of topics usually covered in my in-the-field and classroom sessions.
What happens on an Italy Photography Workshop with Paolo De Faveri?

All of my workshops start with a brief Introduction, a presentation of the daily schedule and the technical and artistic goals of each day, followed by questions and answer session for getting to know each other, assessing the level of knowledge of the group, each person's goals and expectations. On average we will spend from 8 to 10 hours a day in the field, every day in a different location, having big fun in chasing the best possible light and scouting the area looking for images that capture the innermost beauty of the amazing world around us. My tours are a mix of adventure and teaching, and they are not intended as only formal teaching and instructions They are more about wandering in some of the best natural or urban environments I know and getting fully immersed in photography. A "learn by doing" kind of education, as I answer questions and solve problems as they arises, completed by a debriefing in the evening when we will thoroughly review and critique together the work done in the day, and we will analyze in details basic and advanced techniques of image processing.
What will I learn in the classroom/webinars?

Check the lessons section in this website for an exhaustive list of topics usually covered in my classroom sessions and webinars.
Does the instructor shoot over the workshop?

Yes, I will be shooting during the tour/workshop, but in a limited capacity as participants needs come first of course. I often take pictures right along with the students inspiring them to learn to see an image the way I do. Much of my shooting over the workshop is meant as direct field demonstrations aimed to improve student's creative vision and technique.
How advanced do I need to be?

Anyone, no matter of how advanced he/she is, will find my workshops to be a great learning experience. The majority of my students are usually somewhere between intermediate to advanced amateur up to semi-pro and pro, but many beginners attend too. You should in anycase be at least familiar with your equipment and its operation. Always bring your camera manual for quick reference in the field.
What kind and how much equipment should I bring?

The essential photo gear you should have with you is listed here below. This gear is highly recommended for taking full advantage of the instructions you will receive in my workshops. - tripod - dslr camera - a good quality zoom lens covering a focal range length of at least 28 to 100 mm - enough storage cards for at least 16 GB - extra camera batteries - camera bag or backpack - camera user's manual
Will weather ever force us to change the workshop's schedule?

Bad weather always provide unusual and harsh conditions that contribute unique drama and mood to our images. So the answer is no, normally. We only stop shooting and/or move elsewhere if an element of danger arises.
Is transportation included?

Usually yes, it's included, unless when stated differently in the workshop description. For group tours we will use vans/small buses for our daily transfers from the hotel to the shooting locations and back. For private/small groups workshops I will drive my own car. Of course, you have to arrive on your own to the hotel/lodging.
How should I dress?

I recommend to come prepared for anything and bring an extra layer of warm clothes with you. Here is a list of clothes/accessories you should always dress/have with you when shooting outdoor: - trekking shoes if you shoot in a natural environment; a pair of very comfortable - and possibly water-proof shoes - if you shoot in a urban context - wind/rain proof jacket - pile pullovers - gloves - headdress - head lamp and batteries
How do I register for a workshop?

Simply use the pre-registration form available in the pages describing each workshop and compile every field of it, letting me know about the workshop of your choice, the number of participants, the desired dates and duration, etc. I will be back to you right away for confirming the availability and with the instruction for booking. To validate your reservation, you will be asked to pay the 35% of the workshop price as a deposit.
What is your cancellation policy?

All my workshops are subject to the following Cancellation Policy: - If you cancel within 30 days before the workshop start, you will be refunded the deposit minus 100,00 € as administrative fee. - No refund will be issued for cancellations received with 30 days or less remaining before the workshop starting date. Please note that there is no exception to this policy. For this reason it is strongly recommended to purchase refundable plane/train tickets only and endow yourself with a trip cancellation insurance. All cancellation request must be in writing.
Details and Requirements - Key Features

Number of students per workshop: minimum 1, maximum 3 students Duration: minimum 3, maximum 7 days 5 or, even better, 6 days is the recommended length, as it is indeed the ideal timeframe for putting together a very effective itinerary, there are long distances to cover as the Ardeche is quite a big region Workshops Availability From March thru November Difficulty Easy. Most of the shooting locations are directly accessible by car. A few of them require short hikings of no more than 1.5 kms one way, on easy trails with moderate elevation gain. The trail along the Ardeche River Gorges is not difficult but long and demanding in terms of stamina required. It can be added as an option, just ask What's included - full time in-the-field tutoring and instructions - at least one image processing class (min. 2 hours) per workshop - all transportation during the workshop will be provided with a rented car/van. included in the price What's not included - Travel costs for reaching the accommodation, hotels/B&B rates, meals and beverages are not included in the cost of admission unless specified. - Excursion boats - Entrance tickets to archelogical sites. museums, etc. - Lodging costs of the instructor Insurance All participants must be in possession of a valid Health and Accident Insurance with repatriation cover.

About your Photography Instructor

Ciao! My name is Paolo.

I have been a full-time professional landscape, nature, travel and architecture photographer since 2007. Since then, I have planned and led hundreds of private one-to-one and small groups photo workshops and tours in some of the best looking regions and cities of Italy and France.

My pictures have appeared in calendars, books, travel magazines, brochures and as wall art in offices, hotels, restaurants and corporate venues. For more info please click here