For those who are passionate about taking pictures, a photography holiday is a great way to combine learning and relaxation. The camera is used as a tool in a journey of personal transformation where participants get to know themselves better by photographing others and improve their photographic abilities too.
When you are away from your daily routine, you are more likely to let yourself be inspired by new inputs and encounters. Of course, just being in an unfamiliar place helps because you pay more attention to things that you normally do in a sort of automatic mode. When you are enjoying your photography holiday and your surroundings are new, you have to keep your feelers up and really check things out. Is this the street I am supposed to be walking down? Where is the restaurant I’m looking for?
You need to orient yourself, solve new problems, maybe eat different foods or confront ingrained habits. More often than not, you end up being more present in whatever is happening.
That’s why one of the exercises that is great for stimulating creativity and inspiration is doing ordinary things in new ways, even when you’re at home and not in the middle of a photography holiday. In other words, it’s possible to recreate the travel experience in the place where you normally live by taking a different route, shopping in supermarkets where you don’t already know where things are, meeting new people… Changing your habits will make you more present and alert.
Now, if your photography holiday is not just a trip where you take pictures, but a photography workshop or retreat, then things can get really interesting. In fact, your attention may not need to be so focused on finding the restaurant you’ve been told about or orienting yourself in a new environment. Still, you will have to deal with new people and teachings that – hopefully – will challenge your habits in a different way. Is this how you’ve taken pictures so far? Well, well, well… how about considering all those other options that you’ve never thought about?
During a photography retreat, more likely than not, you’ll be pampered and taken care of, food will always be on the table and a team of people will do their best to ensure you have a memorable experience. Although, this doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is going to be easy! But the very fact that you are being taken care of puts you in a position to really explore things you wouldn’t normally have time to think about.
A good photography retreat provides the ideal environment for photographers to focus on their craft, learn new techniques or ways to photograph and share their experiences with others who have the same passion. It also stimulates participants to consider things from different points of view and this is precisely what can be extremely inspiring (or a bit challenging).
Sometimes a photography retreat takes a Zen or introspective photography approach. These types of retreats combine the principles of meditation with the art of photography, helping participants – among other things – to concentrate and focus while capturing beautiful images.
Miksang is a form of contemplative photography that focuses on finding beauty in everyday objects and situations. Participants in Miksang workshops learn to see the world around them with fresh eyes, finding inspiration in the mundane and ordinary.
The Portrait Photography Retreat in Tuscany is not a Miksang or Zen photography retreat, but it does include meditation to cultivate a calmer mind. More precisely, photographing will often feel like a kind of active meditation.
This is something that can really make a difference. Moreover, the Portrait Photography Retreat is a photography holiday specifically focused on portrait photography. Therefore, interpersonal relationships are explored, as well as our perceptions, empathy, creativity and also composition and natural light.
At the Portrait Photography Retreat, we delve into the dynamics of a portraiture session and work on each participant’s limits and capabilities. There are exercises designed to help students overcome their fears and inhibitions as photographers; other exercises are aimed at enhancing their capacity to interact; and still others focus on creativity.
The retreat takes place in the beautiful, natural setting of Fattoria Di Camporomano in Tuscany. It is a historical residence where you can relax and live comfortably and authentically, waking up to the sound of birds singing, eating vegetables from the garden and walking among the centuries-old olive trees, far from the hustle and bustle.
All this provides ample opportunities for taking stunning photographs too.
The Portrait Photography Retreat is also a great way to meet new people who share your interests. Many participants form lasting friendships and continue to connect with each other long after the retreat is over.
Overall, it can be a transformative holiday for photography enthusiasts of all levels who want to participate in an immersive experience of self-discovery and personal growth.