ITALY'S BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Ken Haber 
 
2023-10-27
 
 
  
Leo is an outstanding photo tour guide. He took our group to locations in the Dolomites that would have been impossible for us to find on our own, and made sure that we photographed these sites at perfect light, and from the best vantage points available. It's very clear that he spend a lot of time pre-scouting and assembling the best locations. He arranged all of our hotels and meals, which were absolutely first class. Leo is not only a top notch tour guide, but he's also very knowledgeable about all photo systems and editing programs.

Traveling with him was an absolute pleasure, and I highly recommend his services. I plan to go on more of his photo excursions in the future.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 John Brandenburg 
 
2023-10-26
 
 
  
Leo was a fantastic host and tour guide for our Dolomites photo tour! He knew not only where to go but also when best to be there, and varied locations and timing based on the weather. He arranged excellent accomodations and restaurants, and handled driving with aplomb. He was able to provide technical support for a variety of cameras, as well as on composition, exposure and Lightroom. I can't recommend him highly enough, and look forward to his next trip, hopefully to Iceland!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Julie Mitchell 
 
2023-10-17
 
 
  
Leo is a wonderful photo guide and instructor. His local knowledge is extensive and provides excellent opportunities for both classic and unexpected images of the Tuscan landscape. He is patient and good-humoured. I learned a great deal from his tuition and was delighted with great images that were often taken in less than optimal conditions. Our editing session was so helpful in this respect. Leo is 100% focused on the experience of his guests and that extends not just to the photographic elements but to accommodation, food and visits to towns when the light isn’t at its best for photography. Leo is flexible and very responsive to his guests’ needs and works very hard to ensure that your Tuscan experience is a memorable and premium one. He is well known in the area and clearly liked and respected so guests benefit from the welcome he receives.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Bernard Ang 
 
2023-10-13
 
 
  
Leonardo is simply the best! Not only in improving my composition and shooting techniques, but in between shoots in continually teaching me the finer points of photo editing and processing. Leo is a highly motivated person, is ultra made hardworking and is fully hands-on, which is possible due to the small size of the groups he keeps.  He knows the Dolomites area like the back of his hands and it would have been impossible for me to do this on my own. I highly recommend Leo and all members of my group swore we would return with Leo on another workshop before long! Bernard
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Rand Kaplan 
 
2023-09-19
 
 
  
Leo is very knowledgeable, capable, and smart. He is an excellent photographer and teacher. He is good company as well. Leo is an excellent driver and he never took one wrong turn in a week.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Arun R 
 
2023-08-02
 
 
  
Leo was an excellent guide. I don’t say that lightly as not all photography experts are great guides with good interpersonal skills, but he definitely meets both requirements.

Coming from such a long way away, it was important I found a guide who was prepared to take me to more adventurous and remote locations in the Dolomites rather than just doing the typical shots everyone does, and once Leo understood what I was after, he carefully planned an itinerary to suit. His expertise ensured that we were always on the right location at the right time.  I think he would be one of the best photography guides running tours in the Dolomites.

Being a fairly independently minded photographer he was able to read this correctly and didn’t try to over coach me but offered helpful advice when it was sought. Leading up to the trip. I asked many questions and he was patient and help for each and every time and went above and beyond to organise an outstanding experience for me. I don’t regret going with him at all and hope we can travel together again as we had a lot of laughs along the way. Thanks mate! It was a pleasure. Thank you for some life long memories.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Sam Dobrow 
 
2023-07-17
 
 
  
My wife and I just returned from a two week private tour to the Alps (France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria) with Leo. My wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary on this trip. This was the second tour we booked with Leo. The first trip was a three week tour with another couple where we covered Italy (Dolomites,  Tuscany, Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, and Capri). In summary, the experience couldn't have been better. Leo handles everything from the time we land in our destination city to the airport departures.

Now for some details...

Logistics: Leo chose the lodging based on our specifications of 3-4 star hotels or best available. All the selections were great, and several exceeded our expectations. The vehicles we traveled in were comfortable and appropriately sized for our group. Leo handles the porterage of your bags and will even assist in carrying some camera gear (tripod) on the hikes. Upon our request, Leo balanced the photo activity with leisure activities so the girls (wives) could do some sightseeing and shopping.

Photography: Leo has a great eye for composition and offers great suggestions on how to improve your composition with small adjustments to maximize leading lines and subject isolation. Leo recommends appropriate lens selection before leaving the vehicle so you dont have to lug your entire kit with you (unless you want to). He researches the timing and location of the sunrise/sunset to get you in the best places to capture the light. [I tried to post photos but for some insane reason Google kept rejecting them. Their loss, and yours too.]

Be prepared for early morning start and late night returns; especially if it's summer.  Also, realize Leo is a young guy and physically fit. My wife and I are 65 and not as fit as Leo. When Leo says it's an easy five minute walk on flat trails, you might want to multiply by 2x if you're a senior citizen and 3x if you're at high altitude. But, don't worry, Leo won't leave you behind and might even carry your camera gear if you're having difficulty.

Personality: Leo is friendly, customer experience focused, and honest. You will enjoy Leo, not only as a photographer and tour guide but also as a friend.

Meals: Leo was born and raised in Tuscany. He knows the best of Tuscan food and will see to you enjoying it also... three times a day. If you prefer some diversity in cuisine, give him a heads up before you travel so he can research some appropriate restaurants in the area. It may not be his first place to eat, but he will make sure you find the eats you like. We introduced him to Indian and Thai cuisine on our Alpine trip. He says he won't be craving it in the future, but I think he will be looking for Tandoori chicken and garlic naan.

... and for the not so good...

If too many people read this review and book him solid, he might not be available for my next trip.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 David Havlik 
 
2023-05-30
 
 
  
Three of us spent a day with Leo who provided a crash course in Cinque Terre photography. It was an interesting dichotomy of sorts being that the three of us has just completed a different week-long photography workshop covering other parts of Italy. Based on shared feedback among our small group, we feel the instruction we received from Leo over a single day was far superior to that we experienced over the previous week. Leo was very attentive to our needs and tailored his teaching to our level of photography expertise. He was very patient and did not mind repeating concepts to be sure we had a good understanding. He was determined to make sure we made the most of the time we had with him, but he in no way pushed us to the point of exhaustion. Two specific photography techniques I learned from Leo that day were bracketing and the use of filters. I highly recommend Tuscany Photography Tours to photographers of any skill level. You will learn something new from Leo!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Sue Barrell 
 
2023-05-24
 
 
  
My husband and I cannot speak highly enough of the wonderful experience we had, both photographically and personally, with Leonardo in Venice on his Classic Venice Tour. His extensive familiarity with Venice meant that not only did he take us to parts of the city that we would never have discovered otherwise (and where few other tourists lurked), but we were there at the right the right times of day to capture the ambience and atmosphere of this amazing city. We also benefitted from his deep photographic knowledge and generous advice on technique - he taught us things about our own cameras that we didn't know! On top of this, he was a personable and entertaining host and guide, adding to our overall experience.  Leonardo dedicated all his time with us to ensuring our images were the best we could capture on the day.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Samuel Kwok 
 
2023-05-07
 
 
  
I was so happy to be with Leo of Tuscany Photography in Tuscany. He led our group to visit all the beautiful places Shot in good timing and shared his professional experiences. Trust I will follow him in the next trip in Italy soon.