Announcing our next photography workshop: “Christmas Italian Style”
A 2 on the Run photography workshop lead by award-winning photographers, Neeley and Matt Drown
December 20 – December 30, 2015 (10 nights)
Imagine Rome, one of the worlds most beautiful and photographic cities, dressed in glorious holiday lights and colors, the shop windows filled with candies and toys, and her famous market stalls overflowing with delicious Roman treats of the season. Now imagine photographing Rome without the overwhelming crowds of tourists. But why imagine? Why not join us as we photograph Rome and all of its rich visual history and beautiful celebration of the season? Celebrate in the city that gave us both the Pagan holiday and the Christian holiday that we now call Christmas.
We will spend seven days in Rome, photographing and tasting our way around the city. Our boutique hotel is perfectly situated in the Centro Storico, within easy walking distance of the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori, Castel Sant’Angelo, and many other famous landmarks. We will visit the several of Rome’s most picturesque neighborhoods such as Monti, Gabartella, The Jewish Ghetto, the Belly of Rome – Testaccio, and others. We have arranged for local experts to guide us from ancient Rome to modern Roman cuisine.
For this workshop, we have arranged a special two-day visit to the 14th century village of Assisi, in Umbria, where each year, the town sets up a live nativity(presepe in Italian), a tradition that dates back to St. Francis setting up the first nativity in Greccio in 1223AD. While in Assisi, we will photograph the town’s festivities and spend a day exploring and photographing this village that is virtually untouched by modern architecture. On our final evening in Assisi, we will attend an evening concert of the Cantori d’Assisi at the Church of San Rufino.
This unique workshop has been developed to be quite different than most. We want to combine the best of a travel photography workshop and a photography class. On top of the excursions, visits, and photo walks, we will also conduct regular group meetings and photo critiques so that each participant can work to improve their skills and return home with the best photographs they can take. We want you to return home with more than postcard-quality images. All levels of photographers and types of cameras are warmly welcomed – from cell phone photography to DSLR. There will also be time to explore Rome on your own and we will be happy to provide guidance and suggestions on where to go.
Special notice: As this is over Christmas, we encourage you to invite your family members to join you. While we would love for everyone to bring a camera, we realize that not everyone is interested in making photographs. So, during the excursions that are designed exclusively for photographers, we are happy to arrange private tours of local museums, concerts, walking tours for those who choose not to participate in the photo tours. We have designed this workshop to accommodate photographers and non-photographers. Please get in touch with us if you will be traveling with a non-photographer, so we can make other arrangements for them. The excursions we arrange will be based on their interests and how many non-photographers we have on the trip.
Itinerary (subject to change)
Day 1: Arrival
Check into hotel
Easy city walk in the late afternoon
Day 2: Travel Photography and Night Photography
Orientation to the workshop
Walking tour of Centro Storico with local expert
Welcome lunch – dining Italian style
Sunset and night photography shoot along the Tiber
Day 3: Travel Photography
Photo walk with a local expert exploring ancient Rome – Forum, Colloseum, Palatine Hill, Baths of Caracall, Aventine Hill, etc.
Traditional Roman dinner with local food expert
Day 4: Lights and Reflections
Christmas lights photo walk – Capturing the spirit of the holiday
Christmas market in Piazza Navona
Day 5: Telling a story with a single image
Neighborhood photo walk – Jewish Ghetto
Dinner together and then Christmas Mass at the Vatican
Day 6: Documentary Photography
Morning critique and travel to Assisi
Assisi Nativity (presepe)
Christmas Dinner together in Assisi
Day 7: Travel Photography – focus on the details
Explore Assisi
Evening concert of the Cantori d’Assisi at the Church of San Rufino
Day 8: Return to Rome
Neighborhood photo walk – Trastevere
Optional free day
Evening Critique
Day 9: The Belly of Rome
Guided food tour of the Roman neighborhood, Testaccio, nicknamed the “Belly of Rome”
Photo walk through Testaccio and the famous Testaccio Market
Day 10: Final Details
Morning Critique
Neighborhood photo walk – Monti and Garbatella
Farewell Dinner
Day 11: Departure day
Goals:
Be more comfortable photographing people.
Learn how to tell a story with a single image and with a series of images.
Understand how to use light during all times of the day to create beautiful photographs.
Learn to frame and compose artistically from seemingly chaotic urban scenes.
Beginners will become better acquainted with all of their camera’s functions and features, so they can focus on making beautiful images rather than stressing about the technology.
Advanced photographers will strengthen their skills through regular challenges presented to them by the instructors.
Return home with photographs that go far beyond the usual postcard shots.
Included:
8 nights of lodging at a boutique hotel in Rome and 2 nights of lodging in Assisi;
A small group tour (Maximum 12 participants);
Professional instruction, guidance and regular critiques by two photographers;
Entrance fees to all activities included in the itinerary;
Transportation for all activities included in the itinerary;
Private tours at museums and galleries;
Breakfasts (except arrival day) plus five other meals (dinner/lunch) for a total of 15 meals;
10 days of photographic fun.
Not Included:
Airfare to and from Europe;
Transportation from and to the airport in Rome;
Expenses of a personal nature;
Tips for restaurants and local guides;
Travel and emergency medical Insurance;
Meals outside of what is offered in the itinerary;
Cost:
$3200 if reserved by June 1, 2015
$3500 if reserved after June 1, 2015
All deposits of $1200 are due by June 19, 2015.
A registration form and working itinerary will be provided upon receipt of your deposit.
All final payments are due July 15.
A full payment and completed Release and Waiver of Liability Form will reserve a place for you in the workshop.
A few reviews from previous workshops that we have taught:
“You have been the best photo instructor I have worked with, thank you for your energy time and patience.” -James D.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop, and was really pleased with the images I was able to capture. Your enthusiasm for street photography was infectious. Thanks so much for all your guidance and suggestions.” -Janet R.
“I learned to look, see and notice everything in that one spot that I would ordinarily have passed right over.” -Cathy Y.
“I want to particularly thank you for being so organized and informative. So often I end up in a workshop or class where the instructor has not given the format and presentation sufficient thought to make it a truly learning experience. Not you. You really did a beautiful job on all counts.” -Tom S.
“You did an outstanding job of being our mentor, cheerleader and more! The best in so many ways! You have a real gift for being a fabulous workshop leader” -Mary J.
Cancellations, Delays & Refunds –
For any cancellations, we must receive written notification of your cancellation to two@2ontherun.com.
The following fees apply for all cancellations:
90 days or more before departure: full refund minus $250
89 days to 45 days before departure: 50% of trip fee
Fewer than 45 days: 100% of trip fee
Refunds will not be given due to inclement weather. We are not liable for any additional costs due to delays or cancellations. We highly recommend trip insurance if you suspect that you may need to cancel at any time.
Should we need to cancel a workshop due to insufficient enrollment, you will receive a full refund of all payments made within 30 days of workshop cancellation. Cancellation fees are not transferable.
A full payment and completed Release and Waiver of Liability Form will reserve a place for you in the workshop.
Trip fees are quoted in US dollars and must be paid in US dollars.
We are on the road a lot, so the preferred payment method for the workshop is via credit card using Paypal. Please contact us if you have any questions about this.
Health Considerations –
We expect that each participant is in good health, so that they may participate in our workshops. While our workshops are not strenuous, there is often a considerable amount of walking – anywhere from one mile to several miles each day. Each participant can opt out of an excursion if they are not feeling up to the activity level of that particular day and we will seek to find or suggest alternatives if at all possible.
Once a trip has been confirmed, medical circumstances will not be considered as exceptions to our cancellation policy. We cannot assume responsibility for medical care or for special dietary requirements.
Insurance –
We strongly suggest that each participant purchase travel insurance.
Responsibility –
A Release and Waiver of Liability Form, without modifications, must be signed by each participant prior to EACH workshop. Otherwise, participation will be declined without refund.
We do not accept any responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, weather, strike, war, quarantine or other causes. All such losses and expenses will be borne by the participant.
By agreeing to this waiver, you also agree to allow the staff of 2 On The Run Workshops to photograph you during your participation in our workshop, and to use the photos and/or video in our promotional materials and campaigns without remuneration or compensation. All photos taken by 2 On The Run Workshops instructors and/or staff are the sole property of 2 On The Run Workshops with full copyright and intellectual property rights.
We reserve the right to 1) cancel any workshop prior to departure, in which case full refund of the workshop fee will be given 2) substitute any hotel in a similar category should this be necessary 3) substitute any instructor. None of which are acceptable for participant cancellation.
Schedule –
After processing your deposit to hold your space in a workshop, you will receive a Registration form, confirmation that your deposit has been accepted and a Release and Waiver of Liability Form. This Registration form will also have information about how to submit the final payment for the workshop. Please complete the Registration form and the Release form and return it with your final payment by the given deadline.
Once fully registered (about 60 days prior to the workshop start date) you will receive the logistics for the workshop, suggestions on what to bring or not to bring, and a daily schedule. The final time-line/schedule of all activities will be supplied at the welcome meeting on the first day.
