2025 Venice Carnival
Small Group Photography Workshop
Sign up in this very small group workshop - maximum 5 guests! - and photograph one of the most unique event worldwide, the Carnival of Venice!
Each year in February Venice becomes the most romantic place on earth as hundreds of extremely skilled artists flood the city to show their colorful masks and the wonderful, sophisticated costumes. They love to be admired and, of course, photographed!
I have been shooting in Venice for more than 20 years and I've attended and photographed the Carnival several times. I am very excited to be leading this workshop again as it's just a fantastic experience, join me there in February 2025, and you will see!
- Six-Day Photography Workshop with Paolo De Faveri -
Venice, Italy - February 25th - March 3rd, 2025
Tour Highlights
• Full time in the field guidance and instructions from a professional landscape and travel photographer with more than fifteen years of experience in international photography tours and workshops;
• A very small group size ensuring the necessary tutor’s attention for each guest;
• At least one image processing session, where we will analyze in details basic and advanced techniques of post-processing
• Inspiration, fun and a great time!
Need to Know
Location
Venice, Italy
Dates
February 25th - March 3rd, 2025
Hotel
6 overnights at the Hotel La Fenice (500 mts. from San Marco square) or similar
Prices
3'850 EUR tutoring
+ 1190 EUR ca. for the accommodation (to be paid directly at the hotel's check out)
Difficulty
Medium, a whole lot of walking every day!
Gear
Required: DSLR or mirrorless camera, 28-120 mm zoom lens, tripod
Who's for
Open to any photographer interested in landscape and travel photography, whether a beginner or a pro
Group Size
Limited to maximum 5 guests
What's Included
• In the field full time tutoring and instructions
• Reservation of your single room for 6 nights at the hotel La Fenice & Des Artistes, with continental breakfast included. You will pay the hotel bill (about 1190 EUR) when you check out. Or, if you prefer, you are free to book your favourite accommodation, provided that it is in a 5 minutes walking range from San Marco square.
• 7 days pass ticket for the waterbus
• at least 1 image processing session (a laptop with photo processing software is required)
What's Not Included
• international air travel tickets
• cancellation and travel insurance
• Venice local tourists tax (approx 4,00 EUR/night pax)
• tickets to museums/exhibitions
• Everything not specifically listed as included
Payment Terms
A deposit of 1'600 EUR will be required to hold your space in this workshop. The balance will be due not later than 45 days before the start of the tour. You will be provided by email with instructions on how to make the payments.
This workshop is strictly limited to 5 guests, so don't delay. If you've been thinking about a photo workshop at the carnival of Venice then click the button below, fill the form with all the information required and any other information you wish to communicate. You will be contacted back right away with the instructions on how to pay the deposit and make a reservation.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
A workshop during the Carnival in Venice is different from any other tours as there cannot be a detailed, day-by-day itinerary. Since our main focus will be to photograph masks, we will have to be flexible as weather and thus light conditions change, opportunities for private shoots arise, and our masked artist will gather in different places at different days. So we will rather follow the flow. Although I will take care of arranging some shooting session with the models months in advance, we will still adjust our schedule on the fly in order to get every shooting opportunity that will arise.
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The workshop will in any case include:
· Pre-arranged shooting sessions with models in beautiful locations out of the crowds
· Shooting sessions with models at dusk and sunrise in San Marco Square, Doge's Palace, Riva degli Schiavoni, which are the places where most of the models show up early in the morning, usually even a hour before sunrise. This is the best time of the day as 99% of tourists are still sleeping!
· Shooting sessions with models at sunset from the quay of San Giorgio Maggiore, a stunning location as we will be shooting dozens of different artists with the whole Venice skyline in the background, and the sun setting behind.
· At least a visit to Burano, a photographer's paradise with the crazy colors of the houses reflected in the calm waters of the canals, definitely a must visit place, with or without models in costume.
Image Gallery
(click to see more pictures)
Equipment
Photo Gear
Required
• Tripod
• Dslr or mirrorless camera
• Enough storage cards for at least 64 GB
• A zoom lens covering at least the 28/120 mm range on a full frame sensor, the equivalent on cropped sensors
• Camera user's manual
Recommended additional/optional items
• A very sturdy tripod with panoramic head
• Wide angle to normal zoom lens, at least 24/70 mm on a full frame sensor, the equivalent on cropped sensors. Ideally one 16/35 mm and a 28/70 mm
• Long tele zoom lens - 70/200mm is enough, 300mm is recommended
• Enough storage cards for at least 256 GB
• Extra Camera batteries
• Photography backpacks come in handy to protect the equipment if it rains and to facilitate transfers from a shooting location to another
• polarizer filter
• a set of Graduated ND filters, at least a 2 and a 3 stops (it is ideal to have all the range from 1 to 4 stops)
• ND filters for long exposures, ideally one 10 stops and one 6 stop
• remote (or cable) switch
• for the image processing session, a laptop with Photoshop and Lightroom
Clothes and Accessories
Winter days in Venice are usually cold and damp, wind may occasionally be strong and chilly when blowing from the east and from the Alps. So a full set of warm clothes is recommended, including but not limited to:
- a pair of very comfortable and warm walking shoes
- wind/rain proof jacket
- pile pullovers
- gloves
- headdress
- sunscreen
- sun glasses
- Head lamps and batteries
Book Now
Got Inspired?
f you wish to join the tour, please fill up this form; I’ll be happy to get in touch and inform you how to book your cool photo experience in Venice.
Please use also this form for sending any other information you wish to communicate, and/or for asking questions about the tour, photo gear, particular needs and wishes, etc.
By sending this form you accept our terms and conditions.
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This contact form allows me to answer quickly and effectively; if you feel uncomfortable with it, please send an email to: paolo@paolodefaveri.com
note: your privacy is important to us. Please read carefully our privacy statement.
By using this form you agree to the terms of our privacy policy
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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
More Photo Workshops
Private, one-to-one photo workshops, available year around
Testimonial
The photography trip of Venice Carnival 2023 was an unforgettable experience. With the guidance of Paolo we pretty much visited all the highlighted events and spots to capture thousands of fascinating pictures of beautiful models with unique and exotic masks and costumes. Paolo knew where and when the carnival models would gather and always led us there right on time for right shooting moments. I had a good time there and came home with a lot of pictures to show off to my families and friends.
— Edwin Wang, Pittsburgh