5 day portrait photography, meditation and Qi Gong retreat in Tuscany Copy

Location icon
Fattoria di Camporomano, Via di Campo Romano, 740b, 55054, Massarosa, Lucca, Italy
Users icon
Up to 18 in group
Date
May 28 - June 1, 2025

Retreat Highlights

  • Exercises on perception, interaction and creativity to be performed individually, in pairs or in a group, with or without the camera.
  • Daily meditation and Qi Gong sessions
  • Enhance your interpersonal interaction skills
  • Learn to be more present while taking pictures and in general
  • Deepen your observation abilities
  • Increase your faculty to remain focused
  • Gain insights about yourself
  • Learn how to compose your images quickly and intuitively
  • Refine your photographic sensitivity
  • Develop the orientation of being less judgmental
  • Boost your creativity
  • Cultivate new skills
  • Improve the quality of your photography
  • Expand your everyday awareness
  • Connect with like-minded creative souls
  • Lots of laughs!

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Details of this retreat

Get to know yourself better by photographing others.

The Portrait Photography Retreat at the Fattoria di Camporomano in Tuscany (Italy) is an immersive experience of self-discovery and personal growth, designed to bring deeper awareness to the way we photograph (and approach other activities in life).
It’s a fun, nourishing and creative journey crafted to support participants to cultivate new skills, find inspiration and improve interpersonal abilities.

The teachings focus on refining the photographer's sensitivity, helping them break free from the habitual way of looking at the world and to easily move through the various steps in image production. It's an intense and playful retreat that uses photography as a tool to inquire into reality and ourselves.

The retreats are really laid back, an opportunity to set aside competitiveness and enjoy the company of like-minded creative people. There's nothing to prove, no results to achieve, no one to impress... just a playground brimming with inspiration to cultivate new skills and explore photography as a tool that supports us in an intensely nourishing creative journey.

The retreat is intended for photography enthusiasts of all levels who are willing to embark on an immersive experience of self-discovery and personal growth.

Our classes are hands-on and experiential. There are exercises on perception, interaction and creativity to be performed individually, in pairs or in a group, with or without the camera.

How do we usually perceive reality around us? Objects, views and people emit a different light when observed with conscious attention: beyond their shapes, materials, colors and textures, they are an expression of life itself. Capturing that depth through our lens is different from pursuing a "nice picture." It requires knowing how to connect with the subject and how to use one's own personal photographic technique promptly and flexibly.

And how do we feel while shooting? What makes us feel uncomfortable or excited? Several different exercises are designed to improve our presence and capacity to focus and interact.

We offer Qi Gong sessions every morning. We start with a warm up to generate energy and shake off stiffness or tiredness, followed by a simple sequence of movements. These are like the movements you see in T'ai Chi practice: gentle postures that flow slowly, cultivate focus, relaxation and balance, and support us in finding more harmony between mind and body and breath. The sequence is performed standing, wearing our everyday clothes.

Throughout the retreat, we will cultivate presence with short guided sitting meditations. Practicing certain exercises, photography itself will be considered as a sort of active meditation, a practice that can make you feel present, help you ease mental noise and stay focused.

Optional Activities:
During the retreat, there will also be moments for relaxation with optional activities to better metabolize what you learn.
You can stay at the Fattoria, strolling along the botanical trail or enjoy some sunshine by the pool. Or you can discover and enjoy arts, archaeology and architecture when visiting the surrounding areas: Florence is about an hour away, Cinque Terre about one and a half, while Pisa and Lucca can be reached in 15 to 25 minutes.
Also in the vicinity is Lake Massaciuccoli, a birdwatchers' paradise where you can rent canoes and bicycles for independent or guided excursions. Only a short drive away is the beautiful forest and nature trails of Migliarino/San Rossore. Sea boat excursions can also be organized. If you want to treat yourself to a massage, that's possible too. All these activities are not included in the retreat package and can be arranged as extras.


ATTENTION: All rooms are different and the one in the picture is not necessarily the one you will be assigned

Schedule

The retreat begins with dinner on the first day and ends around 3:30pm on the last day. During the retreat, lectures and exercises are alternated with free time to relax by the pool or venture out and discover the art cities nearby or the surrounding nature. A typical daily routine goes something like this:

08:00 am to 08:30 am – Qi Gong & Tai Chi movement

08:30 am to 09:30 am – An abundant and yummy breakfast

09:30 am to 09:45 am – Meditation

09:45 am to 01:00 pm – Lecture, indoor and outdoor exercises on perception, framing, concentration

01:00 pm to 02:00 pm – A delicious lunch

02:45 pm to 07:00 pm – Lecture, indoor and outdoor exercises on natural light, photographer/subject interaction or free afternoon

07:00 pm to 08:00 pm – A delicious dinner

08:30 pm to 10:30 pm – Projection of photos taken by students on the day, editing tips and discussion or free evening
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change

Getting Here

Location icon Photography Retreats, Fattoria di Camporomano, Via di Campo Romano, 740b, 55054, Massarosa, Lucca, Italy

Directions

The nearest international airport is Pisa, about 30 minutes away.
The Florence airport is about one hour away.
The nearest train station is Viareggio, about 8.5 km from the Fattoria di Camporomano. Cab service is available from the Viareggio train station and pick-up service can be arranged for a fee.

Accommodation

The guest rooms are all distinct and located in the apartments/cottages scattered around the estate. Some rooms have private bathrooms, and others share a bathroom with another room. The number of single rooms is limited; those who book early have a better chance of securing their desired room.

Accommodation
Triple room with private bathroom (per person) - Early Bird Pricing - All rooms are different and the one in the picture is not necessarily the one you will be assigned
Accommodation
Double room with private bathroom (per person) - Early Bird Pricing- All rooms are different and the one in the picture is not necessarily the one you will be assigned
Accommodation
Double room for single use with shared bathroom with another room - Early Bird Pricing - All rooms are different and the one in the picture is not necessarily the one you will be assigned
Accommodation
Double room for single use with private bathroom - Early Bird Pricing - All rooms are different and the one in the picture is not necessarily the one you will be assigned

Venue & Amenities

Venue & Amenities
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon Bicycles For Rent
Fattoria Di Camporomano is a historic residence where you can relax and live comfortably and authentically, waking up to the birds singing, eating vegetables from the garden and walking among the centuries-old olive trees, far from the hustle and bustle.

Meals

Menu
Menu

Menu Types

Traditional Tuscan recipes are prepared daily by the farm's cooks using hearty ingredients (some of them picked directly from the vegetable garden). Meals are deliciously vegan.

What's Included

  • Accommodation
  • Daily teaching sessions and all group activities
  • Three freshly prepared vegan meals per day
  • A variety of healthy and delicious snacks during the retreat
  • Teas, juices, water throughout the retreat
  • Use of the pool
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Wi-fi pass
  • Taxes

What's Not Included

  • Airfare
  • Airport transfers
  • Travel insurance (required)
  • Personal expenses and extras
  • Optional activities

Customer Reviews

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