On Location
International Expeditions

Streets of Italy: Rome, Florence, and Naples

with Massimo Bassano

April 9 – 17, 2025

  • Package Price $4600.00
  • International Deposit $1500.00

Course Description

Nowhere are urban streets more alive and cinematic than in Italy. Three cities at the center of the country, woven together through thousands of years of joined history, provide a varied tapestry of visual delights no photographer can resist. Ancient Rome, bustling Naples, and elegant Florence provide an indulgence of rich photographic opportunities whittled down into eight days for a workshop led by National Geographic photographer Massimo Bassano in his home country.

Intentional wandering with a camera is one of the best ways travelers can explore and discover the true essence of a city, especially a visually delightful Italian city! This workshop is a blended travel photo experience as seen through the lens of a photographer walking the streets. The program and daily itinerary were put together by Massimo and Santa Fe Workshops Director, Reid Callanan, who spent two weeks scouting Rome in April 2024.

Home base for this workshop is eternal Rome, the city that once ruled the Western world and is today a living museum. Rome is a living, breathing metropolis of timeless wonders where residents live amidst 3000 years of history, layer upon layer of it. The visible remains of the Roman Empire are everywhere. Marble bridges across the winding Tiber, tree-shaded Renaissance villas and parks, the magnificent light, the distinct leisurely pace of its residents, and a skyline of domes and campaniles all take your breath away. After dusk Rome lights up, illuminating its historic sites and creating an entirely different photographic experience across the cityscape.

A large, rambling apartment overlooking Piazza della Liberta and the Tiber River in the Prati neighborhood provides a comfortable place for group meetings, meals, classroom presentations, time for image editing and processing, or as a respite for a refreshing nap or a quick bite before heading out for the next adventure. In addition to leading daily field sessions around Rome, Massimo conducts group image reviews, one-on-one sessions, and assists with picture editing. His wife, Myriam Casper, is in charge of logistics and also leads field sessions. She is an accomplished photographer, editor, and documentary filmmaker.

Day trips to nearby Florence and Naples punctuate your time in Rome. Rising early to board the 90-minute high-speed Frecciarossa train to Florence and then later in the workshop week to Naples. These excursions offer compelling and contrasting city personalities to Rome and to each other. Traversing these storied cities with a camera is worth getting up early and staying out late for.

To the north of Rome, Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and the hometown of its leading lights—Michelangelo, da Vinci, Brunelleschi, Giotto, and Galileo, to name a few. Their collective wisdom and achievements echo throughout this urban city. Photographing art-filled Florence is not to be missed.

To the south of Rome, Naples is a city of contrasting superlatives. It is the birthplace of pizza, home to more than 450 churches ranging from historic chapels to mighty baroque masterpieces, it’s Italy’s most densely populated metropolis, and parts of the city are a chaotic tangle of laundry-strung lanes full of animated people. In other words, a photographer’s paradise.

Rome, Florence, and Naples offer a trilogy of unique experiences that become more enjoyable and memorable when coupled with a photographic perspective.

A virtual class reunion in May will be organized by Santa Fe Workshops. Participants along with Massimo, Myriam, and Reid Callanan will gather on Zoom to reconnect and enjoy an image presentation of each photographer’s best images from the workshop.

View daily itinerary (subject to change).

Additional Information

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

This workshop is open to photographers at all levels who are passionate about travel and improving their image making.

What You Should Know:

Participants should be technically self-sufficient, as this is not a program to learn how to use your gear or editing software.

It is highly recommended that you purchase trip cancellation/travel insurance for this trip. Once the trip is confirmed, additional information and travel details will be provided. Enrollment is limited to 14 participants.

Activity Level:

To get the most from this international experience, participants should be in good physical (mobility, stamina) and mental health. In general, arrive prepared for long days and seasonal weather including variable temperatures. You must be able to carry your own photographic and personal gear at all times. You are responsible for being open and honest about your physical fitness, and we reserve the right to remove you from the workshop if we find your fitness to be less than that which you have described.

Policies:

View Payment, Refund, Withdrawal, and Transfer Policies for this International Program.

Package Price INFO:

$4,600 includes all workshop activities and entrance fees, transportation in Rome and day trips to Florence and Naples; an opening group lunch and a closing dinner celebration are also included. Options for accommodations near the classroom/apartment in Rome will be provided once the trip is confirmed.

Categories
Portraiture, Storytelling, Street Photography, Travel Photography
about
Massimo Bassano

Massimo Bassano, born and raised in Italy, is a photojournalist who has worked for National Geographic since 1990. His photographs have been published in National Geographic Traveler and on the National Geographic website, as well as in numerous European publications. Massimo has traveled extensively to more than 87 countries, performing various assignments involving social and human culture, famine in Africa, wildlife, and even sports, fashion, and advertising.

His acclaimed photography book, The Colors of Silence, details the 12 weeks he spent in an Italian monastery. This was the first time the monastery was photographed in its 900-year history. His images also appeared in Places of a Lifetime from National Geographic Books. For almost two decades, Massimo has traveled with National Geographic Expeditions teaching photography worldwide. Massimo’s work has taken him from Italy to the Greek Isles and the Mediterranean, Morocco, Tanzania and its fantastic national parks, Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar, and the entire West Coast of Africa. Antarctica and the Arctic, Galápagos and Baja, Easter Island, Cuba, India, the Far East, Australia, and the Pacific are other places he’s traveled.

Massimo brings warmth, curiosity, and an infectious enthusiasm for photography and its unique ability to engage people and discover more about their inner lives and distinct cultures.

Instagram: @massimobassano

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