CREATIVE RETREAT TUSCANY - ITALY 2025
with Sal Taylor Kydd
DATES:
October 14-21
LOCATION:
Spannocchia - Tuscany - Italy
Our creative retreat in Tuscany - Italy is designed for advanced photographers who are interested in writing and/or photography, and looking to develop their portfolio.
CREATIVE RETREAT DESCRIPTION:
Traveling to gorgeous locations can dazzle us with their beauty and overwhelm our senses in all the best ways. But how do you find your own voice in these landscapes and make work unique to you that transcends..
This workshop takes us to the rolling hills of Tuscany to explore a place rich with cultural history and devastatingly beautiful landscapes. We will be based in a stunning location near Siena, a former aristocratic estate, now a organic farm that welcomes creatives to visit and stay on their authentic Tuscan agriturismo, replete with gardens, grottos, and hidden ponds, a place with a palpable sense of history and wonderful spots to photograph.
Explore the old tower, with its rustic textures and bewitching light, discover the secret garden or take a walk through the forest to the abandoned monastery nestled in the trees. All is here for you to explore.
Other days will see us visit locations beyond our home-base, exploring mystical hot springs and stunning old abbeys.
This is a magical part of the world for you to find the space and creative community to make your most personal work. The workshop is designed to give you the maximum time to make new work photographing, creating your own personal narratives.
Our days will either begin with image and/or text review with class critique and discussion of your work - or out shooting to get that wonderful Tuscan morning light. Sal also might give shooting or writing assignment depending on what each participant needs, to get your imagination firing. Afternoons will be spent shooting in and around our location as well as exploring the neighbouring areas, or in class for critique and discussion of your work.
There will be time to review the motivations behind your work and your personal vision, with dedicated one on one time with Sal, providing an opportunity to understand your tropes and motifs and how to use them in your work with greater intentionality.
This workshop is designed for advanced photographers looking to develop their portfolio in this unique location with like minded creative.
- scroll down to the end of this site for The Final Show, and Behind the Scenes presentation from our Creative Retreat 2024 and 2023.
OUR LOCATION:
Our creative retreat in Italy takes place at Tenuta di Spannocchia in Siena, Florence. The closest airport is Florence Airport.
We do recommend having a rental car when visiting Tuscany, as there is so much to see, and although our location has everything you need, there are many small villages and sites to explore only accessible by car. Our location Spannocchia is about 1,5 hour drive from Florence Airport. We do recommend participants to share on the car rentals. We will create a group chat on Whats Ap for this class so you can connect with your fellow participants, and co-ordinate travel plans, and arrival times well in advance for our retreat.
If you do not have transportation on your own, there are a couple of options of transportation to get to our location:
* You can prebook car service from the airport to our location Spannocchia - the cost is estimated to be between 180-200 euro one way.
* You can take the train from Florence to Siena, which takes about 1,5 - 2 hours, and book a car service from Siena to Spannocchia (about 30 minute drive - ask the driver to drive all the way up the driveway to the main Farmhouse of Spannocchia).
Transportation and travel cost are not included in the tuition.
WORKSHOP TUITION:
4200 EURO
including:
class tuition,
private accommodation
from Oct. 14-21ST,
breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Deposit: 1200 EURO
See payment details in the workshop description.
Max: 8 participant
REGISTRATION ON OUR WORKSHOPS ARE BINDING.
We ask that you do not book your ticket until we have confirmed that the minimum number of participants have signed on. The confirmation will happen no later than a month before the workshop start.
We recommend everyone who travels to have a travel insurance.
For our cancelation rules and withdrawal and refund policy, scroll to the end of the description and read the info in the blue banners.
Tenuta di Spannocchia
Spannocchia is a magical place, and a perfect location for our writing & photography retreat with Sal Taylor Kydd. Sal has visited Spannocchia before, and speaks fluently Italian.
Most participants will be staying at the Spannocchia Villa, in spacious and well-appointed bedrooms with private baths. Rooms have a view of the terraced gardens, orchards, and vineyards in the distance. A few participants will be staying in one of the Farmhouses on the main ground, where you in addition to your private bedroom has access to a kitchen and a living room. The farmhouse has 2 bathrooms.
The main villa, once home to the aristocratic Spannocchi family, was built in the 16th century, and again expanded in the 18th century. The home was purchased by the Cinelli family in 1925. It is furnished with historic paintings, original antiques, and family heirlooms.
Spannocchia It is a unique integration of historic architecture and landscape. The 1,100 acre property hosts a working organic farm, a center for education and enrichment, and a multinational community. There is something to excite everyone at Spannocchia: hiking paths, farm animals, verdant gardens, beautiful vistas, eight centuries of rural history, a swimming pool, friendly people, great wine, and fantastic food.
In addition, Spannocchia proximity to destinations such as Florence, Siena, Chianti, San Gimignano, the Tuscan coastline, and many small hill towns makes this the ideal base for exploring Tuscany.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring many organic products from the farm, is included in the price.
You can read more about our destination here.
CREATIVE RETREAT TUITION:
EURO 4200
INCLUDED in tuition:
Workshop, accommodation in a private room from October 14-21TH, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Included in the dinner is the estate-produced organic wine.
NOT INCLUDED in tuition:
* Plane ticket
* Travel insurance
* Car Rental
* Transportation to/ from airport and during the workshop.
Shortly after registration for your workshop you will receive an invoice via e-mail for the deposit (to be paid within two weeks). You will also receive an invoice for the rest of the tuition at the same time as the deposit. This invoice is to be paid no later than 4 months before the workshop starts. All fees are to be paid in EURO.
International students: we recommend paying via bank transfer. For bank transfer there is usually a transaction fee. Check with your bank for the amount, and make sure this fee is not subtracted from the tuition fee payment.
You can also pay us via PayPal. For PayPal payments there is a handling fee of 6% of the amount paid, which will be added to the tuition.
If you have any questions about our Creative Retreat in Italy, feel free to e-mail us at post@nordphotogrpahy.com.
WHEN TO ARRIVE:
The workshop starts on October 14TH with a welcome gathering at 7PM. Check in is from 3-5PM.
WHEN TO DEPART:
The workshop wraps on the 21ST of October. Check out is at 10AM.
WHAT TO BRING:
You need to bring your camera, your laptop, and your usual photo-gear to this workshop. You are also advised to bring a notebook with you for writing assignments.
Students are expected to bring a small portfolio (max 10 images) of their work (print or digital) to the class.
There are a lot of hiking trails in the area, some leads to interesting locations to photographs, and the property has an outdoor pool. We recommend bringing swimwear and hiking gear and shoes.
ABOUT
SAL TAYLOR KYDD:
Maine-based photographic artist and writer Sal Taylor Kydd uses various photographic media in a personal narrative that explores themes around memory and belonging; combining her poetry with alternative processes of photography and object-making.
Taylor Kydd’s fine art photographs have been exhibited throughout the country and internationally, including Barcelona, San Miguel De Allende, Portland, Boston and Los Angeles; and she has been featured in numerous publications, including Shots Magazine, Don’t Take Pictures Magazine, Lenscratch, Diffusion Annual and The Hand magazine.
She has self-published a number of books combining her poetry with her photographs. Her books are in private and museum collections throughout the country including The Getty Museum, Bowdoin College, The Peabody Essex Museum and the Maine Women Writer’s Collection at the University of New England. Taylor Kydd’s latest book “Yesterday”, produced by Datz Press, is a limited edition book of poems and photographs that explores our sense of loss around the pandemic of 2020.
Taylor Kydd is also a veteran workshop leader and educator and has led workshops and conducted portfolio reviews throughout the country and internationally with Maine Media, Santa Fe Workshops, Palm Beach Photography and NORDphotography in Norway.
Originally from the UK, Taylor Kydd is fluent in French and Italian, having earned her BA in Modern Languages from Manchester University in the UK. She has an MFA in Photography from Maine Media College in Rockport, where she now lives with her husband and two children.
The Final Show - Italy 2024
Behind The Scenes - Italy 2024
The Final Show - Italy 2023
Behind The Scenes - Italy 2023
Withdrawal and refund policy:
We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance.
Enrolment is limited in our workshops, so once you have registered for a class – we are counting on you to attend. The registration is binding. We do however understand that sometimes plans fall trough and offer the following cancellation policies:
Withdraw more than 22 weeks before the start of class and we will refund all monies paid, minus an administration fee of NOK 3500,-. Withdraw 22 weeks or less before the start of class and we will charge you with the full workshop tuition.
NORDphotography is not responsible for cancellations due to medical emergencies.
Cancelation Rules:
We ask that you do not book your ticket until we have confirmed that the minimum number of participants have signed up.
For workshops to run we need a minimum of five participants, unless otherwise noted in the workshop description. If we for some reason are not able to reach our minimum number, the workshop will be canceled and you will receive a full refund.
NORDphotography is not responsible for reimbursement of non-refundable airline / train tickets in the event of a program cancellation. Our line of liability is to return all monies paid to the workshops. Please check on your workshop status before making travel arrangements. There will be a maximum of 10 students in each workshop, unless otherwise noted in the workshop description.
Instructor Replacement:
.
It is the nature of our business that occasionally a listed instructor cannot participate because of unexpected events. If we are forced to replace an instructor we will do so with someone with equal or similar credentials. When time permits we will inform everyone who has registered.