Tag Archives: Tuscany
The Value of Location Scouting
Photoshoot Pre-Production
The line item “Location Scouting Day” often gets questioned when I send a job estimate to a client. “Nah… it’s beautiful there, just show up the morning of the shoot and we’ll get it all done that day”. This is a really bad idea that is likely to lead to a stressed out photographer and an unhappy client. Without a doubt, one of the most difficult things to explain as a pro photographer is that not all beautiful places make beautiful places for photos – there are an infinite number of variables that influence a shoot location.
Last week’s shoot in Tuscany proved the point. In this case, our client did want us to scout. We had a day to spend driving around and looking for the locations for some very specific images. This particular job required us to shoot four pages for a global advertising catalog as well as a tradeshow booth display. They knew what they wanted in terms of activities – now we had to get it, and most importantly, it had to look very Tuscan.
Photoshoot Day 1: Rain and dark skies. No go.
Photoshoot Day 2: The forecast called for clouds but no rain in the morning, then increasing at noon. Stress was building, we had to get something shot as the deadline was upon us. We decided to go, to be on location with the models and ready. Our scouting day paid off, the morning was clear and we dashed from one location to the next, plugging in exactly what we had looked for by simply working through a checklist to remain efficient. At 11:00 a.m. our skies went dark. The limited time did not allow for variety or fine tuning, but it did let us put our experience to work and get the job done. Thanks to a carefully planned morning and knowledge of what to do and where to go, successful images were made and delivered.
Janine Patitucci location scouting in the Tuscan Hills
2009 L'Eroica Photos
Simply put, I love bikes.
The culture of cycling is a large reason I have chosen to live in Italy, for the roots run deep and rich.
This past weekend we headed south to Tuscany to photograph the lifestyle around the 2009 L’Eroica. An event celebrating the culture of bike racing and all things that we humans have done with the bicycle. Ironically, in addition to the event I was able to also enjoy the town hosting it, Gaiole in Chianti, where I spent 6 months living on a ranch in 1997. What a joy to be able to play with photography, where I fell in love with photography.
For additional L’Eroica information, visit our DolomiteSport site’s similar page
Posted in Cycling, Life in Italy, Photography, Travel
Also tagged Bike Culture, Cycling, Europe, Italy, road biking
23 Comments
Tuscan Truths
The word Tuscany conjures up many images, ideas, perceptions and perhaps even flavors. For the American it signifies a quintessentially Italian landscape, food and wine. Ironically, it is the same for an Italian. It is all things that Italy is supposed to be, for Italian and foreigners alike. Brunello, Florence, Michelangelo, Chianti, Under the Tuscan Sun, etc, etc, etc…
I am lucky enough to have had a long association with it. Like the Dolomites, I went there during travels years ago, fell in love with the place, and promptly went right back to spend time living and working in the Chianti Region. There I picked olives, made olive oil, built a vineyard, lost the hard “C” in Italian (Che hosa/hoha hola, etc…) and learned to swear like a true Tuscan, “Maremma……….”
Last week we spontaneously decided to head south for warmer temps, Tuscany was just the spot. For Janine, days of running and lounging in the sun, drinking fine wines and eating good food pulled her. For me, as usual, the bike. Training camp time.
Our first stay was in Chianti as I had a strong desire to ride the roads of the area in which I lived 12 years ago. Little had changed in all this time and in no time at all I felt I had never left. Next up we headed to Pienza, a small village we knew nothing about but which came highly recommended. There, we discovered heaven. The Val d’Orcia is a UNESCO region comprising of the famous Tuscan towns Montalcino and Pienza. Both, perfect medieval villages that are exactly as one imagines a Tuscan medieval village should be.
But the hero of the area is the landscape one looks upon from the villages. Where one typically marvels at nature’s creation, in the Val d’Orcia it is man’s sculpting of the landscape that keeps one staring with a kind of sublime respect for what humans are capable of. Nature, and mans place within it, as art, the landscape as an art piece, and most certainly a masterpiece of simple elegance. Why I had never heard of this area I have no idea, and upon returning home to the north of Italy, discovering that Italian friends know little of it has me further baffled.
When I set out on my first ride from Pienza, I dropped out of the walled village’s gateway and entered the landscape we had spent the evening staring at. It was morning and the sun’s gentle rays were dampened by mist. Within minutes I had extraordinarily strong sensations from the feel of the air, the scenery, the sounds and especially the smells. One minute I was reminded of Alaska, the next the plains of India, then Iceland, Chile, Eastern Washington, northern California, one after another, memories from all these other beautiful places. I realized it was because in Tuscany the landscape takes the best from everything and with a wave of the Tuscan hand’s magic wand combines it all to make what see in the postcards.
If you are a cyclist it goes a step further, not only is it a perfect landscape to enjoy, but the roads are nearly void of cars with the silkiest, smoothest asphalt one can imagine. A 5 hour ride is not nearly enough to satisfy the curiosity of what is around every S-curve or hilltop.
Simply put, go to Tuscany.
Connect with us
