Michael Cartwright Photography
Venice - La Serenissima 2025
4 Nights Of Photography & Exploration In One Of The Worlds Most Beautiful Cities
Cost Per Person - £1150.00 - £250 deposit to secure your space
Includes return Flights to the UK and central Venice accommodation, close to the main sights!
March 10th to 14th (Monday to Friday) 2025
Venice, nicknamed La Serenissima meaning The Serene, is an enchanting, unique city unlike no other place on the planet. With it's vast canals, patch work of maze like streets and unforgettable romantic ambience, we will experience potential photographic moments at every turn.
Our central hotel gives us unrivalled access, meaning that we can make the most of the early morning light, while the tourists sleep and the water is calm. The Rialto Bridge is only minutes away on foot, with the most inspiring photography viewpoints all within walking distance.
Imagine waking up before dawn to go for a walk with your camera, to watch the sunrise over the Adriatic from one of the most awe inspiring locations on Earth.
While the rest of the world sleeps, you will be enjoying a moment of serenity, aiming to capture the scene on your camera, before the city awakens and the new day begins.
Naturally, a location that is submerged in water will give us a huge range of interest at any time of day, with long exposure photography, street photography and architectural images certain to come into play. Venice offers the scope for wow factor photographs beyond the usual "golden" hours of sunrise and sunset.
And then there's night...... the Queen of the Adriatic takes on a whole new character, illuminated by artificial lights reflecting in the canals.
Our base in right in the heart of Venice will provide fast access to the classic viewpoints, along with a real insight into everyday life. While many of the tourists leave the island for hotels on the mainland, we will have the place seemingly to ourselves during the early mornings and late evenings.
Our quaint, 4 star hotel accommodation is of good quality, full of character and with excellent reviews. This is a traditional building and the rooms are appointed in authentic Venetian style. The biggest draw is the location, with the hotel being perfectly positioned in the city centre, just a minute or so from St Marks Square. Accommodation is on a Bed and Breakfast basis. We are right at the heart of the city and can fully immerse ourselves in the location. I have used this hotel on our last trip to Venice and it provided an excellent base for our adventures.
During March we will enjoy a relatively low sun, casting longer shadows and giving a more dramatic light than in the summer months. While Venice is always busy, we will not have to fight our way through the summer tourists at this time of year.
A full itinerary will be released to attendees in advance of the trip. A relaxed atmosphere is encouraged throughout our foreign trips and early mornings/late nights are optional. Non photographers (partners) are very welcome to join us to enjoy everything that this wonderful location has to offer. You are free to drop in and out of photography sessions as you wish, giving you plenty of opportunity to explore the city at your own pace....or to fully immerse yourself in the photography. It's completely up to you and a relaxed attitude between the group is always encouraged.
It is likely that we will visit the colourful and beautiful island of Burano, which is an excellent place for photography enthusiasts.
I have experience of running successful trips to Venice and many other destinations on foreign shores, so you can be confident of an enjoyable, organised and fulfilling time.
Early bookings are advised as this trip is likely to sell out quickly. Bookings can be made with a £250 deposit.
During this 4 night photography trip we will enjoy a relaxed time exploring the city with our cameras, aiming to capture the essence of Venice.
Each morning, an early sunrise session will pave the way for an enthralling and fulfilling day of planned photo shoots covering the city at a relaxed pace.
Photographers are welcome to stay with us all day on each photo session or can drop in and out as they wish at pre determined meeting points.
Our groups are small and friendly and we encourage a culture of great camaraderie and support during all of our excursions.
Flights are from Manchester airport with great times (full details on booking).
Total cost £1150.00 p/p
Includes flights and accommodation with breakfast. All rooms are single occupancy, so no sharing, unless you are travelling with a partner.
All other meals and costs on location are not included.
Please ensure that you have adequate insurance cover before travelling.
Balance due 12 weeks before departure
Airport transfers not included, we'll likely arrive in style with a private water taxi. It's a great way to begin a trip to Venice.
RECOMMENDED KIT
Camera and Wide Angle Lens or mid range zoom lens (Range – 10mm to 70mm)
Zoom lens for shooting detail (Range – 70mm to 200mm)
Travel tripod
Filters – ND Filters, ND Grads & Polarising Filter - Long exposure filters will be particularly useful
Remote release cable
DSLR backpack
We will have a Macbook on hand for editing, critiquing and backing up in Italy.
ASSISTANCE
I will be on hand to assist throughout this trip, offering guidance on camera settings, shooting technique, recommended kit, use of filters and advice on composition.
This is my fourth trip with a group to Venice so you can be sure of a well planned tour.
Please be advised that spaces in the hotel and on the plane can fill up at any time, please contact at your earliest convenience if you would like to join us for this tour.
Testimonials
I have just returned from a trip to the Arctic Circle arranged by Michael. The best I can say is that this was a trip of a life time! The tour was friendly with lots of laughs. Michael, Scott & Joe passed on their knowledge freely. Nobody was left out, there was something for everyone to do and along with the photo opportunities we had great fun on snowmobiles at midnight on a frozen river going from Finland to Sweden, a dog sled ride through a frozen forest , reindeer sled ride and so much more.
Would I recommend Michael Cartwright Photography?? Hell yes!! A trip I will never forget & many new friends made.
Mike Cook
Over the last 18 months I have been on a number of courses, workshops and photography holidays with Michael Cartwright and his team Scott Bonner and Joe Fletcher. Over that time my photography skills have really improved with their generous and friendly help and support. I have learned so much and met some great people along the way. The latest holiday in Arctic Finland / Sweden has been the icing on the cake. Well organised from start to finish with a range of activities and challenges. It was the most wonderful experience and I have some photographs that I really like. Huge thank you to the team and I can wholly recommend Michael Cartwright Photography!
Gill Davidson
Michael has a unique ability to take complicated subject matter and deliver it in a simple, passionate and infectious manner. He has taken me on a journey with his workshops from ‘extreme novice’ that was absolutely clueless to a confident enthusiast. I will be eternally grateful for all of Michael’s efforts in going the extra mile throughout my learning journey. He is a credit to his profession and he sets the standards for the rest of his industry to follow. Oh, and he is a thoroughly likeable chap too!
Stephen Smith
Great weekend away and I’m really pleased with my photographs! Thanks for a fantastic workshop, everything was first class, including the hotel, the food and the weather! I really enjoyed learning about different ways to compose my photos for a more professional feel. The workshop was well planned and was extremely informative and interesting. The fact that Michael kept a close eye on everybody's progress was an extra bonus. Thanks Michael
Uma Mannan
Both myself and my husband have been friends of Michael's for many years now during which time we have been on numerous photography trips with him!
We have thoroughly enjoyed every single trip from the Lake District, Paris, Budapest but my absolute favourite was the trip to Finland, we may not have been lucky enough to see the Northern Lights but what a fantastic adventure it turned out to be!! Each trip has been made extra special with the fabulous group of people that we have had the pleasure of making friends with, aside from that there is of course the excellent opportunity to take some amazing photographs of simply stunning scenery and architecture. The trips are always well organised and thoroughly thought through from beginning to end, as well as coming away with some truly amazing photos you will for sure meet some lovely people and make fantastic memories......
Jayne Stephenson
I attended my first camera course as a complete beginner, I didn’t even know how to turn the camera on! The initial course was perfect for me, very well explained throughout and left me wanting to know more. Michael and the team are brilliant teachers, they are all very patient and we have a lot of laughs along the way. Since learning how to use my camera I have progressed on to landscape workshops and now class myself as being very confident with my kit. I’ve joined Michael on many occassions and would definitely recommend these workshops!
John Conlin