FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Vieri Bottazzini Workshops is a registered Italian individual company run by me, Vieri Bottazzini. I started operations in 2015, and as I write this (mid-2025) we have nearly 100 Workshops under our belt. I am the only tutor, so if you like my photography and our destination Portfolio, and if you want to learn how I do what I do, you can be sure that you will get me leading your Workshop, not some random instructor.

As well, we keep our group size limited to a maximum of three photographers, so you can be sure that you will have enough personal time with me during your trip to make the most of your Workshop (see ABOUT VIERI BOTTAZZINI WORKSHOPS for more information). I answer all emails personally and extremely fast, so if you have any questions feel free to CONTACT ME, I am always happy to hear from you.

More, I am lucky to have my wife Zeynep joining me as my expert assistant on all our Workshops since day 1. Zeynep is helping me with the logistics and she is taking care of all backstage photography and video. More, she is always available as a “first responder” if I am busy taking care of someone else.

We are passionate about our work, and very proud of the care and attention to detail we put into organising the best, most unique Workshops for you.

There are many things making our Workshops unique. Here’s a short list for you:

- Attendance limited to a maximum of 3 people, no exceptions, or One-on-One
- Perfect knowledge of the locations
- Years dedicated to the preparation of every single Workshop
- 30 years of teaching experience at your service
- Nearly 100 Workshops on our back, with a 9.92/10 customer rating and over 60% return rate!
- Great communication before, during and after the Workshop
- Image review sessions
- Post-processing sessions
- Maximum comfort
- Best value for money
- Real Workshop duration, unlike most operations we always shoot on the first and last day of the trip
- ...and much more!

That said, I believe that nobody can say it better than those who have been photographing with us before you! Please read our Alumni’s TESTIMONIALS to see what they thought about their time with us.

Since we started Vieri Bottazzini Workshops in 2015, as I write this (mid-2025) we ran nearly 100 Workshops all over the World, working with over 135 photographers.

More, I have been teaching regularly since 1992, for over 30 years now. A lifetime! During these three decades, I have been teaching art at college level, including post-graduate, for over 15 consecutive years, so I can safely say that I have extensive experience teaching both on a One-on-One basis and in small group settings.

There simply are no Workshops offering you better value for your money than ours, out there. Not only that, but if you find another Workshop with attendance limited to just three people offering all the unique features that our Workshops offer - let alone one that costs less - let me know!

Our Group Workshops feature a unique limited attendance of three people and have set dates, duration and program. Choosing a Private or Prestige Workshop, on the other hand, you’ll be able to customise:

- Dates
- Destination
- Workshop’s duration
- Group size
- Workshop’s program
- What we'll be working on
- ...and pretty much any other detail!

Choosing a Private or Prestige Workshop you will have my undivided attention, and you will enjoy a Workshop completely tailor-made on your level and requirements, whether you are a beginner, an advanced amateur or a professional. You will be able to decide how much shooting vs how much post-processing we will do, what we will work on in the field, and so on (check out our ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS page for a side-by-side comparison of all our Workshops).

In short, our group Workshops are already unique, but if you want an even better, more exclusive and more rewarding photographic and learning experience, then our Private or Prestige Workshops are for you!

Of course, and very proudly so. First of all, to offset our carbon impact, between 2019 and December 2023 we funded the planting of 56.500 trees through our partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects. A small forest!

We are almost 100% plastic-free and we aim to recycle 100% of our garbage, depending on each destination's rules and possibilities for recycling, of course. More, all our Workshops follow the Leave No Trace principles. Last but not least, we are a Proud Member of Nature First – The Alliance for Responsible Nature Photography, and all our Workshops follow the Seven Principles of Nature First Photography.

Once again, we are very proud of the work we do to protect the environment! (See OUR COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT for more information).

Definitely photography Workshops. During our Workshops we will spend almost all our waking hours together immersed in photography, either working in the field, or busy with our unique image review and post-processing sessions, or talking about photography and art. Over the course of three decades of teaching experience, I never believed in holding back knowledge, either technical or artistic. During our Workshops, I will be happy to share with you everything I know, and together we will get inspired and work to create powerful, beautiful photographs of the locations we will visit (see ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS for more information).

That does not mean that photography or gear is all we can talk about, though! During our Workshops, Zeynep and I are looking forward to enjoying pleasant conversations with you, either during our meals or during our downtime, on any topic you like. Please read our Alumni’s TESTIMONIALS to see what they thought about our time together!

Of course! Very real. I am a registered Italian individual company, my VAT ID is IT01870020433, I carry professional insurance, and I always have all needed permits required by National Parks and similar, with all the certifications they require.

In case we'll need to cancel a Workshop on our end, for your convenience various options will be available for you, including full refunds or transfer of your monies to a different Workshop.

You can cancel your participation to a Workshop at any time, check our TERMS AND CONDITIONS for all the details. In case you’ll have to cancel your participation to one of our Workshops due to any unforeseen circumstances, I strongly recommend that you get travel insurance to cover you from any losses.

On all our Workshops, safety always comes first, period. No photograph is worth the risk of an injury, or worse, and no photograph is any good if we will not be there to see it. Please read OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR SAFETY for more details on our safety measures and refer to our PREPARING FOR YOUR WORKSHOP page for more information on how to prepare for one of our Workshops.

Feel free to CONTACT ME if you have any further questions about safety on our Workshops.

All Workshops are different when it comes to physical level and fitness requirements. Please read our PREPARING FOR YOUR WORKSHOP page for detailed information about our recommended fitness levels, and to have a better understanding of how to read the PHYSICAL LEVEL, COMFORT AND SAFETY notes in each Workshop’s dedicated page.

Feel free to CONTACT ME if you have any further questions about your fitness level for a particular Workshop.

As long as you are passionate about landscape photography, you are welcome to join us, no matter whether you are a beginner, an advanced amateur or a seasoned professional. Thanks to our trademark group size limited to a maximum of 3 photographers, no matter what your level is you can be sure that you will have enough personal time with me both in the field and during our image review and post-processing sessions to make the most of your time together. With us, you can be sure that you will not have to worry about either slowing the group down or being too advanced for the group.

To make the most of an intense photographic experience such as a Landscape Photography Workshop, I recommend you are as familiar with your equipment as possible. Please refer to our PREPARING FOR YOUR WORKSHOP page for more information. Of course, I will be happy to put my extensive knowledge of most cameras out there at your service if you need assistance during our time together.

Feel free to CONTACT ME if you have any further questions about equipment.

Below you will find a short description of the most common kinds of insurances:

Travel Insurance. Typically covers you when you must cancel a trip due to medical reasons, work-related reasons or family reasons. Coverage can include reimbursement for plane / train tickets, accommodation and for the Workshop’s fee. For your peace of mind, I definitely recommend you consider it.

Medical Insurance. Typically covers you for medical issues, treatment, hospitalisation, and more, if and where your regular insurance will not. Please check whether your insurance covers you in the country where your Workshop of choice is going to run and / or for the activity you will do. If it does not, I strongly recommend you get dedicated medical insurance for the Workshop.

Medevac Insurance. Typically covers your medical evacuation from remote areas to the nearest hospital, or to your home hospital as well. While most of our Workshop destinations are close enough to civilisation, it is always better to be safe than sorry, especially if you have a pre-existing condition that might require it.

Feel free to CONTACT ME if you have any further questions about insurance.

Attendance to our group Workshops is limited to a maximum of 3 people, only 3 people and never more than 3 people. That is the only way we can guarantee you the level of attention you deserve and keep the quality level of our Workshops as high as we want it to be.

If you are looking for an even more rewarding photographic and learning experience, then our Private and Prestige Workshops are for you. Organised on demand, perfectly customised on your level and requirements, our Private & Prestige Workshops are the top choice among our Workshops! (See ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS for more information.)

Most definitely! Non-photographing spouses and partners are welcome on all our Workshops at just 60% of the regular attendee’s Workshop’s fee. If you are an Alumnus, to thank you for your continued support we are offering you the opportunity to bring your spouse or partner at a reduced fee of just 40% the Workshop’s fee instead. Please note that on most Workshops we only accept ONE partner or spouse per trip, on a first-come, first-served base. (See our ALUMNI’S CLUB page for more information.)

For your convenience, we will book all accommodation for you, in single occupancy, en-suite rooms unless you request otherwise. For maximum flexibility and for maximum cost transparency, however, accommodation and meals costs are never included in our Workshop’s fees, and for what I believe to be very good reasons.

Meals. We all love our freedom of choice. When we seat at the table for lunch or dinner, we all want to eat what we want to eat, as little or as much of it as we like, and pay accordingly. Someone likes appetisers, someone wants dessert. You might be vegetarian, meat-eater, vegan, pescatarian, or following a particular diet.

We do not want you to eat what someone else decided you will have to eat, we do not want you to pay for what you do not eat, we do not want you to risk not having enough to eat because someone decided for you what to give you, and we do not want you to have to pay extra for what you thought should have been included but was not. And so on.

Not including meals in the Workshop's fee allows everyone the freedom to enjoy their meals and their time on the Workshop to the fullest, saving people from frustration. As well, this policy helps the planet by not preparing and potentially wasting food that people might not eat. Thanks to our trademark 3 people group size, it only takes an extra minute for the whole group to order and another minute for each of us to pay, and I believe these are both minutes very well spent.

Accommodation. We all love our freedom of choice. You might want to stay in a superior room or in a suite, or you might be happy with the most convenient option. You might want to share your room with someone, or you might not. You might use room service, or you might not care about it. And so on.

To make your time with us as comfortable as possible and to make logistics as easy as possible as well, the best solution is for us to book you the room you prefer in our selected high quality hotels, and for you to pay for it directly, including any extra you would like to enjoy.

Plus, this is the wisest financial option! Last but not least, since I must charge VAT and add taxes to all the monies I take from you, if I took your money to use it to pay for your room or for your food on your behalf, I would have to add VAT & taxes to it, and your accommodation and food would end up costing you about 50% more than if you just paid for it as you go. If nothing else, I believe this is a good enough reason not to include accommodation and meals in your Workshop’s fee.

My aim and my purpose, during each of our Workshops, is for you to get the best images possible on any given day and on any given location.

After 10 years of experience leading Workshops and with nearly 100 Workshops on my back, I have no doubts that deciding at the very last moment where to go, according to the day’s weather conditions, light, sky and so on, is the best way to do that. Thanks to my knowledge of the locations, you can be sure that you will always be in the best spot at the best time to create the best possible images on any given day.

Since it is just not possible for me to know a year in advance how the weather will be like on any given Workshop day, and since contrarily to many other Workshops and photo tours we have many alternate locations to choose from according to weather, light and sky on any given day of every Workshop, I decided not to publish a detailed daily program on our Website. If I did, I would have to choose between either changing it at the last minute, creating potential disappointments (such as “why aren’t we going to location X today, as written in the program?”), or I would have to keep to a schedule written months in advance even if that did result in bad images, just to avoid discussions.

For your convenience, a detailed list of all locations we actually visited during our Workshop will be sent to you right after the Workshop ends, organised by day and session.

Yes, most definitely. I always believed that a Workshop, besides being educational, fun and inspiring, should also be as comfortable and enjoyable an experience as possible. We simply work and function better when we are well fed, happy and enjoying what we do.

One of the benefits of keeping the group size limited to a maximum of 3 photographers is that this way we can move quickly. Not only we are fast and efficient going in and out of the field, or in and out of our vehicle, but we also are fast when ordering in restaurants. This will let us enjoy the best lunches and dinners available at any given destination without losing valuable photography time.

Of course, in a few rare instances there are locations where carrying packed lunches or dinners is necessary (e.g., going to the Racetrack in Death Valley). In these cases, you will be given ample choice of food to choose from, to cater to your preferences and to any special requirements you might have.

No, of course not. To create the best photographs we can, we need to be well rested. To make your time with us as comfortable as possible, all accommodation is in single occupancy en-suite rooms, including breakfast, unless you have different requirements. For your convenience, we will ask you to confirm your preference before booking your room.

As a general rule, the following are included in all our Workshops:

- Tuition, both in the field and during our trademark image review and post-processing sessions
- Image review and post-processing sessions
- Full support before, during and after the Workshop
- Assistant always available in the field
- National Park entrance fees and permits, where it applies

Plus, we are happy to offer you the following as complimentary:

- All Workshop’s transport, including insurance & fuel
- Booking of all Workshop accommodation
- A set of 100mm filters for the group to experiment with during the Workshop
- A SPOT safety device (usage fees apply)
- Water, coffee, tea and cookies onboard the vehicle

Please check your selected Workshop’s dedicated page for details about what is included in that particular Workshop.

For your convenience you will find my Workshop-specific recommendations on each dedicated Workshop’s page. You can also refer to our PREPARING FOR YOUR WORKSHOP page for important general information and tips. More, upon booking, you will receive my detailed recommendations for the specific dates and Workshop of your choice.

Feel free to CONTACT ME if you have any further questions about what to bring to a particular Workshop.

Weather is the only thing we can’t control. However, what regular people might consider “bad” weather can often be extremely inspiring for photography. During our Workshops, I am looking forward to putting decades of experience at your service to put any weather to the best use and to photograph as much as possible.

Please see our TERMS AND CONDITIONS for more details about working in bad weather.

We accept Credit Card payments via Stripe, PayPal payments, and (for Workshop balances only) bank transfer.

Feel free to CONTACT ME if you need a different payment arrangement and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Yes, of course. I use Stripe and PayPal to process your credit card payments and I never have access to your credit card information during the booking process or after, including if you save your credit card on the Website as a predefined payment method.

Yes, of course. I am based in Europe, and for your complete peace of mind I am GDPR complying.

Please review our PRIVACY STATEMENT for more information.

No, never. GDPR stipulates that you need to actively subscribe to our Newsletter to be added to our mailing list. You cannot be added to it just because you are a Vieri Bottazzini Workshops customer. That said, since I use my Newsletter to keep all my Alumni posted with news, updates and special offers, and since I just send out one Newsletter a week at the most, my recommendation is that you subscribe to it. Of course, you will always have the possibility to opt out with a single click shall you decide to do so.