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9. /10
Compared to other workshops I previously attended, what I liked most is the small number of participants, which makes for more learning time and more personalized attention, and also that most of the downtime was used among all of us to review and critic pictures, rather than sleeping as it happened in several other workshops. I was so happy and satisfied that I already booked 2 more workshops for next year, hoping to have again the same great time I just experienced!
Below you will find our ASTURIAS & NORTHERN SPAIN PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP reports, covering all our Workshops there from 2017 and including our Alumni's Testimonials and photographs. Enjoy!
QUICK JUMP: SEPTEMBER 2017 | OCTOBER 2018 | SEPTEMBER 2019 (1) | SEPTEMBER 2019 (2) | SEPTEMBER 2021 | SEPTEMBER 2025
At the end of September 2025, after four years since our last time, we were excited to return to Asturias & Northern Spain for our sixth Workshop there and our hundredth Workshop overall!
This time, we ran a Sold Out 7-day group Workshop, with a full group of all returning Alumni. One of the three gentlemen was on his second Workshop with us; one on his sixth one; the third gentleman joined us for what would have been his tenth Workshop with us; sadly, he had an accident forcing him to cancel at the very last minute. We missed having him with us and we hope he will be able to join us in Spain soon.
I truly enjoy working with returning Alumni. First of all, for us it is the best indicator of the quality of our work; most importantly, it presents me with a great opportunity to fully customise the Workshop on their level and requirements, and to follow their journey with landscape photography together. Asturias and Northern Spain is a seascape-only Workshop, offering a selection of truly impressive and inspiring landscapes that is unique for variety and photographic interest.
During these 7 days we worked on spectacular large vistas, photographed both from the unique point of view of standing in the ocean and, when the occasion presented itself, from atop the cliff edge. To add even more photographic interest, we worked on nearly minimalist, more photographically intimate compositions as well. During this Workshop, we had the opportunity to revisit Playa de Ballota and Playa de Portizuelo, both of which we photographed at sunrise and at sunset for a completely different light.
Last but not least, the social side of the Workshop, which is always fundamental for us. During our Asturias & Northern Spain Workshop we were privileged to work with a great group; both our Alumni were perfect gentlemen and they got along very well between themselves. We had a great time working in the field and we very much enjoyed our downtime and social times, for a truly unforgettable Workshop!
At the end of September 2021, after one year of hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we returned to Asturias & Northern Spain for our fifth Workshop there, this time a 7-day group Workshop with two participants. Out of the two gentlemen joining us in Spain, one was a returning Alumnus, joining us for the fourth time, while the other joined us for the first time.
I always enjoy working with returning Alumni, since it makes it easier for me to fully customise the Workshop on their level and requirements, continuing along our photographic path together. This time over, we worked on seascape only, and what amazing seascapes at that! As well, I am always happy to meet new passionate photographers and introduce them to the beauty of landscape photography, as we did with the other gentleman joining us in Spain this year.
During these 7 days, we worked on some of Northern Spain’s most spectacular grand vistas, most of which we tackled from a completely unique point of view - from inside the ocean! As well, when occasion arose, we worked on a more photographically intimate, nearly minimalist approach to composition. More, we had a chance to revisit Playa Mexota twice at sunset, looking for a second chance with better weather, and Playa de Gueirua, which we photographed both at sunset and sunrise for a completely different light.
Last but not least, let me mention the social aspect of the Workshop, which are always really important for us. During our Asturias & Northern Spain Workshop, first and foremost we really enjoyed seeing an old Alumnus again after almost a year - as faith would have it, we were on a Workshop with him when the pandemic hit - as well as meeting our new participant, a perfect gentleman and a wonderful person to be with. We had a great time working in the field and we enjoyed long conversations about photography and equipment, exploring the possibilities and quirks of the Phase One gear we all were using during this trip.
One of the participants in our Asturias & Northern Spain September 2021 Workshop kindly sent me a short testimonial to share with you. See what they had to say about our Workshop together!
Superbly organised – amazing locations – individualised mentoring. An excellent workshop!
At the end of September 2019, we returned to Asturias & Northern Spain for our second Workshop back-to-back for 2019 and our fourth there overall, this time a 7-day Private Workshop. The participant, a returning Alumnus, after exploring Dorset’s Jurassic Coast with me wanted to continue working on seascapes, this time focussing on the amazing coasts of Asturias & Northern Spain.
Doing a Private Workshop with a returning Alumnus made it easier for me to fully customise the Workshop on his level and requirements, giving him my undivided attention and choosing the best locations both for great photography and to continue along our photographic learning path together. In Asturias & Northern Spain this allowed him to make the most of the locations we photographed, while continuing the work we started in Dorset.
During these 7 days we worked on some of Spain’s most spectacular grand vistas as well as on taking a more photographically intimate approach to composition, down to creating minimalist imagery. More, we had a chance to revisit Playa Ballota, looking for a second chance with better weather, and Playa de Portizuelo, where we worked on different compositions staying farther away from the arch for a different set of compositions the second time over.
Last but not least, the social aspect of the Workshop, always very important for us. During our Asturias & Northern Spain Private Workshop, first and foremost I really enjoyed seeing an old Alumnus again after almost a year. We had a great time working in the field and during our transfers, lunches and dinners we enjoyed long conversations about photography and equipment, something he is truly passionate about, reinforced by our mutual love for Hasselblad and Leica gear!
The participant in our Asturias & Northern Spain September 2019 (2) Workshop kindly sent me a short testimonial to share with you. See what they had to say about our Workshop together!
Wonderful locations and a truly unique & extremely useful experience to understand not only the aesthetics of seascape photography but also all the logistics & preparation necessary to approach such photography at a professional level.
Vieri is an almost endless source of ideas, suggestions and creative energy!
In September 2019, we returned to Asturias & Northern Spain for the first of two back-to-back Workshops and our third one there. This was a 4-day Private Workshop with a returning Alumnus, who after working together in Glencoe & Isle of Skye and in Cinque Terre & Tuscany, for this third Private Workshop decided to focus on Asturias & Northern Spain’s seascapes.
Doing a Private Workshop with a returning Alumnus made it easier for me to fully customise the Workshop on his level and requirements, giving him my undivided attention and choosing the best locations both for great photography and to continue along our learning path together. In particular, in Asturias & Northern Spain we worked together on simplifying compositions down to near-minimalist work, exploring new territories compared to what we previously worked on together.
Last but not least, the social aspect of the Workshop, always very important for us. During our Asturias & Northern Spain Private Workshop I truly enjoyed seeing an Alumnus coming back for a third Workshop with us, it’s always great when someone enjoys working with us so much that they come back multiple times. In Spain, together we had a great time both working in the field and during our lunches and dinner, when we talked about photography and about equipment, particularly the Hasselblad X1D II that he had just ordered and was eager to receive!
The participant in our Asturias & Northern Spain September 2019 (1) Workshop kindly sent me a short testimonial to share with you. See what they had to say about our Workshop together!
As always it was great to meet my inspirational teacher! Vieri and his wife picked me up as planned and we took the road to the first place for the first shoot!
It was 1.5 year since last time, and I was thrilled to get out and learn more from the master!
As always, and one of my main reasons for going the third time with Vieri, was that everything was well prepared. Travel, hotels, and of course the different scenes. As the weather change very often on the coast, we discussed where to go and what to shoot to get the most out the four days together.
Vieri is a great teacher in combination of being a great photographer, from the way you are able to discuss the different settings on your gear to the way you’ll work on composition and processing when back in the hotel.
To join Vieri on a photographic adventure will never disappoint you. And to join him in such a beautiful place as the Northern Coast of Spain, will just inspire you even more! Thank you for all the good experience!
In early October 2018, we returned to Asturias & Northern Spain for our second Workshop there, this time a 7-day Workshop with a full group of three participants. One of them was an Alumnus, returning for the third time with us, and who was with us in Asturias & Northern Spain in 2017 as well. He just loved Asturias & Northern Spain and enjoyed the Workshop so much that he came back for more! To me, that’s one of the best compliments our Workshops can get, as well as being a testament to how unbelievably beautiful this coast is, with its sequence of never-ending astonishing seascapes.
During our Asturias & Northern Spain 2018 Workshop, we worked together on advanced seascape photography techniques, such as how to photograph arches with our tripods in the ocean balancing on boulders at Playa de Portizuelo, how to explore the ocean for compositions at El Picon, or how to work with tripods sinking in the sand in the ocean at Playa Ballota, for some truly unique resulting images that you couldn't take otherwise.
Last but not least, the social aspect of the Workshop, always very important for us. During our Asturias & Northern Spain 2018 Workshop we worked with three participants equally enthusiastic about landscape photography, each with their different personality, but all perfect gentlemen. We had a great time both working in the field and during our image review & post-processing sessions, and we truly enjoyed our lunches and dinner, talking about photography, art and life!
The participants in our Asturias & Northern Spain October 2018 Workshop kindly sent me a short testimonial together with a selection of images to share with you. See what they had to say about our Workshop together and enjoy their work in Spain!
Another Vieri Workshop and another trip to the Asturias – what more could a landscape photographer want? Impeccably well organised, good companions and good weather made for a memorable 7 days culminating in a location and sunrise that most photographers only dream of.
All the locations here reward repeat visits due to changes in tide and weather and the new areas visited yielded some of my all-time favourite sunset images. Accommodation and food were exceptional, and the Asturias is a very hospitable and unspoilt part of Spain. The coastal scenery is exceptionally photogenic and varied, with us being the only people present at most locations.
Afternoon processing and image review sessions were immensely helpful, being conducted in a constructive and friendly manner, including the daunting but enjoyable '5 minute processing challenge'! Thanks to Paul and Raimondo for being knowledgeable and amusing company for a memorable week of photographic pleasure.
As many will testify, a Bottazzini Workshop never disappoints, and I cannot recommend him highly enough as a guide, photographer, mentor and teacher.
Unfortunately, I will miss Vieri and Zeynep's company in 2019, but will certainly be back again for more adventures with them in 2020.
I liked the Asturias' workshop very much, not only Vieri is a very nice person, but he has been very professional in the organization & planning, with nice shooting locations, good accommodations and restaurants, very concerned about everybody's safety in the field, plus he was always available for suggestions and help when requested but never intrusive.
Compared to other workshops I previously attended, what I liked most is the small number of participants, which makes for more learning time and more personalized attention, and also that most of the downtime was used among all of us to review and critic pictures, rather than sleeping as it happened in several other workshops.
I was so happy and satisfied that I already booked 2 more workshops for next year, hoping to have again the same great time I just experienced.
Vieri, I came to your workshop to improve my ability to see and shoot wide angle and I learned a lot, so thank you. In addition to the great locations, I also appreciated the peer review sessions which were incredibly insightful. Lastly, I enjoyed everyone’s company and the beauty of Spain, so thank you for a great workshop.
In September 2017, I had the great pleasure to lead our first Asturias & Northern Spain Workshop, this time a 9-day Workshop with two participants. One of them was a returning Alumnus, on his second trip with us after joining us on the Isle of Skye in the spring.
During our Asturias & Northern Spain 2017 Workshop we worked on advanced seascape photography techniques, something I find fun and inspiring. In particular, I introduced the group to photographing with our tripods in the ocean, we had great fun (and got great images, too!) jumping up and down in the waves at Playa de Gueirua, exploring the ocean for compositions at El Picon, wading our way through the ocean to reach Playa de Campiecho’s arch at the perfect time for sunset, and photographing Playa de Mexota with water up to our knees. As well, during this Workshop we revisited Playa Barrika and Playa Ballota, to put different light conditions at our service.
Last but not least, the social aspect of the Workshop, always very important for us. During our Asturias & Northern Spain 2017 Workshop we worked with two participants with very different personalities, but equally enthusiastic about photography and the landscape. We had a great time both working in the field and during our lunches and dinner, when we talked about photography, art and life in general, for a pleasant and fun Workshop!
The participants in our Asturias & Northern Spain September 2017 Workshop kindly sent me a short testimonial together with a selection of images to share with you. See what they had to say about our Workshop together and enjoy their work in Spain!
They say money can't buy happiness but you can book Vieri's workshop instead and the result will be the same!
If you don't have much time for searching for the best locations out there, if you want to be on these locations at the best time of the year/month/day and learn tricks of the trade from top-notch landscape photographer then don't think twice and press “book now” button.
If you, like me, think that spending a week or so speaking and breathing photography all day long and shooting at gorgeous locations seems like a best bet for your precious time out of the office, then again, stop reading me review and press than booking button now!
The 2017 Asturias Workshop was my second trip with Vieri and made me appreciate the huge amount of work and organisation that goes into a successful landscape photography trip.
Planning the logistics of visiting locations at the right state of the tide and light, with contingencies for bad weather is a difficult task that takes intimate knowledge of the area. As a result, we had a superb workshop with full days and excellent photographic opportunities even on the few days when the weather was sub-optimal.
Particularly rewarding was the occasions where we visited the same location at sunset and then the following sunrise, which produced completely different images and helped enormously having been there before. Waders enabled us to reach locations at the best state of the tide before other photographers and also use viewpoints that would have been impossible otherwise.
Vieri's teaching style encourages individuality… with the occasional nudge in the right direction and excellent advice when unsure of technicalities or compositional problems. Travel time was not wasted… much of it was spent discussing all aspects of photography.
The afternoon image review sessions were very helpful, encouraging self-criticism of our images followed by suggestions on processing to bring out the best in them. Vieri invariably saw good images hiding in what we thought were destined for the trash! Accommodation was wonderful, food excellent and the company great.
The Asturias coast is a wonderfully photogenic area and the whole trip was a delight. The images I have testify to that and will bring back happy memories for many years to come.
I'm eternally grateful to Vieri, Zeynep and Witold for a super time!
