THE ISLE OF ARRAN WORKSHOP REPORT

Arran is ‘Scotland in miniature’ – the beaches, the mountains, the weather, the snow… you really do see four seasons in a day. And Vieri knows where to go; he has locations for any type of weather (good or bad). Plus, he is very good at quietly suggesting a certain approach, or a different point of view. All of which makes for a very personal, and professional, experience. This really is a first-class workshop, rather than a simple tour of photo locations. Highly recommended!

This was my first workshop with Vieri & Zeynep and it did not disappoint.

They had clearly done lots of preparation pre trip on the best places to take us, had thought of the ‘little extras’, such as sanitising wipes in the van (as the covid pandemic was just beginning to rear it’s head) and also had a back up plan for everything in case the weather or tides ‘were not playing ball’.

Vieri has an extensive knowledge of all things photography and shared this in an easy, uncomplicated manner which was tailored to the needs of each participant.

Throughout the trip both he & Zeynep were attentive, accommodating and gave me lots of valuable tips and words of wisdom to help me improve my photography skills. They were always happy to offer further assistance whenever required, both in the field and back in our accommodation when we were doing post processing reviews. I found these reviews really helpful, both looking at my photographs and seeing how others had taken different shots of the same views.

Added to this Vieri & Zeynep have a great sense of humour, were sociable and great company! All of this was combined with Arran, Scotland in miniature - a beautiful, scenic island (with good Scottish weather) that is well worth a visit & one I shall return to in the future.

What more can I say - a fantastic trip, one that has left me a better photographer, with some great memories and plans to hopefully do more trips in the future!

What can I say about the Isle of Arran workshop with Vieri and Zeynep? My second one? Plenty.

Arran is a photographer’s dream, and it’s even better when you already know that the time spent there will be well worth it with professional guidance from Vieri. Be prepared to work, be prepared for some excellent teaching, and be prepared for some most excellent suggestions to improve your photography. All done in a pleasant manner with the occasional nudge in the right direction.

Might I also mention that it would be a good idea to be prepared for Mother Nature and some inclement weather? Yeah we had that, rain, wind, sometimes howling winds and other little goodies that add to the elements of landscape photography. This allowed us to have repeat visits to several locations which is always rewarding.

I’m still amazed at the time and effort that Vieri and Zeynep put in to making sure that the workshop is well organized, that we are at the days locations at the right time for the best light or tides, and most of all making sure that everyone shoots images to be proud of.

Did I mention that there was hot coffee and cookies on those cold mornings as we waited for sunrise? We all got to see each other’s work during our image review sessions and make comments and suggestions which was a great help to everyone.

Accommodations during our stay were outstanding and the time spent during our meals was always a pleasant way to pass some time and have lively discussions about photography and numerous other subjects. I must thank Roy and Shannon for their company during our week on Arran. It was a pleasure. I highly recommend to anyone out there that wants to participate in a photography workshop to sign up for a Bottazzini Workshop. You will not be disappointed!

I enjoyed a fantastic workshop on the Isle of Arran March 11 – 16, 2019 with Vieri and his wife. As a novice to Fine Art Landscape Photography I learned a lot. The group size of only 3 participants ensured lots of time to ask all my questions and receive expert advice. The feedback I received in the review sessions was constructive and educational. I learned a lot about post-production using Lightroom. Vieri was generous with helping both the technical (equipment) as well as the artistic components of fine art landscape photography.

The workshop was special as my daughter was able to attend as well. We had very comfortable accommodations and ate fine cuisine at local restaurants. We travelled in a large van with lots of room for all. I highly recommend Vieri’s workshops and plan to attend more!

Prior to participating in Vieri’s workshop, I was very much a novice photographer. My interest was mainly in travel photography and I would describe my photos as quite average. I wanted to improve but did not really find the inspiration nor invest the time and effort into doing so. When my dad suggested we take a workshop with Vieri, I thought this would be a great way to fully immerse myself in the world of photography for a short time with a professional’s leadership and guidance. That is exactly what occurred during our time on Arran.

Every day we usually had a couple sessions in 2 or more locations to take photos and did a photo review session to discuss the photos we’d all taken. I found these sessions complemented one another to allow reflection on what you’d done or try to do and then immediately be able to apply what you learnt for greater carryover in learning. Areas I feel I improved greatly in were developing a better eye to photo composition and developing a more comprehensive approach to setting up and taking a shot. I am able now to go through a more routine mental checklist of all the factors/camera settings I should be thinking about prior to taking that first shot. I also am utilizing my camera’s potential much more than I ever was before. This was also aided by the opportunity to practice using Vieri’s extra set of graduated ND and ND filters. I had no experience with filters prior to this workshop and now can say that filters are next on my wishlist of equipment.

Vieri’s organization and leadership of this workshop was fantastic. The group size was small, personable and a lot of fun. It was extremely helpful to not only review my own photos but also those of the other participants. Even just getting to hear questions that I had never thought of or considered was great learning. Vieri was able to cater to our varying levels of knowledge and experience with ease. He knew Arran extremely well and was able to produce multiple back-up plans in the face of inclement weather. Arran itself is a gorgeous location with varied terrain to photograph. The accommodation was lovely, and we did not lack for great meals.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on Arran. I finished this workshop feeling far more confident and capable in landscape photography. I also feel more inspired to seek out environments myself to continue developing these new skills. Should the opportunity arise to participate in another workshop in the future I will do so. Thank you Vieri for all your work and sharing your expertise!

This year we did decide to join Vieri’s Arran workshop. Arran is a beautiful island (never heard before of) with lots of things to see and experience. Also this time Vieri immediately did figure out how to advise me in improving my way of looking at landscapes. His style of saying “did you consider to“ instead of “do this“ makes me think and hopefully develops my skills. Last but definitely not least Zeynep was managing us perfectly. I learned again a lot and already look forward to our next session in 2019!

The fact that this was my third excursion with Vieri and have signed up for a fourth should be testimonial enough to how highly I value him as a teacher, critic and companion on his consistently excellent landscape workshops.

The isle of Arran is a delight with ample locations of interest and variety within an island where nowhere involves a lot of road travel or hiking. The food, accommodation and company were all up to the usual high standard, with Arran being a very friendly and hospitable place to spend a week.

Again, through Vieri's careful planning, we managed very full days with plenty of time at the chosen locations to explore and take advantage of changes in light and weather. Image review sessions and discussions of equipment and solutions to common problems were particularly valuable and carried out in a constructive and amiable manner.

Once again it has been a very enjoyable trip that has produced some fine images, friendships and memories. And finally, thanks as always to Zeynep, who is always on hand with a smile, encouragement, and help when needed.

Let me mention how I first contacted Vieri. Was searching online to answer a question I had about my Leica SL camera, and Vieri’s name showed up in the list of possible answers—being a lover of Italian food of course I had to click on his name before the others.

Not only did his review of the SL answer my question it gave me some great info about the camera’s settings which I had not known. I looked at his website and loved the landscapes, I sent him an email and heard back immediately and instantly liked him, seemed like a good guy and I liked his approach to photography and life. It was very noisy where I was at the time and looking at his landscapes took me to a quiet zen place, so much that from the photos and our conversation I signed up for back to back workshops immediately!

To me what makes a great workshop is the leader’s intimate knowledge of a place, and when to be there for the best possible photos. Vieri excels at this, one gets to the right spots at the right times. He researches an area multiple times out of his own pocket before bringing people there, he also knows what he is doing unlike many of the workshop leaders/frauds out there.

If one wants to improve their landscape photography and get to some great spots, I cannot recommend Vieri and his wife Zeynep enough. They are lots of fun to hang out with as well, and to hammer that point home I would hang out with them even if it had nothing to do with photography.

To sum it up they are the best, and if one likes landscape photography and wants good tips and techniques they cannot be recommended highly enough!

This was my first workshop ever, and I sure picked the right one. Vieri and his wife Zeynep made the workshop most enjoyable with their knowledge of the locations selected for the daily shoots and alternate locations should the weather choose not to cooperate as it did on a couple of occasions. Before this workshop I had little experience with filters but came away with a new respect for them as they pertain to landscape photography thanks to suggestions from Vieri and Zeynep. Now I must acquire more of them! The Isle of Arran is a fabulous location for photography. I wish I could spend more time photographing the otherworldly rocks at Corrie Beach or the beauty of Glen Sannox. Next time I hope. I think we had a great group of participants, David and his almost always hilarious stories and Scott with his calm demeanor and subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) humor. Not to mention both of them are accomplished photographers.

So thanks for a wonderful week, I really did learn a lot even though I may not have asked many questions. I would do this workshop again in a heartbeat. Again, many thanks to you both. I’m looking forward to meeting again at another workshop!

I had never heard of the Isle of Arran. When a photographer friend told about a workshop being held there and that he was going, I looked it up on Google Earth. It immediately piqued my interest.

When I saw the photos on Vieri's web page I knew I had to go.

It did not disappoint. Nor did the workshop hosts. Vieri and Zeynep were wonderful hosts. I have been on workshops where the instructors are more interested in getting you there to fund their travel so they can do THEIR shooting. This was not the case with Vieri and Zeynep. They could not have been more gracious and attentive hosts. They actually go to the sites ahead of time on their own dime to scout shooting locations, housing and eating establishments. They are also gracious in the field with their time and expertise. I had no experience shooting with filters and they explained to me how to use them and lent me some of their own that they bring on the workshops for the participants.

I am by no means an expert now after one workshop, but it gave me a new avenue of exploration in photography. We enjoyed this workshop so much that my friend and I have arranged to have a custom workshop with Vieri and Zeynep in their home country of Italy in 2018. Can't wait.

Vieri and Zeynep are the best!

Taking part in Vieri’s Photography Workshop on Arran has been an experience full of meaning for me. Full of meaning because I lived it fully: I managed to let myself being guided by what the locations, my fantasy and Vieri as well (always subtly) suggested me. Let me linger on this a bit, which I find fundamental for my personal satisfaction: Vieri’s presence is constant but light, you know he is there if you need him, but very correctly he respects and encourages each participant’s own creativity. Obviously, before going to a location he introduced us to what we would have found, the conditions, the time window for the best light, what photographic techniques we could experiment with as well as some instruction not to disturb each other. I am sure he did and said much more than that, but my short summary wants to express something that shouldn’t be taken for granted and that I really appreciated. Vieri let us know very clearly his honest and straightforward teaching philosophy, and I can guarantee you that I have always felt encouraged but never pushed, and therefore I felt free to experiment and let myself be inspired. Some locations were more inspiring to me than others, of course, but this is just down to personal taste and feeling.

I understand the vast amount of knowledge and organisation necessary to be able to take advantage of what Arran has to offer to shoot interesting images. Vieri showed us how fundamental it is to know the timing for the tides, the sunrise and the sunset, and to understand the weather… I believe this required a really remarkable organisation, but Vieri managed to do that perfectly!

I feel comfortable to recommend one of Vieri’s Workshops to photography lovers of all levels and with any level of equipment as well. One of the most important things I learnt was how to push my equipment to the limit, without losing any photographic opportunity due to lack of equipment. As well, I also learnt which investments I need to do in the future to strengthen what Vieri calls “the weak links in my image taking chain”. In my case, it meant to change my tripod and invest in filters, for instance, besides improving my abilities with post-processing software in order to develop my RAWs as best as I can.

Besides all this, I wanted to test myself with Landscape photography, to understand if this is a genre I liked and one that I can produce good images with. I have been very, very impressed. I started understanding the importance of many technical and artistic aspects of photography, understanding how to compose an image, how to guide the viewer’s eye in an image using lines and masses, and finally to understanding the importance of the light and the creative effects that the use of filters (generously provided by Vieri) allow, and much more. Of course, I started to understand all this, both in the field and during our post-processing sessions as well as during all our talks about photography. Breakfast, lunch, transfers to and from a location, every moment was good to talk about photography! In fact, I believe that in a Workshop lasting only a few days it is of the outmost importance to be able to take advantage of every moment, to make the most of such an intense and concentrated experience!

I can say without any exaggeration that I came back from the Workshop full of energy and feeling pleasantly grateful and willing to keep developing myself in this direction! All the credit goes to an instructor that, besides being a proficient professional, is also a teacher with a capital T! I remember than before taking off for Arran I read an article by Vieri expressing his teaching philosophy and I have been very impressed by his concepts. Well, I found everything consistently applied during the Workshop. It was good to be pleasantly surprised finding that everything corresponded to my expectations on all levels! And let’s not forget my satisfaction for the enchanting beauty of the locations visited: I really enjoyed Arran and its light very much! I gave myself fully to this experience and have been very happy to have done so: I wish a happy Workshop to everyone who will choose to participate!

Vieri is an excellent teacher, always patient and attentive both on the field and in all the post-production sessions. His knowledge of places and situation, together with a very precise and accurate planning will allow you to be guided smoothly and to concentrate on improving your photographic abilities both under the technical and artistic points of view.