Tuscany Photography Tours Reviews 25

Attended the Tuscany Photo Workshop in September 2024. The experience was excellent. Leo delivers exactly what is stated on the website. He adjusts the schedule according to weather and site conditions to enable you to get the best photos. Leo is a caring individual! I would not hesitate on taking another workshop with him again.

I first met Leo in May 2023 when we booked him for a one-day photography tour during our visit to Cinque Terre. The three of us on that tour were so impressed with Leo’s instruction, we decided to schedule him for a full, week-long Tuscany workshop in 2024. Based on our positive experience, we were able to convince three more friends to join us for the workshop. Leo was even able to accommodate the late addition of our adult daughter to the workshop, bringing the final total to seven. Leo is very familiar with the Tuscany region and knows those special locations to get exceptional photography subjects. Even with a group size of seven, Leo was able to give individual guidance and critique to each participant. He circulated through our group, one by one, giving instructions to and fielding questions from each member and then started that sequence over again. Even when the group had spread out at a location, Leo maintained this same degree of coverage. Leo has an eye for the ideal photographic composition for a particular location/subject. He doesn’t just tell you what to shoot. He instead works with you to develop an understanding of the elements which constitute the successful capture of a subject. Leo tailors his instruction based on the level of photographic expertise of each participant. He has a good-natured, easy-going, good-humored style of interaction which facilitates the learning experience. Leo freely offers praise as well as criticism in a sincere effort to nurture your photography skills. Leo also has an excellent working knowledge of all major camera manufacturers’ equipment enabling him to offer technical assistance. Those of us who previously booked Leo for the one-day lesson in 2023 were very pleased with our decision to schedule the week-long workshop. The experience had a very positive impact on my overall photography skill set. I would not hesitate to choose Leo for another photography workshop in the future.

I have just returned from a delightful week with Tuscany Photography Tours, led by Leonardo Papèra (Leo). A native Tuscan, Leo is an expert in the region, an accomplished photographer, a gifted teacher and a delight to have as a guide of the Tuscany region. We travelled to well known key photography locations as well, lesser-known places for beautiful shots that provided us great learning opportunities as well as unusual beautiful photos.

Leo quickly assessed each of our technical and composite skills and tailored his teachings and support to each of our individual needs. His full attention was on his clients at each photo shoot. Unlike some tours I have experienced, he approached each of our photo sessions as a workshop and I have come away from the week with a significant advanced knowledge of composition, how light plays with photography and an understanding of the need to ‘see the story’ before I click the shutter.
Leo’s goal was to ensure that each of us walked away better photographers. In addition to his own personal photography skills, Leo is a born teacher; he is professionally critical in his feedback. As I continue my photography journey, I will carry with me, his encouraging words – ‘you can do better’. He has built relationships in the Tuscan community with local establishments which meant each day we dined in beautiful restaurants and ate delicious Tuscan food. Every meal with Leo meant joyful conversations, laughter and sometimes more lessons.
In addition to beautiful photography sessions in historic Tuscany, he spent time walking through how he produces the photographs in Lightroom and Photoshop. He freely shared his knowledge in pre and post photography and provided us tools to move forward on our own.
And last, with his easy style and sense of humour – the week was absolutely delightful. As I move forward in my own learning of photography, I will be following Leo and looking for future workshops with him.
Thank you, Leo!

Leo is an extremely talented photographer, very professional and generous. I participated in the Tuscany Spring Tour and had a wonderful time! He not only cares deeply about teaching his art, but also about providing his customers with an authentic Italian experience. He is careful in selecting a combination of locations that include famous sites, hidden gems and various types of environments that can provide different learnings. I was very surprised to find out that the tour also included some walks around different towns in Tuscany. During the tour, Leo provided thorough explanations to help us improve our photography skills, but first challenged us to think of the solution ourselves. His editing workshops were amazing, he showed us how he edited more than 8 of our own pictures, which was also recorded for our benefit. In general, I was shocked to learn how many tours he leads (many), because of the commitment he brings to each one of the participants. Thank you for a wonderful experience!