CORNELLO DEi TASSO: Narrating the Territory
Photographic workshop in collaboration with La Tana del Tasso
May 24 and 25, 2025
Cornello dei Tasso is a medieval village perched on the mountainside: we are in Val Brembana, in the province of Bergamo, just over an hour from Milan, in one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, accessible only on foot.
We will learn the basics of reportage, techniques, key legal aspects, and how to interact with subjects.
We will also have the opportunity to practice conducting interviews by meeting the people who live in the village today and carry forward its history and traditions.
Our journey will begin on Saturday morning with a guided tour of the village, discovering the ancient stone-paved streets and the stories that unfold among the alleys and historic houses.
There will be time to taste local products, enjoy lunches and dinners in traditional trattorias and restaurants, and take walks through the woods surrounding Cornello, searching for the best light and learning how to create stunning contextual images.
On Sunday afternoon, we will learn the basics of photo editing and collectively select the best and most representative pictures. Each participant will contribute two photographs to a final exhibition, telling the story of the region.
The workshop is offered at a special launch price of €270.00, which includes an overnight stay on Saturday at B&B La Tana del Tasso, exclusively reserved for our group. The fee also includes a coffee break, while meals (optional) will be at local trattorias and restaurants.
Those who wish can arrive the night before and join a traditional dinner, then stay overnight at La Tana. In this exceptional case, the additional night will cost only €30.00.
Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25 – don’t miss the chance to learn how to tell the story of a place and its people: a hands-on reportage experience – “mixing souls” to capture the authentic heart of an extraordinary location.
For reservations and information: info@valentinatamborra.com or info@latanadeltassocornello.it
ECHOES AND LEGENDS OF ANCIENT COLCHIS
Photographic workshop in collaboration with Shiruq Viaggi and Istituto Italiano di Fotografia
next edition October 2025
The magic of the Caucasus, a meeting point between Europe and Asia, through the fertile green valleys in Kakheti, ancient UNESCO World Heritage cities like Tbilisi and Mtskheta, and churches carved into rock or clinging to steep heights. The distant echo of Silk Road caravans and armies of the Great Game accompanies the traveler in a mysterious country that has its roots deep in Christian history. The backdrop is the imposing peaks of the Caucasus, against which stand locations tied to humanity’s most ancient stories – like Kutaisi, city of the Argonauts – monasteries pointing their domes to the sky, and villages that seem to have emerged from an illustrator’s pencil. The gaze gets lost among the folds of the landscape while the ear is reached by traditional music and songs, and the taste is delighted with a succulent khachapuri. A tour aimed at connoisseurs of the fifth art, accompanied by photojournalist and instructor Valentina Tamborra, who will guide travelers in search of the deepest soul of this land, in an exceptional workshop.
IN THE ISLANDS OF LIGHT
Photographic workshop in collaboration with Shiruq Viaggi and Istituto Italiano di Fotografia from November 14 to next edition November 2025
Cradled by the sea, Malta and Gozo captivate everyone with their multifaceted personality, a blend of nature and history, hidden corners, and unexpected facets that exert an incredible allure. This tour is designed for lovers of the fifth art, guided by photojournalist and instructor Valentina Tamborra, who will lead travelers in a quest to uncover the deepest soul of this land in an exceptional workshop.
About the courses
“Valentina has an innate gift: she knows how to win people over with her smile, putting them at ease, listening, and engaging in dialogue with her subjects. The shot becomes the final act, the seal of an intense and empathetic exchange.
For Valentina, photography is about “giving back,” and through her images, she returns to us the lived experience of that moment. The authentic encounter with others is the gift of photography—the most valuable lesson I have learned from Valentina.”
Giovanna P.
“I was deeply worried about the idea of showcasing my work. It meant so much to me; I learned a great deal about many aspects—about the approach to this wonderful and new thing we were being taught, reportage, about what it meant to me, about external feedback, and about the very exchange between myself and “others.”
I experienced something I had never felt before, a kind of “breath,” as if I had emerged from holding my breath.”
Valentina T.
“Training with Valentina is an inner journey of self-discovery, transforming it into photography and writing. She is a pure and sensitive soul who has taught me the true value of respect and the depth of inner reflection, both of and within photography, composed of souls rather than mere subjects.”
Andrea B.
“Valentina helps you understand the ethical approach to photographic work. She conveys a culture of work that is empathetically attentive and respectful toward the people being photographed, aiming to capture the complexity of human stories through the lens. She teaches you how to deeply connect with your subjects to reveal emotions and narratives that go beyond mere documentation of events, becoming profound expressions of the human condition.”