Reviews
April TBA, 2026 | Monday at breakfast through Sunday after dinner | 14 photo shoots
COVID SAFETY: Please read our COVID-19 Information and Prep page.
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instructors' galleries.
Over the centuries, Taormina became a cultural and arts center, hosting such famous names as Goethe, D. H. Lawrence, Truman Capote, and Tennessee Williams among many others.
Since 1960, this medieval city has held the Taormina Film Fest. Sitting on the ancient steps of Teatro Greco and watching the films that come for this event is just amazing. Oooh, Ovid may have sat here! Or Pliny the Elder! Both wrote here and took their inspiration from this area.
Tallest of the European volcanoes, Mt. Etna is also one of the world's most active, having been in a state of near-continuous eruption for half a million years with documentation going back to 1500 B.C.E (B.C.). Etna's eruptions have caused very few deaths, thus its "gentle volcano" reputation, because the lava flows are slow, and the eruptions are not particularly explosive.
The flanks of Mt. Etna, with its hard-scrabble soil, produce some amazing wines. Add to these, the dramatic coasts, small cliffside villages, colorful fishing fleets, and Taormina itself, and you will have much to photograph.
Don't forget all those scenes from The Godfather. Some of them were filmed in the area in which BCPA holds it workshop! In fact, one of the villages is just up the coast from Taormina!
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instructors' galleries.
For those who are also joining us in Paris, I am working on a bit of a discount, so please be petient. The caveat is that the installments must be paid by check because of the PayPal fees.
As always, I will encourage you to seek your own vision and teach you how elements of composition and the magic of light work in concert to make wonderful photographs. You will be inspired by the sights and sounds of this magical place ...
One of our Sicilian friends has become a chef of excellent reputation. Arnie and I first met Turi at the end of his first year with his own restaurant, and we enjoyed watching him grow in the years since. He is a lover of the outdoors and an entertainer of the highest order. He has also introduced us to a number of excellent Sicilian wines.
His standards for excellence take him into the forest to gather chestnuts, mushrooms, and other woodland delights. He also heads to the market to carefully pick out the vegetables, fish, and other fare for the evening's table. After all, Sicily is as much about food and wine as it is about the ancient history and magnificent scenery. I am hoping to engage Turi for an excursion, but no guarantees there, as he travels a lot.
Margo looks forward to returning here and showing you some of her favorite locations where you'll be able to celebrate your passion for photography, hone your seeing and imaging skills, and learn about the magic of light to make wonderful photographs.
Plan on staying on to see some of the rest of this wonderful island with its ancient history, as this is a large island, too big to cover in a workshop where you will only get a mere taste to whet your appetite ... but what a taste it will be!
Meanwhile, be sure to carefully read BCPA's FAQs, as well as the various links in the box below. They should hopefully answer almost any question you might have.
Fees: Standard $2,440 | Alumni $2,076 | Association $2,196 | Twofer Discount in combination with Paris | Early-bird Special @ Association rate but by check (see parameters)
Special excursions are extra and the cost of a driver and van will be shared by the participants who wish to join in.
Travel insurance is highly recommended to ensure protection against any unforeseeable events. Sharon Erickson, our trusty travel agent, can help you with that. And, no, BCPA does not get any credit for referring you to her, only a thank you!
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