Local Photographer to Host Photo Tours

Local photographer Jim Nilsen is offering a tour and instructional workshop in Italy this May.

An award-winning travel photographer from Edmonds is conducting a nine-day photography tour and instructional workshop in Tuscany, Italy, this coming May.

Jim Nilsen’s tour is designed for photographers of any skill level who wish to improve their photographic skills while experiencing one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.

“For me, this is the ultimate form of travel,” Nilsen said. “We immerse ourselves in a delicious culture and live amongst a generous and joyful people, all while capturing our experience in stunning photographs as we explore this beautiful and historical region.”

This is Nilsen’s first experience leading a guided instructional tour, and he is excited for this new dimension to his professional career.

Nilsen’s photographs are well known in the Pacific Northwest after two decades of exhibiting at art fairs and gift galleries throughout the region. His images of landscapes and architectural details are distinguished by their intense saturated colors and keen compositions.

For years, Nilsen’s customers have expressed their desire to travel and photograph with him, and he believes his upcoming Tuscany tour and workshop will surpass everyone’s expectations.

Nilsen has traveled and photographed extensively in Italy and is especially fond of the Tuscany region while his wife, Magrit, also a photographer and graphic designer, was raised in southeast Austria with Italy as her “backyard.”

They both have an intimate knowledge of Tuscany and decades of photographic and design experience that they wish to share with a small select group of tour participants.

The tour  begins in Pisa, Italy. From Pisa, the group will drive by van to one of the most amazing valleys in all of Italy, the Val d’ Orcia. The group will spend seven nights in the heart of this region in the medieval hill town of Pienza, a town chosen because of its proximity to several iconic Tuscan scenes.

Within a short drive one can photograph cypress lined roads, enchanting farmhouses and chapels, medieval hill towns, and lush landscapes.

The tour is limited to seven participants to ensure quality instruction and individual attention.

Thanks to their expertise and experience in the region, each day the Nilsens will guide the group to their favorite photogenic locations at just the right time of day to obtain the best lighting conditions.

Close to Pienza, the group will explore the medieval hill towns of Montepulciano, Montalcino, Monticchiello, San Querico d’ Orcia, and Castiglione d’ Orcia.

The tour will also visit some of the neighboring towns and villages, including San Gimignano, San Galgano, Monteriggioni, Pitigliano, Civita di Bagnaorgio, Volterra, Asciano, Siena, and Orvieto as well as the Chianti region.

“My main objective is for the group to have fun learning and traveling,” Jim Nilsen said. “This should not be difficult, considering where we will be hanging out for nine days.”

Evenings will give the group the opportunity to sample regional cuisine offered by Pienza’s many fine restaurants. The region also produces some of the best red wines in the world, including the famous Brunello di Montalcino and its rival, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Photographic instruction will be tailored to each individual’s level and desires. With more than 30 years experience and a degree in commercial photography, Jim Nilsen continues to learn and experiment, most recently transitioning into digital capture, workflow, post processing, and output.

More can be learned about this photographic tour and workshop by visiting www.PhotographyTravelTours.com.

View Nilsen’s photographs at http://www.JimNilsen.com