This workshop is open to students and serious amateurs, to working as well as emerging professionals. Participants, grouped by digital skill levels, will develop their vision and technique in a mix of morning and afternoon sessions offering faculty demonstrations and digitallly projected presentations, shooting assignments as well as group critiques. On group field trips, you can explore the famous villas, gardens, and market towns along Lake Como and the trails and villages in the foothills of the Italian Alps.

Individual time with the instructors will be available as well as ample free time to photograph the luminous morning light, the mauve-gold sunsets, and the sparkle of night-life in the cafés along the lake's shores. You will discover the magical light that drew creative people from Leonardo to Elizabeth & Robert Browning to George Clooney to this still-secret paradise.

You will need a digital camera which shoots RAW files, (preferably a digital single lens reflex), with some manual control over aperture and shutter speed. To get the most out of this workshop, bring a laptop computer, loaded with Adobe Photoshop CS 2 or 3. A booklet containing information about the workshop and discussions about what to bring to Varenna will be sent out to registered participants. ICP will issue ID cards to participants, and these will allow you to get educational discounts on hardware and software.

Lake Como & the Birth of Photography: a Mystery