Back to Tuscany - Landscape Photography in Tuscany Round 2

After 3 years I returned to travel and do landscape photography in Tuscany once again. Why do landscape photographers like to return to the same place over and over again? That is a good question that justifies a separate post. There are many reasons for this, but what is certain is that Tuscany justifies them all.

Always beautiful, always pleasant and always delicious - Tuscany (370 mm)

It's always fun to return to Tuscany, with or without landscape photography. Always beautiful, always pleasant and always delicious. Autumn is a great season to travel and photograph here. The weather is perfect, there are fewer tourists, there are free tabeles in restaurants and everything feels a little more relaxed. You can find the general details (how to get there, when, what to bring and even a list of recommended locations) in the previous post - 'The Guide to Landscape Photography in Tuscany' which you can read here, so there is no point in repeating them. When it comes to photography, I wanted to do things a little differently this time. To focus on a few locations that I haven't photographed before and a few locations that I have, but to photograph them from a different perspective and from different viewpoints than I have already done. And most of all, to take my time, wander around, enjoy and look for interesting locations to photograph (and come back early in the morning to photograph them).

The "Just Locations"

Tuscany, and the Val d'Orcia region in particular, offers quite a few iconic locations for landscape photography. If you're taking photos here for the first time, they'll probably be at the top of your list, but my warmest recommendation is to keep your eyes open and look in all directions. Wherever you go here and wherever you look, you'll find something to photograph, so it's highly recommended to take time to scout and photograph what I call "just locations," because they'll be all yours and they're the most uniqe. You can do it by car, but I recomend walking along the various hiking trails offered on the dedicated websites and apps.

A photo of a "just location". Wherever you look, you'll find something to photograph, so it's recommended to drive with your eyes open.

The 'wrong direction' - Right here, just in the opposite direction, is an iconic location that everyone takes photos of. This time I chose to shoot in the 'wrong' direction. Focal length: 200 mm

Using a telephoto zoom lens

I already wrote about this in the previous post - bring a long lens. My goal this time was to use it as much as possible (since I've already carried it this far...). In general, you will find the medium and long focal lengths quite useful in Tuscany. An ultra-wide lens is less useful here and unlike many other places I hardly took it out of my bag this time. 200mm is fine, but if you have a longer one it would be even better. The longer the better.

Just a location at 480 mm

Two well-known locations for a telephoto lens are the viewpoint of the Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta on the road between Pienza and San Quirico d'Orcia (point number 7 on the map at the end of the post) and the viewpoint of Poggio Covili on the road that goes up to Castiglione d'Orcia (point number 9). I have photographed these two places from a close position in the past, this time I took advantage of the telephoto lens to photograph them from a different perspective. Note that there are no organized parking lots here, so you need to find a safe bay on the side of the road and be careful. If you plan to photograph here at sunrise, it is recommended to take a preliminary scouting so as not to be delayed in the morning.

Poggio Covili and the famous avenue of cypresses leading to it. Photographed from a distant viewpoint with a focal length of 260 mm

The Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta on a foggy morning. Photographed from a distant viewpoint with a focal length of 200 mm.

Is there a forecaster in the crowd?

Morning mist is one of the hallmarks of the region and one of the most beautiful phenomena for landscape photography. They happen every now and then after the sun rises and warms the moisture that has accumulated on the ground during the night. I suppose there is a way to predict this, but since my forecasting skills are pretty much zero and the forecasting apps haven't really done much for this, I can only hope. Every morning. From what I've read, the phenomenon is more common in spring and autumn. During the week I have been here it happened only one morning and was simply wonderful. If you have a way to predict the fog, you are welcome to share, and if not, then just hope like me.

Podere Baccoleno (point 10)

Podre Baccoleno is a well-known location that I haven't photographed before. It's a bit remote and it's not in the Val d'Orcia but in the neighboring region of Crete Senesi (still in the province of Siena), about a half-hour drive from Pienza. The large number of photographers who came here, and a degree of lack of care of some of them, caused the land owners to fence off the area and some of the observation and photography points became off-limits. It's still beautiful, but the options are quite limited. In any case, if you're traveling in Tuscany (or anywhere else) in the spring, be careful not to enter the fields or step on the crops.

Podere Baccoleno at sunset

General tip for photographers in Tuscany

Tuscany is big, the roads are narrow and the journeys are slow and time-consuming. Keep in mind that the sun starts to light up the valleys some time after sunrise (between a quarter and a half hour, depending on the location) and disappears behind the hills about the same time before sunset. Plan your time accordingly so you don't get stressed. On the other hand, in the fall and spring you will have a relatively long period of great light after sunrise and before sunset.

Plenty of opportunities for cityscape photography. The alleys of Pienza at blue hour

Cityscapes of Tuscany

There is so much more to do in this beautiful area of ​​southern Tuscany besides taking pictures. The ancient towns invite you to slow down and wander leisurely through the picturesque alleys. Montalcino and Montepulciano are two charming towns where you can visit wineries and taste excellent wines with a world-renowned reputation (Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano). You can do this at one of the dozens of wineries (usually by prior appointment) or at the many wine shops. For me, all this goodness combines with photography, of course. The magical towns provide plenty of options for photographing cityscapes. Many of them are located on hilltops and offer wonderful panoramic views. Pienza, for example, is a beautiful town that is pleasant to walk around. It is close to most locations in the Val d'Orcia and therefore serves as an excellent starting point. From the promenade along the wall, I photographed the sunset panorama below, and at the blue hour immediately after, a few charming corners in its picturesque alleys. Afterwards, you can (and should) have dinner at one of the excellent restaurants, and don't forget to accompany your meal with the wonderful wine of the region. And now tou tell me if it does not worth coming back here again. And again.

A panorama consisting of seven vertical images. Taken at sunset from the promenade of Pienza. From here to dinner the distance is really short

Cityscape photography in Tuscany - the end of a day trip to amazing Florence was used to photograph Palazzo Vecchio and the great cathedral from a beautiful vantage point.

For your convenience, a landscape photography map in Tuscany is attached, which includes some of the locations mentioned in this article and the previous one (Tuscany for Photographers - A Guide to Landscape Photography in Tuscany).