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Exquisite iPhone Photography in Venice
Dan Burkholder
October 4, 2025 - October 11, 2025
$3150
Creating Beautiful, Intriguing Photographs with your
iPhone and iPad in the Glory of Venice!
The way we use our iPhones to photograph changes with leaps and bounds almost daily. This workshop brings you up to speed with new ways to shoot, edit and stylize your photos, taking you from casual captures to serious artwork.
Your every iPhone Artistry urge will have time to flex and stretch, learning the latest skills that empower you to craft images that you’ll be proud to share, exhibit and sell.
From detailed waterscapes to portraiture, learn how your iPhone excels at photo assignments that only a heavy DSLR could tackle in the days of old. And, yes, you’ll also learn when it is time to pick up a larger camera for specific tasks.
- From perfectly straight landscapes to painterly effects and portraits, learn how to steer your iPhone images in a direction that mirrors your personal vision.
- Learn the benefits of shooting both jpegs and Raw files. There’s no right or wrong in this workshop but you need to know which is right for you!
- And if you like to shoot with a “bigger” camera, learn how easy it is to move your images to your iPhone/iPad for editing and sharing. Your travel photography will never be the same!
- Discover the best way to convert color images to tonally rich black and white.
- Learn how easy it is to blend multiple images for stunning effects, all in the palm of your hand.
- Local field trips throughout Venice and Burano let you practice your skills on location and, later, in the classroom as you polish your images.
- Learn how to delve into those family history projects you’ve been putting off for years. You’ll finally turn that shoebox of tiny prints and negatives into expressive (and shareable) memories.
- Discover the best ways to prepare your iPhone for web, print and even book creation.
You’ll leave this class with a vast assortment of approaches and techniques to elevate your iPhone landscapes above the ocean of “me-too” filter effects and borders!
Prerequisites: Participants should bring an iPhone 10 or newer (or an iPad 6 or newer*) with at least 12GB of available space. A “Preparing for Class” letter (with a list of apps to have installed) will be sent to participants several weeks before the workshop begins.
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*iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch, iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (6th generation and later), and iPad mini (5th generation or later)
Accommodations: The week will be spent in the a retreat center that is a brightly renovated ex-convent on the Zattere in the Dorsoduro sector. When you register you can choose either a single or double room with ensuite bathroom in the complex where our studio is. Rooms are clean and comfortable, but simply furnished. If you would prefer to find your own accommodations in a nearby hotel or AirBnB, no problem. Just click that option on the registration page.
We’ll enjoy traditional cuisine at local restaurants or prepared by our personal chef. It will be an ideal place to improve your painting skills.
We’ll enjoy traditional cuisine at local restaurants or prepared by our personal chef. It will be an ideal place to improve your painting skills.
General Activities: Our first activity will be an orientation at 6pm on the first day followed by dinner with the group. After that, most activities for the week, like an intimate walking tour of the back canals of this ancient city, will be organized around the workshop. It’s easy to be independent in this entirely walkable city, but all participants will come together for meals and excursions. Then, at the end of the week, you may participate in an exhibit of class work to share our personal impressions of enigmatic Venice.
Dinners: During the week we will have 5 meals together: 3 dinners at local restaurants, 1 dinner in a palazzo and 1 Sunday lunch. To experience a good cross-section of typical Venetian cuisine we will sample diverse neighborhood trattorie and Michael and Linda will host our group for two home-cooked meals with ingredients we find at the outdoor market. Two nights of the week you will be on your own to follow your nose to restaurants or concerts or the opera or whatever else might pique your curiosity. There is plenty of time for independent exploration.
Price: $3,150* p/p
Non-photographer partners/friends are always welcome for a reduced fee of $2,850
*Price maintained only until May 2024.
- Options:
- single room supplement – $475 (limited number available)
- Find your own accommodations – $800 p/p discount
Includes:
- 7 nights at retreat center – double or single (with supplement) room with ensuite bathroom and shower (Note: departure is after breakfast on the final Saturday. The last class activity will be Friday evening.)
- 5 meals at local restaurants or at home, including wine
- Workshop tuition, daily classes
- Selected other museum entrance fees with Dan
- Guided art history tour of Venice with local art historian
- Selected excursions with class
Price does not include:
- Airfare
- Lunch
- Independent meals and sight-seeing
- Workshop materials (suggestions of hardware and software will be sent by Dan prior to the program)
- Local transportation: vaporettos, water taxis
To Register: just click on the Sign Up Now button. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure your spot in the workshop. Payment can be made on line with a credit card, or you can follow the instructions to send in your registration and payment by mail. Once we receive your deposit we will send you a formal Registration Confirmation with further information about the program. You will receive 2-3 other correspondences by email prior to the workshop with information about Italy, a supplies list and an electronic invoice for the balance. Final Balance is due by August 15th. Any time prior to your arrival, if you have questions about anything regarding the trip or the program, you can contact us by email or phone and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Cancellation policy:
$500 deposit is non-refundable. For cancellation:
- 60 days prior to workshop, full refund due less non-refundable deposit.
- 30-60 days prior to workshop, 50% refund of balance paid allowed, less non-refundable deposit.
Less than 30 days prior to workshop, no refund due.
Il Chiostro recommends personal travel insurance to cover the possibility of unexpected or last-minute cancellation.
Contact us for more information: info@ilchiostro.com or speak to us live at 800-990-3506.
For our week in Venice, we will be staying at the renovated monastery of Don Orione Artigianelli directly on the Giudecca Canal. The complex, which now functions as a retreat center, is built around a series of quiet cloisters where the only sound is of the bells ringing on the hour.
A modest breakfast is served each morning in the dining room on the main floor. We will use one of their conference rooms as our studio.
[Please note that temperatures can sometimes get chilly in October. By civic ordinance to conserve energy, this venue - and any hotel in Venice - is not allowed to turn on the heat until mid-to-late October. So be prepared and bring some warm pajamas, just in case!]
Room Layouts: Rooms are single or double, simply furnished, but each with its own private, modern bathroom.
Monastery Alternatives:
An ex-monastery is not for everyone, but don't let that get in the way of participating in this workshop. If you would prefer to find your accommodations in Venice, that is not a problem. Just select Program only-no Accommodations when registering, and the room fee will be deducted from your workshop fee. There are many options for hotels or AirBnB apartments that you can research. Here are some of our hotel suggestions with websites and the number of stars. They are all in the Dorsoduro section on the same side of the Accademia Bridge as the convent. Contact them directly through their websites:
NOTE: Our studios for classes will be located in the retreat center, so you might want to stay nearby.
Very Near Artigianelli
- La Calcina, Pensione ***: lacalcina.com
- Hotel agli Alboretti ***: aglialboretti.com
- Hotel Belle Arti ***: hotelbelleartivenice.com
- Ca’Pisani Hotel ****: capisanihotel.it/en
On the Zattere
- Il Palazzo Experimental ****s-grand overlooking Giudecca Canal: palazzoexperimental.com
- Palazzo Veneziano ****s - grand overlooking Giudecca Canal: palazzoveneziano.com
On Side Canals
- Accademia Pensione ***: charming, small hotel tucked away near the Accademia museum, suggestive of Venice style: pensioneaccademia.it
- Hotel Nani Mocenigo Palace ****: very old-world Venetian in style, hotelnanimocenigo.com
- Hotel American-Dinesen ****: hotelamerican.it
Near La Salute:
- Sina Centurion Palace *****L; on Grand Canal: near the Peggy Guggenheim museum, sinahotels.com/en/h/sina- centurion-palace-venice
- Salute Palace Hotel ****: salutepalace.com
Inexpensive alternative (save money - less expensive than Artigianelli):
- Casa Accademia, ex-convent beside Hotel American (not to be confused with Pensione Accademia above), inexpensive yet comfortable and convenient: casaccademia.it
To arrive either you can either fly directly into Venice or into Milan and then take the train to Venice. Specific arrival instructions will follow, but from the train station, you can take the vaporetto and get off at the Zattere. From the airport, you can take the Alilaguna ferry (Blue Line) and get off at the Zattere. In either case, Artigianelli will be right in front of you. We’ll send you easy walking directions so you won't get lost. Remember that Venice is a walking city, so pack light because you will have to pull your luggage down the alleys and over the bridges – there’s just no getting around that.
Our first activity will be an orientation at 6 pm on the first day, followed by dinner with the group.
Departure is after breakfast on the final day. If you are flying out that day, you might try to arrange your flights for 11 am or later to avoid getting up at the crack of dawn.
If you have time, you might want to explore the Lake District or enchanting towns like Bergamo or Verona, the site of Romeo and Juliet, before you arrive in Venice. This will give you plenty of time to recover from jet lag before you settle in at the convent and start your workshop. Besides, Italy is not something that should be experienced in a hurry. Its charms need to seep into your skin while you linger at a café or amble through a piazza.
Travel Agents & Insurance: Over the last few years, the way we travel has undergone significant changes. For that reason, we now encourage everyone to use a professional travel agent when arranging their trips. Travel agents save you time and stress by handling all the details and tailoring your itinerary to your needs. One of the most important services they offer today is helping you choose and enroll in the right travel insurance program. With COVID and the continued possibility of schedule changes or postponements, travel insurance has become essential, and selecting the right plan on your own can be overwhelming.
If you encounter any issues during your travels, your agent can provide quick support and solutions, taking the pressure off your shoulders. While booking through online sites like Expedia or Hotels.com may seem more convenient or less expensive, they offer little help if you need to modify your plans. A travel professional, on the other hand, is there to assist you every step of the way, ensuring a smooth and worry-free travel experience.
If you choose to Go It Alone, we highly recommend taking out travel insurance for the trip in the event of any unforeseen obstacles to your travel. We recommend Travelex (800) 504-7883 or Travel Guard International (877) 901-7599.
Venice, a city, an empire, a wonder of the world, is one of the most visually stimulating places on Earth. Stripes of canals, Byzantine mosaics glittering in the sun, window cases of blown glass, leather-bound books, plumed masks, woodcut puppets. Each step through the crooked passages is a delight. Spend a week (or two) probing unknown corners. Stay long enough to lounge at a café. Get to know the old woman at the vegetable stall. Return to that tiny mask shop again and again. Photograph it. Artists and writers have been interpreting Venice since it was born in the lagoon centuries ago, from the Grand Canal to the tiny sculptures above the doorframes. Get lost in the sensuality.
Because Venice is such a visual feast that is a collection of its past, our program offers weeklong workshops in painting or photography. Participants coming from the different disciplines will capture and be stimulated by the passion of Venice. Throughout the week, the groups inspire one another to see in new ways and to experiment with their work in a city that has awed writers, painters, colonels, and kings.
Dan Burkholder has a long history of looking beyond the photographic horizon to invent, teach and exhibit the next great thing in imaging. His book, iPhone Artistry (Pixiq Press, 2012), was the universe’s first comprehensive and fun how-to book for iPhone photographers. His poignant monograph, The Color of Loss (University of Texas Press, 2008), intimately documented the flooded interiors of post-Katrina New Orleans.
Dan earned his B.A. and master’s degrees in photography from Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. His platinum/palladium and inkjet prints are included in private and public collections internationally.
Visit Dan’s website at www.danburkholder.com
Bio photo Credit: O. Rufus Lovett
