VENICE ANALOGUE EXEMPLE

Slow down, shoot film and rediscover the pleasure of black and white street photography in Venice

Workshop overview

In a city made of reflections, gestures, textures and fleeting moments, shooting film changes everything. You look longer. You wait. You frame more carefully. You become more aware of light, timing and the few images you truly want to make.

Venice Analogue is a 3-day immersive black-and-white film photography experience combining street photography, visual exploration and an introduction to the analogue process.

Participants spend two days photographing Venice with film cameras, learning to measure light, understand exposure and compose with greater intention. The emphasis is on slowing down and becoming more attentive to what is happening in front of the lens: a silhouette crossing a bridge, a reflection breaking on the water, a gesture in the street, a fragment of architecture or a moment of everyday life.

Technical guidance is given directly in practice and adapted to each participant’s level and camera.

The experience then continues beyond the act of taking photographs. Back on San Servolo, participants discover how exposed film becomes a negative through a live, guided development session, before reviewing their images together on the final morning.

No previous experience with film photography is required. The workshop is designed both for those discovering black and white analogue photography for the first time and for photographers wishing to reconnect with a slower, more intentional way of making images.

Each participant will leave the workshop with printed photographs of their own work, selected during the final editing session.

About Venezia Photo Academy

Discover Venice through the eyes of exceptional photographers.

Building on ten years of experience organising photography workshops in Venice, Venezia Photo introduces its Academy: a year-round programme of immersive photographic experiences led by renowned professional photographers who know the city intimately.

Laurent Dequick, a photographer and architect by training, is the author of Grand Canal, published by Éditions du Chêne, a remarkable photographic book featuring a 38-metre panoramic exploration of Venice’s iconic waterway.

Ludwig Favre, an internationally recognised fine art photographer known for his distinctive use of colour, light and architecture, has exhibited in Paris, New York and Tokyo. He has collaborated with Leica, Adobe, Hasselblad and Condé Nast, and his work is represented in the permanent collection of the Ford Foundation in New York.

Each workshop is led by either Laurent Dequick or Ludwig Favre, offering participants an exclusive experience alongside an accomplished photographer, the opportunity to refine their photographic skills and discover a side of Venice beyond the familiar sights.

More photographers will soon join the Academy, bringing fresh artistic perspectives and enriching the range of experiences offered throughout the year.

Duration & location

3 Days - San Servolo - Venice

Language of instruction

English

Required level

All levels are welcomed

Max participants

12

Pedagogical learning

• Discover or reconnect with black-and-white film photography
• Learn to use an analogue camera with greater confidence
• Understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperture and film sensitivity
• Learn how to measure available light
• Develop stronger composition and timing in street photography
• Slow down and make more intentional photographic choices
• Build a personal visual thread through everyday scenes, architecture and human presence
• Understand the basic stages of black-and-white film development
• Discover how exposed film becomes a photographic negative
• Review and select images as part of a coherent body of work

Skills targeted

• Analogue camera handling
• Manual exposure
• Light metering
• Aperture and shutter speed
• Depth of field
• Motion and timing
• Black-and-white street photography
• Composition and framing
• Visual observation
• Developing a personal photographic approach
• Introduction to film development
• Image selection and editing

Target audience

Venice Analogue is designed for curious travellers, photography enthusiasts and amateur photographers who want to experience Venice through the slower rhythm of film photography.

It is suitable for complete beginners in analogue photography as well as photographers who already shoot film and want to refine their approach.

No previous darkroom or film-development experience is required.

Prerequisites

Participants may bring their own 35mm or medium-format film camera.

A limited number of cameras will be available to borrow.

Participants bringing their own camera should check that it is functioning correctly before the workshop and bring suitable batteries where required.

The experience includes several hours of walking through Venice, so comfortable footwear and weather protection are recommended. The programme supports both 35mm and 120 black-and-white film formats

Detailed program

Day 1 — Slowing down

San Servolo & Venice

Morning | Getting to Know Your Camera

The experience begins on San Servolo with an introduction to analogue photography and the specific camera each participant will use.

Participants learn how to load film, understand the essential controls of their camera and work with the three fundamental elements of exposure: shutter speed, aperture and film sensitivity.

They are also introduced to measuring light with a handheld light meter or smartphone application.

Simple practical exercises connect technical choices to depth of field, movement and visual intention.

Afternoon | First Street Photography Walk

The group heads into Venice for the first photographic exploration.

The technical principles introduced in the morning are immediately put into practice in real situations, with individual guidance on exposure, framing and point of view.

The focus is on developing confidence with the camera while learning to anticipate moments rather than reacting to them.

With a limited number of frames available, every photograph becomes a more deliberate choice.

Day 2 — Finding your rhythm

Venice & San Servolo

Morning & Afternoon | Street Photography in Venice

A second photographic walk gives participants more freedom to explore their own visual interests.

Each person is encouraged to follow a personal thread: reflections, passages, architecture, human presence, movement, shadows or fragments of everyday life.

The emphasis gradually shifts from technical control towards visual consistency, timing and the relationship between individual photographs.

Throughout the day, participants receive personal guidance on exposure, composition and how to make stronger choices before pressing the shutter.

Late Afternoon | From Film to Negative

Back on San Servolo, the group moves behind the scenes of analogue photography.

The photographer carries out the black-and-white film development process in front of the participants, explaining each stage: loading the film onto reels, developer, stop bath, fixing and washing.

Participants discover what happens to the film after it leaves the camera and how an invisible latent image gradually becomes a physical negative.

The negatives are then left to dry overnight.

Day 3 — The reveal

Venice & San Servolo

9:00 – 11:30 am | Final Shooting Session in Venice

The final day begins with one last photographic walk through Venice.

Participants return to the streets with greater confidence and a clearer sense of their own visual direction, putting into practice everything explored over the previous two days.

This final session is an opportunity to complete a personal thread, revisit an idea or simply respond to the city one last time through the slower rhythm of film photography.

11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Return to San Servolo & Lunch

Return to San Servolo for lunch together and an informal conversation about the morning’s shooting and the experience as a whole.

12:30 – 2:00 pm | Developing the Final Rolls

The final films are developed on San Servolo, allowing participants to follow the process from exposed film to negative.

This is also the moment when the images made over the course of the workshop begin to fully reveal themselves.

2:00 – 3:30 pm | Image Review & Selection

Participants examine their negatives and review the photographs created throughout the workshop.

The group discusses composition, exposure, timing, recurring motifs and the visual choices made while shooting.

Each participant builds a small personal selection reflecting their experience of Venice.

3:30 – 5:00 pm | Final Presentation & Closing Discussion

The workshop concludes with a group presentation of each participant’s final selection.

The session is followed by collective feedback and a final conversation around what analogue photography changes in the way we look, wait and photograph.

Participants leave with their developed negatives and a deeper understanding of the entire analogue process — from loading film and reading the light to seeing the final image emerge.

The workshop ends at 5:00 pm.

The programme is indicative and may be adjusted by Venezia Photo and the photographer according to weather conditions, light, transportation schedules, the pace of the group and the needs of participants.

What's included

• 3 day photography workshop with a Venezia Photo Master
• Small-group photographic walks in Venice
• Individual photographic guidance throughout the workshop
• Image reviews and editing sessions
• Any equipment loans
• Access to the workshop space on San Servolo Island
• Fine art printing session

What's not included

• Return transport to Venice and San Servolo
• Accommodation: 100 rooms are available on site, in San Servolo, otherwise you'll need to arrange your own accommodation in Venice
• Meals
• Vaporettos and other water cabs outside the excursions scheduled as part of the workshop
• All insurance cover for lost or stolen luggage, delayed or cancelled transport, theft or breakage of equipment during the workshop

Evaluation methods

• Continuous assessment through daily individual feedback and group discussions
• Final presentation of each participant’s work during the collective screening
• End-of-session evaluation and self-assessment form to measure satisfaction and learning outcomes
• Access to a shared alumni group for post-workshop dialogue and creative exchange

After the training

Participants leave with greater confidence using an analogue camera, a stronger understanding of exposure and natural light, and a more deliberate approach to street photography.

They will also have experienced the complete journey of a black-and-white photograph — from loading the film and making the image in the streets of Venice to discovering the developed negative.

More than a technical introduction, the workshop is an invitation to slow down, trust your eye and rediscover the pleasure of not knowing immediately what you have captured.

Participants’ work may be featured through Venezia Photo’s communication channels (newsletter, website, social media).

A private online group will allow participants to stay connected, share projects, and continue discussions beyond the workshop.

Accessibility

All efforts are made to accommodate participants with disabilities. Please contact us in advance for adaptation of conditions.