Italy Archives | Carla Coulson

May 24, 2018

Liberty

Black and white photography, italian photography workshop, travel photography, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, photographer, night photography, photographers life, florence, italy, photography

Dear Ladies and Gents,

This photo is an oldie but it’s a photo that has stayed with me, and I’ve called it ‘Liberty’. It was taken in Florence at 3 am on a summer’s night. At the time of the morning, the city was another world; barmen on their way home from a job, chefs giving us the best tips on where to shoot, and lovers feeling like Florence was all theirs.

I shot this on a Leica M6 using 3200 film with the girl doing lots of movement. It was shoots like these that I learned to master movement and lack of light, and the magic of that dress and the words we whispered to her were captured in the energy and emotion in this photo. Each time I look at the movement, it makes me smile.

For me, this photo embodies the sensation of freedom, of the feminine spirit taking flight in the direction that she has always meant to go in.

I am launching this photo as a Limited Edition Fine Print, and it comes in 2 sizes: 20 x 30 inch and 32 x 48 inch, and it is printed onto beautiful Hahnemule paper.

You can own a print by clicking HERE.

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April 17, 2018

in Mentoring, Photography Tips, Travel Photography, Workshops

by Carla

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2 PLACES LEFT – Masseria Potenti Puglia 2018

Dear Photographers,

One of the things I love about dreaming up and teaching workshops is creating the time out for the participants from their daily life to not only concentrate on their photography and improve it, meet some new members of their tribe but to have the time to reflect on life and what they want.

It’s in this ‘bubble’ away from the cooking and the kids, away from work and daily chores that not only do you get time to concentrate on you and nurture your photography but you get the clarity on how you want to move forward or what you would like to shift or bring into your life.

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I too have had the exact epiphany attending workshops as a participant and loved the experience of sitting in a room and being inspired, nurtured and everything done for me.

This October we plan on making it our best workshop ever where everything and we mean everything is taken care of.

At the beautiful Masseria Potenti not only are Maria Grazia and Chiara two of the most welcoming hosts but they have created an atmosphere of simplistic beauty that is a wonderful subject and backdrop for our portrait photos and at the same time good for the soul in every sense. We will look after breakfast, lunch and dinner, you will have your own beautiful room and all you need to do is to concentrate on taking the photos you have inside you and have yet dared to take.

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The photography lessons, models, trips to local villages to photograph the locals, the critiquing and inspiring you and pushing your photography to new levels will all be taken care of by us. We plan to create a unique atmosphere of joy and trust where you can learn to be a little more courageous in accessing something deeper within you that will allow you to go beyond those portrait moments when it feels like nothing is happening, to provoke your portrait subject to draw out something more than a pretty portrait and for you not to give up when you still don’t have the shot.

If you love people photos and want to improve yours, if you would love to come away with a beautiful portfolio of interiors and people and want to give yourself the gift of getting closer to life, the details and yourself, there are only TWO PLACES LEFT.

If you have any questions you can email us at workshops@carlacoulson.com or check out the full details here.

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February 19, 2018

in Changing Your LIfe, Great Reads, Inspiring Lives

by Carla

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The Year of Yes

I recently read Shonda Rhimes book The Year of Yes. I loved it for so many reasons because it reminded me of me years ago when I was frightened of life and commitments.

I would say ‘no’ to everything. And it took years to realise I was saying no to myself and no to life.

Till one day I say ‘yes’ to me, I made the decision to leave Sydney and go find the right life for me and then there was no holding me back. I became the ‘yes’ girl (kind of like Jim Carrey in Yes Man) but without the old lady upstairs!

I said yes, to moving to Italy, to going out with cutie Italian hotties, to becoming a photographer, to having lunch with strangers, to improbable friendships, to picking a destination at the train station and going their spontaneously, to not knowing what tomorrow held.

I said yes to jobs that freaked me out, struggling with photography but kept on going, to learning about art and history, to meeting friends of friends for coffee or lunch. I said yes to Italy and travelled her from top to bottom, I said yes to writing it down in a book (Italian Joy) and I said yes to falling in love with the most beautiful man I know.

I said yes to life and that big old guy upstairs returned my Yes with love, friendship, tribe, happiness, excitement, travel and creativity. He decided to reward me for my bravery, my courage of going wayyyy out of my comfort zone and each time I became a little more open to life when I uttered the word Yes.

The last couple of years I got bogged down in stuff, in new learnings, a little too much routine and I started to become the ‘no’ girl again. I could hear it before it even came out of my mouth.

So yesterday I made a vow, that 2018 will become my Yes year. A year of adventure, love and happiness and I know the universe returns if you dare to open your heart and mind so dear folks anyone out there that wants to join me on the year of yes???

Ultimately the more we say no to others the more we say no to ourselves. What are you saying no to?

See you on the year of Yes??

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How To Tell A Travel Story of Architecture

Dear Photographers,

I know everyone wants to take better photos and capturing the architecture of a city or place we are travelling to is high on my list.

The architecture of certain places prod me out of bed early in the morning and the town of Martina Franca and surrounding villages left me breathless.

Here is a basic lesson in shooting different types of architecture of a town to tell it’s story.

Iconic Masterpieces

Every city (almost) has an iconic piece of architecture (or two) that defines it. Sydney has the Opera House, Paris the Tower Eiffel, Venice the Doges Palace and St Marks Church and Florence the incredible Duomo. Martina Franca has this beautiful baroque church of known as the Basilico di San Martino.

Try and include an iconic masterpiece in your travel story, you can bring your own slant to it by shooting it in the light you like, or a particular time of day or something quirky in the foreground.

Humble Exteriors

A well rounded travel story needs many different angles of the city which means showing different areas and architecture. Although Baroque can be majestic in Martina Franca it also can be humble. Every doorway is framed in a baroque masterpiece.

Keep your eyes peeled for architecture that tells a different story to the iconic masterpieces.

Get Up High

In most cities there is an important landmark (such as the cathedral in Milan below) where you can get a different vantage point on the city. Can be fun too if there is a lift!

This was taken from a beautiful balcony where I held my first travel photography workshop in Puglia.

Interiors

Interiors are another fabulous way to get in the architecture of a city. Getting inside adds depth to your story and tells a more intimate part of the cities life. The pic was taken in Palazzo Ducale in Martina Franca

Architectural Details

I am a huge fan of details in all their form from architectural details to simple striped curtains covering a doorway to a house, a carved face on a corner of a street, washing strung in front of a beautiful buildings.. Don’t overlook details, they often tell the best stories!

I hope you enjoyed this little post about telling the story of a town’s architecture.

Love and light

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PS: if you thought these pics were beautiful standing in these streets is even better. One place available for my JUNE STORYTELLING WORKSHOP IN PUGLIA in this very town. Feel free to email me at carla@carlacoulson.com cause it’s going to be good!

Check out my Portrait Lightroom Presets.

February 1, 2017

in Changing Your LIfe, Going Pro, Italy, Portraiture Tips, Workshops

by Carla

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Travel Photography Workshop Puglia June 2017 – One Place Available

Dear Friends,

If you have dreamed about travelling to the heel of the Italian boot whilst improving your photography skills but have never found the right occasion, I have it for you.

One place has become available on my Visionary – Creative Storytelling Workshop in Puglia. Six full days of photography and travel, June 10 – 17^th 2017 based in Martina Franca and visiting nearby villages to put all the techniques and concepts taught in the Travel Photography workshop into practice.

There will be in-classroom lessons and plenty of time outside practicing, learning and photographing the local life.

If you are feeling spontaneous and would love to discover this part of Italy with myself and my super team and a group of like-minded souls click HERE for full details or get in touch with as us workshops@carlacoulson.com

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Liberty

2 PLACES LEFT – Masseria Potenti Puglia 2018

The Year of Yes

How To Tell A Travel Story of Architecture

Travel Photography Workshop Puglia June 2017 – One Place Available

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