Tuscany Italy Photos | Film Photographer

Italy, we waited a long time to visit you. It had been on our bucket list for years, but life kept getting in the way, as it tends to do. Last summer we decided 2022 was the year, and let me say. It was worth the wait. We are still in awe over the beautiful views, delicious cuisine, and adventures that awaited us. Italy is as wonderful as everyone says!

First, I want to say the wonderful team at Heather Christopher Travel planned this entire trip for us. We are forever grateful for her! Not only did they plan the most incredible itinerary, but they made traveling as smooth as possible. Having the peace of mind that her team was just a text away if anything went wrong was wonderful. And with our busy schedules, not having to worry about planning or booking anything was a game changer.

Our plane landed in Florence, Italy in early May. We spent a few days exploring the city and sampling all the gelato (which of course we did the entire trip! I think we had gelato at least once, sometimes more, each day). Our hotel was right in the heart of the city center, so we could easily walk to everything.

Next, we rented a car and started the drive to our next home away from home – Borgo Scopeto Relais, an enchanting oasis in the Tuscan hills of Chianti Classico. Surrounded by lush vineyards, olive groves, and some of the prettiest views, we fell in love with the property immediately. It was the perfect place to stay for the next six days as we enjoyed the countryside.

Exploring Tuscany

Our travels included San Gimignano, Siena, Monteriggioni, Motepulciano, and our drive to the Val d’ Orcia region. Along the way we sampled wine, cheese, gelato, and soaked up all of the surreal views. Driving through the rolling hills was truly a highlight of the entire trip. As you can imagine, I couldn’t stop taking film photos everywhere we went! A couple of highlights that also stand out were our cheese tasting and lunch at Podere Il Casale Cheese Farm in Pienza, and our private cooking class at a restaurant in the tiny village of Badia a Passignano. As our adventure in Tuscany ended, we packed our bags and prepared to take our train down to the Amalfi Coast (blog post coming soon)!

While I travel, I only use one of my film cameras. I love the intentional, artistic nature of slowing down. There’s no need to capture everything – instead I focus on the best of the best moments. When I get the film scans back from my favorite lab (PhotoVision), it’s like reliving the moments all over again. Very little editing is involved with film, and I will forever love the natural grain and nostalgic feel film provides. For this adventure, I chose to bring my Pentax 645N and my stash of Fuji 400H film rolls. Enjoy a few of my favorite moments below!

Photographed on medium format film. Scans by PhotoVision

And of course, I can’t forget sharing a few iphone photos of our favorite dishes in Italy!

Meet the photographer

Emily Alyssa Photography is based in Northern Virginia and offers couples and family portrait sessions through the DMV area and East Coast. Her work is inspired by her love of film photography and travel. Get to know Emily here.