When people talk about traveling the world, the city of Venice often gets mentioned. I have been engaged in numerous conversations regarding this city and have heard different opinions about it. Some think it’s too dirty and crowded. Some will come and go on a short day trip and treat it like it’s another pit stop for typical tourists traveling to Italy. Some even thought it’s a city in front of the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas (no joke). Then there are people that absolutely LOVE Venice. The most romantic city in the world. The ones that never been daydream of going there one day while those that have cannot wait to go back again. Regardless of one’s opinion, you cannot help but to ignore Venice. It is one of the most unique city in the world and I hope everyone will get a chance to visit her at least once in their lifetime.

The minute you walk outside the Santa Lucia train station in Venice, you get immersed into the venetian culture. It can be visually overwhelming but take a moment to enjoy the surroundings. It’s beautiful. It truly is a unique city and there’s none like it. Then imagine that you are standing on a city built on water more than 1500 years ago by people that dared to defy sea and build themselves a magnificent dwelling place on top of mud banks in a swampy and treacherous lagoon. Venice has triumphed over all these years commercially, economically, and artistically as one of the most dominant society in perhaps all of western europe. Breath-taking venetian gothic, byzantine as well as other form of architecture will visually thrill you as you ride a boat across their water canal. For most people, Venice will be a short visit as most tourists will flood in the morning and dry out by late afternoon. But to truly experience Venice, you need to stay for several days and get lost in the streets were the locals live. There are approximately 270,000 Venetians dwelling in the island and it’s surroundings and to see them in their day to day life will help you understand and appreciate Venice. Smell the fresh catch at the daily morning fish market. Sip some porsecco during their happy hour as you chat with the locals. Take a coffee break as you enjoy the sunset and music playing in the streets. Sit back, slow down and let Venice soak you in.

I have had the privilege of visiting this city over 3 times in the past couple of years and even had the privilege of photographing a celebrity wedding with Bob Davis in April of 2009. Each time I go back, I fall in love with her more and more. There is something about this city that is magical and it will grab you and not let you go. I cannot wait to go back this November – this time with a group of my photographer friends. I’m privileged to have Bob Davis accompanying me on this adventure as a special guest/speaker. Whether you are a novice or a professional photographer, you will walk away from this trip a different person. Do yourself a favor and visit Venice. She may not be around much longer. Meet her before she is gone. This will be a trip of a life time and I hope you can join us in the fall. A presto!

For more photos from my past trips to Venice, visit my Facebook Gallery: http://on.fb.me/mYELEX

For more information, visit: http://photoventure.kennykim.com/
Dates: November 14-20, 2011
Registration deadline: September 30, 2011

Meet our amazing group

Here’s a short video showing a glimpse of what we experienced (with more to come):

We cannot say enough about these group ragamuffin bunch and the fun we had learning, growing, experiencing & rediscovering our passion for photography together. Big thanks to all the attendees that made this journey possible. You all played an integral part in this experience! Until next time… PhotoVenture IV???

A family portrait session inside a medieval town in Italy? Why Not? When you want something, you have to go after it. You cannot wait for it to fall on your lap. Two years ago, I did a mock wedding session organized by my good friend/business partner Max Brunelli with a vision to shoot my own weddings in Italy in the future. That vision came to reality last year when I got to photograph two weddings in Italy – one in Montepulciano, Tuscany and the other in Rome, Italy.

This time, it was not a mock session but with the help of Max again, we organized an actual family photo shoot with a real italian family. Meet the Parisi family from Terni, Italy. They have a beautiful family and from the moment you met them, you can tell that they all love each other and appreciate photography. They own an original 1960′s FIAT 500 and wanted to incorporate that into their shoot using a backdrop that symbolized the heart of Italy. So we chose to go back to the same city Labro where I did my wedding session couple of years ago to do this family photoshoot. It was a perfect afternoon and we had so much fun together. Here are some teasers from this afternoon’s shoot:

Labro, Italy - a medieval city that is still inhabited by the noble family from centuries ago. A prince still governs this city.

Their family has owned this FIAT 500 since the 1960's and it is still in mint condition!

This is an actual car but I swear it was designed for kids!

They were having so much fun and just enjoying their photo session

Parisi Family Photoshoot

Parisi Family Photoshoot

Parisi Family Photoshoot

Parisi Family Shoot

Grazie mille to the Parisi family! We had so much fun together that they even invited us over to their house for dinner. I love building relationship with clients. Big thanks to also Max for making this session possible. I am looking forward to extending my clients out in Italy through sessions like this in the near future.

On a side note, ThinkTankPhoto – makers of my camera bag, has got some great sales going on. Their products are so well made and they rarely ever go on sale. Check out some of their items: Speed Demon Waist Belt | Speed Freak | Speed Racer

And here is the video that was played at the presentation:

Kenny Kim Promotional Video Version 2 from Kenny Kim on Vimeo.

Hope you guys enjoyed it!

Have a great holiday everyone. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!