ITALIAN FIX PHOTO WORKSHOP: FINAL PHOTO ESSAY

For our final day in Florence, the Italian Fix ladies and I took on the PHOTO ESSAY concept. We all took a bit from every lesson prior: food, interiors, working with people, landscapes, details and big sweeping perspectives and wrapped it into a day's journey. We took on the Duomo, the leather market, the food market, restaurants and stores. We told the story of the city in intimate moments and grand vistas. I wasn't ready for it to end, but we were on the home stretch . . .

The best thing about the Italian Fix Photo Workshop? This fabulous group of diverse women took up space. In spades. The confidence and enthusiasm the women exuded more and more with each passing day. When we entered a room, we lit up the joint. Photographing, asking questions, being adventurous, moving all around a lot! We were getting what we wanted because we simply asked for it. The gals were unapologetic, laying in the road near the Duomo (to get a better angle!!), amidst a sea of tourists. The participants were asking folks to pose for the camera with their gorgeous faces, art directing and styling with a more colorful scarf here and a more flattering directive there. Every day the confidence built, the energy surpassed the previous day and the tigresses were unbound, grring for each other with great grins and aplomb.

We celebrated exactly who we were in that moment. And learned a bunch along the way. Many people travel to discover more of themselves, disconnect from day to day and do something unexpected -- these women did all that and then some -- they took on photography with gusto, their fire reignited my fire for the medium! They surpassed all of my expectations in their openness, tenacity and they took heavenly photos I'd love to hang on my wall.

We hope to go on this trip again next year, email me if you're interested as I'm creating a mailing list now. More info below.

• ITALIAN FIX