05/12/2026
The Woodland Camera Forum will present a travel photography program about Southern Italy and Sicily by photographer
Laurie Friedman, of Davis, Ca. on Monday, May 18th, 7 pm, at 240 N. West St., Woodland, Ca.
It's free of charge and open to the public.
In Fall, 2021, when a booked trip overseas was cancelled due to covid concerns, Laurie wondered what to do? She could accept her fate and stay home, or plan another trip! As winter was approaching she envisioned going to a warm place, and thought of Southern Italy and Sicily. She called up a photo friend to see if she was interested (yes), and they started planning a trip they would do on their own, booking flights and cars, and a few hotels to start.
Most people travel to Northern Italy, with lots of amazing sites such as Florence, Venice, Rome, etc., but Southern Italy has lovely features of its own, including coastal cities and beautiful, historic towns such as Alberobello with it’s unique roofs and Matera with hillside cave dwellings. Lovely and warm in the winter, it’s much less crowded than the north, and traveling off-season the travelers were able to decide and book hotels a day before they were needed, allowing planning flexibility. They drove around the “Boot” for about a week, then took the ferry over to Sicily to explore there for a few days. Laurie hadn't been that interested in Sicily, envisioning decrepit Roman ruins, but it was beautiful and highly recommended! They finished off the trip traveling the Amalfi Coast, with its lovely coastal towns, into Naples and flights home. One precaution: Driving in Southern Italy and Sicily was no problem, but driving in Naples was terrifying as it’s a constant game of chicken. They suggest getting car insurance, life insurance, and any other kind of insurance you can think of!
Please join the Woodland Camera Forum on Monday, May 18th at 7pm at 240 N West Street in Woodland for a visit to Southern Italy, without having to deal with driving in Naples! No charge, and refreshments.
Bio:
Laurie Friedman is a local avid, award-winning photographer, and enjoying all kinds of photography but especially travel photography, has visited over 100 countries—so far! She is active is various local camera clubs, and is the President of PSA Gold Rush in Sacramento, featuring quarterly photo workshops on a variety of photography topics. Laurie is active with the Photographic Society of America, being their Director of the PSA Presenters Bureau as well as the Northern California Membership Director. She also has a small photography business (Friedman Fotography) shooting affordable solo and family portraits as well as events such as weddings.
