A Solo Photoshoot on Lake Como: Villa Monastero and a Boat at Golden Hour
One traveller, the gardens of Villa Monastero, and a wooden boat at golden hour.
Solo photoshoot at Villa Monastero, Lake Como: woman in white leaning on the stone balustrade with the lake and mountains behind
Constantin Weddings · Lake Como Photography Journal ·
You don't need a partner, a proposal or a wedding to book a photoshoot on Lake Como. This session was one person on a solo trip through Italy: a late afternoon in mid-September in the gardens of Villa Monastero in Varenna, then a wooden boat at golden hour.
Most photos from a trip alone are the same photo: a phone held at arm's length, or a stranger asked to take just one. She wanted the opposite, a set of portraits that looked the way the trip felt.
This is how the evening went, and what to know if you are planning the same thing.
The session at a glance
Where: Villa Monastero, Varenna, on the eastern shore of Lake Como
Who it's for: one person: a solo trip, a birthday, a journey you want to remember
Best time: late afternoon in the garden, golden hour on the water
How long: 45 minutes to an hour in the garden, then about an hour on the boat
Villa fee: €300 per hour in 2026, paid to the villa and booked at least 14 days ahead
Getting there: about one hour by direct train from Milan
Why book a photoshoot when you travel alone
Travelling alone has one practical problem: you are missing from your own photos. You come home with hundreds of pictures of Italy and almost none of yourself in it, or the same selfie in front of twelve different views.
A solo session solves that in a single evening. For an hour, someone else is responsible for the light, the framing and the timing, and you get to simply be where you are. What you take home are portraits, not proof that you were there.
It is also the easiest kind of session to plan. There is one schedule to work around and one person to get ready. At Villa Monastero that matters, because the villa books photo sessions by the hour and keeps strictly to the clock.
Starting in the garden
We started in the garden in the late afternoon, while the sun was still high enough to light the whole terrace. The first stop was the stone balustrade on the lake side, with its urns and nothing behind it but water and mountains. For one person it is the strongest spot at Villa Monastero: you can lean on it, look out over it, or turn your back to the camera, and the frame still works.
From there we moved to the statue staircase, where the stone and the hard shadows give a completely different picture a few steps away, and then down to the lakeside walk above the villa's dock, where oleander branches hang over the railing.
She wore white: a draped off-the-shoulder top and a long, full skirt, with sunglasses and a small bag. White is a good choice here. It holds the warm light, and it stands out against the green of the garden, the grey stone and, later, the dark wood of the boat.
The jetty at Villa Monastero — the departure point for the entire session.
Leaving by boat
When the garden time was up, the boat came in to the dock to collect her: a classic wooden boat, all varnished wood and cream leather, with a small Italian flag at the stern. This is the point where the background starts to move. As the boat pulls away, the villas and cypresses of the Varenna shore slide past, then the coloured houses of the town, and for a few minutes the light on the water does more than any fixed spot on land can.
A boat is a good place to be photographed on your own. She sat on the stern with a glass in her hand, took the seat at the wheel, and at one point burst out laughing, which gave me the black and white frame below. None of it needed directing. This is where I mostly stop talking and photograph what happens.
Solo photoshoot on a classic wooden boat on Lake Como, with a villa and cypress trees on the Varenna shore behind
Woman at the wheel of a classic wooden boat on Lake Como at golden hour
The last light
Because Varenna looks west, the sun slips behind the mountains on the far shore before the official sunset time. The twenty minutes that follow are my favourite part of any evening session. The lake goes pale, the contrast drops, and skin looks better than it does in any other light.
The last frames were the simplest ones. She stood up in the boat with the mountains turning blue behind her, I added a little flash to hold the white of her outfit against the dusk, and the wake was the only thing still moving.
Portrait standing in a wooden boat at dusk on Lake Como, mountains behind
Sunset sky over the mountains of Lake Como, seen from the water
Before you book
Planning a solo session at Villa Monastero
The villa's fee. Villa Monastero is a public garden and museum, and it charges for photo sessions by the hour: €300 per hour including VAT in 2026 for a non-exclusive session in the garden. That booking covers entry for up to two people plus the photographer, so the price is the same whether you come alone or with a friend. The reservation has to reach the villa at least 14 days ahead. My own fee is separate and depends on the length of the session and the season, so send me your dates for a quote.
How long to book. A solo session needs less garden time than a couple's session. Forty-five minutes to an hour is enough. If a boat is part of the plan, add about an hour on the water.
The boat. The villa's dock takes small boats only, and only for an arrival or departure tied to your session. The boat cannot wait at the dock while we shoot, so its pick-up time has to match the end of your garden slot. Tell me who you have booked with and I will time the session around it. The full dock and timing rules are in my Villa Monastero sunset session post.
Getting there. Varenna is on a direct train line from Milan: about an hour from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino, then roughly fifteen minutes on foot down through the town to the villa. For a sunset session, check the time of the last train back before you book, and check the garden's current opening hours, which change with the season.
What to wear. One outfit you can move in. Fabric that catches the wind looks good in the garden and on a boat; anything stiff is harder work. Bring flat shoes for the boat and a layer for after sunset, because the lake cools quickly once the sun has gone.
Solo photoshoot on Lake Como: common questions
Can I book a Lake Como photoshoot for just one person?
Yes. A solo session is booked the same way as a couple's session, and Villa Monastero in Varenna suits it well because the lakeside balustrade and the open water frame a single person cleanly. It works for a solo trip, a birthday, or any journey you would like to remember.
How long does a solo photoshoot at Villa Monastero take?
Plan 45 minutes to two hours in the garden. If you add a boat, allow about another hour on the water. Arrive in Varenna with time to spare, because the villa keeps exactly to the booked slot.
How much does a solo photoshoot at Villa Monastero cost?
There are two parts. Villa Monastero charges €300 per hour including VAT (2026 rate) for a non-exclusive garden session, and the fee is the same for one person as for two. The photographer's fee is separate and depends on the session length and the season, so contact me with your dates for a quote. A boat, if you want one, is booked on top.
I have never done a photoshoot. Will I know what to do?
You don't need any experience. I guide you with simple directions, such as where to walk and where to look, and the first ten minutes are a warm-up. The photos people like most usually come from the moments in between, not from poses.
Can I bring a friend or family member with me?
Yes. The villa's photo booking covers entry for two people plus the photographer, so one companion can come in with you without a higher villa fee. They can stay out of the frame or join you for a few photos at the end.
How do I get to Villa Monastero without a car?
Take the direct train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino, which takes about an hour. From the station it is roughly a fifteen-minute walk down through the town to the villa. If you are staying elsewhere on the lake, ferries connect Varenna with Bellagio and Menaggio.
What should I wear for a solo photoshoot on Lake Como?
One outfit you can move in comfortably, in a fabric that catches the wind. White and other solid colours read better against the lake than busy patterns. Bring flat shoes for the boat and a layer for after sunset.
Travelling to Lake Como on your own?
Tell me your dates, where you are staying and what you would like the photos to feel like. I will come back with a plan for the evening and a quote.
Keep reading
A Sunset Photoshoot at Villa Monastero: the villa's booking rules, the dock and the timing, in full.
Villa del Balbianello Photography Sessions: Booking and Pricing Guide: the other great villa for a Lake Como session.
