Greece Photo Tour with Jim Zuckerman
October 19 - 29, 2016
Greece is one of the most photogenic countries in Europe. It is surrounded by azure seas, it is steeped in ancient history, stunning ruins are everywhere, and it is the cradle of Western Civilization. In the evening, famous monuments are illuminated beautifully, and twilight photography is especially dramatic here. Join Jim for this fabulous photo tour where you will learn a lot about lighting, HDR, shooting interiors, photographing directly into the sun, and composition. Included in the itinerary is a visit to spectacular Santorini, where you will be dazzled by the whitewashed architecture and blue domes set against the Mediterranean Sea in the background.
Please note that all photo tours to Europe require a lot of walking, and this is true of Greece as well. You will walk around ruins, you'll want to look for various vantage points, and in Santorini you will have to climb up and down many steep steps. Please only consider this trip if you have no serious problems with this kind of physical exertion.
ITINERARY Day 1, Wed., Oct 19. We depart for Greece and cross the Atlantic overnight to arrive in Athens the following day. Day 2, Thur., Oct 20. Arrive in Greece and transfer to the hotel. Rest, have lunch, and then we will take advantage of the incredibly beautiful illumination of Athenian monuments at twilight to photograph the Acropolis from a stunning vantage point. Jim will show you how to add a moon above the ancient ruins and still retain detail in the lunar surface (you can’t do it in a single shot). Day 3, Fri., Oct 21. We have the full day to explore the ancient city of Athens. We visit the unique Anaflotika with its houses built almost vertically into the rock beneath the Acropolis, and in the late morning we photograph the changing of the guard in front of the Parliament building. The National Archeological Museum has thousands of treasures that make great photos (Jim will explain how to replace distracting backgrounds), and in beautiful afternoon light we explore the Parthenon to capture the height of Greek culture from the 4th century B.C. You will use a variety of lenses to capture the brilliant architecture that has lasted for 25 centuries. Overnight Day 4, Sat., Oct 22. We leave Athens after breakfast and head toward Delphi. On the way, we stop at the Hosios Loukas monasatery, founded in the 10th century. It is the largest of three monasteries surviving the middle Byzantine period in Greece, and the murals that adorn the walls and ceilings are stunning. This is the perfect time to practice the HDR technique. We then drive a short distance to Delphi, determined by Zeus to be the center of the world, and photograph the ruins in late afternoon light. The Temple of Apollo is the most imposing structure at this world-famous archeological sight, and in golden lighting it is very dramatic. It is said that whoever visits Delphi is bewitched by its mysterious sacred character and feels the resonating presences of the ancient oracle. Overnight. Day 5, Sun., Oct 23. After photographing the ruins in sunrise light and having breakfast, we drive north toward Meteora. Enroute we stop at the beautiful Plastira Lake in Karditsa. Its azure fingers of inlets and coves intermingle with the verdant forest that surrounds the lake, and the background Pindus Mountains add an additional layer of drama to this landscape. We arrive in Meteora to photograph sunset behind 13th century monasteries built into the rugged mountains. You’ll never forget this sight. Overnight Kalambaka. Day 6, Mon., Oct 24. We have the whole day to explore and photograph this remarkable area. It is the largest and most important complex of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, and besides it’s historical and religious significance, it is stunningly beautiful. Dating from the late 11th and early 12th centuries, the six monasteries that have survived were brilliantly constructed on rocky pinnacles, cliff faces, and plateaus to create a dramatic landscape. This will be a wonderful exercise in composition, lighting, and HDR. During midday if the light is harsh, we can shoot interiors including the Church of the Virgin Mary in the town of Kalambaka which is incredible. You will love your pictures from Meteora. Overnight Kalambaka. Day 7, Tue., Oct 25. After a sunrise shoot at Meteora and breakfast, we head south to Patras and have lunch, and nearby we visit St. Andrews Church, a Greek Orthodox basilica famous, among other things, for its enormous chandelier. Next we drive a short distance to photograph the ruins of the Temple of Apollo that dates from 650 BC. The landscape environment adds to the beauty of these imposing columns, and the sunset lighting is beautiful We head back to Patras to do night photography. Overnight. Day 8, Wed., Oct 26. After breakfast we proceed east and stop at the Canal of Corinth, an incredible man-made waterway completed in 1882. The canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the very narrow Isthmus of Corinth, and from a bridge above the canal you can photograph the entirety of the four mile canal. We then proceed to Cape Sounion, the southernmost tip of the Attica Peninsula. It is here that we photograph the magnificent Temple of Poseidon with the Aegean Sea as an azure backdrop. You’ll use every lens in your arsenal to capture the beauty and majesty of this place in sunset lighting. Overnight. Days 9, 10, Thur - Fri., Oct 27, 28. After photographing the ruins at sunrise and breakfast, we head back to Athens and catch a flight to Santorini. For the next day and a half, we explore this classically beautiful Greek island. The white washed houses, blue domed rooftops, windmills, and narrow walking streets make wonderful travel photographs, and the sunset from Oia is what you’ve always dreamed of seeing. You’ll never forget being on Santorini. Overnight. Day 11, Sat., Oct 29. Today board a return flight to Athens to connect to our international flight home.
Tour cost: $4995 All lodging, all ground transportation, all breakfasts, two dinners, round trip airfare from Athens to Santorini, all entrance fees, photo instruction, and critiques. Not Included: International airfare, alcohol, items of a personal nature, certain meals per the itinerary. Single supplement: $1050 |