Tours - Magic Travel

Mountains and Valleys - For all levels

Duration: 7 Days
Availability: 02 -08 May 2010

Improve your photo skills, shoot great images, have fun and do nothing but photography!
Photothema and Magic Travel welcome you to the Peloponnese. We organize outdoor photography workshops throughout the year in the vicinity of Sparta, Greece.

Joining a workshop means working indeed. It will be photography from morning till evening with plenty of photo shoots on great locations. After the shoots, photos are viewed and discussed together and in a constructive manner. Learning from each other, while enjoying Greek culture and country life, is the key in our workshops.

All workshops have a maximum of 6 participants and are open to everyone who shoots digital. Both compact cameras and DSLRs are welcome.

During this workshop we combine sessions on technique and composition with practice on various outdoor locations. We use local footpaths to reach churches hidden in caves or tranquil villages. We also take the train through narrow gorges and broad valleys from Tripoli to Myloi and back. We provide ample time for photography along the way and on location. After the daily outdoor photo shoots we view and discuss the results together in a constructive manner. We end the day with a joint dinner in one of the Xirokambi restaurants.

Learning from each other, while enjoying Greek culture and nature is the key in this workshop.

Outdoor photo shoots
Xirokambi – Village and surrounding olive groves
Anakolou Gorge – Ravine above Xirokambi with impressive rock formations
Byzantine Mystras – Ruins and churches from the heydays of the late Byzantine Empire
Traditional village of Koumousta – From here we hike to the Monastery of Golas and back
Tegea - Ancient Temple of the Goddess Athena in the valley of Tripoli
Myloi - Village along the bay of Argos with a fascinating train station and train grave yard
Parori – Short hike to the cave church of Panagia Lagadhiotissa with 14th century frescoes
Amykles – Apollo temple and Mycenaean tomb grave in the valley of the river Evrotas

The workshop starts on Sunday afternoon, May 2, and ends on Friday evening, May 7 (departure May 8).

Location

Xirokambi is a lively Greek village, nested at the foot of the Taygetos Mountains, 15 km (9,3 miles) south of Sparta in the Peloponnese.

The surrounding area of Xirokambi is paradise for photographers who love the enticing combination of nature and culture. The Evrotas Valley borders with the high-rising Taygetos Mountains in the west and the more sloping mountains of the Parnonas in the east. The gorges and the endless olive groves hide small ancient sites, Byzantine churches and monasteries, and traditional villages. Furthermore, the Byzantine cities of Mystras and Monemvasia, the tower houses on the desolated Mani, Ancient Sparta, and the lively harbour town of Gythio offer a dramatic stage for photography.

Photothema is located in an old stone house, surrounded by olive and citrus trees, and a large patio under the vine leaves. Before and after the outdoor photo shoots you gather in our workshop accommodation. Here you can use your own laptop or one of the available computers for the storage, selection and editing of your photos.

02 May 2010 - 08 May 2010