The Place

A 6-day photography tour in one of the most photogenic and legendary places in the world. The volcanic island of Santorini. Refine your skills in photography while exploring with your camera and capturing the remnants of one of the largest volcanic events mankind witnessed.

The volcanic eruption in the 16^th century BC devastated the Cycladic island of Santorini, shaped forever its rugged, crescent-shaped landscape and turned its face into one of the most awesome and recognizable nature’s wonders of the world: multicoloured cliffs soar out of a sea-drowned caldera, topped by drifts of the whitewashed house.

The whitewashed, cubiform houses comprise a string of villages clung to the 800-foot cliff, itself a palette of ash grey and burnt sienna, rising almost vertically from the wine-dark water of the caldera. They overlook the sea, two small islands to the west, which are the other two crater islands and beaches made up of black, red and white lava pebbles. This is how Santorini justify its reputation for dazzling panoramas and sunsets and the most photographed locations in the world!

Apparently, Jules Verne was among those who drew inspiration from its almost extraterrestrial ambience but also many scientists were intrigued about the island’s past and its connection to Biblical events and the legend of the lost Atlantis.

The Workshop

The idea throughout your photography travel workshop is to have daily photo shoots that we can view and discuss at the end of the day. Each day we will take one or two tours around the island to visit designated sites and work on specified photo projects. Our aim is to cover as many areas of photography as possible, such as archaeological, street, architectural, landscape and portrait photography.

Although instructors will provide technical tips and tricks throughout the duration of your photography workshop tour, the workshop will emphasize on what makes images interesting rather than simply technically correct. Provisions will be made so that we may download and quick-view images on a daily basis. The instructor will be available to comment on your images individually. Furthermore, there will be two long group sessions -halfway and at the end of the photo workshop, to review the photos taken by all participants, to discuss them technically and aesthetically, and to explore post-processing options.

Upon registering, you will be contacted by the instructors via e-mail. You will be sent a short questionnaire and a multiple choice test to establish your skill level as well as your photographic needs and wants. This will help instructor prepare for individual counselling.

The day one of our photo trip is the day of your arrival on the island and the day of our acquaintance. We’ll pick you up your from your arrival point, to settle in, in one of the marvellous hotels of the island. The whole photography squad will be gathered and get to know each other around the dinner table while savouring local delicacies! The program of the following days will be a topic to discuss.

Day 2 Οne of the most stunning traditional villages of Cyclades will be our setting for the first day of our photography tour. Oia, perched on the northern tip of the island is built on the steep cliffs of the caldera with many of its dwellings nestle in niches hewn into the volcanic rock. Its location, its architecture tied with its unique geological nature and its tranquil atmosphere, makes it an incomparable destination by itself!

We will explore the place with our cameras and our leader-photographer, will trace your individual needs. This first sample of our photos will be the benchmark for the following photography days on which we will see our evolution unfolding throughout the photo workshop. So, the goal of the day is observation and depiction in colour or b/w, focusing in, free of a subject, street photography.

After a delicious lunch break, we’ll have time to rest, to download our photos for our first critique and editing review.

Day 3,4 and the majestic landscapes of the island waiting for us to showcase them! The volcano cliffs, the view from the lunar shape caldera, the vineyards of the oldest in Europe, the coloured beaches, are top rated photography subjects! To this already exciting photography day, we’ll add more magic with a night photography session on one of those spectacular Santorini’s locations.

Man is an another photography  theme of our days. Random or set portraits, occasions where man is involved with a visual approach to his activities and how he relates to the island.

Santorini is one of the best places on the planet to exploit the light, fine forms and details on a unique architectural style. It’s time to explore them! How we approach these elements makes it more worthy and interesting. Oia and Imerovigli are the places to be!

Day 5 Landscape photography, street photography and portrait photography were the types we worked the days before. For the last day an interesting task challenges us. We are all assigned by the photographer, on a specific project. During the day’s review, we’ll be intrigued by the different perspective and view of each on the same subject!

All these days we developed our skills and widened our perception in photography whilst immersing ourselves in the culture of the island and exploring its great history through time, depicted on every inch of his volcanic face. Nature and man’ wonders are generously granted to us on this awesome place and we couldn’t think a better way to live its myth but through our lenses.

The farewell dinner will be the occasion to exchange feelings, thoughts over the past few days, inside jokes and contact details aspiring that we’ll meet again! Wish you to carry all the photos taken as a souvenir of an exciting time with loving friends.

Day 6 Check out and departure from the island on your own arrangements depending on what you want to do next. Visit one of the wonderful islands around or visit mainland Greece.

Greece is a beautiful country so if you want to explore further we suggest a Greece photo tour pre or post trip extention:
METEORA PRIVATE PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS
AWE-INSPIRING CONTINENTAL GREECE

Highlights

• Optional: The boat trip to the volcano. Walk on top of a still active volcano, capture the caldera villages from an impressive spot and swim in thermal water with therapeutic ingredients.
• Optional: Capture the Minoan town of Akrotiri.

6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS

– Accommodation* at the Philippion Boutique Hotel or depending on the availability at the moment of your booking, in a guesthouse/hotel of equal standards, in a standard room.
– All transfers with private cars to the referred scheduled places
–  A complimentary arrival transfer if arriving on Day 1 (from airport or port )
– Breakfasts included in hotel
– 1 welcome dinner and 1 farewell dinner
– Photographer  to every photography location

*hotel accommodation is provided on a double occupancy basis

OPTIONS

–Single room supplement € 475
If you are travelling alone and wish to find a roommate to share a twin bedroom, we will try to match you with another guest of the same sex and desired profile requesting the same.

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

Boat tickets to the volcano
Any entry fees for museum or archeological sites

Menealos Myrillas
Born in Patras, Menelaos was attracted to photography in a young age. He traveled the world and was lucky to learn the fundamentals about photography by some of the best in the field. He cooperated with the most important Greek Magazine titles and quite a few international ones. He is known for the storytelling character of his work that derives from his need to add both past and future references in present moments. Although inspired by the masters of photography Menelaos is often using modern techniques in order to accomplish a contemporary result.

He was influenced by: John Loengard, Richard Avedon, Robert Doisneau, Dave Hill, Federico Fellini, Orson Welles, Karl Barks, Alfred Hitchcock, Karl Marx and Marx Brothers, DaDa, by flemish painters especially by Johannes Vermeer and some others…

Top tip: Proffessionals talk mainly about the money and prizes, amateurs mostly about the equipment. Real photographers talk mainly about the light.

EQUIPMENT

DSLR’s or Mirrorless are preferred, but today’s high-end compact cameras are very impressive. In addition, its recommended you bring a lightweight tripod, extra memory cards and a laptop.
Once completing registration, you will be contacted by the photography instructors and you will be sent the full list of the prerequisites.

HOW TO COME TO SANTORINI

By Airplane or by boat
Whichever is your arrival point, we’ll pick you up from there.