THE PLACES

UNESCO’S WORLD HERITAGE SITE METEORA

Meteora as a travel & photography destination offers the unique experience of nature’s grandeur in conjunction with history, architecture and man’s everlasting desire to connect with the Divine. A truly inspiring and sensational photography setting of overwhelming rock formations, but one must also be prepared to expect that this photo workshop tour is much more than merely capturing an exquisite landscape. It is a great chance to sense and depict the pilgrimage to a holy place,  that has become a preservation ark for the 2000-year-old Christian Orthodox creed, for all Christians around the world.

So, the objective of this part of your photo workshop tour is mainly landscape & cultural photography with some portraiture chances.

We welcome the winter conditions in this place as their special effects add extra atmoshere to its  dramatic character.

LAKE PLASTIRA

Admittedly, Greece is a beautiful country, endowed by nature. An exception to this is Plastiras Lake, the artificial jewel of Thessaly. Of course it is an amazing place surrounded by glorious natural beauty. Yet, at the same time, it is a place created by human intervention, one of the rare cases where human activity contributes to the creation of a natural environment of unparalleled beauty. Another popular destination for Greek people during winter to enjoy nature with horse rides, walks and hikes by the river, boating and feasts at the local tavernas.

DELPHI (THE VERY CENTER OF THE WORLD FOR ANCIENT GREEKS)

Lying on the slopes of Mount Parnassus high above the Gulf of Corinth, is one of the most famous historic sites in Greece, known throughout the ancient Greek world and beyond as the sanctuary of Apollo and the shrine of his oracle. Today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Delphi ranks as one of the most important touristic attractions of the classical period of ancient Greece. Its wealth of remains combines with its magnificent mountain setting and its importance in Greek mythology to make Delphi one of the high points of a visit to Greece.

The amazing setting of the site offers unique chances of interesting compositions of archeological and landscape theme.

Moreover, the little town of Delphi is an interesting occasion to experience the countryside life and rural enviroment of the Greek province.

ARACHOVA

Arachova is a mountainous village nestling picturesquely at the foot of Mt. Parnassos in Viotia, Southern Greece. It is the most cosmopolitan winter destination in Greece, a great favourite for passionate ski lovers or just first-time visitors who wish to explore life in province in a dreamy mountainous setting with modern tourism facilities. Its modern ski resort, its close proximity to Athens, and its breathtaking mountainous landscape are the strongest reason why. Apart from the mountain activities, Arachova is also famous for its bustling nightlife and as the favorite mountain resort of Athenians.

THE WORKSHOP

Under the guidance of our seasoned photographers, in a casual format you’ll have a lot of good hands-on photography instruction, integrated talks, edit-and-critique sessions, and photo assignments into each day’s schedule. The whole experience goes through good food, fascinating places to be and time to have fun and relax.

The idea throughout your photography tour is to have daily photo shoots that we can view and discuss at the end of some days.

Although the photographer will provide technical tips and tricks throughout the duration of your photography tour, the workshop will emphasize on what makes images interesting rather than simply technically correct. Provisions will be made so that you may download and quick-view your images on a daily basis. The photographer will be available to comment on your images, to discuss them technically and aesthetically, and to explore post-processing options.

Upon registering, you will be contacted by the instructor 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 instructors prepare for individual counselling.

Day 1 Athens
We welcome you at your hotel in Athens. In the early afternoon, you set for an acquaintance’s sight-seeing photo walk at the historical center of Athens, at the old neighborhoods around Acropolis, Plaka and Monastiraki. You conclude your day with a delicious dinner at one of the finest urban tavernas of the city.

Day 2 Meteora
Head off (5 h) for one of the most iconic landscapes of Greece, the Unesco’s world heritage site of Meteora! The natural wonder of Meteora’s pillar park inhabited by the second biggest monastic society in Greece located amidst the awesome Antichassias’ Natural Reserve. After settling in at the hotel and enjoying a meal in one of the traditional taverns around, you set out to discover and capture this natural wonder that unfolds before your eyes. A scenery composed of unique formations of giant suspended sand-rocks, topped with still operating since medieval times, Byzantine monasteries. Millions of opportunities for superb landscape photography and your guide photographer next to you, shows you how to turn your shots into powerful images!

Day 3 Meteora
The third day of your photography workshop tour, is divided between visiting the monasteries and in the afternoon some extra selective shots of the landscape. You focus on the monasteries’ life – wherever you are allowed to– as evolved in time, mingling with pilgrims & travelers from all over the world and taking the opportunity for some intriguing photography compositions and themes.

Dining in one of the local tavernas is an experience to be remembered! Local specialties include a lot of deliciously cooked or grilled free bred meat dishes including wild boar, pies, sausage with leek, dishes with a rich variety of wild mushrooms and the extravaganza specialty of grilled trout. Local culinary with its fresh local ingredients tasted around a table is a daily ritual and a whole chapter of the Greek culture. Don’t miss from your table the famous local wine from the thriving vineyards surrounding the rock pillars.

In the evening follows a review of your photography trip so far.

Day 4 Lake Plastira and Arachova
Check out and continue (1,3h) your photo tour to your next destination, the miracle manmade lake Plastira, in perfect harmony with nature, embraced by picturesque villages, fir forests and the imposing Agrafa mountain range. A brilliant chance to capture a marvelous nature setting and a pretty popular winter destination for Greek. After spending almost a full day there you head to Arachova (3,5h). The picturesque mountainous resort village is a popular winter destination amongst Greek skiers for its vicinity to the famous Parnassus mountain and its ski center. One of the finest culinary experiences awaits you there!

Day 5 Delfi and Arachova
10 min from Arachova is the Delphi oracle, nested amidst the sweeping landscape of Parnassus mountain. You’ll get to know the myths and history through a guided tour with, in parallel, ample opportunities for landscape, archeological and architectural shots.

Next you explore further Greek nature and rural life discovering waterfalls and bijoux villages hidden in Parnassus lush fir slopes. One last night in Arachova followed by an overall review of your trip photos and you might want to venture out to the vibrant nightlife of the village!

Day 6 Back in Athens
You depart in the morning to get back to Athens (2h drive) where we have arranged an extra overnight in Athens before you continue with the rest of your traveling plans.

Day 7 Athens
Check out and departure

7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS

Starting days Thursday or Sunday
Open period from October to April. Christmas period is excluded.

– Professional photographer (instruction on the field) all along to every photography/travel location.
– 2 nights (1st and 6th day of your trip) in Athens, accommodation* in the 3 star hotel Hermes Hotel or similar. Standard room.
– 2 nights in Meteora: accommodation* in the 4 star Grand Meteora Hotel or similar. Standard room
– 2 night in Arachova, accommodation* in the 4star Anemolia Hotel or similar. Standard room
– All transfers with private car to the referred scheduled places. Round trip Athens
– Breakfasts and the welcome dinner
– Guided tour of Delphi site & museum.
– All entrance’s fees in the referred museums and sites (Delphi and Meteora Monasteries)

* Accommodation is provided on a double occupancy basis at standard rooms. If you wish to upgrade please advice.
– Single room supplement € 300 for standard room

Excluded

– Μeals or any personal expenses

See all the health protocols we follow due to Covid-9 here.

Orestis Seferoglou
Orestis was born in Athens.
He has participated in a series of Workshops and Masterclasses by top-class photographers from Greece and abroad, including Anders Petersen, Chris Morris, Davide Monteleone, Stefano De Luigi, Pavlos Fysakis, Kamilo Nollas, in collaboration with the ICP in New York. In 2014, Orestis was selected for the 7-month International Masterclass by VII Photo Agency in Milan. In 2017 he participated in the “Dust Breeding” Culture and Development Laboratory of Photographic Project at the Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA) by photographers Yorgos Karailias and Yorgos Prinos.
Seferoglou started his career as a staff multimedia photojournalist in Eleftherotypia national daily newspaper and EPSILON magazine. Furthermore his photographs have been published in vari- ous greek and international magazines such as MONOCLE, Die Welt BLAU Magazin, enorm magazine, WOZ, K magazine, BHMAgazino, METRO, Aegean Airlines BLUE, Gastronomos and more. He is also collaborating on photographic projects with in- ternational humanitarian organisations such as CARE, SolidarityNow and HumanRights360.Orestis’ work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including : Athens Photo Festival, Medphoto Mediterranean Photography Festival, Docfield Barcelona, Menontrenuno Sardinia, Fes- tival Territoires en Images Paris, Kythera Photographic Encounters, The Hunt Museum, TEDxA- thens, LSE, King’s College London.
In 2016, he was nominated for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass. In 2018 he was invited as a speaker at the official TEDx event of the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (TEDxPanteionUniversity) to present his work on immigration and racism.

EQUIPMENT

DSLR’s or Mirrorless are preferred with a wide and a telephoto lens. It’s imperative to bring a lap top and it’s recommended  to bring extra memory cards. Once completing registration, you will be contacted by the photography instructor and you will be sent the full list of the prerequisites.

NOTES

Appropriate clothing is required to visit the monasteries in Meteora. Sleeveless clothing and shorts are permitted, as long as you cover your shoulders and knees. Skirts and shawls are available at the entrance for those who are unprepared.

The winter weather conditions create a special atmosphere at the locations we have chosen to visit.

HOW TO REACH CENTER OF ATHENS FROM THE ATHENS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (33 KM/20.5 MILES)

Please, if you wish,  feel free to ask us to arrange your tansfer to Athens from the airport.

Taxi
The taxi terminal is located just outside the airport arrivals terminal at Exit 3. There is a flat rate of 38 Euros during the day and 50 Euros at night for going to the centre of Athens.
Metro
The train station is connected to the airport although one will require to go up a level from the arrivals using an elevator and cross over a pedestrian bridge. You are required to purchase a ticket from the station desk for 10 Euros per person. Trains run every 30 mins (on the hour and half hour) from 0530-0015 (0200 on Fri & Sat nights) and take 40 mins from/to city centre (Syntagma Square)
Express bus
The express bus station is located just in front of the Athens Airport Arrivals. The express bus X95 is the one that goes directly to the Syntagma square. It takes approximately one hour to get to the centre of Athens and costs 6 Euros.