Friday 2nd January 2009

Gaining Photographic Skills and Experience Holidays

This week we turn our attention to Photographic Training & Experience holidays, mostly overseas. Next week we have a feature week on Ghana, we had intended to include some of this in this weeks issue, including a report on Camera Images' recent trip there,  but we had more to cover than we could include this week so decided to produce more, and make it a feature week on Ghana next week.

We have however included an article on the new Camera Images VIP plus training and experience events in Ghana that have just been announced, these include just about everything except the flight. They have 6, 10 and 13 day versions, in each case allowing an extra day at the end outside the course/experience before you fly home. These events are 1 to 1, and you have a local guide/driver taking you around in an air conditioned 4 wheel dive vehicle and in addition to the full time assistance of the top photographic tutor, stay in character hotels and guest houses, all with air conditioning and all personally visited before by both the Tutor and Guide. Entry fees, specialist guides, many on a 1 to 1 basis, and even gratuities are all included. We see this as the training and experience events that others will be measured against. While in the first case these may look a little pricey, when you add in all the extras elsewhere and allow for the fact that this is all personally put on for you, can be modified to suit your interests and 1 to 1, its a really good deal, allowing you to gain so much from the time and investment that you make. Read more on the VIP plus Ghana  experience.

Kintampo Waterfall in Ghana, West Africa

Image taken with Nikon D300, with 18-200mm VR lens
at 20mm, ISO 640, 1/40th, F22, EV -1

We gave produced a listing of all the photography experience holidays we have been able to identity, in order first by type and within this, by country.  We haven't included prices as its impossible to compare most of these as we don't know what extras there are in most cases, and while we could have just doubled the start price to allow for optional excursions, meals and other items not included, fuel increases, currency changes, gratuities and more, it would not have given a meaningful comparison.

We also have an article on selecting a photographic experience holiday, where we suggest the points that you should consider and how you go about getting to a true cost and comparison, plus how to work out what you can expect to get out of these. Only you can decide what is the best buy for you, and this will depend on a variety of factors.


UK Calendar for Photographers

We have added the February calendar (Next Month), listing many events and other items that will be of interest to photographers in February, and also updated and added more into the January page (this month). We have also completely updated and extended the highlights for the year ahead. The wildlife calendar is also up to date.


Starting the year with ....

Have you started the year with New Years resolutions or set yourself objectives for the year ahead?

We have, and it includes trying to find more time to take more photos ourselves, a number of new photography projects, expanding the number of images we have available as limited edition art, writing more, visiting more countries, as well as visiting Ghana several more times in the year ahead, and in these challenging times doing this with more attention to getting value for money and in some cases on reduced budgets.

On this weekly magazine we have feature lists we have in hand, with feature weeks popping up as we are ready, and lots of other research and articles planned. We are planning to add a USA Portal and expand greatly our coverage of Southern Ireland, which we have included here for now with the UK locations, in addition to growing the new Ghana Portal launched this week. When we are ready we will also be launching a second site, a monthly travellers resource magazine, but we are taking our time in getting this right.

So what would you like to achieve this coming year, perhaps expand your skills, widen your experience perhaps including a trip overseas or a new photographic project here. Perhaps this is the year to either make your photography pay for itself or to improve your return if you are already getting an income. Perhaps you are planning to chuck in the commuting, hassle and world problems and enjoy your life more.

Some are against New Years resolutions, feeling that they dwell too much on past failings, however you can keep them positive, looking at what it is that you want to achieve in the year ahead rather than considering the past.

The first step is to dream, the second to plan and the third is to make it happen......

Summary of Articles Included this week

VIP Plus Ghana Experience

Selecting a Photographic Experience Holiday,

Lists relating to:-

Photography Experience Holidays

 

 

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