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Author Topic: Photography trip to europe  (Read 9018 times)

Lisa Nikodym

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Photography trip to europe
« on: October 11, 2004, 12:18:57 pm »

[font color=\'#000000\']Where to start?!?  Europe is a varied place; what are you most interested in?  History, architecture, outdoor scenery, quaint atmosphere, busy cities, quiet countryside, museums, beach resorts, nightlife,...?  Your own interests would determine where best to go.  If you give me more data, I can start to make suggestions.  If your primary interest is photography, then I'd suggest you browse photos on web sites, in book stores, etc., and see what areas look most interesting-to-photograph to you.

Finding a group to travel with where you stay in one region for three weeks may be tough; most tours try to cram in as much as they can get away with, and are nearly useless except to get a brief (and tiring) overview of a large region.  If you know a small private group of people to travel with, that would be much better.  If you don't, you might be better off finding out which countries are the easiest for foreign travelers and going yourself; the more tourist-friendly countries are really not difficult at all if you read a couple of good guidebooks ahead of time so you know what to expect.  If you already know a little of a foreign language, that will make some places more pleasant (for instance, France is a frustrating place to visit if you don't know any French), but in many other countries a large fraction of the people you meet will know English (even in Britain ;-)  ).  Also, some European countries are much more expensive than others - if cost is important to you, you should take that into account.

If you go during peak tourist season, you might need to get reservations ahead of time in many places.  It will be easier to go off-season and "play it by ear" regarding exactly where to stay and when you want to move on to the next place, not to mention things will be less crowded with tourists.

Lisa[/font]
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Lisa Nikodym

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Photography trip to europe
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2004, 11:50:51 am »

[font color=\'#000000\']DigitalPretender -
Well, given your list of interests, the one obvious place that comes to my mind is Italy.  The hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria would qualify as small towns with interesting culture and are extremely picturesque (maybe the Cinqueterra region too, though I haven't been there), while the cities of Rome, Florence & Venice are full of fascinating architecture & museums (I've spent a total of about ten days in Rome and still feel like I've barely scratched the surface of all the wonderful things to see there).  Both are close enough to each other that they can easily be combined in a single trip; the Italian train system works pretty well for getting around.  Also, going off-season isn't much of a problem because, being of a Mediterranean climate, even winter isn't bad (I was in Italy for a couple of weeks in late November once, and found the tourist areas far emptier than during peak season, and the worst weather was an occasional bit of drizzle).  I found that knowing un poquito de espanol helps quite a bit with the language issue there too - there are enough similaries between Spanish and Italian that it helps, and makes it easier to learn more.  About the only disadvantage is that petty crime is more common in Italy (at least in the cities - I'm not sure about the countryside) than in most of northern Europe, but if you read some guidebooks ahead of time as to the potential problems and keep your wits about you then you'll be OK.

Of course, there are *lots* more places in Europe that you could enjoy too.  You might do a bit of reading and looking at photos to see if anywhere else particularly appeals to you.

Lisa[/font]
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SoBeachKid

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Photography trip to europe
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2004, 09:49:17 am »

[font color=\'#000000\']Just in case it can help,a few pictures from

+Paris : http://www.pbase.com/franck/paris or http://www.pbase.com/franck/tales (I currently live there)

+Berlin:
http://www.pbase.com/franck/berlin

Franck[/font]
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Graham Welland

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Photography trip to europe
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2004, 10:12:40 am »

[font color=\'#000000\']Well, assuming that this isn't the only visit of a lifetime and assuming that your interests are around stunning scenery, architecture, culture etc, then it probably makes sense to sit down and identify a relatively small number of 'must-see' cities and regions.

I'm kind of fortunate in so far as my 'real' job takes me all over the world, including most of Europe so I get to bring along the camera and follow similar 'guidelines' as yourself when staying. Of all the places, from a photogenic & cultural perspective, I'd definitely consider the following:

1) Austria/Southern Germany/Slovak countries
- Vienna/Prague/Budapest - 'old' Europe with scenery, culture, ancient cities etc.
2) Paris - must see really.
3) Italy - The North/Italian Alps, Lakes, Tuscany, Florence etc
4) Central Spain - Madrid/Toledo/Segovia etc - stunning scenery and old cities.
5) London - well, if you're in Europe ...

For three weeks you might want to consider picking a small number (3 or 4) of major cities and doing them well.

You can't really go too wrong so long as you avoid the concrete metropolis type cities of Northen Europe - as much as I love Germany, Poland & Netherlands they do tend to fall into this category. Some of the Baltic countries and Scandanavian locations can fall into this too - Finland, Sweden, Denmark - nice but I wouldn't make them destinations in a classical Europe 3 week journey.

Good luck - I'm sure you'll get lot's of different suggestions ...[/font]
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Graham

classicfotos

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Photography trip to europe
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2004, 05:18:43 pm »

Here is something different!

Why not join me a few others and come with us to photograph the great wilderness of Scotland, UK?

Next May we're organising a photographic mini-expedition to the North West of Scotland.

To qualify you must have mountain equipment for yourself.
There are no bears or wolves.

Interested?

Carlos
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myriad_one

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Photography trip to europe
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2004, 08:48:40 pm »

[font color=\'#000000\']Hello all.  I want to go on a photography trip to Europe next year-- I am interested in your suggestions for best destinations as well as how to do the trip.  

I would feel more comfortable going with a group that has been to Europe before rather than trying to figure it all out on my own, never having been there.  I am planning on 3 weeks.  I would like to stay within a small region and get to know the culture and people a little, rather than trying to visit umpteen countries.

Your suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,

-DigitalPretender[/font]
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DigitalPretender

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Photography trip to europe
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2004, 07:28:54 pm »

[font color=\'#000000\']Lisa,

Great questions.  I really don't even know where to start, but you are helping.  Let's see, I am most interested in architecture, mostly small villages so I can get to know people a little.  But I'd also like to spend some time visiting cities, see some museums, get some people pictures too.  

I want to go for a combination of cultural learning/life experience/fun as well as getting some darn good pictures!  I've looked at a lot of pictures of various locations in Europe and there are so many that look good it is hard to choose.  I'm trying to arrange a tour with friends that have been all over Europe, but that is pretty up in the air.  I think they like France and Switzerland the best.

I don't speak anything but English, un poquito de espanol and Esperanto (kidding!).  But I plan on taking a crash course in French if I go there.  Cost is less important than having a good time, getting good pictures, and cultural/life experience.

I'd like to not have to plan every day in advance which means avoiding peak season.  But try to pick a time of year with decent weather.

Thanks and keep your suggestions coming.

-DigitalPretender[/font]
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dantemat

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Photography trip to europe
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2004, 06:20:24 am »

[font color=\'#000000\']I would say Barcelona.

-Architecture is wonderful. The new Barcelona and the old.
-You may take advantatge of speaking a little bit of spanish.
-As a touristic place, there is always an acomodation for one more :-) If you like street photography, it is the place to go.
-Near Barcelona there are a lot of incredible locations for landscape and also small interesting villages with full history behind.
-Cost is, I guess, lower than northern countries, including France.
-Weather is great. No rain, no much hot in summer, no cold in winter.
-Finally, ask Michael Reichmann, he visited Barcelona recently. Look for his visit in the site.

Jordi[/font]
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Jack Flesher

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Photography trip to europe
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2004, 11:19:00 pm »

[font color=\'#000000\']I agree that Italy is wonderfully photogenic, especially Tuscany and the area on the upper Mediterranean coast, like Porto Fino and Santa Margharita...

Also, in case you are considering Greece...  Photographically speaking, it is a paradise.  Also, the people and food are great as well   Athens itself is phenominal for architecture, as are Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes.[/font]
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francois

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Photography trip to europe
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2004, 10:15:14 am »

[font color=\'#000000\']
Quote
I agree that Italy is wonderfully photogenic, especially Tuscany and the area on the upper Mediterranean coast, like Porto Fino and Santa Margharita..
I second Jack's advice about Italy. Tuscany landscape is sweet and cities like Florence provide lots of attractive places to visit. Also, try to include Venice, but do it off-season (same advice for every large city).

Francois[/font]
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myriad_one

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« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2004, 12:33:19 pm »

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for their replies.

It looks like I'm going to be planning this trip for awhile until I figure out what feels right (spoken like a true engineer....er, maybe not!).

-DigitalPretender (North-- yes, that's my name).
"I used to be an engineer pretending to be an artist.  Now I'm an artist pretending to be an engineer."
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ScottishPhotoTours

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Photography trip to europe
« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2004, 10:30:04 am »

Here's an even better idea ! - why not come to Scotland with an expert that knows the country ?

Our new 2004/2005 website has just been launched and you can see a selection of dates, destinations - and feedback from our guests (including Americans !).

See us at: www.scottishphototours.com
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