A PHOTOGRAPHER’S PARADISE March 2 - 9, 2014 Panama is a photographer’s paradise. Join world-famous and Pulitzer prize winning photographer, Essdras Suarez and award winning nature and landscape photographer Shiv Verma on this exquisite photo tour and workshop to tropical Panama. Panama is rich with beautiful rain-forests indigenous cultures. e country with its rich historical heritage, including old Spanish forts, ruins of old Panama City, and the Panama Canal itself is truly an experience not to be missed. You will augment your photographic skills under the expert guidance of Essdras and Shiv, as you venture through the ancient to the modern history of Panama. We will photograph the Panama Canal and visit the Embera, the indigenous tribe which lives along the Panama Canal waterways. Penonome and El Valle (Cimarrones were the black slaves which settled into the coastal areas of Panama). We will photograph old Spanish forts, the stone ruins of old Panama City, and the Casco Viejo area where the French influence resulted in architecture similar to buildings found in New Orleans. e New York Time published an article on Panama on May 5, 2013 that can be viewed by clicking here or you can copy and paste the following URL to your browser. http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/travel/panama-city-rising.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1& THE ESSENCE OF PANAMA
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A PHOTOGRAPHER’S PARADISEMarch 2 - 9, 2014
Panama is a photographer’s paradise. Join world-famous and Pulitzer prize winning photographer, Essdras Suarez and award winning nature and landscape photographer Shiv Verma on this exquisite photo tour and workshop to tropical Panama. Panama is rich with beautiful rain-forests indigenous cultures. The country with its rich historical heritage, including old Spanish forts, ruins of old Panama City, and the Panama Canal itself is truly an experience not to be missed. You will augment your photographic skills under the expert guidance of Essdras and Shiv, as you venture through the ancient to the modern history of Panama.
We will photograph the Panama Canal and visit the Embera, the indigenous tribe which lives along the Panama Canal waterways. Penonome and El Valle (Cimarrones were the black slaves which settled into the coastal areas of Panama). We will photograph old Spanish forts, the stone ruins of old Panama City, and the Casco Viejo area where the French influence resulted in architecture similar to buildings found in New Orleans. The New York Time published an article on Panama on May 5, 2013 that can be viewed by clicking here or you can copy and paste the following URL to your browser.http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/travel/panama-city-rising.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&
T H E E S S E N C E O F PA N A M A
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Who should attend? This is a hands-on travel-photography and landscape workshop for photographers of all skill levels. Individual attention will be given to attendees, regardless of their experience level or expectations. However, the primary focus is “to learn how to capture the essence of a place and its inhabitants, one frame at a time.”
• You will learn how to effectively utilize your equipment for sweeping views while learn-ing to use elements founds in the landscape to create points of entry, layering and to better create dynamic compositions.
• We will discuss how to maximize their optical characteristics of lenses for isolating sub-jects, stacking and other effects.
• We will discuss the various focusing and panning techniques and the best ways for ob-taining optimum exposure while photographing people, birds or landscapes.
• In the post production we will explore the use of selective cropping for maximizing the visual impact of your images.
While in the field you will be instructed on how photojournalists and professional nature and landscape photographers go about performing their jobs. We will cover:Light - Quality and Quantity
• Temperature• Direction, side and back-lighting• Exposure and metering for the best exposure• Filters and Polarizers
How to obtain tack sharp images:
• Auto Focus Modes• Manual Focus Mode
We will also have the opportunity while on the field to discuss the following topics and techniques:
• Transportation to Gamboa in a coaster with a bilingual guide• Overnight at the Hotel Gamboa• Meeting room for workshop overview and reception 4-8 p.m.• Dinner at Gamboa Resort
Activities: Meet your mentors at the airport. Welcome reception at Gamboa Hotel. Driving tour of the City of Panama to give participants a feel of the place. Flexibility is a major component of this photo tour and workshop thus if throughout the week if we see something we want to photograph we’d simply stop and go for it. Serendipity rules this journey.
Day 2: Monday, March 3, 2014• Visit to the Miraflores Locks, Visitor Center and
Canal Museum • Presentation and editing session 4-8 p.m.• Dinner at Las Tinajas• Overnight at the Hotel Gamboa
Activities: Visit and photograph one of the Seven Wonders of the world: Panama Canal Miraflores locks.Photograph Gamboa Road area.Night: photo presentation by mentors and editing session with participants.
Day 3: Tuesday, March 4, 2014• Portobello or Embera• Image review and critique 4-8 p.m.• Dinner at Las Tinajas• Overnight at the Hotel Gamboa
Activities: Visit Embera, the indigenous tribe which lives along the Panama Canal waterways. This was the trans-shipment point for treasures looted from the Inca Empire during colonial times. Return to hotel for editing session and dinner.
Day4: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 • El valle-Penonome• Overnight at the Hotel Los Mandarinos• Dinner at La Casa de Lourdes - Set menu and one
hour of open bar. Activities: Travel to El Valle and Photograph the lifestyle and people in the sleepy town of El Valle. This area has several waterfalls which are easily accessible and thermal waters as well for those interested. This area also claims to be the only place in the world with square trees. (This is a great opportunity for an on-site off-camera flash workshop.)
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Visit to a local elementary school, photograph chil-dren in their bright blue uniforms. *Return to hotel and edit images and dinner.
Day 5: Thursday, March 6, 2014• Penonome• Overnight at the Hotel Los Mandarinos
Activities: Visit the town of Penome. Bustling little city with lively main street commercial life. From there we’d go to La Pintada and check out the cigar factory. Visiting a haberdasher in the area is good. Return to El Valle to Los Mandarinos hotel for another session of editing and dinner.
Day 6: Friday, March 7, 2014Return to Panama City Overnight at
Activities: Drive back to Panama City and visit “Mi Pueblito” . According to Lonely Planet: Located at the foot of Cerro Ancón- this very high hill- not quite a mountain- which offers a magnificent bird’s eye view of the canal and locks. Mi Pueblito sits on the western side of town and offers replicas life-size replicas of rural villages found on the Península de Azuero, in Bocas del Toro and in the Darién. It also features extensive shops selling handicrafts from throughout the country and a handful of decent restaurants. Folk dances accompanied by live music are staged on Friday and Saturday at around 18:00
Day 7: Saturday, March 8, 2014Activities: On this day we’d wake up early and photograph activities on the Calzada de Amador a.k.a. as The Causeway. Morning runners with the ships as background. Great silhouettes. We will have lunch at one of the many eateries in the area. In the afternoon we will visit Cinta Costera and then drive back to the hotel on the Causeway and those that want to could do some nighttime time photography of the old Puente de Las Americas bridge which can be seen right by the hotel area.Return to hotel edit, dinner and projection of the participants best images for the week.
Day 7: Sunday, March , 2014Morning at you leisure, check out of the hotel and travel home.
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AccommodationsWe will be staying at the various hotels on a double occupancy basis.
The Gamboa Resort This hotel/resort is a tropical vacation paradise. Located 30 minutes from Panama City, Gamboa Rain-forest Resort is a unique property nearby the Soberania National Park Rain-forest, on the banks of the Chagres River and Panama Canal.
Here you can avail of the Sensory Spa by Clarins or beside the luxurious pool surrounded by Panama’s natural beauty.
Los Mandarinos Boutique Spa & Hotel
RegistrationRegistration is limited to a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 14 participants. The cost is $5,075 per participant. Registration fees include: 4 star hotel accommodations for 7 nights, 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners, all entrance fees, land, air and water transportation within Panama.
Please complete the registration, enrollment information and release forms (click here for the web page) or from: http://www.shivverma.com/workshop-registration-forms/.
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A $500.00 deposit is required on booking to confirm your reservation. $1,000 is due by December 15, 2013 and the balance is due by January 5, 2014. If paying by check, please make your payments to Shiv Verma and mail them to 652 Dedham Street, Wrentham, MA 02093-1149. You may also pay by credit card or PayPal, please call 617.759.0010.
