Photography & Filmmaking Workshops

In 2022 we will be meeting in Spain! We are partnering up with The Lodge in Pozos, Spain for a wholly unique experience. We will have many full days of photography and exploring old villages and mountain landscapes around the old Spanish village of Pozos, as well as some great time to relax, have some wine, and go over all our photographs from the day.Photography as an art and an adventure.For beginners and more experienced photographers, Brendan works with you on an individual basis to help you advance your skills with composition, framing, lighting, and editing. He will focus primarily on the use of natural light sources, landscapes and street (journalistic) photography.You will also get a better understanding of the settings on your camera, what it all means, and how to get the best possible images. From a top of the line DSLR to your smart-phone, the same techniques will help you get the most out of your camera. As the saying goes, the best camera is the one you have, and it’s very true.What your days will look like.The photography workshops are approximately 6-7 hours per day, and there will be plenty of time and space to work on capturing great photographs and experimenting with different techniques.Each day we will go on short day trips to different areas to explore and practice different techniques for your photography (and video if you want). There are more details about each day below in the detailed itinerary.Our evenings will be spent at The Esme Tours Lodge in Pozos. You’ll have a private, modern bedroom with full private bathroom, in a recently renovated old stone house. There are two terraces, an outdoor fireplace, and small lounge where we can review all of our hard work.Our meals will be family style featuring fresh, local and organic ingredients traditional to Northern Spain. Cooked and styled by Chef Esmeraldo Oteruelo who was born and raised in the tiny village of Pozos. A renowned international Executive Chef; Esmeraldo will create fantastic traditional Spanish dishes paired with delicious Spanish red and white wines.ItineraryDay 1Arrive to the village of Pozos around 15:00, and get checked in and settled to your accommodation. We have two options, the Lodge from Esme Tours and a local Casa Rural. Both are unique and lovely places to stay and are on the small small courtyard in the center of the village.After you are settled in you will meet up with Brendan and go over the plans for the coming days, and get to know in what ways you’d like to most benefit from the photography/video workshop. After that, you’ll be given a small challenge to take a few photos that evening. It’s a fun way to get started and get a sense of your style and skill level.In the evening we will have a nice dinner prepared at the Lodge, and go over the photos you took and enjoy the evening.Day 2Breakfast is around 9:00, and after we eat we will use some time to go over some general techniques thoughts on photography and capturing compelling images. After, we will head out to Mt. Teleno. We will take a 4x4 Jeep together to get to the top of the mountain where we will have great views, time to explore, and also work on landscape photography.In the afternoon, after a nice packed lunch, we will head down in the 4x4 and continue our exploration of landscapes. There are traditional mountain villages, old Roman mines, and many unique places to explore while we practice.In the evening, we will get back to the Lodge, relax, have some dinner. And then spend time that night going over some of our images from the day, and really dive into some of the theory we practiced together.Day 3Before breakfast (if the weather is nice and for those who want to) we will get up early for some golden hour time around the village and nearby forests. It’s a great time to practice some of the landscape techniques from the day before, but to also start on capturing more detailed, closer up imagery.Breakfast is around 9:00. Today we will be doing a day trip through the town of La Baneza to work on some street photography at the local farmer’s market. After we will continue on to the city of Astorga to put those techniques to work. For those that want to split up, we will spent a little time exploring alone so we can find our own unique places and voices when it comes to photography. Then we will come back together for a tour of the famous Gaudi’s Bishop Palace.Again in the evening, after a nice meal and relaxation, we will come together to share our images and stories and learn from each other about what works and what doesn’t.Day 4Today is a more relaxed day. After breakfast there will be time for walking around the village of Pozos and spending time working on some editing and post-production techniques with Brendan on the Lodge terrace — for all the photos you’ve taken so far. Even some workflow help if you need help sharing your images on social media or making photo books or getting prints.In the evening, before dinner, we will explore some blue hour photography around the outskirts of the village, combining our street and landscape photography to create unique and captivating photos — and for those who are interested, have a small history tour around Pozos.Day 5Today breakfast is a little earlier, around 8:00 AM because we want to get on the road and head to the start of a small hike. About a 1 hour drive away is an active slate mine, as well as a mountain hike. We will have packed lunches and we will spend the day exploring the area and again practicing our landscape photography. You’ll really be starting to find your own voice and style by now and be bringing it together as we explore.After eating our packed lunches by the lake, we will start heading back. Stopping in a couple small villages on the way back to Pozos, where we can view ancient roman bridges, medieval churches, and some village ruins. We can travel back in time and capture what life would have been like hundreds of years ago.Day 6After a nice breakfast around 9:00, we will go over any few questions or photos you’d like to go over. And around 12:00 we will part ways. It’s the end of our photography adventure.What’s not included.Flights.Pick up/ride to village.Insurance.Extra meals or drinks/alcoholLunch during day trip to Astorga.Camera equipment.Film/SD Cards or other media.Computers.A few important details — please read!The village is remote and not easily accessible by public transit. We highly recommend you self-drive to the village and meet us there. If you do require a pick up, we recommend getting to Leon or Astorga and arranging with us for a pick-up. However, this would need to be arranged beforehand and would incur extra costs. Please contact us for details about getting to and from the village. For any queries or further information, please contact us at hello@redvanstudio.comor you can reach out to Esme Tours at info@esmetours.com.Join us in Poland! We will be exploring the streets of Bydgoszcz and Lodz, Poland for 3 days with a short train journey in between. It’ll be a nice taste of some areas of Poland that many tourists don’t head to. Full of interesting back streets, buildings, and people.Photography as an art and an adventure.For beginners and more experienced photographers, Brendan works with you on an individual basis to help you advance your skills with composition, framing, lighting, and editing. He will focus primarily on the use of natural light sources, landscapes and street (journalistic) photography.You will also get a better understanding of the settings on your camera, what it all means, and how to get the best possible images. From a top of the line DSLR to your smart-phone, the same techniques will help you get the most out of your camera. As the saying goes, the best camera is the one you have, and it’s very true.What your days will look like.The photography workshops are approximately 6-8 hours per day, starting after breakfast. There will be plenty of time and space to work on capturing great photographs and experimenting with different techniques. And the times are subject to change depending on conditions.Each day we will go on short trips to different areas to explore and practice different techniques for your photography (and video if you want). There are more details about each day below in the detailed itinerary.ItineraryGenerally the days are full but relaxed. We can see what we see and because the groups are very small we can focus on the subjects and images you’d like to capture and improve. But below is an itinerary to give you a sense of where we will be and what we will do. There are no exact times because they are subject to change depending on train schedules, weather. But generally we get a good start in the morning after breakfast — have a break in the afternoon — and come back together in the evening to go over the photos you captured.Day 1Morning: You arrive to the town of Bydgoszcz. It’s a couple hours by train from Warsaw or there is also a small local airport. We will meet at a cafe or the hotel, get settled and then hit the streets.Afternoon: We will spend the day going around the different small rivers that pass through town, the old town area, and some outlying areas. It’s a great city to explore and see what we see. There are great coffee shops and restaurants to try for lunch.Evening: In the evening we will go to the hotel or small pub and go over our day’s photos and see what we can improve for the next day!Day 2Morning: After breakfast, we will travel by train (about 4 hours) to the former industrial city of Lodz. The train ride itself will be a great experience and time to practice different types of photography and videography, not to mention the interesting and old train stations we pass through.Afternoon: Lodz is full of old factories, manor houses, parks, and block apartments that make it one of the most unique city experiences in Poland (if not Europe). Full of interesting settings and people to hone your skills and techniques.Evening: In the evening we will spend time in a nice pub or the hotel to look over our day’s photos and go over what we can improve as well as some editing (post) techniques.Day 3Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, we will spend some time on the tram system and go to different areas of the city.Afternoon: During lunch we will go over your morning photos and any questions you have. After lunch we will go back to the main part of Lodz together and return to the hotel - collect our bags and part ways. If you’re headed back to Warsaw, I can help you get to the train station and make sure you’re on our way alright!What’s not included.Flights.Pick up/ride to or from airports.Insurance.Lunches/Dinners.Drinks/AlcoholCamera equipment.Film/SD Cards or other media.Computers.A few important details — please read!Please arrive early to Bydgoszcz or even arrive the night before. We can go over hotel details with you if you’d like to arrive early or leave later than the 3 days that are set. Also, please be sure to have your camera ready to go, batteries charged, and a few empty memory cards so you are all set for the days ahead.