Photography in Andalucía with Richard Greenly

4TH - 11TH OCTOBER 2012

This is a holiday for Photographers and there non photographic partners.This holiday is organised and accompanied by the Arbuthnotts with Richard Greenly. This is a very special week, I recommend it. I have been going to this part of Spain for many years and I never tire of it.

This part of Andalucía in October is simply beautiful with soft light and dazzling white villages chiselled in to the hillside and exquisite little farm houses ready made for the camara. During the week we shall visit different country, town and village scenes under the expert guidance of Richard.

You stay at Almuña, the home of Hugh and Jane Arbuthnott, on a 500 acre farm with a wondrous vista stretching deep in to North Africa. The Arbuthnott family look after you and, not only like you to eat exceptionally well, but experience food that is home cooked, using fresh and totally organic ingredients from the Almuña kitchen garden together with some delicious Spanish wines selected by Hugh. "They have the art of producing delicious food, which leaves you satisfied but not full!"

Almuña sleeps 14 in seven comfortable bedrooms with lovely views and all with en suite bathrooms. The house is surrounded by an acre of garden, with lawns, olive and almond groves where there are quiet places to marvel at the glory of the surrounding country. A magical place to learn and improve your photography.

Richard Greenly is one of Britain's leading portrait photographers and eleven years ago started offering basic and advanced photographic courses from his studios in Hungerford. Richard, who is self taught abhors the sudo-technical camera talk that so often goes with photographic lectures and likes to approach the subject in a thoroughly down to earth way which is readily understandable by complete amateurs. He is convinced that once you know how to work your camera properly you will been in a position to take marvellous photographs that will at last satisfy you eight out of ten times. No one, whatever their ability will ever feel out of their depth on a Richard Greenly course and that's a promise.

His series of 5 morning lectures and demonstrations are aimed at the interested amateur with an SLR camera either digital or film and he will take you slowly through how your camera works (every knob and button). This having been achieved he will take you through adult and children's portraiture, landscapes, still life, flowers and night time photography. This he does very thoroughly, understandably and all is mixed with an enormous amount of good humour and the odd break for a refreshing drink or two. We are all very capable of mastering our cameras but let's do it in comfort, in our own time in one of the most relaxing places on earth.

The teaching day is normally from 10am to 1.00 pm. The afternoons are free but are often used to practice the morning's work. There are early evening sessions set aside for further help should anyone so wish The photographic locations will vary from the area surrounding Almuña to sites further a field with a picnic lunch.

The rates are per person and include 7 nights board and lodging at Almuña, all meals, quality wine with lunch and dinner and all drinks before and after lunch and dinner. Also included is the photography instruction, transport throughout the week on excursions and entrance fees as specified. Payment may also be paid in Pounds Sterling.

For Bookings please either call Richard on 01488 685256 or go to our on line booking form.

The programme

We like to make this an equal holiday for non-photographers and have marked their programme A. and the photographers programme is marked B.

On the farm there is tennis, riding and some lovely walks. 45 minutes drive from Almuña there are excellent golf courses. In addition to we have devised the following programme of activities that are open to all to participate in if and as they wish.

Day 1

(ALL) - Arrive Finca La Almuña.

Day 2

(A) -Visit the local village of Gaucin and its Moorish castle.

(B) - Quite a long session to start the course I am afraid. Good to get the basics out of the way early on.
10.00 - 11.00 - Classroom lecture: - Equipment - Software - Processing
11.20 - 12.45 - Classroom lecture: - How a camera works - Apertures - Shutter speeds.
13.00 -14.00 - Garden & Classroom: - Manual light readings - Depth of Field - Shutter speeds.

Day 3

(A) A walk back to Almuña for a late lunch. The walk is about 8 miles through oak woods and high"matoral". The views throughout are indescribably beautiful. Golfers: Play at a courses near Sotogrande.

(B) This will be another day at Almuña, the first half of the morning inside with slide show and drawing board. Second half of the morning will be outside in the garden.
10.00 - 10.45 - Classroom to cover: - Settings on 35mm cameras - Lenses - Auto focus - Light.
11.05 - 12.15 - Classroom/Garden: - Composition - Posing.
12.15 - 13.15 - In garden to cover: - Practical use of camera settings.

Day 4

(A) A rest day at Almuña with options to ride Golfers: Play at one of the courses near Sotogrande.

(B) We plan to take a trip out today to a local area to cover landscape, architectural and some gardenphotography. We will lunch out and return mid afternoon.

Day 5

(A) A guided walk through a forest of cork and broad leafed oak towards the village of Cortes dela Frontera, one of the old frontier citadels in the time of the re-conquest of this southern corner of Spain taken from the Moors in the 15th century.

(B) A morning at Almuna covering the use of flash both in side and outside for portraiture and architecture and still life shots. Using the camera as a scanner and copying photographs paintings and documents. This evening after dark there will be a demonstration of photography at night.

Day 6

(ALL) Take an early train to Ronda to explore this ancient and magnificent Roman city embellished by the moors over 700 years. There is much to see here including fine churches, Arab baths, 18th century palaces, the oldest bull ring in Spain and the incredible Tajo gorge and bridge which took over 40 years to build. There are also some excellent shoe shops and ceramics.

Day 7

(A) Un-guided walks. From Almuña there are some quite lovely walks of varying distances that you can do in your own small parties. You will be supplied with a map and detailed instructions plus a shoulder bag and packed lunch. Golfers: Play at one of the courses near Sotogrande

(B) Our last formal day of photography tuition and this will be a requests session and we will build up the program as the week progresses.

Day 8

(ALL) Depart for the flight home