Guest review: Peter relives his photography holiday experience in Andalucia, Spain

Peter, an avid photographer in his free time, is no stranger to photography holidays; he is always looking for good-value holidays and new inspiration and tips. This holiday with hosts Paul and Vikki was his third one, and he left an outstanding review, so we got in touch to find out more about why his week in Andalucia was amazing:

What did you enjoy most about your holiday?

The whole week was great! However I think that the visits to Comares and the fun run were highlights. The visit to the Kitti Harri Garden was also amazing, as were the churches.

The locals also proved to be a big help – I got some great candid shots of people, and all the of the locals were more than happy to pose; in fact, they all hammed it up, making some of my candid shots a bit difficult after they caught me snapping them.

Did you find the tuition helpful?

The tutor, Rob, has a very good training style – and I speak as someone who had a very successful career training managers all over the world about how to train and teach skills among other things. I describe myself as a keen amateur rather than an expert amateur. The course notes he provided were excellent and I learnt much more than I thought I would. Currently, I’m thinking of coming back in 2019 (my plans for 2018 are already set).

I will be entering some of my shots from this holiday into my camera club competitions. They will be fully credited to this holiday, and hopefully they might stimulate interest from some of the members.

What was the best photography tip you picked up?

There were so many, but mainly there was a focus on composition which I found helped me immensely. Nearly everyone in our group had laptops that they worked on in spare time, so I would recommend bringing one.

From the photos of mine that I have reviewed so far – out of the many images I took – I can see that they are amongst the best pictures I have ever taken, which is very complimentary for this holiday.

Did you enjoy the different locations?

All the locations I visited were hugely interesting and I am home, as I mentioned, with some wonderful shots. On Paul’s advice I did not go to Granada and the Alhambra, as a lot of walking can get painful for me, and talking to other course members afterwards made it clear that Paul’s advice was sound.

Instead, I explored the local town and took shots of people and local architecture, both providing to be excellent subjects. I thoroughly enjoyed my personal day and stopped in for refreshments and to relax whenever it got too hot.

Did you enjoy your lunches and dinners?

Three times we did picnic lunches while on the go, such as bread, cheese, and tapas. The accommodation was in houses fully equipped with kitchens, fridges and washing machines, so you could do what you wanted for breakfast, sleep in a bit, and grab something on your way out. All of our dinners were spent out together in local restaurants.

The short answer is ABSOLUTELY. The bad news is it will take me some time to lose the weight I gained during the week.

Who did you meet?

There were six of us on the photography holiday, but Paul and Vikki also host walking and painting holidays, so the painting excursion coincided with eight other people, and we all dined together in the evenings but had separate excursions during the day. Everyone was very friendly and sociable, and our dinners did include some wine which had us all in good spirits.

In my photography group, there was one woman about 45 who was born in England but now lives in Australia, an Australian couple, and 2 Americans from the Boston area, so it was a good mix of couples, singles, and common interests to provide great entertainment throughout.

We all got along very well and also enjoyed the company of the painters in the evenings. I’m happy to say that the hosts are sending out a list of everyone’s emails so we can all keep in touch, although I have emails for a number of them already.

What was a typical evening like?

Evenings are really relaxing and sociable, as we always have dinner together and discuss the day. As our accommodation is right in the village of Torrox, many of us would head out in the town for a night cap to continue our discussions. Torrox is a good size town, with places to walk and continue the evening with new friends. There is a good amount of choice in Torrox so you can try some new places.

Did you feel this holiday was worth the value for money?

Worth the value for money – wow did I! I only spent a few euros for a light bite in the morning and a few extra hours out in the evening. This really is all inclusive, and has been half the cost of another photography holiday I did that was not inclusive of meals.

What would your next holiday be?

The week was absolutely great for me and I will be back! I love sticking to photography yet scouting new locations. My other great hobby is music, so perhaps in the future I will branch out.

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If Peter has convinced you to check out this photography holiday with Paul and Vikki, you can find more information on the course itinerary.