photo tours
This is an invitation to join me on photographic trips to southern Poland.I am a professional photographer with a Polish background, and an interest in the local history. I am organizing small group photography trips (4-7 people), using the expertise of excellent local contacts to design a unique trip. We will be staying in traditional local houses, eating traditional food, and immersing ourselves in local culture. Time will also be devoted to photographic techniques, and digital image processing. The time allotted to teaching photography or sightseeing will depend on the interest of the group. It is possible to accommodate participants with different levels of physical fitness. In the Podhale trip there is an opportunity for hiking in the high mountains with an excellent guide. In the Bieszczady trip, for those who are interested, there is a plan to horse-back ride in the mountain meadows.
There are two trips planned in 2012: 7 days long trip dedicated to photography in Bieszczady Mountains with a side trip to Lviv (Ukraine) and 10 days trip to Krakow, Podhale and Tatra Mountains.
Dates and prices 2012:
August 22-28 Bieszczady & Lviv(Ukraine)
August 30-September 8 Krakow & Podhale & Tatra Mountains

Final prices are calculated 3 months before the trip based on number of participants, current prices & exchange rates. In a group of 7 people the cost is around 200$/day (250$/day in Krakow and Lvov) per participant. The cost includes accommodation based on two people sharing one room, meals, land transportation, admissions, photography passes, guides and photographic instructions. The airfare to Krakow (or Rzeszow), personal expenses and insurance are NOT included, and are the responsibility of the participant.

Description
Krakow & Podhale trip
Our trip starts and ends in the beautiful and historic city of Krakow where we will be staying for 3 days. The Old Town district of Krakow was built around Europe's largest, medieval market square, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For centuries the legendary Krakow was the royal capital of Poland, drawing great scholars and artists from around the world. Recently Kazimierz, the old Jewish district of Krakow has undergone a major renewal. To pay homage to Krakow's Jewish and Christian heritage, restoration and renewal of its quaint alleys and charming squares is ongoing. You can find cozy cafés and restaurants where live, traditional music is played.
The next 7 days we will be staying in a unique historical guesthouse in Zakopane, 100 km south of Krakow, in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains, a fascinating region that I love and am anxious to share with you. For centuries, Podhale(the name of the region at the foot of the Tatra mountains) with its folk culture has attracted the interest of artists, scientists as well as tourists and mountaineers. The wooden houses, churches and other buildings of this region are valued and preserved because due to their distinctive construction, style and ornamentation. You will find that the remarkable highlanders are a religious, welcoming and fun loving people who have stayed true to their regional traditions in spite of modern cultural transformations. You will have the opportunity to photograph folk ceremonies where the townspeople dress in beautiful, traditional costume, shepherds herding their flocks of sheep, wooden churches, manors, highlanders' huts, as well as villages, markets and the breathtaking Tatra Mountains landscape. We will visit the Tatra Mountains National Park where we can photograph the spectacular, alpine landscape with its jagged mountain peaks, sheer cliffs, moraines, valleys, streams, waterfalls and clear, blue lakes. We will travel by cable car to the top of the Kasprowy Wierch Mountain (1987 meteres above sea level) and hike from there through the beautiful landscape. We will also visit one of the most picturesque valleys (perhaps with the help of a horse drawn carriage) where we can photograph sheep grazing on the hillsides and buy tasty cheese 'oscypek'. We will enjoy a day long trip to the Pieniny National Park and take a scenic rafting trip through the picturesque Dunajec River Gorge. There are two medieval castles on its banks, Niedzica and Czorsztyn, both situated within the limits of the Pieniny Park. We will visit two Gothic wooden churchs from the 15th century in Debno Podhalanskie and Lipnica (both UNESCO sites). On the way to Podhale we will visit the Wicliczka Salt Mine from the 13th century.
Oh yes, we will have plenty of opportunity to eat pierogi, szaszlyki , oscypki as well as test local beer. To make time for photography presentations some days we will eat in our guesthouse.The food will be regional.

Bieszczady & Lviv
The Bieszczady Mountains are one of the most interesting regions in Poland. Located far from civilization, in the southeast end of Poland, they still have their original natural charm. The Bieszczady forest is inhabited by wolves, bears, European bison, deer and also eagles. The characteristic mountain pastures and extensive meadows, located in the highest parts of the mountains are beautiful and are excellent for hiking and riding. For centuries, the Bieszczady region was part of a national, cultural and religious border. The turbulent history of the Bieszczady has left many precious relics of the past. Famous for their unique architecture, the Orthodox churches have now become an integral part of the region's landscape and culture. Photographic opportunities include wooden orthodox churches, meadows, mountains and forest, old ruins and gentle mountain horses "huculy" . We will stay in this region in a beautifully decorated B&B. Every day there will be time reserved for photography presentations, assignments and image evaluation and processing.
From Bieszczady there is short trip to Lviv, a city which was Polish for 750 years and now is a major economic and cultural centre on the Western region of the Ukraine. We will stay in Lviv for 3 days. Lviv was, in the historical past, a city of extraordinary religious and ethnic tolerance. This fact is also recorded in the urban landscape. Today, after years of neglect, Lviv returns to its former glory. The increasing number of monuments has restored the original splendor and architectural layout of the city. As a result, Lviv can be described as one of the most attractive cities in Europe.