Caucasus Mountains Photo Tour

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The Hidden Treasures of the Caucasus Mountains 2017

The Hidden Treasures of the

Caucasus Mountains

Georgia & Armenia

A Travel Adventure With Peter Eastway

19 April - 3 May 2017

PHOTOGRAPHY INVESTIGATION

The Coin SellerPhotograPhed at ani on the armenian border

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The Hidden Treasures Of The Caucasus MountainsAncient roads. Historic buildings. Curious

cultures. You’re invited to join Peter Eastway

on a photographic investigation along the less

travelled paths of Georgia and Armenia.

“I have been to Turkey, twice. On the second trip,

I visited Ani on the Armenian border and one of

the most amazing historical sites I have seen.

“I told my guide, Mehmet Ozbalci, that I wanted to

return here, and that I was also interested in what

lay on the other side of the deep river valley that

surrounds Ani - Armenia and Georgia.”

Mehmet is a photography tour guide, based

in Istanbul. He is a gentleman. He has over 25

years’ guiding experience in these areas. His

English is first class. And importantly, he is a keen

photographer and knows where to take us!

“We get on really well together, so when Mehmet

suggested we do a tour into Armenia and

Georgia, it was just a matter of agreeing on a time

and letting people know.”

Are you interested?

“We will fly to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, from

where we will do a circuit dropping down into

both Eastern Turkey and Armenia.

“If you’re interested in dramatic landscapes

punctuated by ancient buildings and woven

together with vibrant and diverse cultures, this

photography trip is for you.”

Bookings and further inquiries via email to Kim

Valenti - [email protected]

Cathedral InteriorPhoto by mehmet ozbalci


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The Travel Program - US $7995APRIL 19 - TBILISI

Arrival in Tbilisi where you will be picked up from

the airport and transfered to the hotel.

Depending how participants feel, it is possible to

start touring and photographing the picturesque

city of Tbilisi, strolling through the old streets.

Our hotel is a 4 star - 1st class hotel located in the

heart of the old city.

APRIL 20 - TBILISI

Early in the morning, we will photograph the lit

up Narikala Castle and catch the blue colour in

the sky with the city lights in the background,

followed by the sulfur baths with their photogenic

brick domes.

We return to the hotel for breakfast and then

we’re out to photograph the frescos of the Sioni

Church and explore the old part of Tbilisi. We will

spend the afternoon photographing the people

in the Tbilisi market, Sameba Cathedral with its

impressive architecture and Metekhi Church right

on the River Mtkvari.

APRIL 21 - ANCIENT CHOLCHIS

Early in the morning, we will photograph the

Mtkvari River with its reflections, then have

breakfast and leave for Kutaisi, located in Ancient

Cholchis (from the story of Jason and the Golden

Fleece in Greek Mythology).

Along the way, we will stop at Jvari to photograph

the interesting shapes of the two rivers coming

together. Our next stop is Uplistsikhe, an ancient

cave city. Katskhi Pillar is another ‘cool’ image, a 40

metre high, natural monolith with a chapel and

monk’s hermitage on the top.

Arrival in Kutaisi and photograph the beautifully

lit Bagrati Church. Our hotel is a 3 star superior

hotel with rooms of a 4 star - 1st class hotel.

Metekhi ChurchPhoto by mehmet ozbalci

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APRIL 22 - CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS

Drive to Mestia, located up in the famous

Caucusus Mountains. The scenic drive to Mestia

will offer many beautiful vantage points, including

canyons, snow-capped mountains, rivers and

interesting ‘tower villages’ looking like castles.

Arrive in Mestia and photograph this quaint

mounatin town with towers and the impressive

Caucusus Mountains in the background.

Our hotel is a beautiful boutique, alpine hotel

with the characteristics of a 4 star - 1st class hotel.

APRIL 23 - CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS

Early departure to drive on the mountain roads

of the Caucusus. Our 4x4 vehicles will take us

to the village Ushguli, a community of villages

located at an altitude of over 7000 ft, at the foot

of the impressive Mt Skhara (17.000 ft), offering

breathtaking views.

After photographing the villages with its

wonderful towers in Ushguli, we will drive back to

Mestia in the late afternoon.

APRIL 24 - AKHALTSIKHE

Travel day to Akhaltsikhe, crossing Georgia from

north to south, via a scenic road. No doubt we

will be stopping regularly to take photographs of

what we find along the road.

In Akhaltsikhe, we will photograph the old castle

of Rabat, which was recently restored.

Our hotel is 4 star - 1st class hotel.

APRIL 25 - KARS

Today we travel to Kars in Turkey. This is where

the story in the Nobel Prize winner Turkish author

Orhan Pamuk’s novel “Snow” takes place.

Overnight in a beautiful, small, charming boutique

hotel with a lot of character.

Ushguli and its many towersPhoto by mehmet ozbalci

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Khor Virap with Mt AraratPhoto by mehmet ozbalci

APRIL 26 - KARS

In the morning, we will photograph the ancient

capital of Armenia, Ani, which offers fantastic

views with its almost 1000 year old churches and

buildings. This is the place Peter is really keen to

return to.

In the afternoon, we will explore the old part of

Kars and photograph the Kars Castle.

APRIL 27 - YEREVAN

Travel day to Yerevan, the interesting and

beautiful capital of Republic of Armenia.

Our hotel is a 4 star - 1st class hotel.

APRIL 28 - YEREVAN

Early in the morning, we will go to ‘Cascade’, a

stairway and the social meeting point of the

people of Yerevan, to photograph the two peaks

of Mt. Ararat with the city of Yerevan in the

foreground.

Return to the hotel for breakfast, then visit to the

Genocide Museum. In the afternoon, we will drive

to Garni, a 1st century Greco-Roman style temple

and then to the amazing basalt rock formations,

called a “Symphony of Stones”.

We will also visit the Geghard Monastery,

“Monastery of the Spear”, claimed to originate

from the spear which wounded Jesus at the

crucifixion.

APRIL 29 - YEREVAN

In the morning, we will photograph the Church of

Khor Virap with Mt Ararat in the background.

Khor Virap is one of the most important churches

in Armenia, as Gregory the Illuminator who

introduced Christianity to the Armenian nation

was put in prison in this location before the

acceptance of Christianity.

We will have time to visit the Matanedran

Museum holding thousands of ancient

manuscripts and photograph the interior

architecture of the museum.

In the afternoon, we will visit Eicmiadzin

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Sameba Cathedral, TbilisiPhoto by mehmet ozbalci

Cathedral, seat of the Armenian Church and the

ruins of the Zvartnos Temple, a circular structure

with Mt Ararat in the back.

APRIL 30 - TATEV

Today we drive to Tatev, an impressive monastery

located on top of a high cliff looking like an eagle

nest. We will cross two canyons to get to Tatev, a

very scenic drive.

Tatev has also the longest cable car ever built to

facilitate the journey of visitors and pilgrims.

Our hotel is the best available in this area. It is a 3

star hotel with very comfortable rooms.

MAY 1 - LAKE SEVAN

In the morning, we will photograph the

interesting stones with holes called “Armenian

Stone Henge” . It is beleived they were built in

6000 BC and used for astronomical observations.

The ancient Noraduz cemetery with its almost

1000 year old “Kachkars”, tomb stones with crosses

beautifully carved out, is our other great spot

to photograph. Drive to scenic Lake Sevan and

overnight in a 4 star hotel with a view over the

lake.

MAY 2 - TBILISI

Drive to Tbilisi with a stop at Dilijan, one of the

most beautiful towns in Armenia surrounded with

scenic mountains.

We will photograph the cute little street of the old

part of Dilijan then drive to Haghpat where we

will shoot Hapghpat Monastery, a world heritage

site like many others in Armenia.

MAY 3 - DAY OF DEPARTURE

Transfer to the Tbilisi airport and flight home.

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How Do You Like To Learn?Everyone has different ways of learning. For some,

it is sitting back and watching an expert at work,

noting how he or she positions and uses the

camera, reacts to the light and the weather, or

interacts with people to achieve the best posing

and expression.

Others like to be given suggestions, to understand

what the experts are seeing and thinking, and

then left to experiment and discover on their own.

They are looking for guidance, but not too much.

And yet other photographers like to be shown

how to find the photograph, how to compose

the image and what camera settings are required.

They want help with their camera controls

and detailed instructions on how to frame and

compose.

Different photographers at different stages require

different levels of assistance and that’s fine! Peter

provides all three levels of interaction, all you have

to do is ask. Importantly, you will never be made

to feel silly because you asked a basic question -

chances are others in the group don’t know the

answer either!

Peter will be shooting as well. He is just as

passionate as you are about photography. He also

feels it is important to practice what he preaches

and to show participants what he has captured as

the tour/workshop progresses.

However, he is very aware that his primary role is

to act as your instructor and guide. And he wants

you to return on other workshops and trips, which

you will only do if you are happy.

So, please don’t be shy to ask for help at any time

and it will be cheerfully provided with a smile!

By The Side Of The RoadWith an introduction by mehmet!

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How Physical Is It?You don’t need to be super fit to enjoy this

photography tour. If you can walk along well

maintained tracks, you should have no trouble in

Georgia and Armenia.

However, there will be some walking involved

when we leave the hotels or the vehicles to get to

the best photographic locations.

Sometimes we will only be walking a few hundred

metres. Most of the time it is no more than a

kilometre or so.

The weather will also determine what walks

are possible, but at this time of year, we’re not

expecting there to be any major difficulties!

Bring Your PartnerNon-photography partners are most welcome

to come along, but they will be expected to

participate on most of the activities. Sometimes

we may leave early to take photographs, and then

continue on to our next destination.

However, there will be some mornings when we

will return to the hotel, so if your partner wanted

to sleep in, that would certainly be okay!

What we find is that non-partners really appreciate

our itinerary. Rather than being centred around

meal times, it’s based on experiencing the

countryside and what it has to offer. It’s a varied

and exciting program, and whether you’re using a

camera or not, the experiences will last a lifetime.

Ruins with Exotic LandscapesPhoto by mehmet ozbalci

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Peter Eastwayg.m. Photog., mnziPP, hon FaiPP, hFnziPP, FaiPP

Sydney-based photographer Peter Eastway

is a Grand Master of Photography and a two

time winner of the AIPP Australian Professional

Photographer of the Year. Known best for his

landscape and travel photography, he has worked

in most areas of the profession and also loves

sport, studio still life, portraiture and wildlife.

Peter is the editor and publisher of Better

Photography magazine and website, a position

that has given him special access to many of

the world’s leading photographers over the past

30 years. His ability to communicate both the

technical and aesthetic sides of photography

makes him a sought after speaker on the

international circuit.

Peter was the chairman of the Canon AIPP

Australian Professional Photography Awards for

many years and is still involved in all aspects of

photography competitions, both as a judge and

as an active participant. He judges and speaks

internationally on a regular basis.

Peter’s work has been published internationally

in photography and travel magazines, and he

was also the author of the Lonely Planet’s Guide

to Landscape Photography. His photography has

featured on the cover of the Lonely Planet’s guide

to Australia, an Australian postage stamp, in

articles in the Qantas inflight magazine, and in an

Apple television commercial. And he has worked

with Phase One researching and promoting its

Capture One raw processing software, and with

Adobe on its Lightroom software.

In 2015 he featured in the National Geographic

Channel’s Tales By Light six-part photography

series produced in partnership with Canon.

He is familiar with Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm and

Phase One camera systems.

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ChecklistHere’s an incomplete list of some of the things you

may need.

Recommended Camera Stuff• DSLR or CSC camera recommended

• Standard zoom - cover everything

• Wide-angles - as wide as you have

• Telephoto - 300mm is not too long, but a 70-

200mm is pretty good too!

• 1.4X or 2.0X Converter

• Spare camera battery & battery charger

• Backpack style camera bag

• Tripod (with a quick release plate)

• Plenty of storage cards for your camera

• Polarising filter

• Neutral density filters (0.9x, 4.0x optional)

• Card reader and cable if necessary

• Laptop computer (Mac or PC)

• External back-up drives

• Photoshop, Lightroom or Capture One

• Mouse or stylus/tablet

• Hat, sunscreen

Camera Equipment For The ExpeditionPeter is not an equipment snob! Yes, he uses

professional equipment, but that’s his full time

job.

So, whether you turn up with the latest DSLR or

an older camera you’ve loved for many years, it

really doesn’t matter. However, there are some

lenses and accessories that will certainly help you

capture a wider range of photographs.

We do recommend you bring everything you

think you might need, but not so much you

can’t carry it with you. You will be able to leave

equipment behind in the hotel at any time.

The Remote Tatev MonasteryPhoto by mehmet ozbalci

The Atacama and Patagonia with Peter Eastway

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS These terms and conditions relate to the

photography tours and workshops organ-

ised by Pt 78 Pty Ltd [Pt78], ABN 75 003 152

136, trading as Better Photography, and run

by Peter Eastway, the workshop leader, in

association with Mehmet Ozbalci of Turfan-

tastik Tours, Turkey.

RESERVATIONS Bookings can be made on the Better

Photography website at

www.betterphotography.com in the online shop, or you can email Kim

Valenti at [email protected],

or call her on +612 4388 6851.

The workshops are limited to a maxi-

mum of 8 participants (plus the workshop

leaders). A mininum of 5 participants is

required for the workshop to run. Work-

shop places will be confirmed in order of

receipt, payment or deposit.

PRICEThe Hidden Treasures of the Caucasus -

Mountains - Georgia and Armenia - 14

days 19 April - 3 May 2017 US $7,995Single Room Supplement: US $980Deposit to secure place US $500The price includes photographic counsel

and all transport ex-Tbilisi, Georgia.

PRICE INCLUDES/EXLUDES:• Accommodation in double/twin

rooms in the kind of hotels as de-

scribed in the itinerary.

• All breakfasts, lunches and dinners as

per itinerary.

• Water, tea or regular coffee, soft

drinks (like Coke, Fanta, mineral wa-

ter, fruit juice in the can) at lunches

and dinners.

• All admission fees to the museums

and places to visit in the itinerary.

• English speaking photo guide and

local guides.

• Comfortable A/C van, driver, gas,

parking etc..

• Bottled water in the vehicle.

• Private arrangement for models in

the Caucasus Mountains.

• Arrival and departure airport trans-

fers only on the official start and

departure days of the tour (April 19

and May 3).

The order of the visits and sites to pho-

tograph, as well as the itinerary, can be

changed depending on the circumstances

like weather, light, crowd, availability,

closing / opening hours, domestic flight

schedule etc…

The price does not include:

International air fare, tips to the bell boys

at hotels, gratuities to the local guide and

the driver, travel insurance.

DEPOSIT & PAYMENT Payment details are as follows:

1. A deposit upon booking to reserve your

place of US $500 (or equivalent in US $).

2. Final payment by 19 January 2017.

CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDSShould you wish to cancel your booking,

you must advise us in writing (email is

fine). We try to have a fair refund policy

that works for both you and us:

• Deposits are refundable, up to 90 days

prior to the event. If you don’t

request a refund of your deposit 90

days out or longer, we will assume

you wish to come and the full bal-

ance is payable.

• if you are cancelling more than 90 days

from the workshop date, we will

refund your deposit in full;

• if the workshop is not full and, after your

cancellation, we still have the mini-

mum number of bookings to run, we

will refund your deposit in full;

• if the workshop is full, and we have

turned away other customers, and

you are cancelling within 90 days of

the workshop date, we won’t refund

you unless your place is filled by

someone else;

• if after you cancel your booking the

workshop numbers fall below the

minimum number required to run,

and you are cancelling within 90

days, we won’t refund you.

No part refunds are made for unused por-

tions or services of a workshop.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTSThe workshop is designed to be suitable

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for people of all ages in good health and

moderate fitness. While activities are not

strenuous, on some workshops we may

be taking hikes for several kilometres on

tracks in National Park and wilderness

areas, which may involve short steep

descents and climbs.

We will comply with the National Parks’

safety requirements, but these are a wil-

derness areas and you need to be careful

when you are in them.

It will be necessary to carry your own

camera equipment and water for these

activities.

Should you have any concerns about

your own capabilities and/or fitness,

please contact your doctor to discuss

before booking your place.

You are required to disclose any medical

or physical condition that you have which

could create a risk for you or any other

participants. We assume no responsibility

for medical care nor guarantee to meet

any special dietary requirements.

INSURANCE: We have public l iabil ity insurance,

but we have no insurance for par tici-

pants, their health, their equipment

or personal belongings. We strongly

advise you to obtain your own insur-

ances suitable for your needs.

LIMITED LIABILITYAs we are a small company, we are not in

a position to insure your travel arrange-

ments with Turfantastik Tours. If Turfan-

tastik Tours were unable to provide the

services for which you have contracted

and paid, Pt78 will not be liable to you for

any loss you incur. We strongly suggest

you take out travel insurance.

In such an unlikely event, we would

naturally refund the tuition component

of the course. We are not opting out of

our responsiblities to you, only those over

which we have no control. We are asking

you to take the same risk you would were

you to book your travel directly with Tur-

fantastik Tours.

RESPONSIBILITYThe responsibility of Pt78 is strictly lim-

ited. As a tour/workshop operator, Pt78

may organise, promote, and sell programs

consisting of services that it purchases

from various suppliers. Pt78 does not own

or operate any of these suppliers and as

such is not responsible for any negligent

or wilful act or failure or omission of any

supplier. By taking part in the tour/work-

shop, you agree that Pt78 shall not be

liable for the above failings.

Pt78 cannot accept responsibility for

losses or extra expenses caused by, but

not limited to, delay or changes in any

transportation services, weather, illness,

injury, strike, quarantine or other causes.

All such losses or expenses will be the

sole responsibility of the participant.

Pt78 reserves the right to cancel any

workshop prior to commencement,

whereupon paid funds will be refunded

in full, but is not liable for any other trip

preparation expenses such as, but not lim-

ited to, air ticket penalties, visa fees and

medical treatments.

Pt78 reserves the right to substitute

accommodations (if any) of similar

category for those indicated and to make

any changes in the itinerary or transport

where deemed necessary. Where weather

conditions or forces of nature restrict or

prohibit workshop activities, it reserves

the right to alter the trip program and

substitute alternative activities.

Prior to commencement of any work-

shop, an Acceptance of Risk Release form

is a term of sale.

The Acceptance of Risk release must

be agreed to by each participant prior

to the commencement of the workshop.

No alterations to the Acceptance of Risk

Release will be accepted.

If a participant attends a workshop

without signing an Acceptance of Risk

Release, their attendance confirms their

acceptance of all parts of these Terms and

Conditions, and the Acceptance of Risk

Release.

These Terms and Conditions, and the

Acceptance of Risk release, shall be gov-

erned in all respects by and interpreted

in accordance with the law within New

South Wales, Australia.

That’s it! Any special requests, please let

us know beforehand!

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For more information and bookings, contact Peter Eastway

at [email protected]

or his assistant Kim Valenti - [email protected]

The Hidden Treasures of the

Caucasus Mountains 19 April - 3 May 2017


Documents

Caucasus Mountains Photo Tour