Let the camera do the talking

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This was published 14 years ago

Let the camera do the talking

Change of focus ... a girl's image reflected in the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

Change of focus ... a girl's image reflected in the Korean War Veterans Memorial.Credit: Bruce Holmes

In the era of digital cameras and social networking websites, tours guided by local professional photographers are a growing trend in cities around the world. Usually in small groups, people learn not only how to take better photographs but are often introduced to places off the usual tourist track.

"With photography now being so accessible, more people are picking up a digital SLR and realising how easy it is to take dramatic photos," says Barcelona-based photographer Daniel Rose.

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Rome-based photographer Tony Boccaccio says photography "has become part of people's cultural communication experience, with the popularity of Facebook a good example".

Tours for people of all skill levels, with cameras from compacts to SLRs, can be found in the following cities.

Washington DC

Paris-trained photographer E. David Luria founded the Washington Photo Safari in 1999 and it has grown 30-fold. The Monuments and Memorials workshop includes visits to the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and the Korea and Vietnam veterans memorials.

At the latter memorial, we were impressed with David's ability to teach techniques for photographing sculptures.

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Here, three soldiers figuratively survey the slaughter on a battlefield, while we concentrate on how to capture their looks of dismay and resignation.

In all of these tours you can learn how to see what others don't and perhaps even see a picture before it's there. While experimenting with reflections in the black granite mural at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, David urges us to "Shoot now!" as a girl trails her finger along the wall and we think we're seeing double.

See washingtonphotosafari.com.

Rome

Tony Boccaccio began as a National Geographic photographer in 1971 and has lived in Rome for many years. His tours of Rome focus on how different light affects images of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, fountains and piazzas.

Most of his clients are baby boomers who have made his two- to three-day tours his No. 1 attraction, with one day spent in Rome and another to the south in the Castelli Romani, the wine country. He has recently added a tour to the Amalfi Coast and Positano.

Tony says his main aim is to "teach people how to see creatively and with intention" rather than just making sure they get a particular shot.

See imaging-in-italy.com.

London

Lou and Ron Smith run London Photo Tours, which range in focus from the iconic monuments to the culturally diverse South Bank area, where clients can capture images of cityscapes and street entertainers.

The Smiths also offer a women-only tour, where the Edinburgh-born Lou draws on her experience as a visual arts educator to take women through all aspects of camera handling in a comfortable group limited to four participants. She says it "suits women travelling independently who can join a small group and photograph safely in public places". The tour visits Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the Horse Guards Parade and London Eye, as well as examining ways to photograph statues such as Eros and Florence Nightingale.

See londonphototours.co.uk.

Paris

A photographer, artist, poet and teacher, Sab Will has photographed Paris for 15 years but it was only two years ago that he began his photography tours, now offering five choices.

He says most people want to see the hidden Paris - the little back streets, curious statues and anything else off the beaten track. His Mysterious Montmartre tour includes historic windmills, artists' studios, narrow cobblestone streets, a water tower, steep steps and cafes with character - all with the advantage of walking the city of romance with a local.

See parissetmefree.com/tours/index.htm.

Barcelona

The Barcelona Photographer tours are managed by Daniel Rose, an Englishman who has lived in the Catalan capital since 2004. Both day and night tours are offered, the latter setting Rose apart from many other tour providers.

It starts at dusk to capture what photographers call the "magic light" and visits areas of Barcelona that are particularly photogenic in the evening.

The main attraction is Barcelona's Magic Fountain, one of the oldest and largest dancing fountains in the world, with its lighting and shape choreographed to music.

This is contrasted with the ultra-modern Agbar Tower, lit up with thousands of individual LEDs.

See barcelonaphotographer.com.

Boston

The Waterfront tour, one of five run by Saba Alhadi of Boston PhotoWalks, is a guided walk through some of the historic parts of the city.

Photography pointers are given in a non-technical way, focusing largely on composition and developing participants' observational skills and creativity. We see that using the archway of the pergola in Christopher Columbus Park is a really neat way to frame a picture of Customs House.

When we reach the steeple of the Old North Church, from which hung the lanterns that signalled to Paul Revere, photographing only the top part seems to create a sense of the church reaching towards heaven.

See photowalks.com.

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