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Join pro photographer Jonathan Bayley LBIPP for the photographic trip of a lifetime to Cuba. Flying with Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick, our trip starts with eight magical days in beautiful Havana, staying at the 5* NH Parque Central hotel which is bang in the centre of old Havana, near to the Capitolio. Each day there will be a mix of lessons and shoots, including:
Old cars, beautiful people - a shoot with models and beautiful old cars
Historic Old Havana - a supervised shoot around old Havana taking in the main sights
Visit to an internationally famous Cuban dance school where we'll have a
"The Real Cuba" taking in the sights of how real Cubans live with a private hog-roast dinner
A visit to a Cigar / Rum Factory with rum tasting opportunities
A daytrip to the stunning La Moka Hotel and Las Terrazas nature reserve just outside Havana. The hotel has literally been built into a forest (trees coming through the rooms) and we'll also shoot a ruined coffee plantation and some great landscapes.
A chance to shoot male and female models in some amazing locations, including a stunning historical building where Leona Lewis recently shot a music video;
Of course, you'll have plenty of time to mooch around Havana on your own (it's a very safe city), flop by the rooftop pool or chat to the locals. We organise special dinners and outings every evening, so you can get a chance to take in some great salsa clubs, sample a variety of Cuban food, and try a Mojito or two.
Leaving Havana, we move on to visit three Cuban cities. First stop is Cienfuegos, where we visit the famous Yacht Club, then go on to do shoots in two amazing cemeteries. After an overnight stay, it's on to Trinidad (Cuba), a Unesco World Heritage site, providing a stunning backdrop for architecture and landscape photography. We spend two nights there, including an organised walk taking in an old palace and a nature shoot in the beautiful landscape nearby. Leaving Trinidad we visit Santa Clara, the city where one of most decisive battles was fort in the revolution. We visit a mausoleum and musem in honour of Che Guevara. Our final stop is the beautiful beach resort of Varadero,with miles and miles and miles of the most beautiful sandy beach - voted one of the top 10 in the world. We'll have 4 nights in the all-inclusive 4* Aguas Azules hotel. Again, shoots and lessons will be provided throughout our stay, including a fashion show and an optional boat trip, a crack-of-dawn shoot to catch the sunrise, models on the beach and a lesson in how to shoot portraits.
The itinerary is flexible, so you can choose which sessions you want to do, and when you just fancy sitting by the pool. Learn as much as you want, shoot as much as you want, and relax. It's the perfect way to spend a holiday, in the company of loads of other photographers. Jonathan speaks good Spanish, so he'll be able to interpret and help you talk to the locals.
There is a huge amount of teaching, as well as photography shoots. During the two weeks, Jonathan covers photography techniques, ranging from using flash to metering light, photography practice, such as shooting family portraits and shooting stock, as well as coaching during shoots. Handouts are provided and there are 12 taught sessions. Check out what you'll learn here.
If you want to bring a friend who isn’t a photographer they’re also welcome to come. A few people have asked whether we mainly shoot men, and if it's a gay holiday. We'd like to stress that the trip is for a very mixed group, we have loads of female models (as well as male models) and the majority of guests who come are straight. We get an incredibly wide range of people coming on our trips, the last one we organised had guests as young as 19 and as old as 72, and it's this mix which really makes for a fun trip.
The trip is being organised in partnership with The Holiday Place plc, one of the largest tour operators in Cuba. They are fully ABTA and ATOL bonded.The package includes breakfast throughout, and most other dinners - a few nights in Havana you can do your own thing, allowing you to choose where and when you eat. The package also includes all the shoots, lessons, transport, guides and provision of lighting and models, so you get a huge amount for your money.
Follow the links below to find out more:
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Show me photos from the last trip