Inspiration + Adventure! Book Now
Tour Overview
Dates: August 10-18, 2013Price:
Maximum Group Size: 10
Amazon Andes Sky has teamed up with renowned travel photographer David Simchock to help you experience Ecuador in a whole new light:
The perfect balance between adventure and inspiration.
Experience the Ecuadorian Andes, culture, landscapes, history and diversity through your lens and beyond! Practice your haggling skills while you prepare for the perfect shot in the largest traditional market in South America; Feel the adrenaline rush as you come face to face with the world’s highest active volcano and take advantage of the fading light to capture the moment; Melt into the relaxation of an evening around a crackling fire with the windswept plains of the highlands just outside your window; Experience a friendly, remote agricultural community and document your perspective of daily life here. While you are experiencing these magical landscapes in an active way, take time to capture that perfect shot in the perfect light with the perfect composition.
How do you accomplish this mighty feat you may ask? Answer: photography instructor, David Simchock. Under his instruction, critique and guidance you will learn coveted tips of successful travel photographers, benefit from personalized instruction within a small group experience and receive feedback and direction along the way. Benefit from David’s Vacation & Travel Photography workshops throughout the journey with tips on photographing the people, landscapes, architecture, wildlife and culture of the Ecuadorian Andes. Yes, this is vacation but it is also so much more! Come experience Ecuador through this unique approach to educational travel on the equator!
Space is Limited…Book Now
Questions? See the FAQ or Contact Us We’d love to talk to you!
Itinerary
9 Days/8 Nights
August 10-18 2013
Allow Ecuador’s Avenue of Volcanoes to take you in as you experience a bustling traditional market one day and the peaceful windswept highland plains the next. Visit Quito, the capital of Ecuador and the first city in the world to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Glide up the flanks of Volcano Pichincha to 13,500ft and stand high above the city sprawled out below you; Expand your photography skills through a workshop with David then relax tired muscles in a hot tub under a vibrant, star-light sky; Experience the changing of the guards in the bustling capital city then allow yourself to be embraced by a friendly artisan community. The theme of your week will be the Ethics and Etiquette of Photographing People with opportunities for other genres of photography including landscapes, portraits, nature, wildlife, etc…when we’re this close to the sun, the sky is quite literally the limit! As we travel along the Avenue of Volcanoes, you will encounter a rich culture that incorporates elements from many traditions ranging from pre-Incan times all the way up to Spanish colonialism and this modern era. Learn how to capture this rich history in a single shot. Showcase your work and receive invaluable critique from your fellow travelers. Along the way, your instructor, David will be right by your side providing instruction, feedback, tips and expertise.
David brings with him a decade of expertise and passion for travel photography, offering personal instruction and opportunities for critique of your work throughout the week. Under his direction you will have the opportunity to learn about the ethics and etiquette of photographing people in the unique environment of an indigenous village, capture breathtaking landscapes as we travel down the Avenue of the Volcanoes, document Ecuador’s rich culture and history, and enliven your senses in South America’s largest traditional market.
Capture your own perfect moment.
Detailed Itinerary:
Transport from Quito’s Mariscal Sucre (UIO) airport to your hotel. Meet and great dinner with fellow travelers, photography instructor and hosts. Meals Included: Dinner Day 2: Equator and transfer to Otavalo Visit the equator in the small town of Mitad del Mundo and participate in wacky equatorial demonstrations like balancing an egg on the head of a nail while learning a bit about the history and culture of Ecuador Transfer to Otavalo in preparation for the Saturday market! Meals Included: Breakfast Day 3: Otavalo Markets If you’re an early riser, the animal market begins at 6am and is worth a visit…a bustling crowd of wandering llamas, cattle, guinea pigs, chickens, puppies and more; this is the time and place for most local families to pick up their meat for the week or populate their farm. As the animal market winds down, the rest of the town comes alive as vendors from all over the country bring their handcrafted goods to South America’s largest indigenous market. On Saturdays, the market spills out of the main square and takes over the side streets in a maze of color, crafts and opportunities to practice your haggling skills. Capture the vibrant colors and local culture! Meals Included: Breakfast Day 4: Tour of indigenous communities Today, we’ll travel in the area to several smaller towns where we can watch first hand as artisans create some of the handicrafts for the next week’s markets and work to capture the moment. In the afternoon, transfer back to Quito Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch Day 5: Quito’s Historic Center & Changing of the Guards We’ll tour Quito’s colonial center today and catch the changing of the guards at the presidential palace which happens every Monday at 11am (hope to catch a glimpse of the President if he is in town!). Afterwards, you will have the afternoon free to capture the colonial architecture, local life and historic elements of Old Town. Meals Included: Breakfast Day 6: Transfer to a historic Hacienda After a morning instructional session with David, we will transfer just a couple of hours south to a cozy hacienda nestled in the foothills of Volcano Cotopaxi where a warm fire and hot canelazo (traditional Andean drink) await. Take advantage of the fading light as you witness the sunset within the breathtaking boundaries of Cotopaxi NP (or optional horseback ride if preferred). Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 7: Cotopaxi National Park Today we’ll visit the world’s highest active volcano and Ecuador’s most visited national park, Cotopaxi NP where you will enjoy an opportunity to learn David’s tips and tricks of landscape photography in the heart of the Avenue of Volcanoes! Return to the hacienda in the afternoon where there are opportunities for optional hiking, relaxing, horseback riding and more Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 8: Transfer to Quito After a leisurely morning, we transfer back to Quito for a farewell dinner, final showcase of your work and time to prepare for departure the next day. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 9: Departure Transfer back to the airport for your return home or continue exploring Ecuador with an extension to the Amazon Jungle, Galapagos Islands and more Meals Included: Breakfast
About Your Instructor
A native of Ewing, New Jersey, award-winning photographer David Simchock has had a life-long interest in the arts, although his early career aspirations brought him into the corporate world, practicing as a mechanical engineer in New York City and later in corporate management in Great Britain.
Life as an ex-pat inspired David to further experience our planet’s many cultures, and in late 1999, he departed from his technical and managerial career and embarked on a world journey that would bring in the new millennium – an adventure that eventually lead him to five continents over a three-year period – while creating an impressive photo essay that would be admired by even the most seasoned travel photographer.
Upon his return to the States, David pursued a new path in life, and in early 2003, he founded his freelance photography business, Vagabond Vistas Photography.
David quickly established a respectable resume, including front-page credits with The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Sunday Star-Ledger Travel Sections. His photography projects have spanned six continents and have ranged from the cover of the local Trenton Downtowner to commercial assignments as far away as Morocco and Costa Rica.
The story of Vagabond Vistas has been featured in several publications and David has also personally appeared on various local television talk-show programs, bringing his insatiable wanderlust and eclectic imagery to the forefront of the area’s visual art scene. In early 2010, New Jersey Life Magazine featured an eight-page spread on David’s life, travels and photography (Vision Quest). Most recently, the Rutgers Magazine ran a colorful pieceon David (“The Intrepid Traveler”), who graduated from Rutgers in 1986.
Now in its ninth year, Vagabond Vistas has grown into much more than a travel photography service. Although “photography” remains the primary focus of David’s efforts, his endeavors have evolved into teaching the craft in addition to working as a freelance photographer. What started as ad hoc travel photography workshops in North Trenton, NJ has expanded considerably into a comprehensive line-up of events which David now conducts at his studio in the River Arts District of Asheville, North Carolina. David’s “holistic” approach to teaching ensures that his clients develop their technical camera skills, as well as their creative compositional techniques.
To supplement his classroom-based workshops, David also schedules hands-on Photo Tours throughout the year where he guides small groups through the streets of Asheville, to the back roads of rural Western North Carolina and beyond.
And, if that isn’t enough to keep David busy, he has also established himself as a reputable mentor for clients who seek private, one-on-one or small group instruction. This part of his business has grown considerably over the past couple of years, and David is now seen as the “go to” guy for professional photography and digital workflow advice. He works with clients of all ages and skill levels.
To learn more about David:
Read this biography and more at Vagabond Vistas
Follow his blog for Travel Photography tips and tricks.
At the foundation of each workshop with David lies his belief in “holistic photography instruction” Find out why!
Instruction Details
Throughout the journey, instructor David Simchock will provide hands-on instruction on both a group and individual basis covering topics such as exposure, composition and the use of accessories. Critique sessions are also built into the itinerary, allowing David to review the work of each client as the tour progresses. Naturally, David will be available for all photography-related questions, ranging from camera operation to workflow. Like all Vagabond Vistas photo tours, this is truly an educational experience where our goal is for each client to come away from the event as a better photographer (not just a photographer with a few nice photos). And, also like all Vagabond Vistas photography workshops and photo tours, we employ our “holistic” approach to teaching and learning photography.
TOPICS OF INTEREST INCLUDE:
* Capturing the spirit of place with travel photography
* General camera and lens operation
* Use of accessories such as tripods, filters, etc.
* Photographing people (including the ethics of doing this when traveling)
* Landscape photography
* Cityscape photography, including architecture
* Photographing markets & market goods (food, textiles, etc.)
* Telling a story with your photos
Reservations
Please Note:
You are booking a photography tour w/ David Simchock from August 10-18 2013.
2013 Price Per Person= $2375
Your reservation is not confirmed until we have received your deposit of $850 (payable via PayPal upon completion of this form)
Balances are due 60 days prior to your departure date
What is Included
Questions? See the FAQ or Contact Us anytime!
