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Poland’s ‘Wild’ Carpathians in Autumn
Sunday October 4th - 7th 2015
Led by Robert Canis and Marek Kosinski
£475 - £590 Group size: Min. 4 / Max. 6
Flights = Circa. £135 with Ryanair from Stansted (Direct: no changes)
(Price includes 20kg of hold luggage and Priority Boarding which ensures your camera bag travels
with you on the plane)
Price will be determined by the number of persons that book. The more that book, the lower
the price! Although this may seem an unusual way to price a tour, I feel that this is the way
forward since, if everyone knows the score, it will still go ahead, even if only 4 book, thereby
avoiding disappointment.
Price includes: Tuition and guiding, accommodation (no ss required), breakfast and packed lunch.
Price excludes: Flights, main meal and evening supper (avg. price £7 per day) and snack stops.
Flights
You will be advised when to book and what flights to book onto.
Introduction
Our location for the duration of this photo-break will be the wild, forest-clad Carpathian
Mountains in Southeast Poland. Also known as the Bieszczady (Biesh-chady) Mountains we will be
based in the heart of the National Park which lies on the borders of Ukraine and Slovakia. A
sparsely populated region of just 5 persons per 475 km sq. Bieszczady is a remote, wild area of
rivers, meadows and mountains clad in old-growth beech forest. This is how much of Europe used
to be several thousand years ago before forest clearance for intensive farming and building. As
you drive past and through these dark woods you really do get a sense that something wild lurks
within. Bison, brown bear, wolf and lynx all inhabit these forests and mountains as do black stork,
ural owl, lesser-spotted and golden eagle.
On each morning we will head out early to capture mists in the valleys and lingering over the rivers
and in the afternoons and evenings we will walk in the forests shooting autumn colours,
mushrooms and scenes from vantage points. On one of the days we will walk up to a mountain
pasture to capture the beauty of the Carpathians and, time permitting, Robert and Marek will
critique everyone’s images and demonstrate their own workflow using Adobe Lightroom and
Photoshop.
The tour will, primarily, be landscape photography but there will be opportunities to photograph
other aspects of nature, too, including close-ups of colourful leaves, patterns and fungi. Both
Robert and Marek will, always, be on hand to offer advice and pass on invaluable hints and tips
that they, themselves, have picked up in the course of their professional careers.
Highlights
• One of Europe's most remote and stunning wild areas
• Hand-picked locations
• Led by two professional nature photographers
• Tuition in landscape and close-up photography
• Image critique and workflow demonstrations
• All levels catered for
• Single rooms - All en-suite with Wi-Fi
• No single-supplement
• Accommodation in a comfortable small hotel in a remote, rural location
• Small group size of 6 maximum
Day 1. Transfer by minibus to our accommodation in Bieszczady Mountains National Park. A
journey of approximately 3 hrs. Dinner upon arrival.
Days 2 and 3. Sunrise shoot. In order that we are not restricted by breakfast times we will have a
packed breakfast. We will return to base late morning and at around midday we will have a meal
before heading out for the duration of the day shooting landscapes, streams, forest scenes and
close-ups returning at dusk at approximately 7pm. In the evening we will enjoy supper (soup for
example), relax and chat over a couple of drinks.
On one morning or evening (weather will dictate) we will walk to the top of a nearby mountain
where the beauty of the Carpathian Mountains can be fully appreciated as well as to a raised peat-
bog site near Ukraine. A truly wild area where just a small river separates you and the
aforementioned country.
Day 4. Possible sunrise shoot. Depart for airport. Breakfast snack provided en-route.
Price includes:
• Tuition and guiding
• Accommodation in single or double rooms - all en-suite. No single-supplement required
• Packed breakfast and late afternoon packed lunch
• All transportation within Poland
Price excludes:
• Flights
• Travel insurance
• Main meals and drinks. This includes main meal and supper. We have found this to be the
best option as the hotel has a full menu. Average price for a 2-course meal is just £5!
• Occasional ‘snack stops’ at restaurants/cafe.
Accommodation
We will be based in the heart of the national park in a simple and comfortable small hotel. Each
room is en-suite with air-conditioning and Wi-Fi throughout. Meals and breakfast are served in the
hotel where there is also a VERY reasonably priced bar should you wish to have a tipple in the
evening!
Equipment required
Below is a very "loose" list as to the kind of equipment recommended. A full check-list will be
given upon booking.
• SLR or Bridge
• 2 -3 lenses will be more than sufficient. A wide-angle and medium telephoto zoom. A
macro lens will be useful for close-ups though not essential. ND Graduated filters.
• Lightweight tripod for sunrise and sunset shoots.
Fitness level
Moderate. Most of the walking will be on, relatively, flat ground, often photographing from quite
near the minibus, particularly at dawn. 1 mountain walk will be undertaken taking, approximately,
1¾ hrs with a 400m elevation difference. Total height of the mountain - 1280m. This is quite a
steep walk (no scrambling) through pastures and forest. We will leave pre-dawn or early afternoon
to give ourselves plenty of time to reach the top. Yes, it's quite a trek but boy, is it worth it! This is
not a hiking holiday so we will take our time.
We will be heading up (pre-dawn) or back down (post-sunset) using head-lamps so please bare
this in mind when considering booking. Everyone on our last trip agreed that it was a fantastic
experience and well worth the walk.
Temperatures
Being a mountainous region temperatures can vary greatly but generally temperatures hover
around the 10 degrees C mark though it’s not unusual to experience a dusting of snow or as high
17 deg, as was the case in October 2014. You will be kept informed as we near the departure date
on the conditions so you can pack appropriately.
Testimonials
Having just returned from a trip to the Bieszczady National Park in Poland with Robert and Marek,
I must say what a wonderful photographic experience it was and how I was amazed at what we
had achieved in 4 days. It seemed more like 7. I would definitely recommend this workshop to
anyone who likes a photo-holiday break with a difference.
Michael Chalk
This tour to Poland, led by Rob and Marek, was a truly memorable one. With sightings of native
wildlife, together with an abundance of trees, makes one feel we humans are but a speck on the
landscape. Not forgetting, of course, the storm that chased us down the mountain and raged for
the next 5 hours or so, and the mist that swirled in the valleys the following morning.
I will certainly remember this experience! As always, the tour was put together admirably by Rob
and Marek, who both looked after myself and my companions so well.
I would like to say a big thank you to Rob and Marek for the organisation, even as to what flights
to book, and to the others in the group, who helped make the whole experience so enjoyable. If
there is anyone out there who enjoys nature, photography, and being in a group of like minded
people, this tour is definitely for you!
Chris Rothery
Another very enjoyable trip by Robert, ably assisted by Marek who met us at Rzeszow airport with
the minibus. On the journey to the accommodation, way down to the south of the country, we
stopped for food which gave us the first indication of how much £ you get for your Zloty’s and how
friendly the people were! The first morning was a shock to the system, up at 4:30 and off to climb
the highest peak in the Bieszczady Park, in the dark too, so head torches were a must. Just as well
it was dark, because we had no idea of the climb ahead, had we seen it in daylight there might
have been a mutiny! The result was well worth it though with cracking shots across the hills with
mist in the lower sections. The following morning we had a similarly early start, with clear skies
and a beautiful sunrise on the trees with the stunning autumnal colours The afternoons were
spent on various river banks with again wonderful autumn colours, fungi, rocks etc. with the
usual advice and tips from our leaders. Being a fussy eater I was a little concerned as to what the
food was, but having a Polish speaking person helped to describe the menu and there was plenty
of acceptable choices, and plenty of it too. So, to sum up a very pleasant few days in a lovely
country with many photo opportunities.
Angus Williamson
It is a beautiful country and not visited by many photographers to date - and Robert & Marek are
superb guides and leaders: Very knowledgable and always helpful. The food is amazing,
accommodation excellent and somehow Robert and Marek managed to get me up a mountain at
an unearthly hour, so skilfully I hardly realised how long it took to get there. I have been twice in
February photographing Bison (and survived) and for the first time went to the Carpathians for the
Autumn colours. An excellent trip and one I would recommend!
Anna Warrington
Meet your guides
Marek Rob
Marek Kosinski is a professional nature photographer specialising in the flora and fauna of his home
country, Poland, who has received awards in both the Wildlife Photographer of the Year and GDT European
Wildlife Photographer of the Year competitions. A trained biologist (PhD in plant ecology), Marek held the
position of lecturer and scientist for 12 years at Krakow university. He is the author of several natural
history books and has had more than 15,000 images published. Marek also runs his own photo agency
www.kosinscy.pl, is represented by the Polish photo agency, Forum, and is a member of the Polish Union of
Nature Photographers. A certified tour guide, for 15 years, Marek has also guided general nature tours for
various travel agencies. From a personal standpoint, I must say that I thoroughly enjoy doing tours with
Marek. Not only is an ace photographer and guide but he is a damn nice fellow with a wicked sense of
humour too, ensuring you not only leave with fantastic images and bundles of information, but you have a
fun time taking them, too!
Robert Canis is a professional photographer specialising in wildlife and landscapes who has been running
workshops and tours for over 20 years both in the UK and abroad. Robert's first experience with Poland
came about 14 years ago when he visited the remote forests of Bialowieza in Eastern Poland photographing
Bison. In February 2012 he ran his first tour with Marek in Bialowieza and has since led several tours to
both Bialowieza and the Carpathians.
Robert’s work is marketed by three international agencies and has, to date, written 10 articles for Outdoor
Photography magazine as well as an 11 page feature for Practical Photography. Awards include, category
winner in the British Wildlife Photography Awards, twice Highly Commended in the prestigious Wildlife
Photographer of the Year, twice in the International Garden Photographer of the Year, Highly Commended
in the Environmental Photographer of the Year, Honourable Mention in the International Photography
Awards and First Prize Gold Medal in the Royal Photographic Society’s Annual International Exhibition.
Robert has been appointed a Nikon ambassador for their current (2015) Extreme Weather Photography
campaign.
www.robertcanis.com
tel: 07939 117570 email: [email protected]