5 day residential photography courses in majestic Prague
Workshop Series: Prague (max 4 people per course!)
TBA - Poss March 2024 - contact Chris for info
Summary
Prague is a beautiful location for photographers and this new course promises lots with stunning images and locations on offer.
Chris will take you to the perfect locations at the right time of each day and will assist you in finding the most engaging composition and making your best shots in each location.
The focus of this course is on taking photographs, including dawn and sunset shoots. Chris will work with you at your own pace, helping you get more from your camera as you also develop key composition skills.
In the evenings, there will be the opportunity to discuss your best (or most challenging) shot of the day in our fun and friendly critique sessions.
This workshop will give you the opportunity to build your own portfolio whilst learning new techniques in the field as part of a small group (max 4 people per course).
Cost (5 day course)
£ 1,695 per Photographer for the tuition and all transport costs during the course with complimentary drinks on the first night (see 'What's included' & 'What's not included', below. Includes your own en-suite room at the lovely Boutique Hotel Constans in the beautiful and quiet Mala Strana part of Prague centre (see 'What's included' & 'What's not included', below)
A £ 600 deposit* is due at time of booking payable to Chris Ceaser Photography.
Non-photography partners are welcome, however a small surcharge may apply. Please ask for details!
What's included?
Your Prague Workshop Includes:
- 4 nights’ lodging at a lovely hotel in the heart of Prague
All bedrooms are doubles for single occupancy and have private, en-suite bathroom.
Full continental style breakfast is included which includes a selection of breads, pastries, fruits and meats/cheese, hot options are available and are included in the cost. - Complimentary drinks and course introduction on the Sunday.
- All travel throughout the duration of the course. (by Tram)
- A sunrise, sunset and other field sessions during each day
- Personal instruction by Chris in the field, including on the spot critiques and advice
- 3 short group critique sessions, in which the shots you take during the workshop are discussed
You will be staying at the Boutique Hotel Constans Remember we only take 4 people per course so you have more chance of getting that spectacular shot when time is short at the critical moments.
What’s not included?
The following is not Included but we are happy to advise you on options, where appropriate:
- Airfare & Visas - We recommend that you fly to Prague Vaclav Havel Airport, to arrive mid-afternoon on the Sunday. (typical airfare is around £160 return)
- Insurances - We strongly advise you take out personal travel insurance. Companies like AA travel insurance will provide single trip cover for just £10. This covers all monies paid in the event of illness, jury service etc....
- Airport Transfer - We can provide advice on the options available – please ask. (private transfers are available from around £37 return)
- Meals - Breakfast is included in our hotel.
Lunch is up to you – stop to sit at a Cafe for a leisurely break or grab a sandwich/pastry and a drink as you move between locations.
Dinner is up to you but we would love you to join us and your fellow Photographers at the restaurants we recommend – we try to limit costs to the equivalent of £10-£15 a head for a main course. - Local Tourist Tax - There is a tourism tax in Rome which you need to pay tot he hotel on check out. It is normally a small amount, around 4 or 5 euros per day. I would advise you to check the current rate before booking.
Itinerary
Sunday
You have all day Sunday to travel to Prague. The course begins over drinks at around 5pm, where we will chat about the course and our expectations. Then you can either choose to have some time to yourself over dinner or join Chris at a local restaurant.
Monday sunrise to Thursday at noon.
Sunrise
Sunrise is at around 07:50 each morning.
Your day will begin at around 06:50 as we leave the Hotel for the sunrise shoot - locations will vary and may involve a quick tram ride.
We head back to the Hotel after shooting the golden hour (or so), for breakfast.
Day
The period between the sunrise and sunset shoots is broken up into small processing sessions and the opportunity to explore the real Venice, as we go off the beaten track to shoot the canals & historic buildings:
- Chris will also run a critique session at the end of each day, normally before dinner. This will feature the Photographer’s own work and Chris will give constructive feedback on the chosen images from each day.
- Other field sessions with Chris will be available during each day. The emphasis of the course will be on taking photographs and having a great time away with your camera!
- If you wish to have your shots critiqued in the evening, please bring your laptop or anything you can show your images on. The shot can be straight from your camera or one that you have processed. We limit the critique sessions to two or three shots per day, per Photographer, to ensure that the discussions are useful. You may choose to submit a shot you are particularly happy with, or one that you would like help to improve.
- You will be eligible for a FREE place on a 1 hour Lightroom session over Zoom with Chris. This will take place on a set date within 2 months of the course finishing.
- You will also have the opportunity to have 1 photo from the course printed by Chris at a special price using Chris's fine art papers from Canson Infinity, as used throughout his gallery.
Sunset
Sunset is at around 16:30 each day.
After a short break to give you a little down time to chill out or catch up on personal matters, we head off to our chosen location at around 15:00, to set up and discuss the possibilities.
Your shooting day will end at around 18:00, as we will shoot beyond sunset into the exciting 'blue hour'.
Evening
Critique sessions will be held back at the Hotel at around 19:00pm and should last 45 minutes. After that, dinner is up to you - you might choose to join us at a local restaurant to continue the discussion, or to head out individually to explore a little more. We will look to have dinner at around 8pm.
The Workshop ends at noon on the Thursday
Cancellation & Insurances
- All deposits* are non-refundable
- Chris Ceaser Photography does not offer cancellation refunds. Please take out adequate insurance to cover cancellations due to ill health, jury service etc. Please ask for recommendations and see below.
Insurances and refunds:
YOU are responsible for your own insurances. This needs to cover you and your kit for things such as emergency illness whilst away, theft of your kit, inability to travel due to illness etc. Should you not be able to travel at the time of the course you will need to claim on your own insurance. Chris will provide you with an invoice and a letter confirming you did not attend. There is NO refund should you cancel after paying your deposits and balances. This is why you need your own insurances in place.
WE are covered under our own EVENT INSURANCE in the case that Chris cannot attend (due to illness, etc).
Our event insurance is quite comprehensive, but it does NOT cover things such as rainy weather, overcast weather etc. In these cases the course goes ahead, just like a normal booked holiday would. Make sure you or any operator you may use has such EVENT insurances in place or you may risk losing your money. You still need your OWN insurances in place to cover you and your kit (policies can cost as little as £9 for £5000 cover). Contact Chris on 07920 044094 to chat about insurances. You may already have such insurances in place, with your bank for example, but please check the policies cover you in case of illness or theft of kit either abroad or at home.
Chris runs his courses on a personal basis and normally provides all tuition etc personally. However, Chris Ceaser Photography reserves the right to replace instructors in the event of illness, emergency or death.
The following is not Included but we are happy to advise you on options, where appropriate:
- Airfare & Visas - We recommend that you fly to Venice Marco Polo Airport, to arrive mid-afternoon on the Sunday. (typical airfare is around £160 return)
- Insurances - We insist that you take out personal travel insurance. Companies like AA travel insurance will provide single trip cover for just £10. This covers all monies paid in the event of illness, jury service etc....
- Airport Transfer - We can provide advice on the options available – please ask. (water bus takes around 40 mins and costs around 30 euros return)
- Meals - Breakfast is included in our hotel.
Lunch is up to you – stop to sit at a Trattoria for a leisurely break or, like us, grab a panini and a drink for around € 8 as you move between locations.
Dinner is up to you but we would love you to join us and your fellow Photographers at the restaurants we recommend – we try to limit costs to € 15 a head for a main course. - Local Tourist Tax - There is a tourism tax in Rome which you need to pay tot he hotel on check out. It is normally a small amount, around 4 or 5 euros per day. I would advise you to check the current rate before booking.
The Hotel
We will be staying at the Boutique Hotel Constans in the lovely Mala Strana part of central Prague. From here we can walk to some great locations or take a quick tram ride that adds to the experience.
You will stay in your own room with private facilities. The hotel staff are fantastic and will help you make the most of your stay when in the hotel.
Check out the hotel website - Boutique Hotel Constans
Is this Workshop suitable for you?
Are you comfortable with your camera and its settings?
Yes - The workshop will help you develop your technical & compositional skills and allow you to develop your own photographic style.
No - Please contact Chris on +44 7920 044094 to discuss – a short pre-workshop session may be arranged to give you the confidence to join this Workshop.
Are you comfortable using Lee Filters?
Yes - The workshop will help you build on your experience to date, introducing you to new filters / techniques.
No - Chris has filters available to borrow during the workshop and will teach you how to use them effectively. Please contact him on +44 7920 044094 to discuss, prior to booking.
Do you have Lightroom on your laptop? (NB. It is NOT essential to bring a laptop)
Yes - The workshop will help you build on your editing/workflow experience to date – Chris will demonstrate his own workflow/editing techniques with lots of pro tips to help you improve.
No - Free trial periods are available on Adobe’s website.
Please contact Chris on +44 7920 044094 to discuss, prior to booking.
Requirements
All Photographers must bring:
- A digital SLR camera & lenses
- Filters, if you have them – if not, please let Chris know so that he can arrange for you to borrow them (he has 2 full sets of Lee Filters)
- A laptop computer with lightroom if you want to work on your own images during rest periods.
- A sturdy tripod
- Cold weather gear, though we are based in the city and the weather should be similar to that in the UK, give or take a degree or two.
- A moderate level of fitness – there will be lots of walking on the flat and up slight inclines, nothing too hilly really.
Remember – places are limited.
A maximum of 4 Photographers join each Workshop, so please book early to secure your place on this fantastic trip!
Testimonials
I have been interested in landscape photography for a few years now and I have been on a number of night or single day courses but my first residential course was with Chris Ceaser .... and so was my second residential course! The reasons I came back to Chris Ceaser photography are that he puts in the effort to make sure you get the most from the trips. He works individually with the clients at whatever the skill level which adds so much to your experience and your pictures.Planning, accommodation and locations are well thought-out and he keeps the groups small (maximum 4 per course!) so he can spend plenty of time with you as the course develops. I have enjoyed courses in Prague and Scotland with Chris and I will certainly be attending future trips.
Owain Jones.
Having spent one day in the Yorkshire Dales and another on the Yorkshire Coast over the summer, I just returned from 4 days in the Lakes with Chris. I spent the past year travelling and attending photography workshops across Russia, North America, Asia and Europe (including a 4 day National Geographic Photography Expedition in New York another in New Orleans) so was pretty comfortable participating in workshops, but the trips that Chris ran were by far the best. I learned more with him than on any other course – he’s clear, straightforward, helpful and funny. He worked through my technical questions efficiently, which enabled me to spend more time on composition and using the neutral density filters etc – more fun, but for me, more tricky. He’s extraordinarily patient and kind, while managing to still be honest and helpful. Taking a course with Chris is a great way to meet new people, learn new things and enjoy the landscapes of the North, while waiting for the light (and possibly also sheltering from the rain). Amazing value for money as compared to the other courses I’ve taken in the UK (some in directly comparable locations) and abroad. I can’t recommend these workshops enough – whether you ‘re about to open the box that your DSLR came in for the very first time or you’ve been playing with your camera for years, you’ll learn a huge amount, laugh a lot and probably never look at a cloud in quite the same way again. And when you get home, you’ll be astonished at what you managed to achieve. Rebecca Sheppard.
This course exceeded my expectations. Chris is enthusiastic and inspiring and goes the extra mile in all respects. Over the three days we visited a range of superb locations and covered the complete process from composition and camera settings through to editing and creating a finished print, with personal guidance and insight from Chris at every stage. I had been struggling for some months to produce any work that I was happy with – my ambition was just to take at least one shot that I would be proud to hang on my wall. In the end I came away with a dozen that I would be happy to see on anybody’s wall. The hotel was excellent, the dawn shoots were magical and it was really enjoyable to share the experience with two fellow enthusiasts - John Fallows