Historic and green Luxembourg

The 4-day photography trip to Luxembourg has recently taken place again. A trip close to home but it still has a lot to offer. Including the old city center where remnants of the fortress walls can still be seen. The city center even belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage List. But there is also plenty to visit outside the city. Luxembourg city is surrounded by beautiful nature, full of hiking trails and castles. Which makes it an ideal destination for photography.

Do you want to know more about the diversity of Luxembourg? Then take a look at our other newsitem.

Photography tour in versatile Luxembourg

Last October, Travelmarks and a group of students spent a few days in the versatile and green Luxembourg. Including student Arijan van Alphen, who has had a passion for nature and sports photography for a long time. It was the first time for him to participate in a photography trip and workshop. In this news item, Arijan tells about his experience of the photography trip to Luxembourg.

Why did you choose to join the Luxembourg trip?

I had been looking for a photography workshop for some time to improve my photography skills, but many workshops are often only half a day and a large group. The advantage of the trip to Luxembourg was the small group and the pricing. When I came across this photo tour on Facebook, it caught my eye. The promise of a small group of students with an appealing, versatile program appealed to me, which is why I decided to sign up.

What did you do during the 4-day trip?

I've tried many things to take different types of photos, for example playing with depth of field. The waterfalls at Schiessentümpel and Kallektuffquell that we visited were nice, because I prefer to have something of water in nature photography. The evening/night photography in Esch-sur-Sûre and Vianden were another branch of photography for me that also gave me inspiration. We couldn't have been more fortunate in terms of weather conditions.

The photos below were taken by Arijan during the photo tour.

How was the guidance and do you have any tips for the next workshop?

As expected actually, excellent guidance before and during the trip. In addition to the planned activities, there was also room for improvisation, which we eagerly used as a group. During the trip, Mark had the necessary tips and tricks for every student at his/her level and, not to forget, sufficient attention, not only in terms of photography, but also for the person. The time schedule was determined so that everyone on location could go wild with photography. In a few weeks we will meet again with the group to share our photos, among other things.

A tip for a next photography tour or workshop would be a general explanation upon arrival at a location, before everyone starts shooting. For example, by sharing some tips and explanations about the correct camera settings, so that we can get started right away.

Would you recommend this trip to others?

It is definitely recommended for others. It is freely accessible and short. In addition, it is suitable for all levels. I will even participate in another photography workshop at Travelmarks soon.

Want to learn to photograph or gain experience?

Would you also like to participate in a photography tour or workshop yourself? Then take a look at the many workshops or at the multi-day photo trips and tours, and sign up!

Till clicks!

Photographing the stars

Photographing the starry sky is also known as astrophotography. For example photographing stars and planets when it is dark. It is a certain niche within the photography world that requires a lot of time and precision. In this news item, customer Tom tells about his experience of the astrophotography workshop and we will give you a number of tips to get started with capturing the starry sky.

Workshop Astrophotography Burg Eltz

Hobby photographer Tom recently took part in the astrophotography workshop at Travelmarks. This workshop took place at Eltz Castle in Germany. A photogenic location with beautiful natural surroundings. For this news item we asked him to share his experience with us.

Why did you choose to participate in this workshop?

I am interested in astrophotography and capturing it. Normally, I mainly photograph nature and landscape, but I prefer to be all-round. When I came across this workshop, I signed up to learn more about the startracker, which is needed when photographing the starry sky. This was also my first time doing a workshop like this.

What did you do during the workshop?

In the morning we took pictures at the river, It was still foggy and you could see another castle in the distance at the top of the mountain, which makes for a nice picture. During our visit we also went inside, where they walked around in traditional costumes. There was even a blacksmith at work and a singer, making it quite an experience. In the evening after dinner, we photographed the Milky Way at Burg Eltz until it was no longer visible. We used a startracker for this. That was very interesting and I learned a lot about it.

Was it as you expected?

More or less, we managed to photograph the Milky Way. We were dependent on the weather, because we already had to reschedule the workshop twice due to the weather conditions. But it was certainly a successful workshop and worth repeating. Perhaps in a different environment.

Are you satisfied with the results?

Yes, the result has become beautiful, but the photos still need to be edited. A few weeks later, we had also sat down with the group and Mark to share each other's work. There were plenty nice photos and everyone was very satisfied.

How was the guidance and do you have any tips for the next workshop?

The guidance was good, we also got a lot of time to get started ourselves. I also received some positive feedback. And the other students were actually just as enthusiastic. For a next time, an overnight stay could be added, so that there is even more time for astrophotography. The first evening we became acquainted with the startracker and the next evening we could start shooting. It would have been nice to have had more time for that.

Would you recommend this workshop for others?

In case you are interested, or if you want to delve further into it, then yes. There was good guidance so it is also doable for beginners. You do need some knowledge about the device. The starttracker is not yet known to many, but that was also explained.

What was the highlight for you?

It would be the evening at the castle / fortress Eltz for me, with photographing the Milky Way and the beautiful green surroundings there.

Getting started photographing the Milky Way yourself

Want to get started yourself? Then we are happy to give you some tips to help you on your way!

• Timing is very important in astrophotography. You want to be in the right location at the right time to use as much time as possible. So be well prepared and be at your location on time so that you can start right away with the right settings as soon as the conditions are at its best.
• The right weather conditions also play a major role in this. As mentioned earlier, the planning was changed twice because the weather conditions were not optimal. The best time to photograph the Milky Way is during new moon, on a clear, cloudless night. With as little light pollution as possible and oriented to the south. In the winter, the starry sky is not sufficiently visible, so it is best to go in the summer months.
• Using a startracker, which you place between your tripod and camera, you focus on a fixed point (the pole star) in the universe so that the camera moves with the earth. That way the stars remain visible and sharp in the photo. Using a starter tracker, your shutter speed can be up to a few minutes. A formula that helps determine shutter speed is as follows; 400/focal length = shutter speed in seconds.
• To capture both the starry sky and the subject in the foreground sharply, you can take two photos. For example at Eltz Castle, a photo was taken of the castle during the blue hour. When the Milky Way is best visible, it will be focused on for a second photo. During post-processing, both images are merged so that both the castle and the starry sky are clearly visible.

Want to learn to photograph or gain experience?

Would you like to learn more about (astro)photography and your camera yourself? Or gain more experience in the outdoors with guidance? Then take a look at the many workshops and sign up.

Till clicks!