|
Hi Everyone, April was one of those months that reminded me why I keep a camera within reach at all times. We started in Paris. The weather was exceptional, which made a real difference not just for photography but for everything: the early mornings, the long walks, the light at both ends of the day. We stayed in two different hotels in Saint Germain that turned out to be ideal bases for early-morning and late-evening photography walks. I also discovered several new locations around the city, and I am now seriously considering organizing a Paris Photography Workshop. If that interests you, let me know by clicking the link above. Paris has always felt personal to me. My mother was French, I studied there, and I have been coming back since childhood. After all these years of exploring its streets, cafés, and hidden corners, sharing the city through a photographer's eyes with a small group sounds like something worth doing. From Paris, we took the TGV to Zurich and drove to Lucerne, where my friend Miles joined us for a few relaxed days at a beautiful hotel overlooking the lake. Then we drove into the mountains toward Zermatt, which is an adventure in itself, winding roads, steep drops, and an auto train we boarded with seconds to spare. We picked a hotel in Zermatt with a direct view of the Matterhorn from our window, and then got three consecutive days of perfect alpine light. Golden at sunrise. Golden at sunset. If you know the Alps, you know that almost never happens. We took trains and funiculars all over the area, seeing Zermatt from angles most visitors never find. One of the things I rediscovered on this trip, traveling with Miles, is how much the experience matters alongside the photography. It is easy to run from location to location without stopping to breathe. Some of my best memories from this month have nothing to do with a camera. Sitting in a café overlooking the Matterhorn, eating apple strudel with vanilla sauce, talking through the day with a good friend. That is the other half of travel photography that nobody talks about enough. Slow down. The light will still be there. From Zermatt, we drove to Interlaken for a Scott Kelby Photography Workshop. Great to spend time with Scott and reconnect with photographers from all over the world. My photo from Switzerland took the best photo award at the workshop. I posted it below. The Carlton-Europe Vintage "Adults Hotel" deserves its own paragraph. Cleaning supplies arranged on hallway tables as decoration was just beyond weird. Five Swiss Francs to use the luggage trolley and a fee for everything. And when my wife had to leave after the first night, the hotel made me check out and check back into the exact same room. Same room. Switzerland is expensive enough without the theater. After the workshop, we headed back to Zurich for a couple of quiet days, then flew to Amsterdam. This time, instead of driving in from the city and chasing the tulip fields from behind, we stayed in Noordwijk, a small coastal town right in the middle of them. It changed everything. We wandered, got lost, and stumbled onto fields we never would have found otherwise. When you come across a field of mixed tulips at golden hour, the light warm and low, the colors almost unreal, it stops you. That kind of beauty earns the search. Then, a few days exploring Amsterdam before driving back to Paris and flying home. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing the specific photography locations I found, along with the hotels in Paris, Zermatt, Amsterdam, and Noordwijk that worked best as bases for early morning and evening shoots. A lot of walking was involved. Worth every step. Keep shooting. Keep exploring, even close to home. My Best, Vito
|
