THE ESSENCE OF PANAMA

T H E E S S E N C E O F PA N A M A
A PHOTOGRAPHER’S PARADISE
March 2 - 9, 2014
Panama is a photographer’s paradise. Join world-famous and Pulitzer prize winning photographer,
Essdras Suarez and award winning nature and landscape photographer Shiv Verma on this exquisite
photo tour and workshop to tropical Panama. Panama is rich with beautiful rain-forests indigenous
cultures. The country with its rich historical heritage, including old Spanish forts, ruins of old Panama
City, and the Panama Canal itself is truly an experience not to be missed. You will augment your
photographic skills under the expert guidance of Essdras and Shiv, as you venture through the ancient to
the modern history of Panama.
We will photograph the Panama Canal and visit the Embera, the indigenous tribe which lives along the
Panama Canal waterways. Penonome and El Valle (Cimarrones were the black slaves which settled into
the coastal areas of Panama). We will photograph old Spanish forts, the stone ruins of old Panama City,
and the Casco Viejo area where the French influence resulted in architecture similar to buildings found in
New Orleans.
The New York Time published an article on Panama on May 5, 2013 that can be viewed by clicking here
or you can copy and paste the following URL to your browser.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/travel/panama-city-rising.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&
Who should attend?
This is a hands-on travel-photography and landscape workshop for photographers of all skill
levels.
Individual attention will be given to attendees, regardless of their experience level or
expectations. However, the primary focus is “to learn how to capture the essence of a place and
its inhabitants, one frame at a time.”
• You will learn how to effectively utilize your equipment for sweeping views while learning to use elements founds in the landscape to create points of entry, layering and to
better create dynamic compositions.
• We will discuss how to maximize their optical characteristics of lenses for isolating subjects, stacking and other effects.
• We will discuss the various focusing and panning techniques and the best ways for obtaining optimum exposure while photographing people, birds or landscapes.
• In the post production we will explore the use of selective cropping for maximizing the
visual impact of your images.
While in the field you will be instructed on how photojournalists and professional nature and
landscape photographers go about performing their jobs.
We will cover:
Light - Quality and Quantity
• Temperature
• Direction, side and back-lighting
• Exposure and metering for the best exposure
• Filters and Polarizers
How to obtain tack sharp images:
• Auto Focus Modes
• Manual Focus Mode
We will also have the opportunity while on the field to discuss the following topics and
techniques:
• Perspective
• Composition
• Panoramas
• Panning and freezing techniques
• Intentional motion blur
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Day 1: Sunday, March 2, 2014
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Itinerary
Transportation to Gamboa in a coaster with a bilingual guide
Overnight at the Hotel Gamboa
Meeting room for workshop overview and reception 4-8 p.m.
Dinner at Gamboa Resort
Activities: Meet your mentors at the airport.
Welcome reception at Gamboa Hotel. Driving tour of the City of Panama to give participants a feel of the
place. Flexibility is a major component of this photo tour and workshop thus if throughout the week if we see
something we want to photograph we’d simply stop and go for it. Serendipity rules this journey.
Day 2: Monday, March 3, 2014
• Visit to the Miraflores Locks, Visitor Center and
Canal Museum
• Presentation and editing session 4-8 p.m.
• Dinner at Las Tinajas
• Overnight at the Hotel Gamboa
Activities: Visit and photograph one of the Seven Wonders
of the world: Panama Canal Miraflores locks.
Photograph Gamboa Road area.
Night: photo presentation by mentors and editing session
with participants.
Day 3: Tuesday, March 4, 2014
• Portobello or Embera
• Image review and critique 4-8 p.m.
• Dinner at Las Tinajas
• Overnight at the Hotel Gamboa
Activities: Visit Embera, the indigenous tribe which
lives along the Panama Canal waterways. This was the
trans-shipment point for treasures looted from the Inca
Empire during colonial times. Return to hotel for editing
session and dinner.
Day4: Wednesday, March 5, 2014
• El valle-Penonome
• Overnight at the Hotel Los Mandarinos
• Dinner at La Casa de Lourdes - Set menu and one
hour of open bar.
Activities: Travel to El Valle and Photograph the lifestyle
and people in the sleepy town of El Valle. This area has
several waterfalls which are easily accessible and thermal waters as well for those interested. This area also claims
to be the only place in the world with square trees. (This is a great opportunity for an on-site off-camera flash
workshop.)
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Visit to a local elementary school, photograph children in their bright blue uniforms. *Return to hotel
and edit images and dinner.
Day 5: Thursday, March 6, 2014
• Penonome
• Overnight at the Hotel Los Mandarinos
Activities: Visit the town of Penome. Bustling little
city with lively main street commercial life. From
there we’d go to La Pintada and check out the cigar
factory. Visiting a haberdasher in the area is good.
Return to El Valle to Los Mandarinos hotel for
another session of editing and dinner.
Day 6: Friday, March 7, 2014
Return to Panama City
Overnight at
Activities: Drive back to Panama City and visit “Mi Pueblito” . According to Lonely Planet: Located at the foot
of Cerro Ancón- this very high hill- not quite a mountain- which offers a magnificent bird’s eye view of the
canal and locks. Mi Pueblito sits on the western side of town and offers replicas life-size replicas of rural villages
found on the Península de Azuero, in Bocas del Toro and in the Darién. It also features extensive shops selling
handicrafts from throughout the country and a handful of decent restaurants. Folk dances accompanied by live
music are staged on Friday and Saturday at around 18:00
Day 7: Saturday, March 8, 2014
Activities: On this day we’d wake up early and photograph activities on the Calzada de Amador a.k.a. as The
Causeway. Morning runners with the ships as background. Great silhouettes. We will have lunch at one of the
many eateries in the area. In the afternoon we will visit Cinta Costera and then drive back to the hotel on the
Causeway and those that want to could do some nighttime time photography of the old Puente de Las Americas
bridge which can be seen right by the hotel area.
Return to hotel edit, dinner and projection of the
participants best images for the week.
Day 7: Sunday, March , 2014
Morning at you leisure, check out of the hotel and
travel home.
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We will be staying at the various hotels on a double occupancy basis.
Accommodations
The Gamboa Resort
This hotel/resort is a tropical vacation paradise. Located 30 minutes from Panama City, Gamboa Rain-forest
Resort is a unique property nearby the Soberania National Park Rain-forest, on the banks of the Chagres River
and Panama Canal.
Here you can avail of the Sensory Spa by Clarins or beside the luxurious pool surrounded by Panama’s natural
beauty.
Los Mandarinos Boutique Spa & Hotel
Registration
Registration is limited to a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 14 participants. The cost is $5,075 per participant.
Registration fees include: 4 star hotel accommodations for 7 nights, 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners, all
entrance fees, land, air and water transportation within Panama.
Please complete the registration, enrollment information and release forms (click here for the web page) or from:
http://www.shivverma.com/workshop-registration-forms/.
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A $500.00 deposit is required on booking to confirm your reservation. $1,000 is due by December 15, 2013 and
the balance is due by January 5, 2014. If paying by check, please make your payments to Shiv Verma and mail
them to 652 Dedham Street, Wrentham, MA 02093-1149. You may also pay by credit card or PayPal, please call
617.759.0010.
Information
Contact us at 617.759.0010 or email sv@shivverma.com
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