Weston Photography Workshop in Portugal
Our Private Lisbon Estate
We started our European Adventure Workshop in Portugal on a private estate 20 minutes outside Lisbon. The location was home to various scenes that provided the photographers ample opportunity to create stunning photographs. The most notable feature on the 10-acre property is a natural pool fed from a well 400 meters below the surface. One part is for swimming, and the other is preserved for frogs and other aquatic life. The participants took advantage of such an exciting location and took worthwhile photographs.
The property is a mix of new and old with new-age Portuguese apartments with remnants of old-style kitchens and halls. Each participant had their bathroom, living quarters, and kitchen to call their own. We lucked out with the weather, creating some tremendous soft box lighting with passing thunderstorms. Visiting the abandoned olive oil factory and beach were two bonus field trips that heightened the experience for everyone involved.
Our models were amazing and worked well with the photographers. We want to extend a huge thank you to them for all their hard work over the two weeks of photography in two different countries!
Abandoned Olive Oil Factory
This abandoned factory is a mere 10-minute walk from the estate and provides an entirely different vibe for the participants to work with. There was a ton of graffiti, broken glass and shingles, and overgrown buildings to use in their imagery. Although challenging at first, the photographers soon came to see the potential at this location and were able to work there with the models successfully.
There was another old ruin location that we didn’t have time to visit this trip, but we will make time for next year. It is an old horse stable with intricate tile work and beautifully overgrown flowers that will provide stunning material to work with.
Photographing at the Beach
The beach location was a favorite of the photographers at our Portugal workshop. We photographed at the villa at the beginning of the day and ended at the beach for sunset. We were graced with a low tide, which created an almost mirror effect once the water would reside. The beach was another example of being blessed by perfect weather and light. Each group had 30 minutes to work with each model during our beach photoshoot to execute their ideas.
The models posed beautifully and were not afraid to get sandy and wet! The mirroring effect lends itself to black and white as it almost creates an abstract form in the sand.
