South Georgia with Pavel Kosenko and Karen Hovhannisian

Jul 2, 2016 – Jul 10, 2016

Genre: Art, Genre, Landscape, Street, Travel

The workshop has been completed

Photos of the workshop participants

Here you can view the photos, taken by the workshop participants. These are the best works, selected by the master in the process of joint discussions.

101 photos from 12 authors

Lead photographer

Pavel Kosenko

Colorist photographer. Devout color explorer and an author of numerous articles on photography and image processing. An author of The Living Digit book (published by Treemedia in 2013). A co-founder of the Fotoproekt, a chain of photolaboratories and a photoschool. An organizer and participant of a number of photo tours across Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East and other regions. An author of a very popular Russian blog on photography and travel.

List of participants is visible to the club members, who have attended at least one workshop.

Enroll

About the workshop

Dear friends! We invite you on a journey back in time to Batumi — the USSR’s best resort, still retaining its charm and sincere Adjarian hospitality. Prepare for yellow kvas tanks, Martin Parr-like beachgoers with rubber rings and ice cream, the old harbor with boy divers, freshly boiled corn by the harbor station, cool Tsinandali in every cafe, endless beer bars, khinkali and khachapuri.

On the road to Batumi we’ll cross both time and space. Setting out from Tbilisi, we’ll take the less crowded road through the south of Georgia — Tsalka, Vardzia, Akhaltsikhe, Borjomi, Khashuri and Kutaisi. We’ll pass through real highland villages where people will be genuinely glad to see us, Doukhobor communities, see old fortresses, a cave city, an observatory, hot springs before finally arriving at the Black Sea. And, of course, enjoy a real Caucasus summer with many opportunities for good pictures.

Program hide

Day 1. Saturday, July 2nd

Arrival at Tbilisi, hotel check-in, introductions and a welcome dinner.

Day 2. Sunday, July 3rd

This entire day we’ll take pictures of a weekend city. There are many sights to explore: the alleyways and courtyards of the old town, Avlabar and Sololaki districts, friendly Georgians, the Sunday flea market, teeming parks, the ropeway to Narikala fortress and modern architecture from the Saakashvili era. In the evening we’ll gather to discuss our first trophies.

Day 3. Monday, July 4th

An early breakfast, then we pack up and drive out east on the southern road, less frequented by tourists than the main highway. It passes through Kvemo-Kartli to Samtskhe-Javakheti. We’ll travel to Manglisi, Tsalka, Ninotsminda, Akhalkalaki, Georgian, Armenian and Greek villages, Doukhobor hamlets, stop at mountain passes and by Paravani and Sagamo lakes, lunch at a fishery. Late in the evening we’ll reach a hotel near Vardzia, have dinner there, set aside pictures for tomorrow’s review and relax into beds.

Day 4. Tuesday, July 5th

Pictures will be discussed in the morning. Then, after breakfast, we’ll head out to Vardzia, an one-of-a-kind cave city attributed to Queen Tamara. Monks still live at a monastery there. We’ll go on to Abastumani, one of the most beautiful places in Georgia, where we’ll be able to soak in hot springs and visit an observatory. Towards the end of the day we’ll arrive at Akhaltsikhe, check into a hotel inside Rabat, a medieval fortress, and walk in an evening town.

Day 5. Wednesday, July 6th

Off we go to Imeretia – through Borjomi, Khashuri, little villages, ancient castles, very curious cemeteries, sealing the experience with a delicious lunch in a cellar restaurant in Zestafoni, known only to locals. Once in Kutaisi, we’ll unpack at another hotel, rest, explore the town individually, and in the evening, after dinner, hold another picture review.

Day 6. Thursday July 7th

Another walk through Kutaisi will start the morning. And after lunch we’ll drive west to Batumi, as always stopping for interesting sights. We’ll reach Batumi by evening, with enough time to take a dip in the sea before dinner, and after dinner walk on the seafront.

Day 7. Friday, July 8th

After breakfast we’ll return to the sea side, but this time with cameras – there are lots of interesting scenes by the port and on the beach. We’ll spend the rest of the day alternating between photography, sun-bathing, swimming – whatever we’re in the mood for.

Day 8. Saturday, July 9th

There’s more to Batumi than the sea, and on Saturday you’ll have plenty of chances to discover that for yourselves on the city’s streets and squares. In the afternoon we’ll have a final picture review, then go on a seafront boulevard for dinner, which is sure to turn into a real Georgian feast.

Day 9. Sunday, July 10th

Departure from Batumi, by plane.

<p>Dear friends! We&nbsp;invite you on&nbsp;a&nbsp;journey back in&nbsp;time to&nbsp;Batumi&nbsp;&mdash; the USSR&rsquo;s best resort, still retaining its charm and sincere Adjarian hospitality. Prepare for yellow kvas tanks, Martin Parr-like beachgoers with rubber rings and ice cream, the old harbor with boy divers, freshly boiled corn by&nbsp;the harbor station, cool Tsinandali in&nbsp;every cafe, endless beer bars, khinkali and khachapuri.</p>
<p>On&nbsp;the road to&nbsp;Batumi we&rsquo;ll cross both time and space. Setting out from Tbilisi, we&rsquo;ll take the less crowded road through the south of&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;&mdash; Tsalka, Vardzia, Akhaltsikhe, Borjomi, Khashuri and Kutaisi. We&rsquo;ll pass through real highland villages where people will be&nbsp;genuinely glad to&nbsp;see&nbsp;us, Doukhobor communities, see old fortresses, a&nbsp;cave city, an&nbsp;observatory, hot springs before finally arriving at&nbsp;the Black Sea. And, of&nbsp;course, enjoy a&nbsp;real Caucasus summer with many opportunities for good pictures.</p>

<h2>Day 1. Saturday, July 2nd</h2> 
<p>Arrival at Tbilisi, hotel check-in, introductions and a welcome dinner.</p>
<h2>Day 2. Sunday, July 3rd</h2> 
<p>This entire day we’ll take pictures of a weekend city. There are many sights to explore: the alleyways and courtyards of the old town, Avlabar and Sololaki districts, friendly Georgians, the Sunday flea market, teeming parks, the ropeway to Narikala fortress and modern architecture from the Saakashvili era. In the evening we’ll gather to discuss our first trophies.</p>
<h2>Day 3. Monday, July 4th</h2> 
<p>An early breakfast, then we pack up and drive out east on the southern road, less frequented by tourists than the main highway. It passes through Kvemo-Kartli to Samtskhe-Javakheti. We’ll travel to Manglisi, Tsalka, Ninotsminda, Akhalkalaki, Georgian, Armenian and Greek villages, Doukhobor hamlets, stop at mountain passes and by Paravani and Sagamo lakes, lunch at a fishery. Late in the evening we’ll reach a hotel near Vardzia, have dinner there, set aside pictures for tomorrow’s review and relax into beds.</p>
<h2>Day 4. Tuesday, July 5th</h2> 
<p>Pictures will be discussed in the morning. Then, after breakfast, we’ll head out to Vardzia, an one-of-a-kind cave city attributed to Queen Tamara. Monks still live at a monastery there. We’ll go on to Abastumani, one of the most beautiful places in Georgia, where we’ll be able to soak in hot springs and visit an observatory. Towards the end of the day we’ll arrive at Akhaltsikhe, check into a hotel inside Rabat, a medieval fortress, and walk in an evening town.</p>
<h2>Day 5. Wednesday, July 6th</h2> 
<p>Off we go to Imeretia – through Borjomi, Khashuri, little villages, ancient castles, very curious cemeteries, sealing the experience with a delicious lunch in a cellar restaurant in Zestafoni, known only to locals. Once in Kutaisi, we’ll unpack at another hotel, rest, explore the town individually, and in the evening, after dinner, hold another picture review.</p>
<h2>Day 6. Thursday July 7th</h2> 
<p>Another walk through Kutaisi will start the morning. And after lunch we’ll drive west to Batumi, as always stopping for interesting sights. We’ll reach Batumi by evening, with enough time to take a dip in the sea before dinner, and after dinner walk on the seafront.</p>
<h2>Day 7. Friday, July 8th</h2> 
<p>After breakfast we’ll return to the sea side, but this time with cameras – there are lots of interesting scenes by the port and on the beach. We’ll spend the rest of the day alternating between photography, sun-bathing, swimming – whatever we’re in the mood for.</p>
<h2>Day 8. Saturday, July 9th</h2> 
<p>There’s more to Batumi than the sea, and on Saturday you’ll have plenty of chances to discover that for yourselves on the city’s streets and squares. In the afternoon we’ll have a final picture review, then go on a seafront boulevard for dinner, which is sure to turn into a real Georgian feast.</p>
<h2>Day 9. Sunday, July 10th</h2> 
<p>Departure from Batumi, by plane.</p>