Photo Training Overseas 2009 - Egypt Report

Inspirational is the only word to describe this year's Photo Training Overseas course held in Taba Heights, Egypt from 27 January to 3 February 2009.

 

With a sensational speaker line-up combined with a superb hotel in an idyllic location, with the sun beating down every single day, had to make this the best-ever week long training course - according to the majority of the seventy plus delegates who along with partners, speakers, sponsors, models and management team made this a very happy group of 115 photography minded people. 

 

The challenge for the organisers George and Glenys Dawber is finding another group of highly rated and sharing speakers in a different but comparable location - no mean task - but if their past record is anything to go by it will be achieved!

 

After arriving at a less than inviting airport followed by the most disorganised immigration procedure ever witnessed anywhere previously visited, it soon made you realise that you were in a third world country - two immigration officials on duty to check and stamp over 600 passenger passports as three aircraft arrived at the same time - organisation and logistics are clearly words which do not translate into Egyptian - chaos would not adequately describe the scene. However, when luggage was collected and transfer coaches boarded it settled into a more familiar pattern.

 

Upon arrival at the Sofitel Hotel all earlier unbelievable disorganisation was quickly forgotten, a swift registration and a welcome drink allowed your eyes to land upon what can only be described as stunning interior architecture. Clearly this hotel was exceptional and when you entered your allocated bedroom you realised the scene was set for a great week-PTO had arrived for it's twenty second annual extravaganza of training, networking and socialising!

 

After the customary introductions and welcome to all present - with a separate welcome to "First Timers" - the course kicked off with speaker introductions. What PTO does is to divide the eight headline speakers into two groups of four operating at each end of the week. Delegates are colour coded to ensure equal numbers in each group. The sessions are of a practical nature with speakers demonstrating their skills and techniques to each class in rotation in two hour segments. Each evening there is a seminar for the entire group, usually on business related subjects. The ever popular print competition attracted a considerable entry once again with some very worthy winners which can be viewed on the PTO website at www.pto-uk.com Next year we understand all entries will be digital by sending PTO a CD or DVD the short listed finalists will have prints made for final judging at the event.

 

This year PTO had Jim Lowe FBIPP - architectural Master Class. Dave Wall - Photo Shop with Raw vs JPEG and how to use Light Room. Paul Callaghan FBIPP a successful wedding practitioner from Ireland and Michael Turner a portrait specialist photographing children outdoors formed the training for the first half of the week.

 

The second part of the week welcomed the doyen of landscape photographers - Charlie Waite FBIPP. Lies Davidse FBIPP an extremely creative Dutch photographer - sponsored by Fuji and Kelly Hearn ABIPP a young Photographer who works at the Simon John studio in Hampshire - she was truly inspirational with her individual take on wedding photography.

 

During the evenings following the print competition George Dawber FBIPP reminded delegates of some interesting ideas on Marketing and  Patrick Ciatto from Florida demonstrated the art of basic lighting and posing for portraiture. The final evening speaker was Tom Murray - fifty years in the business who entertained his audience with anecdotes and lovely images of Royalty, "A" list celebrities and the Beatles. Finally the group went off on a cultural trip for the final awards evening.

 

Getting High on PTO 2009	Kelly Hearn shows delegates 'how to' on PTO 2009