I've been doing a bit of international travel for work recently, and have been using my downtime on trips to learn photography. Since starting this, I've been to both Paris and London for the first times, and while I loved the experience of walking around and taking photos, once I'd get back and load these up on a larger screen I'd find major issues with sharpness, focus, improper framing, etc.
This past week I visited Berlin for the first time and rather than walking away from this trip with a bunch of mediocre photos, I started searching around for a photo tour option. This is where I found Aperture Tours. With only a couple of days notice, Alexander was able to get me in for a combined day/night tour. Having not anticipated the last minute rain/snow on this trip, Alexander even brought me a hardshell rain jacket to have just in case.
Just like the overview says, you'll start in a coffee shop to review your skills - This was hugely helpful and helped me put a few things together that I had been struggling with. Aperture Tours does this by showing you settings in the camera, but also by using an iPad to show you pictures using different variations of settings on the same photos... I've seen all of this done in magazines and books, but nothing has ever set in like it did here. From there, we started out on our journey across Berlin. It was a great mix of street shots where I learned some new techniques, as well as some more traditional landmark stuff... Exactly as we had discussed over email prior to meeting up. Besides the skill help, Alexander also shared a lot of information about the city. This is a huge advantage to just wandering around and taking photos, or even looking up spots before hand. I definitely learned more about the city than I would have otherwise.
As mentioned above, the weather ended up being a factor on this trip, with muddy/slushy snow, fog and very overcast. Despite this, I ended up taking the best photos I've ever taken - sharp, in focus, correct white balance, framed nicely, etc. This experience was excellent, and the only thing that could have been better was the weather. The best part - Aperture Tours is in several cities I plan on traveling to soon, including Paris and London. I'll be using them every time I travel!
