The Exotic Silk Road

PHOTOGRAPHY INVESTIGATION

Book Both Tours 1 + 2 and save US $1000! The Exotic Silk Road Photo Tour 2 1 - 10 OCTOBER 2023 10 DAYS/9 NIGHTS

REGISTAN SQUARE, This is one of the highlights of the tour. The Exotic Silk Road

PHOTOGRAPHY INVESTIGATION Silk Road Photo Tour 2 • 10 Days US$5995

An invitation from Peter Eastway... are invited to join just one or sign up for both of 4 them (there’s a discount if you join them both), In 2019, I travelled through Uzbekistan, but don’t ask me to suggest which one will be the Kyrgyztan and Kazakhstan with a group of keen best - they are both going to be simply amazing. photographers and a long time friend and European photo guide. Mehmet Ozbalci. The second tour explores remarkable Uzbekistan. While there are lots of wonderful landscape, we’re The trip was so successful that we’ve planned a a little more focused on the architecture and the return photo tour for 2023 that will be bigger and people. Highights include Samarkand’s better! Square (you’ll recognise it when you see it) and the ancient towns of Khiva and . As we travelled around the ‘three Stans’ in 2019, both Mehmet and I made extensive notes on how On the following pages, you can read a brief we could extend the itinerary so we had more synopsis of what we have planned. We need 6 time in these amazing loctions; how we could add intrepid photographers to accompany us in 2023 in extra locations we had to drive past because (maximum number is 10) to make it happen. So, there wasn’t time in 16 days; and how we could do you have a sense of adventure? Would you like optimise our photography shoots to come back to add one, two or three Stans to your passport? with even more amazing photographs. Bookings and further inquiries via email to Kim The outcome is two different Silk Road photo Valenti - [email protected] tours, one of 14-days, the second 10-days. You

A musician poses in Khiva The Exotic Silk Road

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The Travel Program - Silk Road Photo Tour 2

6 DAY 1 OCTOBER 1: , UZBEKISTAN an enjoyable train trip of two hours. Arrival in Tashkent and transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, we will discover the scenic Siab Overnight in a 5-star hotel. Bazaar where you will see women in colorful local dresses. This is one of the most interesting bazaars DAY 2 OCTOBER 2: TASHKENT in Central Asia, offering a tremendous amount of In the morning, we will photograph the colourful people photography. Bazaar where the local people shop for almost anything and everything, including fruit, Next to the bazaar, is the Bibi Hanim Mosque, built vegetables, meat, bread, dried fruits, textiles, in the 15th century, an impressive photogenic brooms, baskets etc... This is a great opportunity building with its great big blue dome. to photograph people. We will also take a short walk to visit the Kukeldash Madressa, which is still We will then go to the Registan Square, which an active religious school, and also Juma Mosque. consists of three photogenic madrassas and it is a real jewel in the heart of the old city. In the late afternoon, we will photograph the impressive Khasti Imam religious complex, in the We will photograph it at night. Overnight in a old city. 4-star hotel.

DAY 3 OCTOBER 3: SAMARKAND DAY 4 OCTOBER 4: SAMARKAND In the morning, we will take the fast train to In the morning, we will photograph Shakhi Zinda, Samarkand, the ancient capital of Tamerlane. It’s which was once the burial place of the noble

Siab Bazaar, Samarkand The Exotic Silk Road

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and elite people. There are several mausoleums Dinner will be in the house of a family, where one built in this 15th century complex and it is an room is converted into a cosy restaurant. They will important pilgrimage site... great opportunities show us how to make the traditional Uzbek dish to photograph the pilgrims with beautiful of ‘pilav’. Overnight in a boutique hotel. 8 backgrounds of blue tiled walls. DAY 6 OCTOBER 6: BUKHARA Next we will go back to Registan Square to see Early in the morning, we will photograph the the interior of the Madrassas and the beautifully impressive domed buildings and minarets of decorated mosque. Bukhara at dawn, then we’ll head back to the hotel for breakfast and have time to rest (or go In the afternoon, we will to go a village with a shopping)! workshop making traditional silk paper, using the bark of mulberry trees. We will photograph the In the afternoon, we will visit and photograph a people working in the silk paper making process. blacksmith workshop and keep exploring the old In the late afternoon, we will visit the Gur Amir city. Dinner will be in an old madrassa with a show Mausoleum where Tamerlane and his descendants of Uzbek traditional clothes and a performance of are buried. local dancers. It’s an ideal place to photograph the models in traditional dresses. DAY 5 OCTOBER 5: BUKHARA We drive to Bukhara which was once the largest DAY 7 OCTOBER 7: KHIVA: commercial and religious center on the Great We drive to Khiva through the Kyzylkum Desert, Silk Road. After arriving, we’ll take a walking tour with a stop in the desert to photograph the around the old city, including domed bazaars, Poi square-shaped ‘sand stoppers’. Kalon religious ensemble and the Ark fortress. We arrive at Khiva in the late afternoon. Khiva

One of the towers in Bukhara The Exotic Silk Road

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is a thousand-year-old fortress city, with its DAY 10 OCTOBER 10: DEPARTURE old section well preserved and it is also one of Transfer to the International airport in Tashkent. the most interesting cities in Central Asia for photography. We will photograph the impressive 10 city walls of Khiva from one of the towers.

Overnight in a 3 star superior hotel.

DAY 8 OCTOBER 8: KHIVA In the morning, we will be out to photograph a number of interesting spots in the pre-dawn light, including a mosque with wooden columns, an old graveyard with the city walls in the background and people.

In the afternoon, we will photograph musicians playing in an old Madrassa, which will be private to our group, and then we’ll explore the part of the city where the local people live.

DAY 9 OCTOBER 9: BACK TO TASHKENT Today we’ll take a flight back to Tashkent from Urgench or Nukus, for overnight in Tashkent. Overnight in 5 star hotel.

Early morning, Khiva The Exotic Silk Road

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How Do You Like To Learn?

Everyone has different ways of learning. For some, to do is ask. Importantly, you will never be made 12 it is sitting back and watching an expert at work, to feel silly because you asked a basic question - noting how he or she positions and uses the chances are others in the group don’t know the camera, reacts to the light and the weather, or answer either! interacts with people to achieve the best posing and expression. Peter will be shooting as well. He is just as passionate as you are about photography. He also Others like to be given suggestions, to understand feels it is important to practice what he preaches what the experts are seeing and thinking, and and to show participants what he has captured as then left to experiment and discover on their own. the tour/workshop progresses. They are looking for guidance, but not too much. However, he is very aware that his primary role And yet other photographers like to be shown is to act as your instructor and guide. And he how to find the photograph, how to compose wants you to return on other workshops and trips, the image and what camera settings are required. which you will only do if you are happy. (A high They want help with their camera controls percentage of photo tour participants are repeat and detailed instructions on how to frame and customers, so he must be doing something right!) compose. So, please don’t be shy to ask for help at any time Different photographers at different stages require and it will be cheerfully provided with a smile! different levels of assistance and that’s fine! Peter provides all three levels of interaction, all you have

Lots of colour in Samarkand Madrassa, Registan Square The Exotic Silk Road

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How Physical Is It? Bring Your Partner

You don’t need to be super fit to enjoy this Non-photography partners are most welcome photography tour. If you can walk along well to come along, but they will be expected to 15 maintained tracks, you will have no trouble on the participate on most of the activities. Sometimes Silk Road. we may leave early to take photographs, and then continue on to our next destination, so everyone However, there will be some walking involved has to come along. when we leave the hotels or the vehicles to get to the best photographic locations. However, there will be other mornings when we will return to the hotel, so if your partner wanted Sometimes we will only be walking a few hundred to sleep in, that would certainly be okay! metres. Most of the time it is no more than a kilometre or so. What we find is that non-partners really appreciate our itinerary. Rather than being centred around The weather will also determine what walks meal times, it’s based on experiencing the are possible, but at this time of year, we’re not countryside and what it has to offer. It’s a varied expecting there to be any major difficulties! and exciting program, and whether you’re using a camera or not, the experiences will last a lifetime for both of you.

Baker, , Tashkent The Exotic Silk Road

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Peter Eastway

GM Photog., MNZIPP, Hon FAIPP, HFNZIPP, FAIPP photography competitions, both as a judge and as an active participant. He judges and speaks 17 Sydney-based photographer Peter Eastway internationally on a regular basis. is a Grand Master of Photography and a two time winner of the AIPP Australian Professional Peter’s work has been published internationally Photographer of the Year. Known best for his in photography and travel magazines, and he landscape and travel photography, he has worked was also the author of the Lonely Planet’s Guide in most areas of the profession and also loves to Landscape Photography. His photography has sport, studio still life, portraiture and wildlife. featured on the cover of the Lonely Planet’s guide to Australia, an Australian postage stamp, in Peter is the editor and publisher of Better articles in the Qantas inflight magazine, and in an Photography magazine and website, a position Apple television commercial. And he has worked that has given him special access to many of with Phase One researching and promoting its the world’s leading photographers over the past Capture One raw processing software, and with 30 years. His ability to communicate both the Adobe on its Lightroom software. technical and aesthetic sides of photography makes him a sought after speaker on the In 2015 he featured in the National Geographic international circuit. Channel’s Tales By Light six-part photography series produced in partnership with Canon. Peter was the chairman of the Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards for He is familiar with Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm and many years and is still involved in all aspects of Phase One camera systems. The Exotic Silk Road

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Checklist Camera Equipment Here’s an incomplete list of some of the things you For The Expedition may need. Recommended Camera Stuff 19 Peter is not an equipment snob! Yes, he uses • DSLR or CSC camera recommended professional equipment, but that’s his full time • Back-up camera, just in case job. • Standard zoom - cover everything • Wide-angles - as wide as you have

So, whether you turn up with the latest DSLR or • Telephoto - 300mm is not too long, but a 70- an older camera you’ve loved for many years, it 200mm is pretty good too! really doesn’t matter. However, there are some • 1.4X or 2.0X Converter lenses and accessories that will certainly help you • Spare camera battery & battery charger capture a wider range of photographs. • Backpack style camera bag • Tripod (with a quick release plate)

We do recommend you bring everything you • Plenty of storage cards for your camera think you might need, but not so much you • Polarising filter can’t carry it with you. You will be able to leave • Neutral density filters (0.9x, 4.0x optional) equipment behind in the hotel or in the bus/cars • Card reader and cable if necessary - so bring that extra lens and pack it in some extra • Laptop computer (Mac or PC) socks to keep it safe! • External back-up drives • Photoshop, Lightroom or Capture One • Mouse or stylus/tablet • Hat, sunscreen

Old City Walls, Khiva

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS

These terms and conditions relate to the • All breakfasts, lunches and dinners as flight or transportation from Bishkek to photography tours and workshops organ- per itinerary. Tashkent on 3 October (although the ised by Pt 78 Pty Ltd [Pt78], ABN 75 003 152 • Water, tea or regular coffee, soft $1000 discount will help!). We recom- 136, trading as Better Photography, and run drinks (like Coke, Fanta, mineral wa- mend you book this flight at the same 20 by Peter Eastway, the workshop leader, in ter, fruit juice in the can) at lunches time you book your flights to Almaty and association with Mehmet Ozbalci of Turfan- and dinners. from Tashkent. tastik Tours, Turkey. • All admission fees to the museums DEPOSIT & PAYMENT and places to visit in the itinerary. Payment details are as follows: • English speaking photo guide and RESERVATIONS 1. A deposit upon booking to reserve your local guides. Bookings can be made on the Better place of US $500 (or equivalent in AUS$). • Comfortable A/C van, driver, gas, Photography website at 2. Final payment by 20 June 2023. parking etc.. www.betterphotography.com • Bottled water in the vehicle. CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS in the online shop, or you can email Kim • Private arrangements for photo Should you wish to cancel your booking, Valenti at [email protected], shooting as in the itinerary. you must advise us in writing (email is or call her on +612 4388 6851. • 4WD vehicles as per itinerary fine). We try to have a fair refund policy The workshops are limited to a • Fast train from Tashkent to Samar- that works for both you and us: maximum of 10 participants (plus the kand. • Deposits are refundable, up to 90 days workshop leaders). A mininum of 6 par- • Domestic flight from Urgench or prior to the event. If you don’t ticipants is required for the workshop to Nukus back to Tashkent request a refund of your deposit 90 run. Workshop places will be confirmed in • Arrival and departure airport trans- days out or longer, we will assume order of receipt, payment or deposit. fers only on the official start and you wish to come and the full bal- departure days of the tour (1 and 10 ance is payable. PRICE October 2023). • if you are cancelling more than 90 days The Exotic Silk Road Photo Tour 2 - 10 days The order of the visits and sites to pho- from the workshop date, we will 1 - 10 October 2023 US $ 5,995 tograph, as well as the itinerary, can be refund your deposit in full; Single Room Supplement: US $ 600 changed depending on the circumstances • if the workshop is not full and, after your Deposit to secure place US $ 500 like weather, light, crowd, availability, cancellation, we still have the mini- Discount for both tours US $ 1,000 closing / opening hours, domestic flight mum number of bookings to run, we The price includes photographic counsel schedule etc… will refund your deposit in full; and all transport ex-Tashkent The price does not include: • if the workshop is full, and we have international airfare to Tashkent, tips to turned away other customers, and PRICE INCLUDES/EXLUDES: the bell boys at hotels, gratuities to the lo- you are cancelling within 90 days of the workshop date, we won’t refund • Accommodation in double/twin cal guide and the driver, travel insurance. you unless your place is filled by rooms in the kind of hotels as de- NB If you are coming on both tours, the someone else; scribed in the itinerary. prices does not include the international The Exotic Silk Road

• if after you cancel your booking the or personal belongings. We strongly All such losses or expenses will be the workshop numbers fall below the advise you to obtain your own insur- sole responsibility of the participant. minimum number required to run, ances suitable for your needs. Pt78 reserves the right to cancel any and you are cancelling within 90 workshop prior to commencement, days, we won’t refund you. LIMITED LIABILITY whereupon paid funds will be refunded No part refunds are made for unused por- in full, but is not liable for any other trip As we are a small company, we are not in tions or services of a workshop. preparation expenses such as, but not lim- a position to insure your travel arrange- ited to, air ticket penalties, visa fees and ments with Turfantastik Tours. If Turfan- medical treatments. HEALTH REQUIREMENTS tastik Tours were unable to provide the 21 Pt78 reserves the right to substitute The workshop is designed to be suitable services for which you have contracted accommodations (if any) of similar for people of all ages in good health and and paid, Pt78 will not be liable to you for category for those indicated and to make moderate fitness. While activities are not any loss you incur. We strongly suggest any changes in the itinerary or transport strenuous, on some workshops we may you take out travel insurance. where deemed necessary. Where weather be taking hikes for several kilometres on In such an unlikely event, we would conditions or forces of nature restrict or tracks in National Park and wilderness naturally refund the tuition component prohibit workshop activities, it reserves areas, which may involve short steep of the course. We are not opting out of the right to alter the trip program and descents and climbs. our responsiblities to you, only those over substitute alternative activities. We will comply with the National Parks’ which we have no control. We are asking Prior to commencement of any work- safety requirements, but these are wilder- you to take the same risk you would were shop, an Acceptance of Risk Release form ness areas and you need to be careful you to book your travel directly with Tur- is a term of sale. when you are in them. fantastik Tours. The Acceptance of Risk release must It will be necessary to carry your own be agreed to by each participant prior camera equipment and water for these RESPONSIBILITY to the commencement of the workshop. activities. The responsibility of Pt78 is strictly lim- No alterations to the Acceptance of Risk Should you have any concerns about ited. As a tour/workshop operator, Pt78 Release will be accepted. your own capabilities and/or fitness, may organise, promote, and sell programs If a participant attends a workshop please contact your doctor to discuss consisting of services that it purchases without signing an Acceptance of Risk before booking your place. from various suppliers. Pt78 does not own Release, their attendance confirms their You are required to disclose any medical or operate any of these suppliers and as acceptance of all parts of these Terms and or physical condition that you have which such is not responsible for any negligent Conditions, and the Acceptance of Risk could create a risk for you or any other or wilful act or failure or omission of any Release. participants. We assume no responsibility supplier. By taking part in the tour/work- These Terms and Conditions, and the for medical care nor guarantee to meet shop, you agree that Pt78 shall not be Acceptance of Risk release, shall be gov- any special dietary requirements. liable for the above failings. erned in all respects by and interpreted Pt78 cannot accept responsibility for in accordance with the law within New INSURANCE: losses or extra expenses caused by, but South Wales, Australia. We have public liability insurance, not limited to, delay or changes in any but we have no insurance for partici- transportation services, weather, illness, That’s it! Any special requests, please let pants, their health, their equipment injury, strike, quarantine or other causes. us know beforehand! The Exotic Silk Road

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PHOTOGRAPHY INVESTIGATION

24 The Exotic Silk Road Photo Tour 2 UZBEKISTAN 1 - 10 OCTOBER 2023 10 DAYS/9 NIGHTS

For more information and bookings, contact Peter Eastway at [email protected] or his assistant Kim Valenti - [email protected]