WILD LANDSCAPES TENERIFE AND EL HIERRO MARCH 2024

Volcanic Wild Landscapes workshop – Tenerife & El Hierro

Wild Landscapes destination Summary

In 2012 I made my first visit to the wild landscapes of the Canary Islands after being shown a book of landscapes by a local photographer, I was instantly blown away. This was not the image of Tenerife that I had in my head.

Since then I’ve been back around a dozen times and photographed all 7 Islands (apart from  newly recognised number 8 –  little La Graciousa near Lanzerote but not for long).  So with a host of dramatic locations, colour, culture  and warm sunshine in the winter months, it makes for the ideal photography retreat.

This will be the second Lightstalkers visit to the wild landscapes of Tenerife as a  winter retreat workshop but this time I’m adding little El Hierro into the mix.

El Hierro (the meridian island) is the second smallest and second least populated island and  is a wonderful  mixture  of pine cloud mountains, green / azure pools surrounded by black volcanic rock and vertical steep cliffs. The islands symbol is the “Sabina” or wind swept Juniper tree that resemble the form of dramatic human dancers ( to me anyway ).

   So shake off those preconceptions  and prepare to create your own canvas of colour and drama on this Lightstalkers Volcanic Landscape Photo Workshop featuring  the Island of Eternal Spring and the meridian island.

El Hierro 

A UNESCO Biosphere, get lost amongst the twisted Sabina trees and below the  soaring Caldera by the  azure volcanic pools.

Mount Teide and Roques de Garcia*

Villaflor & El Tiede , a soaring volcano and  Spain’s highest mountain at over 12000ft with lava landscapes, rocky columns and ravines to explore.

Anaga Mountains and Roques de Anaga

The lush verdant hillsides  of Anaga with twisting mountain roads plunge over mountain passes down to wild coastlines littered with volcanic rock seastacks and remote Canarian villages.

Islas Canaries  winter retreat workshop

You’ll be one of only 4 participants on this Wild Landscapes Photo Workshop. You’ll be a million miles away from the tourist resorts  staying in mountain villages and small towns.

We’ll be sampling local tapas, mountain staples and authentic Spanish cuisine with a Canarian twist.

The Learning

Your guide Glen has 18 years experience as a photo educator. You’ll be immersed into the process of camera control, shot selection, composition, light quality, use of filters,  long exposures and final execution of image capture at a variety of handpicked destinations.

Tenerife / El Hierro photo workshop compositions – Seascapes, culture , mountain scenery , abstract, night sky, architecture.

The Accommodation

Venues TBC –  a mixture of  small guest houses and small hotels – single occupancy and breakfast* where available

Villaflor – 2 nights – Volcanic landscapes around El Tiede

Anaga – 1 nights – Lush forest peaks and seascapes

El Hierro – 3 nights –  raw volcanic landscapes

**single occupancy dependant on availability.

Extra information

Start time details to follow in El Medano Tenerife.

Pick up / meet up location – In El Medano a pleasant Canarian coastal town 10 mins from Tenerife South Airport.

If arriving the night before I recommend staying at the Hotel El Medano a short taxi ride from the airport.

End time in El Medano or Tenerife South airport  You may wish to extend your trip and stay a further night in this pleasant laid back town which attracts locals and surfers.

Getting there Tenerife – by air from major UK and European airports 3.5 – 4.5 hr flight.

Essential camera equipment – A lightweight kit is preferable for portability with medium camera backpack SLR or Mirrorless camera systems that can take a filter system are ideal. Lenses – ultra wide angle to telephoto lenses – 16 mm full frame to 200mm ( or DX equivalent) , good quality solid tripod that is easy to use and a waterproof camera bag. Lens clothes and lens issue.

Clothing Good quality lightweight and wind proof down  jacket for cooler times. Light gloves for dawn shoots around Teide as it can be cold.  T shirts / shorts and long pants .  Lightweight hiking boots or shoes that are waterproof and maybe Teva type sandals for standing sea water.

Non essential but recommended Polariser, neutral density graduated and straight neutral density filters would be useful. I use Lee ND filters both hard and soft.  A Laptop with Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop or other image editing software. Good quality lightweight and waterproof camera bag.

Weather
Average 21 degrees C during the day with cooler evenings and the chance of odd rain shower too.

Fitness and mobility

A reasonable degree of fitness and agility is required for one or two of the walks.

Not all locations will be by the roadside, some locations are easy to reach, some require a little effort, walking sometimes on uneven surfaces . This can involve  short walks across rocky and uneven terrain.

*Roques de Garcia a circular 2 hour walk (for photography) with descents and slight uphill section

All ages above 18 years are welcome but a reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required, regardless of age in order to fully participate and appreciate a Lightstalker’s photo adventure or workshop.  If you have any doubts of your suitability for a specific trip please contact Glen directly.

 ** accommodation options will vary depending on availability.