Barcelona Photography Tour

About Barcelona Photography Tour and Its Founder

Barcelona Photography Tour runs its own private photography tours in Barcelona and the surrounding region, plus multi-day photography workshops abroad. The About page says the company "was created in 2001 after Laurie Cohen, the founder of the company, relocated to Catalonia in 1999," and that it was formed to give visiting photographers "three specific services within one unique and educational tour": private, hands-on tuition, a lesson in seeing a place "through the eyes of a professional photographer," and the chance to put new skills into practice in "the dynamic and extremely photogenic city of Barcelona."

Beyond the city, the tours page lists a day trip to Girona and rural Catalonia, and the homepage says "Our current photography workshops include destinations within Spain, Israel, Greece, France, the U.K, Uzbekistan, Morocco and India." The About page names a sister company, Israel Photography Tour, for tours in Israel.

The About page says Cohen "has a career in the photography industry that spans three decades," beginning "as a travel and underwater photographer in South East Asia" before freelance work "specialising in fine art, travel and environmental portraits." It says he has lived in the U.K., Thailand, India, Australia and Spain "before settling in his native country in Israel," and that he "speaks English, Spanish and Hebrew." The homepage adds "We are proud to share over 25 years of experience in guiding and instructing photography tours and workshops." The company describes its guides as coming "from all different backgrounds" and says "Laurie and the team are not simply photographic guides, but dedicated professionals that live and breathe photography."

Tour Options in Barcelona

The tours page says the Barcelona tours "have been created for photo enthusiasts visiting Barcelona on short-stay" and are "designed for beginners, amateurs and semi-pro photographers, with various itineraries in 3.5 hour & 6 hour durations, as well as customised tours for single or multi days." The itineraries it lists are:

• 3.5 Hour Morning and Night Photo Tours
• 6 Hour Morning/Afternoon & Afternoon/Night Photo Tours
• Combined 3 Hour Morning Photo Tour & 3 Hour Editing/Workflow Class
• Barcelona On-Location Portrait Shoot
• Barcelona Architecture Photography Tour
• Photography Tour to Girona and rural Catalonia

Customized tours, the page says, "can be created for architectural photography, street photography, environmental portraits or landscape photography in rural Catalonia."

The homepage explains the subject matter. Barcelona is "firmly placed on the map thanks to the magnificent Modernist architecture by renowned architects such as Antoni Gaudi, Lluis Domenech i Muntaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch," and the site says Modernist architecture makes up "no less than 9 World Heritage Sites," which it calls "the most of any city in Europe." The Gothic quarter is "equally impressive," with backgrounds "that glow during Golden Hour and street lights that add a wonderful atmosphere during Blue Hour." On street photography, the homepage says "Street Photography in Barcelona is a highlight for photographers," with "amazing backgrounds, great light and interesting characters."

How the Tours Work

Every Barcelona session is private. The tours page states "All of our photography tours and classes are private," explains "We strongly believe in the benefits to our clients when individuals, couples or small groups are given tuition in this way," and adds "We only create mixed groups during our multi-day photo workshops." The homepage says private tours give "a fully customised experience in terms of your preferred subjects and skill level," led by a "small team of professional photography guides and instructors."

The teaching approach, in the company's words: "We pride ourselves on assessing the needs of the individual, what you are aiming to achieve in your photography, and focus directly on what we feel can be improved upon." A professional photographer acts as both "instructor and guide around Barcelona's most beautiful locations," and the site promises to show participants "how to turn an ordinary image into an extraordinary one." The About page says beginners "using their cellphone cameras" are as welcome as professional street photographers.

The homepage carries short testimonials the company has chosen, including "Spend a day with Laurie and you will see the city like you never have before" (F. Beifeld, luxury tour operator), "The experience really opened my eyes to street photography. The highlight of our trip" (C. Elliot, art director), and "I was taken to prime locations and came back with unique and evocative photos" (M. Howard, travel photography journalist). The tours page says the company received the "TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award Winner" for 3 consecutive years and was "shortlisted for the 2016 Luxury Travel Guide Award," and points to its TripAdvisor page for reviews.

International Workshops and Sister Businesses

The multi-day workshops are pitched at travelers who "like the idea of turning your vacation into a multi-day photography adventure," with itineraries built around "the most beautiful locations, during the most photogenic season, and during the optimal lighting conditions." The About page says Cohen "leads multi-day workshops in Spain, France, Greece, the U.K, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and India." Recent blog titles include a new workshop in Greece and a Wild Horses of Camargue workshop.

Israel Photography Tour, the sister company, "offers the travel photographer bespoke photographic tours around the Holy Land," with "Private, one-on-one instruction" and itineraries covering "Jerusalem, Tel Aviv & Jaffa, Acre, Haifa, the Dead Sea & Negev desert, the Galilee, Golan Heights and more," and it extends workshops into Jordan for Petra and Wadi Rum. The About page also describes Gigapixart, a large-format printing venture through which Cohen produces gigapixel images on aluminum Chromaluxe wall panels.

Booking and What the Site Does Not Specify

Booking starts with an inquiry. The homepage says to use the email form "if you would like to know our schedule and availability for bookings," and asks visitors to "check our FAQ page beforehand, as many of the questions and queries you may have should be answered there." A newsletter sign-up sits on the Contact page.

The site does not publish prices for any Barcelona tour or workshop, and it does not state meeting points, payment methods, deposits, or cancellation and refund terms; the company points visitors to its FAQ page for questions like these. It does not describe accessibility or how much walking a 6-hour tour involves, and it does not say which guide leads a given booking.

The format suits photographers visiting Barcelona for a few days who want one-to-one or small private tuition, whether that is Gaudí's architecture, the Gothic quarter at Blue Hour, portraits on location or a day in Girona. Those who want a longer trip in a mixed group can look at the international workshops.