Romania Summer Photography Tour

Legendary Moldavian ruler Stephan the Great built a monastery in Bucovina after each victory in his wars with the Ottomans. He beat the Turks more than 40 times and today the 21 medieval monasteries still standing are the heart of Romania’s religious life.

Across Days 2 & 3 of the Romania photo tour, we will be visiting the most beautiful monasteries in the area. But mostly we will immerse into the traditional life of the villagers. As horse carts and animal work are still a custom in Bucovina, we can spot places where the old craft of the blacksmith is being practiced.

Bucovina is also well known for its marvelous landscapes. Getting up early in the morning and catching the first rays of light up on the hills would be a real beauty to the eye. We will also meet the old photogenic shepherds with their sheep still having the old way of transhumance life.

There are two ways to pass from Bucovina to Maramures: the long, usual and boring path everybody takes and, of course, the more remote, longer, but also more stunning road that passes through the Carpathian Mountains.

We will spend most of our transition day on the latter, stopping by for a breathtaking scenery and also for the small camps of nomadic gypsies across the woods, that stay there all summer long, living on what summer has to offer.

Maramures is the jewel of rural Romania. Said to be home to the last remaining peasant culture in Europe, Maramures is a wonderful region that is famous for its wooden churches and hay bales that cover the landscape. This part of Transylvania is one of the highlights of our Romania photo tours.

If Maramures wooden houses and churches weren’t enough to wet your appetite, then hopefully the epic mountain scenery, incredible hospitality and photogenic locals should do it. Maramures is a look back into time where people still cut hay by hand and transport their goods by horse and cart. Of course, having such a rich rural spectacle of life will be delightful, but getting inside the old Transylvanian houses and photographing the portraits of their inhabitants will be the true joy of this tour. Walls are still traditionally painted, the wood has its undoubted charm, while the stories on their faces really reflect the richness within their souls.

Having the freedom of an open schedule means we don’t have to keep any strict timings for this section of the Romania Summer Photography Tour. As we wander through the villages, stopping for food and palinka on the way, you’ll soon discover what makes Romania so special. You’ll also find that the best images of these regions aren’t set up, they are often the ones we will find by wandering and listening to the stories of locals.

On our fifth and last day in Maramures, we will experience the Saint Peter and Pavel Orthodox Ceremony, where villagers from around the region, wearing their best traditional costumes, will gather around the church to express their devotion in a religious celebration.

In the evenings, Mihnea will be on hand to discuss and critique images. The photography workshop will help you develop your portrait photography and gain a greater understanding of Romanian culture.

If in the first 9 days of our Rural Summer Photography Tour we explored the extreme north of Transylvania region, we’ll be saving the last part of our photo adventure for another authentic and beautiful part of Romania – the Apuseni Mountains.
This is a traditional region with extremely remote living inhabitants. Many villages here are still frozen in time with old houses and archaic family life. Being so far away from civilization and “protected” by the mountain’s range, communism was kept away during its strongest decade. This is your chance to discover a region off the tourist routes and get a true, unadulterated view of traditional Romanian life.
We will catch some of the most stunning sunrises on top of these hills. Access to many of the villages in this region will require a steady hike where we can take in the amazing scenery on offer. These days will be some of the longest but no doubt the most rewarding!

On our final full day of the Romania Summer Photography Tour, we will make the journey back to Bucharest. This will give us plenty of time to relax and discuss the adventure we’ve had. There will be an opportunity to do a portfolio review and some post processing advice too.

We’ll end the rural photography workshop with some drinks and food before you depart the following day – hopefully with a hard drive full of amazing photos and wonderful life memories!

La revedere! Hope to see you soon!

After our incredible photography adventure through rural Romania, it will be time to head to the airport for your return home. Thank you for your wonderful company!

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