Testimonials ~ 2009
Karen from Brisbane, Australia:
Sab was fabulous, I had a brand
new camera and he taught me how to get the most of my shots ,
utilising many of the features on my camera. I wanted to learn
how to structure a shot to make it more interesting. He was very
patient and gave constructive criticism. We rambled around
Montmartre and the old town area and discovered some interesting
sites to photograph.
It was a great day and I didn’t
want it to end. Had a fabulous day and would recommend this tour
to all inspiring photographers, whatever your experience.
Ruthie from Wilmington, Delaware, USA:
I can't even begin
to describe how much I learned from this tour. Not only did I
get to see the Latin Quarter and Montmartre with an "insider" -
our tour took us off the beaten path (which is what I wanted),
but Sab told me interesting facts about the areas as we were
walking around.
He pointed out areas to photograph that truly
give you the flavor of Paris and he actually discovered new
things himself as we walked.
I learned a lot about my camera
and really did get a whole new perspective on photography. I
will hopefully be able to incorporate my new knowledge into my
photography business at home.
I highly recommend this to
everyone - it was the absolute highlight of my trip.
René & Lisa from Antwerp, Belgium:
Lisa
and I want to thank you very much for the wonderful Saturday
along the streets of Paris!
Our
encounter was not only a complete (but very much welcome!)
surprise for me, it led to hours of pleasure exchanging views
and approaches, and discussing photography in general.
I thoroughly
enjoyed this inspiring experience: you brought us to places full
of visual opportunities, you were great at challenging what I
was seeing and doing, and above all you helped me find some
ideas and directions to explore in the future. For now more than
ever I remain convinced that I simply have to make photography a
bigger part of my life.
I only feel
bad that we had to end the day so abruptly, without even having
the chance to offer you a coffee! But as you know we were in a
hurry for the next event, another pleasant surprise (and leading
to more photo opportunities!).
I so far
found only a few moments to discover your website - it's so rich
that it will take me some time to enjoy all of it! So more fun
for a couple of evenings…
I have kept
notes on what we discussed and on the items I promised to get
back to you about. That will happen in the days to come. I am
looking forward to send you some shots for critique, and I also
will send you a link to the resulting 'Paris collection' as soon
as I complete my post-processing.
I wish you
all the best with your many Paris activities and with your
exhibition in Brussels. If you ever get the chance to spend some
time in Antwerp (or any other place in Belgium) feel free to let
me know, and if at all possible we'll link up.
For now,
once again many many thanks!
Daniel
from Newmarket, UK:
I have thoroughly
enjoyed the eight hours I have had so far, although probably
still not enough!
Aside from enabling me
to understand the camera, Sab really gave me a great insight in
how to "see" interesting subjects and shapes, and subsequently
how to best enhance their value in a photographic context.
I am very proud of the
portraits I took and hope they will make great gifts to family
members.
Sab knew Paris really
well, so we wasted very little time getting to the best
locations to capture the heart of the city. I would certainly
recommend Sab to others who wanted to expand their photographic
experience.
Anne & Jonathan from Sydney,
Australia:
Sab offered a different perspective to photography touring I've
previous participated in.
He provided context by briefly dabbling into both the history
and social idiosyncrasies of the area prior to shooting.
He focused on perspective and viewpoints without delving much
into the technical aspects of the camera. Just what we
preferred. Learnt new techniques and had a good time.
A friendly and knowledgeable tour guide he
made the event very enjoyable and memorable.
Zvonimir from Zagreb, Croatia:
I very much enjoyed our photo tour in Latin Quarter. Sab made it
possible for me to see beyond classical „tourist“ attractions as
I wanted a bit different photo experience of Paris. He also
shared many technical points in order to improve my overall
photo skills.
We had few hundred pics together, now I will have
a hard time selecting really best among them to represent my
experience of Latin Quartier this January.
Testimonials ~ 2008
Stephanie from Bristol, UK:
When I first contacted Sab I had a plan to spend a week in Paris
wandering round, experiencing the beauty of Paris, and taking
some great photos with my new camera which I didn’t really know
how to use. However, as soon as I got in contact, the week
became something very special.
Having seen Sab’s inspirational website, I contacted him about a
custom made photography tour/course. He put together a fantastic
‘package’ of individual lessons for me, scheduled over the
week. Sab had planned the schedule really carefully, based
around the areas that I had said I was interested in. I met
with Sab each day, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the
evening for night photography, sometimes for the whole day, and
sometimes just for a few hours. Around the lessons I was able
to explore Paris and take photos on my own, and Sab always gave
me great suggestions for places to go, and also suggestions for
areas to focus on. We then reviewed what I had done at our
lesson the following day.
From the moment I met up with Sab, on a rainy Sunday morning at
St Michel Fountain, he made photography exciting and fun. I
was pretty much a beginner to photography, and was scared of
being creative with the camera. Sab has an energetic and fun
approach to teaching. As we wandered around the city, Sab had
endless creative ideas of how to get great shots. Very quickly
he helped me to find the shots myself.
I took hundreds of wonderful shots with Sab, but he helped me to
create a digital Paris Album, and to select the best shots to
keep in it. He also spent a lot of time helping me to master
the basics in digital editing, which has improved my final
images dramatically. Since I’ve been home, my family and
friends have been amazed at the photos in my album. Before I
left, I had never taken anything that I was happy to show
people, and after my week with Sab I have an album of shots that
I am really proud of.
When I planned my trip to Paris, I had hoped that I would return
a better photographer, and I certainly have. However, what I
hadn’t expected, was that I’d have such an enjoyable week in
Sab’s company. Sab is a very talented artist with an infectious
passion for Paris. I felt very lucky to be sharing in his
inspiration in the city that he loves.
Thank you so much Sab for a wonderful week!
Sue & Gordon from Australia:
“I
do feel bad not
getting back to you earlier to thank you as both Gordon and I
had a great time with you on your Latin Quarter Curios tour. We
found it a fantastic introduction, not only to taking much
better photos, and seeing things we may not normally notice, but
also to Paris itself. You helped us to feel more confident using
our cameras while showing us the beauty of Paris. And to top it
off we now have some terrific photos of Paris that we certainly
wouldn't have if not for your help!
The holiday seems like ages ago but it has whet our appetites
for more, we just need the economy to spring back!”
Dirk from Beeskow, Germany:
“The
tour with you was absolutely great. I think we had a lot of fun
together. I could take home a lot of suggestions and
experiences. You have shown
me nice, quiet places in Paris outside the touristical
mainstream.
I have visited often you homepage. It is
nice, I like it. But I need a little bit more time to look at
and to read everything.
It was very important for me to change our
experiences concerning photography. Once again: Thank you very
much for all.
I would
like to do the next photo tour with you in Beeskow !!!”
Maureen from Wexford, Pennsylvania, USA:
“Sab is a traveler, a writer, a poet, a painter,
a photographer, a man with several lives and loving his current
one deep in the state of helping others capture images of what
he loves – the Paris scene. Indeed, he made the scene and
reinvented it for us.”
“He is full of playfulness and insight, novel
perspectives and quirky charm.”
“Why is it that travel magazines, lavish with
tips and sumptuous photographs leave us so empty? Because they
are gauzy tributes to the faux magic and trying so hard to be
sincere. Instead, traipse around with Sab for a couple of hours,
hear about his life, go to a local bookstore, which is clearly a
hangout for him, hear him chat with a friend, meet a dog and
throw a ball, sneak into a courtyard surrounded by dance studios
with a belly dancer learning to isolate her top from her bottom
and hear him talk about his own dance class attempt that no
doubt had him smiling with glee.”
“When you are either too nervous to hold the
camera to your face because the lens gets in the way of the
beauty or when you are swamped with the emotion of a war
monument, Sab is a thoughtful guide – helping you make sense of
what you witness.”
“And finally, thank you. Wish I could just ring
you, say I’d meet you at the bookstore and head out for
gunpowder tea then a romp through the modern art.
Teresa from Levittown (Long Island), New
York, USA:
"As
an amateur photographer who has been to Paris 3 times prior I
wanted to see the less "famous" details of the city. Sab took
me to just such places where I was able to capture my kind of
images and incorporate his insightful suggestions. Because of
that, my pictures have a new clarity of vision for me and
hopefully the viewer."
"I also have to
thank him for giving me tips on the usage of some of the bells
and whistles of my camera that I had no prior experience
with...using them now I am able to take better technical and
artistic shots."
"The tour was a
perfect balance of photographic "event", history lesson,
comfortable stroll with a new friend, and seeing photography and
Paris with new eyes. Thank you Sab, for the highlight of my
trip!"
David from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK:
"Great
day out made even better for just being the two of us – Sab
pointed out ideas and angles that might have passed me by
otherwise. The day was aided by great weather / sun / shadows
which added to the outing and quality of the shots taken.
Great knowledge of
the areas walked – (Montmartre). I returned the next afternoon
and took more but with the benefit of the previous day. Highly
recommended."
See more of David's photos
Testimonials ~ 2007
Frank from Philadelphia,
USA:
"I took
the Montmartre Paris tour in November 07, and had a great time.
It was just me and Sab so he had a lot of time to help me
compose my shot and explain the area and its history. We had
similar Nikon cameras so he also showed me a few tricks on how
to use some of its features which I have never used before."
"Its
amazing how quickly Sab could find an interesting angle or
subject to take pictures of where I would have never even
noticed it. I was so glad I found his tour when I was booking my
Paris trip."
"If you like to
travel and like to take pictures, I feel its so important to
know how to take a good photograph no matter what type of camera
you have. Thanks Sab!"
Jason from Phoenix, Arizona, USA:
"Unbelievable!
A single day that I will never forget! Highly, highly
recommended!
"My study
was in Italy actually. But I arranged a long layover in Paris
as I really wanted to include her. When I had discovered that I
was the only person on Sab's tour for that evening, I told him a
bit about myself and asked if he could redirect the tour to
whatever he thought I may be interested in seeing/photographing.
"WOW, did
that work out nicely! Sab turned out to be brilliant and very
accommodating. He put so much more into the tour than was even
required. Those who see the photos here at home have a hard time
believing that this was all done in one day. Then I tell them
the tour didn't start until 4pm and they surely think I'm
telling stories! If you have an opportunity to extend/customize
your photo tour, I highly recommend it. Sab makes a point in
showing you how to really 'see', not just photograph. If you
can't see the shot, you can't get the shot. Therefore, you begin
to see things that you would have never normally given a second
look. Sab helps you to view things as an artist, but the
'postcard' shots are still available if you want to shoot like
that as well.
"Next tip -
Do this first BEFORE you vacation begins. I went to many other
towns in Italy after my experience with Sab. I would have never
taken the kind of photos I did if I had not had the lessons. In
fact, there were many places (churches) that didn't allow
photos. Yet I was still looking at things as a photographer. It
was commented many times by my group that I pointed out things
that they just passed right up. One person began to consistently
ask me, 'what do you see here?'.
"Now as I am
home, my photos are amazing me every time I look at them. Book
quality... I mean sell-able! This single trip with Sab has truly
changed my life as an artist as my 'eye' has not stopped and I
plan to continue to improve as I see such an importance in doing
this for my own creative growth. For you can't paint it if you
can't 'see' it."
Joanna from Toronto, Canada:
"Just took a
peek through some of your blogs and am reminded of what a
fabulous photographer you are! Thanks for posting so many
great & inspirational pictures online... it's so great to be
able to see the work you're doing!
"I recognized 2
photos on the blog that I think you took on our tour in
Montmartre (kind of cool!) I guess your camera must have been
working at the beginning of the tour! (The pics from mid
Sept are the ones I recognize).
"Anyway... just
stopped by to say hello & encourage you in your art and your
work - amazing!"
Marsha from New
York, USA:
"Sab, the tour was an
inspiring learning experience with guidance not only on
wonderful 'things' to take photos of, but different ways to
approach a particular photo to make it different from a 'front
on' shot. (Also, help with my camera and terminology.)
"As we
discussed, perhaps art can't be taught, but it can be
unleashed! I'm looking forward to having another session."
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