Romania: Colours of Autumn

Day 1 - Iasi

Welcome to Romania! Our workshop starts in Iași, an important city in the Northern part of the country and from where we can easily reach the Bucovina region, our home for the next few days.

After being picked up from the airport, we will have lunch and head to our destination, stopping along the way to photograph the beautiful natural landscapes and capture glimpses of people’s daily lives as opportunities arise. 

Day 2 - Bucovina

We’ll wake up early for a sunrise shoot in a location from where you can capture the rolling hills of Bucovina with its wooden fences and animals grazing in the fields, and where usually at that time of the year there is a morning mist.

Bucovina is known for its architectural gems, such as the UNESCO Painted Monasteries, for the keeping of the old traditions – including the art of painting eggs for Easter – and of course for its picturesque landscapes.

We’ll then visit one of the Painted Monasteries, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The church has well-preserved interior and exterior frescoes featuring bright shades of red, gold, green and blue, illustrating biblical scenes. We’ll capture this imposing monument against the astounding autumn background.

Lastly, we will learn about the tradition of painting eggs for Easter and how this craft is still preserved in the region.

Day 3 - Bucovina

We’ll have another full day in Bucovina to explore the region and capture its best facets.

We’ll start the day with another sunrise shoot, this time in a place from where you can see not only the undulating hills, but also scattered houses, a silhouetted church in the distance and multi-coloured trees bordering windy roads. 

Our next activity will be photographing a blacksmith at work. This occupation is still preserved and practiced as it was centuries ago and we’ll be able to witness the hammering of hot iron in the making of objects such as hinges or horseshoes. 

The second part of the day will be spent in the countryside, photographing the landscape and taking advantage of the light of the warm afternoon and then sunset.

Day 4 - Maramures

It’s time for another sunrise shoot even higher up in the mountains.  We will reach the perfect spot in time to catch the sun coming up from behind the mountains.

We will then head towards Maramures, stopping on the way for one last photoshoot of the hills of Bucovina in another beautiful location.

Maramures is famous for being one of the last places in Europe where truly authentic rural traditions and culture have been preserved – here we can still see people wearing traditional clothes on their way to the church on Sunday mornings or working the fields the old-fashioned way.

Once we reach our new destination, we’ll visit the Wooden Church in Ieud, a UNESCO World Heritage site and thought to be the oldest wooden church in Maramures.

Day 5 - Maramures

In Ieud village, we’ll travel to one of the nearby hills for a sunrise shoot in the surrounding countryside. The warm morning light, the colourful trees and the imposing church dominating the landscape create an inspiring setting for practicing your composition skills. 

Next destination is Barsana Wooden Monastery, a complex of various religious buildings inhabited by nuns. We’ll be able to admire the impressive architecture and wood carving techniques used to bring this place to life, as well as photograph it against its peaceful background.

No trip to Maramures is complete without seeking insight into the daily lives of the locals. We’ll visit a traditional village, stopping in particular at a brandy distillery to see how horinca, the local brandy made from fruits is obtained using a centuries-old method.   

Day 6 - Maramures

For this day’s sunrise shoot we’ll have the opportunity to capture a traditional village set in a valley, after which we will photograph Mocăniță, one of the last fully functional narrow-gauge steam train railways in Europe. It is a one-of-a-kind experience and an interesting photographic adventure, as we’ll have to follow the train as it travels along the valley, crossing beautiful multi-coloured forests and steep slopes.

Whereas the first part of the day was dedicated to landscape photography, it’s now time for lifestyle and portraits! We’ll visit a local market and witness everyday life, interact with ordinary people and hear their stories.

We’ll then drive around the countryside searching for interesting photo opportunities. You can expect to see people working in the fields, carrying hay (if sunny) or traveling by horse and cart.

Day 7 - Transylvania

We will have one last sunrise shoot in Maramures, after which we will head towards the Transylvania region.

On the way we will stop for lunch and a wine tasting in Batoș and do some landscape photography from one of the nearby hills, where the view is beautiful.

In the evening we will reach Sighișoara, one of the best-preserved medieval citadels in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site, and which is very good for “blue hour” photography.

Day 8 - Transylvania

We’ll start the day with a blue hour shoot of Sighișoara. This location is wonderful to explore, with its hundreds of charming colourful houses and narrow cobbled streets in which to get lost. You can climb the approximately 150 stairs to the Church on the Hill, from where you will have a panoramic view of the city.

Later in the day we will meet a group of charcoal makers and learn how charcoal is made by slow-burning wood over a long period. We will visit a family who practices this tradition and photograph them at work in their surroundings.

Back in Sighișoara, you will have the afternoon free to explore more of this delightful town. 

Day 9 - Transylvania

During the day there will be some great opportunities for beautiful landscapes and portraits.

First, we will visit Biertan, one of the most picturesque medieval villages in view of its majestic fortified church and the surrounding houses set on a hilltop with a valley beneath. We’ll have the chance to capture the village from one of the nearby hills.

Following brunch at a traditional farm where all products are obtained locally from organic sources, we will visit a four-generation Roma family specializing in coppersmithing. The men still practice this occupation, which has been passed down from generation to generation, and we will be able to photograph them at work, as well as interacting with the family. 

In the second part of the day we will arrive in Bran, a mountainous area in Transylvania with lots of birch trees that turn bright yellow at this time of year. You’ll have a “golden hour” photoshoot in a location with wooden barns, fences, haystacks and winding dirt roads, which make for some interesting and creative compositions.

Day 10 - Bran

This day will be fully dedicated to landscape photography. For sunrise, we will head once again into the nearby mountains, after which we will have the chance to shoot the famous Bran Castle!

Believed by many to have ties to the Dracula legend, it is actually a beautiful medieval fortification sitting imposingly atop a 200-ft-high rock and surrounded by a dense forest. We’ll photograph it from a distance in order to best capture the mysterious atmosphere that envelops it. You will also have the option to visit the inside of the castle and discover its true story. 

In the afternoon we’ll continue the enjoyable task of taking pictures of the most charming mountainous views of Transylvania. 

Day 11 - Bucharest

It’s time for the final sunrise shoot of our Romania Colours of Autumn photo tour! This will be at a nearby location from where you can admire the Bucegi Mountains on one side and the Piatra Craiului Mountains on the other, while at the same time capturing the picturesque natural landscape of Transylvania. 

We will then head to Bucharest, stopping on the way for an outside shoot of Peleș Castle, former residence of the Romanian Royal family.

After that, we will head to the airport and take our flight back home.