On this year’s September Adriatic2Alps Photography Tour to Croatia and Slovenia I had an amazing student – Kim Allegretti. Before joining our tour she just got a Canon entry level DSLR as a gift from her family. She didn’t know how to use it properly and she had very limited experience in photography but she is a fast learner. Very fast in fact. Kim learned how to handle her camera in a matter of few days and every new technique I taught her she mastered in no time and she applied it to her photography later during the tour on her own. Reviewing her photos it’s obvious how much she learned during the tour – photos of the last few days are much better than the early ones in technical and compositional way. This coupled with her great eye for motives she has a bright future in photography.

Kim kindly sent us a testimonial that you can read below and allowed us to post some of her best shots from the September tour.

Booking the tour with Adriatic2Alps was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Initially, I had my concerns. While I had a desire to develop my photography skills, I had very limited experience. In fact, I only owned a point and shoot and didn’t have any clue about how to take my camera off the automatic settings when I sent in my trip deposit. I managed to procure a new DSLR, a new lens or two and some filters, but I was a long way from being proficient, let alone skilled, with a camera. I was worried that other more experienced photographers on the tour would be annoyed and that I was in over my head. As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. Luka brought me up to speed on the use of my new camera so much quicker than I expected. It certainly didn’t hurt that the tour provided the opportunity to focus on photography without the distractions of everyday life. The trip was a transformative two weeks for me and gave me a solid base of knowledge to start a serious photographic hobby. The other photographers on the tour were also generous with their time and happy to share their expertise with me; I could not have asked for a better group of travel companions. Then there is the gorgeous scenery: colorful coastlines, dramatic waterfalls, lush river valleys and the rugged Alps. You could not ask for more engaging subject matter. In addition to being a wonderful photography teacher, Luka conveys a love for Slovenia and Croatia and a passion for nature and architecture. He has a way of instructing that is accessible and never preachy. We learned about photography, but also about the history of the region and each of the sites we were visiting. Luka certainly has a gift with organization and seamlessly transported the group from one magical location to another. The accommodations, a mix of bed and breakfasts, hotels and apartments were unique and charming, adding to the overall quality of the tour. The restaurants, cafes, teahouses and even the ice cream stands where Luka took us were all exceptional. There was no aspect of the tour that I would change. There was time to see all of the popular locations, time for special requests and even plenty of time set aside for everyone to explore on their own. In addition to the photography, I was able to swim in the Adriatic, walk the city promenades at night and even to engage in one of my personal passions…shopping! I returned from my trip with wonderful memories, thousands of the best pictures I have ever taken, and new skills that I look forward to sharpening.
- Kim Allegretti, Denver, Colorado.

Thank you Kim for everything! It was a pleasure to travel and laugh with you!