For many years now I had heard of the unique and exquisite rock formations of Milos island and especially the location of Sarakiniko, a lunar landscape with no equal on this planet.

Finally, in May 2013 I managed to visit the island. Did it meet my expectations? Going there for a third time now, I can safely say that it exceeded. After many conversations with local people, I managed to discover some locations that I had never heard of before.

This volcanic island offers many outstanding locations for landscape and seascape photography, as well as potential for long exposures, the latest fashion in waterscapes.

The Location: Cyclades Islands, Greece

An island in the Aegean Sea like no other, the most westerly of the Cyclades. The Greek island of Milos has been inhabited for at least five thousand years. It was first colonised by the Phoenicians, who called it Byblos or Byblis, and afterwards by the Lacedaemonians, or at least by Dorians.

The position of Milos, between Greece and Crete, and its possession of obsidian, made it an important centre of early Aegean civilisation. Excavations of the British school revealed a Minoan palace and a town wall.

The length of the island is about fourteen miles from east to west, and its breadth from north to south eight miles.

Milos owes its distinctive topography and the pattern of its economy to its origin as the caldera of a volcano of the Pliocene period - an origin to which the sulphurous springs in the northeast and southeast of the island still bear witness. The island's main economic resources are its rich deposits of minerals, including pumice, alum, sulphur and clay. The tourist trade now also makes a contribution to the economy.

Milos has one of the best harbours in the Mediterranean sea, formed when the sea broke into the crater through a gap on its northwest side. The northeastern half of the island is flatter and more fertile than the hilly southwest, which rises to 751m/2464ft.

In 1820, among the ruins of the ancient city of Milos near the theatre was found the exquisite statue usually called the Venus of Milo (Venere di Milo), now in the Louvre at Paris, having been purchased by the Marquis de Rivière, and by him presented to Louis XVIII. It is composed of two blocks of marble, which unite just above the garment which covers the legs.

The cost for this workshop is £1595 or €1895 or $2195 per person. A deposit of £500 or €600 or $700 is required to book your space. The outstanding balance will be requested 12 weeks before the tour date.

This photo tour starts on Saturday 08 June 2019 in the afternoon at Milos airport and ends on Saturday 15 June 2019 after breakfast at Milos airport. We will send you further details in due time.

The group size for this tour is limited to five people per tutor. Due to its small size group, this photo tour is designed with inspiration in mind, allowing plenty of time for individual attention by the tutors, making sure you photograph the island under the best light and the best time of day.

All transport on the island of Milos during this tour is included in the price. Domestic and international flights are not included in the price. Aegean airlines and Olympic Air fly to Milos from Athens on a daily basis. We will pick you up at the airport for your transfer to the hotel.

Please make sure you know how to use your camera or at least the basic functions – make sure you bring the camera's manual along with you. Focal length of wide angle to 300mm will be required.

A sturdy tripod is strongly recommended. If you need advice on purchasing a tripod, we recommend the Manfrotto 055 or similar. If you own a low budget light aluminium tripod such as Jessops and you are wondering if it is good enough, no, it is not. It will not allow you to trust your gear on it and it will not allow us to help you with tuition.

Neutral Density Graduated filters are highly recommended for balancing exposure difference between land and sky. We recommend a 1.5 stop hard and a 3 stop soft (if you are just starting with filters). Full instruction can be given during the workshop to help you with the correct use of filters.

To get the very best out of your images and the locations, we suggest that you bring a good Neutral Density filter with you such as the Lee Little Stopper or Big Stopper or the Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter for long exposures.

You will need one for longer than 30 seconds exposures.

Cool clothing will be required as the weather is lovely and warm this time of year with temperatures between 20-30C during the day. Saying that, a light jacket might be needed as it gets cooler during the early morning hours ☀ ☁ ❄. We also encourage you to bring some digital files of your previous work as there will be opportunities to discuss your portfolio and supply you with beneficial feedback.

Although all 'Inspiring Photography Workshops' clients are covered by our public liability insurance, we recommend that you take your own travel insurance also.

This photo workshop does not offer post processing tuition, please see here for further details.

Your Tutor

Dimitri Vasileiou is a highly acclaimed landscape photographer, writer and photographic workshop leader. A professional photographer for several years, he was born in Greece and currently resides in Scotland.

Some of his work has been reproduced in the Daily Record newspaper and he has also had work published in a number of photography magazines and books.

In 2011 Dimitri founded Landscape Photography Magazine. He is the editor and currently writing articles every month for the publication.

Milos Hotel

Milos Hotel is conveniently located a mere 3 minutes walk from the port and 4 kilometres from the airport.

All rooms feature modern comforts and amenities including a TV, minibar, air conditioning, refrigerator and balcony.

0030 21 5215 9911

Connie Scharf, Germany

The name says it all: Inspiring Photography. That is exactly what it was – the workshop with Dimitri on the many-faceted, gorgeous and colourful island of Milos. Even though it was my first visit to Greece, it didn´t take long to capture my imagination. With ease Dimitri made me seeing what makes that little Aegean Island that special. With his guidance and patience, the way through composition, focus, exposure and technicalities seems to be so easy. But it was more than just photography – relaxation, excellent food, nice chats in good company and not to forget more than a good laugh made this workshop an unforgettable experience. I left Milos very relaxed, with plenty of wonderful memories and better founded knowledge. I´m sure this was not my last trip to Greece and its various islands.

All my thanks go to Dimitri for this fantastic, perfectly organized week in his home country. Not to forget to thank Mike Bell too for his advice in whatever situation and his input of Scottish humour.

Heide Kvaløy, Norway

Hi Dimitri

I thoroughly enjoyed the week with you on Milos island in every respect. The lodging was very good, the food excellent, the photo locations provided something for every taste. I got along well with the other members of the group, and I'd join you for another workshop any time.

The only thing I missed was looking at a few selected examples of the day's photos from each participant together in the evening to get some feedback from the group.

Sending our very best wishes