Photo Training overseas returned to the country and the same hotel where it all started twenty five years ago to celebrate this incredible milestone. In January 1988 Fuji Film launched their Fuji School of Professional Photography the brain child of the legendary Graham Rutherford in collaboration with George and Glenys Dawber who at the time were actively involved as marketing consultants to Fuji Film UK in the wedding and portrait sectors. The idea of formal training by other successful photographers was outlined and demonstrated to the UK press who were in Tunisia in force as guests of Fuji Film. Four social photography specialists acted as tutors – George Dawber,  Lawrence Sands; Ian Coates and Paul Yaffe, they presented practical demonstrations during the day and in addition conducted evening seminars on their marketing and promotional ideas to a group of around eighty enthusiastic attendees.

Since that early period Fuji began to dominate the film market taking on their great rivals Kodak and the Fuji School became a regular feature both in the UK and overseas on an annual basis. The first major recession came about in 1993 - oh yes we have been there before - and Fuji decided to withdraw from the overseas activity as sole sponsors and concentrate on the UK version. George and Glenys Dawber re-named the enterprise Photo Training Overseas and re-launched the following year with a few interested photographic companies joining Fuji as joint sponsors. Fuji has remained to this day as a sponsor such is their belief in what PTO achieve for the photographic industry.

Now some twenty five years on this annual event has changed the lives of many aspiring and indeed established photographers. It certainly came of age with an inspirational line-up of talented photographers in Tunisia; which of course was the first of the Arab countries to stand up and protest for democracy with street riots which eventually deposed their Dictator President in a comparatively bloodless coup. They are now desperately trying to return to normality. However, it was evident that with a massive downturn in tourism many of the countries tourist areas were seriously under occupied as indeed where their beautiful hotels. Only time will tell if they ever fully recover.

However, the delegates on this PTO trip had more than enough to keep them fully occupied as they scurried from one tutor to another in an action packed week of intensive training.

Delegates are divided into four fairly equal colour coded groups and after a series of introductions they were treated to some of the most outstanding tuition available anywhere today!

Ziba Salehi a young  talented wedding and portrait photographer from Iran; after a nervous first session blossomed and enthused her groups with her spirited demos, enlightening all present on how to use the most difficult and mundane situations to create emotional and meaningful wedding images in indoor or outdoor situations. Then they had Keith Trainor a pretty laid back individual who operates a highly successful corporate and events photography business, Keith travels around the UK setting up his portable studio and creating the most inspiring and unusual saleable pictures of people at major events. Meanwhile the informative and creative Photo Shop Guru that is Dave Wall was working away in his little area making all aspects of Photoshop and Lightroom look remarkably easy. Delegates warmed to Dave with his ability to communicate in a manner that was easy to understand. Last of the early part of the week presenters was the articulate Sean Conboy now this guy is some talent, he had delegates and many of the other tutors sitting in on his demos in awe at his great attention to detail and exceptional lighting skills when photographing architectural interiors to an exceptionally high standard.

The first evening seminar was the photo competition critique involving a number of the tutors making comments on all the digital images submitted for the competition. Four of the tutors had pre-judged the thirty finalists and sponsors One Vision Imaging had already made some superb prints which were then put on display for all to marvel at. The winners, runners-up and overall winner was selected by the judges and revealed at the end of week awards party with some great desirable trophies presented by Phil & Juliet Jones of The Societies who kindly sponsor these magnificent adornments.

The second part of the week saw the likes of Clare Louise an exceptionally creative young lady who shoots her client’s fantasies. She had her hard working model parading along the beach on and with a camel; trussed up as a Mermaid amongst other things, leaping in and out of the Mediterranean Sea. Clare used the very portable Quad Lighting from The Flash Centre to enhance her images – the final results from her and indeed all the PTO tutors were quite stunning!  Stuart Wood an enterprising and likeable documentary image maker enthralled delegates with his take on photographing people in situations for magazines. Dramatic lighting and the use of the surroundings again featured in his stylish story telling images. Bella West worked outdoors and used some unusual locations with her young models to make some memorable images; she uses space to great effect with excellent composition and backgrounds to enhance the final result – Bella, like all the PTO tutors proved to be a true professional. The final tutor had travelled all the way from Utah in the United States of America to put on the style for the PTO delegates – the awesome looking Kenneth Linge who looked more like a prize fighter than a photographer enthralled delegates with his fantastic wedding lighting and posing using an exceptionally co-operative young Bride & Groom who PTO had brought out to Tunisia with them.

The week concluded with two of the tutors presenting ‘Super Classes’ of four hours duration each on their chosen subjects; attended by ten to twelve enthusiastic photographer delegates keen to maximise their learning ability before the legendary awards event that evening where prizes were presented to the winners. The PR competition winner was the inimitable Morag McDonald who won a Fuji camera for the second year running. Delegate Tereza Condon won the superb Epson printer for her chosen image in the popular Photo Art Competition. The Main Photo Competition winners included:  Portrait winner Liz Roberts; runner-up: Garrett Hayes – a non-professional delegate, Wedding winner Morag Macdonald who also took the runner-up place; Winner of the Open category was Helen Spiegl. Runner-up; Valerie Duncan – a first timer on the course. The PTO Photographer of the Year for the second time in three years was Liz Roberts; her husband Ken won last year what a dynamic duo!

The response from attending delegates and tutors alike was that this must have been the most successful PTO ever on the basis that tutors gave of their all and held nothing back with inspirational, motivational training that has become the key of these annual events – then we seem to hear that statement with each passing year – maybe just maybe this phenomena will just go on and on receiving accolades such as this.

The destination is Costa Teguise in Lanzarote at the Beatriz Costa Hotel & Spa from 31st January – 7th February 2013 and the exciting varied tutor line-up is as follows: TREVOR YERBURY – Demonstrating the Classic Nude; STUART BEBB - award winning documentary wedding photographer; SU KAYE - Environmental family portraits; FAYE YERBURY – Boudoir; RICHARD P. WALTON – Urban portraits; DAVID A. STANBURY – Award winning classical weddings; NICOLA SELBY – The art of dance photography and MARC HUNTINGTON – An extreme sports photographer. All other features included this year will remain. For full details and a booking form with easy payment options, click on the 'Booking Form/Prices' button at the top or bottom of this page.