“Tenerife? You won’t find any locations there.” I heard that more often than I liked. Online, in forums and even from photographer friends. A two-week photo workshop on an island that supposedly has nothing to offer? Didn’t exactly sound like the best plan.
I wanted to find out for myself anyway. So before the workshop I flew to the island with Emmi to take a look.
Detective work from the sofa
The search didn’t start on Tenerife, it started at the screen. Hours on Google Maps, satellite images, Facebook groups. Every rock that looked interesting, every ruin, every path to nowhere got a pin. In the end I had a map full of dots and no idea which of them were actually any good.
Our base camp was a small apartment on the southwest coast. From there we worked our way across the island, piece by piece.
Just around the corner: the first direct hit
The first location wasn’t far from the apartment at all: a rocky landscape that is simply magnificent. Getting there, though, was anything but comfortable. But that’s exactly what we were rewarded for. Emmi worked there in all kinds of poses, from fashion to nude, and after the first few pictures I knew: the people who said there was nothing here were wrong.
Where exactly it was, I’m not telling. Places like this only stay special if a hundred people aren’t standing there tomorrow.
The old satellite station
On the satellite images it looked like a dream: an old, abandoned satellite station in the middle of nowhere. On site, the magic faded quickly. All around it are run-down huts where people actually live, and you’re never really undisturbed there. We still got a dramatic series with Emmi, but for the workshop it was clear: scrapped.
Sanatorio de Abona: a lost place with a history
This place I can name, because it’s quite well known anyway: the Sanatorio de Abona on the east coast, a leper station that never went into operation. Crumbling buildings, concrete, light falling through empty window openings. A lost place just the way you want it. It went straight into the workshop.
At the Teide: moonscape and crowds
The volcanic landscape around the Teide is spectacular, everyone knows that. And that’s exactly the problem: the well-known spots are crowded, there’s no parking, and for nude shots it simply doesn’t work. On top of that, the light up there can be merciless. We still got some cool pictures.
And then we did find a quiet spot of our own after all. It later became part of the workshop too. Where is it? That stays my secret.
A dam in the middle of the mountains
Somewhere in the middle of the mountains we came across an old dam. It wasn’t easy to reach: you need a bit of a head for heights, and we had to do some climbing too. But it was worth it. The dam went straight on the list, and we used it in both workshop weeks for some really great photos.
The north: rain, rain, waterfall
While the south spoiled us with sunshine, the north was pretty rainy during those 20-odd days. But that’s exactly where our absolute insider tip was: a waterfall, hard to reach, with a little bridge, almost like something out of a fairy tale. Without decent stamina you won’t get there. It was worth every step.
The must-dos: harbour, sunset, beach
Of course the classics couldn’t be missing either: harbour pictures at sunset. And because a scouting trip like this isn’t only work, there were swimming breaks too. We also tried out a few restaurants so the workshop participants would be well looked after later. Research, you know.
My conclusion
In the end we had twelve to fifteen locations on the list. Not all of them made it into the workshop, but each one produced its own pictures. And Tenerife? It’s anything but unsuitable. You just have to search a little and be prepared to do some climbing now and then.
Thank you, Emmi, for those days. Without you they would have stayed dots on a map.
