Participants to discover five historic American cities through “Travel Photography with Leica and Lonely Planet” workshops

Allendale, NJ (June 28, 2011) -- Leica Camera, Inc., the legendary German camera manufacturer, has partnered with Lonely Planet, the leading global travel information company, to offer experiential photography tours. Beginning July 2011, participants are invited to discover five North American cities with a Leica camera in hand. During these special Leica Akademie workshops, individuals capture must see spots and off the beaten path local favorites while expanding their photographic knowledge in exclusive, real world shooting situations. Host cities include San Francisco, CA; New York, NY; New Orleans, LA; Savannah, GA and Los Angeles, CA, and were selected based on Lonely Planet’s “Top Ten Places to Visit in 2011” as well as the book USA’s Best Trips: 99 Themed Itineraries Across America.

“Leica Camera and Lonely Planet have come together to offer a truly incomparable experience,” said Christian Erhardt, Vice President of Marketing at Leica Camera, Inc. “Whether local residents or out of town visitors, participants will leave these unique workshops with a deeper sense of the city’s nature, culture and environment, captured in images of unmatched brilliance.”

“Lonely Planet is excited to lend our expertise to the ‘Leica Akademie’ photography tours,” says Lainey Franks, VP Marketing and Client Solutions at Lonely Planet. “We help travelers get to the heart of a city and pride ourselves on our accurate and trustworthy insider knowledge. Our authors will lead participants to the best places to see and photograph, where they’ll get a unique and truly local view of the city, providing invaluable experiences along the way.”

Each excursion is customized by a Lonely Planet author and designed to offer a wealth of insider information, first hand tips and ample memories to fill a photo album. Lonely Planet’s carefully crafted itineraries will introduce photographers to a mix of iconic locations, hidden neighborhood spots and exceptional local cuisine. While discovering Savannah’s Forsyth Park Fountain or strolling in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district, participants interact with an experienced Leica instructor, ensuring creative and personal images through the sharing of insights and techniques. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to submit their best images taken during the workshops for a chance to be featured online and for possible inclusion in future Lonely Planet guidebooks.

Lonely Planet’s Leica Akademie workshops are beneficial to participants of every skill, interest and experience level. These day long workshops are geared towards amateur and professional photographers who enjoy the best and finest, demand excellence in image quality and appreciate incomparable ease-of-use. Amateurs can explore the world of point-and-shoot photography with Leica's complete line of compact cameras - the X1, D-Lux 5 and V-Lux 2 and the just released V-Lux 30. Experienced photographers have the opportunity to utilize Leica’s flagship M9 rangefinder camera along with the entire portfolio of M lenses including the latest Super-Elmar-M 21 mm f/3.4 ASPH. and the world's highest-speed aspherical lens, the Leica Noctilux-M 50 mm f/0.95 ASPH.

Each workshop is limited to 12 participants to ensure personal interaction with the instructors. These exclusive events run from 10AM to 7PM. The cost is $249 and each participant receives the following to continue their adventure in travel photography: a $50 Leica voucher to be used toward the purchase of a Leica product from any North American Dealer, a 30% discount on a future purchase at LonelyPlanet.com and a copy of the book Lonely Planet’s Guide to Travel Photography.

This series of events provides yet another exciting option for amateur and professional photographers alike to experience Leica Akademie North America’s year-long programming. Continuing Leica's long tradition of photographic education, Leica Akademie offers a wide range of experiential workshops in cities across North America. The Akademie's goal is to increase the fun and enjoyment of photography, expand photography knowledge and bring the total Leica experience to a new generation of photographers.

For additional information and to sign up, please visit www.leicaakademie.com or email [email protected]. To learn more about Lonely Planet, please visit www.lonelyplanet.com.

About Leica Camera:
Leica represents a union of craftsmanship, technology and experience. It is at once an extension of art, knowledge and philosophy, providing a state-of-the-art optical experience in a precision, hand-made photographic instrument. Leica Camera has a simple mission: to provide users with an incomparable experience, an instrument that defines an unsurpassed heritage and sets a standard of excellence for the industry to meet. www.leica-camera.com

About Lonely Planet:
Lonely Planet is the world’s leading travel content provider. Started in 1973, we enable curious travelers to experience the world and get to the heart of a place via guidebooks to every destination on the planet, an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products and a dedicated traveler community. Visit us at www.lonelyplanet.com.