Photography Tours

I'm generally not one to take organized tours. Whether I travel alone or with my family, I usually do all of the trip planning (with their input of course!), finding hotels, making air and car rental reservations, etc. But there is one exception - and that's the photography tour. I've been on four such out-of-the-country tours over the years.

•  Nevada Wier - Bhutan
•  Daniel Milnor/Adam Weintraub - Peru
•  Douglas Beasley - Guatemala
•  Deriusz Klemens - India

Could I have done these on my own?  Well, in three cases, probably. Bhutan is the exception (while independent travel is theoretically possible, the governmental requirements are such that practically everyone visits as part of a tour group). But by traveling with a group of photographers, led by a professional photographer (with local logistical assistance), you gain so much.  First, you get to hang out with the pros and with like-minded photographers and travelers. Second, the leaders know what time of day to be where and often the local assistants can arrange special access, etc.  Third, you live and breathe photography (and travel) for the length of the tour. Fourth, the interaction with the rest of the group actually improves your photography as well.  Many of my best photographs have come from these tours.  Now, admittedly, its really hard to go too-wrong in Bhutan, Peru, Guatemala and India - especially India.

What to look for in a photo tour:
1. Do you like the photographic style of the group leader? Always check the photographer's website and ask yourself: "Do I like their work? Can I learn something from their style?"

2. Are spouses or partners encouraged?  (In only one of the 4 tours above were some spouses along - and it was a definite drawback in that they had only passing interest in photography. They also made, in my opinion, wind-down and meal times less interesting, less focused on photography.)

3. How big a group? Photo tours can have anywhere from 2-48 members from what I can tell.  Again, in the case of the four I've been on, the participant numbers (sans instructors) were 2, 5, 6 and 18. The three smaller groups were definitely more interactive than the larger group, though I will give the leader of that group credit for really interacting with everyone, especially the photographers in the group (this was also the tour with a number of spouses along). I'm still in touch with folks in the 2, 5 and 6 person groups; not the 18 person group, other than the instructor. 

4. Am I getting value for the money?  When I booked the India tour (Rajasthan including the Pushkar Camel Fair), I had the choice of about 1/2 dozen photography tours offered by different photographers with tours ranging from $4K to $8K. I knew where in India I wanted to go and tried to match it as closely as possible. And my real desire was to spend a 5-7 days in Pushkar, which narrowed the choice down to 2! I also wanted to stay in local-style hotels and guest houses than 4* and 5* accommodations.

These are all considerations in matching your interests, your preferences and your wallet to the right tour.  And, in reality, I think its hard to go too wrong when you're traveling with photographers who are also travelers!

My 10 Best International Travel Experiences

Everywhere you look these days, you see "Top 10" or "Top 100" or "Top Whatever" lists: places to go before you die, places to see while you can still walk, places to eat before they close, etc.  While they can certainly spark your interest, what is "best" to one person may be of no interest to the person sitting next to them.  I've always kept my own list of favorite places.  What constitues "my favorite" probably relates to the mood I was in, the events happening around me, the weather that day and a multitude of other factors.  Whatever the case, I have vivid - and favorable - memories of these places to this day.  Whether you would find them as interesting and moving and I did is the great unknown.  But so is the best of travel!  So, here's my list of my favorite international travel experiences (in no particular order, since the order could change the time I finish the list!!!)

Town Square, Krakow, Poland.  Huge, medieval square with the market building in its midst, sidewalk vendors, people going about their daily lives, and a great restaurant on the corner.  My hotel was a block away and across from a "nunnery" where the angelic chants awoke me each day.  The full experience package deal.

Fish Condos, Moorea, French Polynesia.  The dock at our resort ended at the edge of an underwater ledge.  Entering the water with snorkle gear on, you you could see fish darting in and out of the porous wall as far down as the eye could see - like a huge condo complex.  Unforgettable.  Oh, and the water was warm.

Town Square, Antigua, Guatemala.  Whether it was the sounds of silence at night with the glow of street lights, or the All Saints Day/Day of the Dead processions around the square, it was always enticing.  And the bars were memorable too.

Skellig Michael, off the coast of the Ring of Kerry, Ireland.  It was just the two of us on this tiny island rock outcropping on this bracing fall day.  The wind was blowing and there was a slight mist.  Just us and the spirit of the monks who inhabited this desolate spot 1000 years earlier.  Wow.

Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.  Maybe it was the hot dog stand that caught fire during the island's Highland Games.  Or the B+B proprietor, a sea captain, who had fresh-baked treats each evening and lots of stories to tell.  Or maybe it was the tour of the castle in the bay (thus the name of the island's only town - Castlebay) by one of the hereditary descendants of the former rulers.  Or all of these and more - yes, there were pubs, too!

Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, Kaustinen, Finland.  My first trip to Europe was to Finland (don't ask why) and the highlight was the long weekend I spent in this small town in west-central Finland listening to music, dancing with the locals, and just hanging out.  My favorite music festival ever! 

Miyajima Island, Japan.  The floating torii gate off of Miyajima Island was the draw; the experience of staying in a traditional Japanese Inn, complete with multi-course Japanese dinner was the equally enchanting memory.  And the fact that no one was allowed to die on the island (its sacred, after all) made it a place where I could live forever!

Bhutan.  Yes, an entire country.  Festivals, scenery and wonderful people in traditional garb made it like walking through a copy of National Geographic each and every day.  Talk about 3D!

Bali.  Yes, an entire island (OK, so was Barra).  Festivals, scenery and wonderful people, puppet theater, gamelon groups, even a cremation ceremony.  Didn't even make it to the beach, that's how good it was.

Venice.  An adult Disneyland, no kidding!  Boats and bridges and gondolas and water and old buildings and more boats and narrow carless streets.  Oh, my.

OK, that's my list.  Hopefully it gives you a few ideas and triggers in your mind your favorite places.  Journey On!