Recommend Photography Tours and Travel Workshops

December 27, 2006 11:02 AM

I would like to find out about good providers of photography tours and/or travel-based photography workshops abroad. Preferably, the workshops should be pitched at the level of an intermediate photographer.

Photographic interests: nature, landscape, architecture. Geographic interests: England, Scotland, Iceland, or other places in Europe. I'd be open to other suggestions if they are really amazing (Asia, perhaps). The teacher/tour leader should have a significant degree of experience and professionalism.

Please don't tell me about your Google searches or ads you saw. I'd much rather get in-person knowledge to find out who really stands out in this field.

posted by matildaben to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

ICP (photography school based in NYC) offers week-long trips every year to various places, led by the faculty. The trips differ each year and the faculty are working artists and longtime instructors. My friend went to Morocco with the teacher who's leading this summer's trip to Mongolia and had an excellent time and returned with great photos and more technical knowledge than I had expected. The only drawback (for her) was having been in a tour group -- it was more difficult to photograph locals after descending from a bus en masse.

The Maine Workshops are highly regarded among the photography community in the Northeast (US). They get the best teachers from NYC during their summer sessions and most professionals in the area take classes there to keep up with technology. The school had financial trouble this year but seems to have been safely bailed out and is committed to the upcoming season's classes. This newsletter explains the financial situation as well as outlines the upcoming travel workshops (Rio, Venice).

I have heard great things about the Santa Fe workshops, but personally I have only taken classes at ICP and Maine.
posted by xo at 12:43 PM on December 27, 2006

Oh, and here are a few more from the Maine Workshops that weren't highlighted in the newsletter (Uganda, Prague/Budapest, Paris).
posted by xo at 12:48 PM on December 27, 2006

I have a few of Eddie Soloway prints and know someone who has taken and enjoyed his classes. Here's his workshop schedule. Looks like a few are through the Santa Fe workshop linked above.
posted by harrumph at 2:22 PM on December 27, 2006

I'd go on photo.net and contact a (foreign) photographer of your choice based on the work displayed in the "top photo's" area . Ask him, or her, a favor: a recommendation for an english speaking tutor willing to give lessons in their area. There are many GREAT photographers in China, Latvia, Poland, Russia .. on and on... Hope this helps... Orlin
posted by orlin at 2:34 PM on December 27, 2006

You're looking for the shaw guides. They publish guides for all kinds of educational tourism - but they seem to have a big focus on photography.
posted by Wolfie at 3:51 PM on December 27, 2006

My apologies - just read your more inside to see that you are looking for first hand experience. Hope it's helpful anyway.
posted by Wolfie at 3:56 PM on December 27, 2006