Are you thinking about joining one of the Pics of Asia photography tours in Asia? Do you want to know what these photo tours and workshops are really about before you book? Then this article is for you.
The Short Version
I know some of you are busy, and I tend to write a bit too much... so here is the summary:
Who it's for: anyone who wants to have a great time travelling while improving their photography. Beginners and advanced photographers are both welcome.
How we shoot: 100% candid. We never stage a photo shoot of any kind. A good photographer should be able to handle any situation, and that is the key to becoming a more creative storyteller.
Where we go: off the beaten track, to the best place at the best time of day, thanks to years of research. Sometimes this means walking in muddy rice fields or up steep tea plantations.
What you'll learn: people photography, creative composition, and how to approach strangers with respect (even without a shared language). I will push you out of your comfort zone, nicely.
How a day works: half-day sessions. We shoot early morning and late afternoon, and use the middle of the day to rest or travel to the next location. A local guide and driver are always with us.
Group size: 6 participants maximum, or up to 8 with a second photographer guide.
What's included: airport pick-up, the hotel night before the tour, transport, accommodation and food. The only extras are your shopping and your alcoholic drinks (when it's not my shout!).
And the fun part: we are professional photographers and we make a living from what we love, but that doesn't mean we have to be serious about it. It's also about the people, the food, the local drinks, and joining a community of fun, creative photographers who love Asia.
Now, a little more detail...
Who Are These Photography Tours in Asia For?
For anyone who wants to learn. That's really it.
You can be a complete beginner or have been taking photos for 30+ years, it doesn't matter. I'm a photography teacher, so these tours work best when you come with an open mind, ready to try new things. Bring the fancy new camera if you have one, I'm not judging (okay, maybe a little, I love gear too). Just leave the ego at home, it takes a lot of space in the van.
My goal is to help you develop your photography skills so you can capture what you actually want to capture. This is why we never stage our scenes. Candid photography, whether it's travel or street photography, is the best way to improve your skills. And we don't need to stage anything, because we go to the best places.
We specialise in people photography, with a touch of landscapes. We get close to our subjects. I personally work mostly with 35mm and 50mm lenses, and I'd love to see you try the same. Of course, bring the gear you want, but know that some gear (a big telephoto, for example) can limit your creativity. I explain why in my article about getting close to your subject.
Even if you've been shooting for decades, I'll teach you something new about the art of people photography. I've lived in Asia for 20 years, and people photography is pretty much all I've done during that time. It's what I love doing and what I love teaching. To me, being a good photographer means being able to make a good image in any situation. Sun, clouds or rain, there is always a way to take a striking image. Commercial photography taught me that whatever the situation, my job is to make it work, not to blame the weather or the gear. That's what I'll try to teach you.
What Will You Learn on a Photography Tour in Asia?
At the beginning of a tour, my main goal is to understand your level. Before the tour starts, I have a look at some of your images and send you a little survey about your interests and expectations.
Every participant is different: some are beginners, some are advanced. I can't teach one single class to everyone, so I guide each of you personally depending on your level. I watch how you shoot, figure out how you can improve, and slowly lead you towards a more creative path. And you do this while shooting in great locations, which makes learning a lot easier.
The theme of my tours is travel photography with a twist, inspired by street photography. I'll try to push you beyond your comfort zone: shooting wider, getting closer, interacting (or not) with your subject, and capturing a meaningful moment.
Travel and Street Photography
I'm not very interested in shooting people from far away with a 70-200mm lens. In my experience, this often leads to the same bland portraits. It doesn't mean you shouldn't bring that lens if you have one, but I will encourage you to get closer and look beyond your subject.
Street photography is a big inspiration in the way I teach. It pushes us to be more creative, to avoid shooting the same images over and over, and to always renew ourselves. I want to show you how the influence of other genres can dramatically improve your travel photography.
People Photography and Ethics
We also talk a lot about ethics, about how to approach people, and about creating contact even when you don't speak the language. Creating these interactions will make you comfortable photographing people, so you can take your time to compose and get your shot. If you want a preview, here is my tutorial on how to approach people for photography in Asia.
What Does a Day on Tour Look Like?
A typical day starts early (the light is best, and people are already out at 5 or 6am), sometimes very early. We shoot a sunrise session, stop for a local breakfast (noodle soup is a common theme), then rest or travel to the next location in the middle of the day. In the late afternoon, we head out again for the sunset session and finish with dinner together.
On a longer tour, we also schedule a photo review session, where we go through everyone's selection together. It's always a great learning experience, for the participants and for me, and it often changes what people shoot the next day. If you want to see how it really goes, here is the full day-by-day report of my latest North and Central Vietnam photography tour.
Logistics: How Do My Photography Tours in Asia Work?
All my photography tours now include airport pick-up and the hotel night before the tour begins. I want you to focus entirely on your photography, so everything is taken care of, from your arrival at the airport to your departure at the end of the tour. All transportation, accommodation and food are included. The only extra money you'll need is for shopping and alcoholic drinks (when it's not my shout!).
We always have a local guide and driver taking care of the logistics so I can focus on teaching: someone who knows the locations and the people well, and knows what we're looking for.
Different tours have different comfort levels, so please get in touch if you're not sure which tour is best for you.
Is There Physical Activity?
Yes. Look at my logo. If you can take this position, you're good to go! If your knees bend enough for low-angle shots, and you can lift your arms for high-angle shots, you should be fine.
A tour like the North Vietnam photography tour involves walking in villages, rice fields and tea plantations. That often means mud and slippery floors. There is no age limit on my tours, but good physical condition is recommended. And if you don't feel like climbing mountains, we offer many tours with an easy pace and no strenuous activity.
Locations
I lead my tours by teaching you in the best locations at the best time, to capture the best possible images. Sometimes that means running after your subject and being fast and responsive, but mostly it means leading the way to get to the right place.
This is why I often partner with people who already run photography tours in the locations we visit. It gives us access to more exclusive and lesser-known places, and it brings a second tour leader into the group who knows the area and speaks the language.
The people who benefit most from my tours are the ones who stick with me, ask questions and show interest. If you prefer to stay behind and walk slowly to enjoy the scenery, that's fine as well. But the more you ask, the more you'll learn!
Group Size
I limit the number of participants to 6. If I have more than 6, I invite another photographer to run the tour with me, and the absolute maximum is 8 participants with 2 photographer guides (perfect, as we can split into smaller groups). These are friends, but above all great photographers and teachers I've worked with for years. They are some of the best photographers based in Asia.
Accommodation
Because I never stage any scenes on my tours (why would I?), my goal is to bring you to the right place at the right time. That means travelling off the beaten track and staying in the hotels available in these areas. We're not staying in luxury, we're staying where the photo opportunities happen.
On most tours, we stay in 3 to 4-star city hotels and lodges. For several years now, I no longer include shared homestays: every tour offers your own room with a bathroom, air conditioning, etc., unless the tour description says otherwise.
Just to be clear, we are not always going into muddy fields or up steep mountains. But sometimes it leads to better photo opportunities, and we'll do our best to get there.
Food
We eat local food, and Asian food is so good everywhere we go! I can organise vegetarian meals for most tours, even if it can be a challenge in some locations. If you're a picky eater, bring a few snacks for yourself, just in case.
It's Also About the Travel Experience (and the Fun)
For me, travelling in Asia is still a crazy adventure! You never know what you're going to get (this is Asia), and the pace of life here makes everything interesting and exciting. I want to immerse you in that pace and get you to love Asia the way I do.
It's also about the people we meet, the food, and the friends you take home with you. Join the like-minded Pics of Asia community that loves the travels, the photography, and the fun (and the cold beers after a long day!).
Yes, I'm serious about photography and about helping you develop your skills, but that's no reason not to have fun and joke around. Photography is a hobby, often a passion, so we don't have to be serious about it all the time.
Be ready to learn, see things more creatively, and have fun. And come home with incredible photos and memories.
Still have questions? We get a lot of them, so we wrote a brand new FAQ answering the ones we receive most often about our photography tours in Asia. Have a look, it might save you an email (although I do love getting emails).
If you're interested in joining one of my photography tours in Asia, check out the photo tour calendar or simply get in touch! And if you're more of a visual person, have a look at our previous photo tour videos.
We also have some photo tour reports in the form of videos, available on our Youtube channel!