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TRVL Photography
Created in 2024, TRVL Photography is a joint tour operator business founded by Greg Snell & Brendan Van Son.
At risk of sounding simultaneously pretentious and old, back when I started leading photography workshops around the world, there were only a handful to choose from. These days, it seems like every photographer is offering some epic travel photography tour to a landscape photography paradise like Patagonia, Iceland, or Namibia.
So, it can be a little bit overwhelming. I mean, these trips aren’t cheap.
As someone who has over 15 years leading workshops and tours around the world, this is my advice.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve watched a person on YouTube for 5 years, you shouldn’t go on one of their workshops if you don’t know the following answers.
I think one of the effects of the “content creator” photographer is that many of them don’t exactly come from a tourism background. As a result, many simply don’t realize the rules and laws around photography in certain places. It’s so important that you go with a photographer – or company – that is doing things the right way.
It would blow your mind to find out how many photographers lead workshops internationally without the proper documents, licenses, or permissions.
A couple years ago in Chilean Patagonia, we witnessed a photographer who was leading a tour get removed from the park and issued a 10 year ban.
His crime?
He didn’t hire a local guide. In Chile, it’s the law that if you are operating a commercial activity in the park, you must have a licensed guide with you. The photographer claimed ignorance, but was still removed. His 8 clients were left without their leader, and method of transport. Essentially abandoned in the middle of their trip.
I’ll admit it’s rare that photographers get caught. But I would guess that the majority of workshops these days led internationally, don’t have the proper licenses. Be careful.
This might not be important to everyone, but you should know if there will be a local photographer or guide with you on your trip.
And, honestly, as someone who often goes to place without a guide – I’m going to say that it isn’t the end of the world if the answer is no. However, a local guide can help navigate language issues, cultural issues, and ensure that the tour leader is operating correctly. It’s also great to get that local insight on photography trips.
Moreover, having a local guide or photographer creates jobs, and helps to empower the local photography community. At TRVL, we always bring on local guide.
I was sitting in my van at Kirjufellsfoss in Iceland one winter, waiting for the light to lower a bit. As I did, a bus arrived.
I thought nothing of it, tour buses come by occasionally, they’re usually in and out of there in 20 minutes.
But, as I watched people come out of the bus I noticed something: everyone had a tripod.
With a minor panic, I grabbed my tripod and camera bag and started hiking out to my spot to “save” it for sunset. While walking from the parking lot, I chatted with one of the bus passengers. He was Italian, and they were on a photography tour of Iceland. There were 40 people in their group, and only 1 tour leader. He said he had no idea before booking, he only looked at the price and itinerary.
Obviously, if your goal is just to see and photograph things, this isn’t the end of the world. But, if you’re hoping to learn something from a pro, then you’d want to avoid something like this.
My recommendation is that the maximum photographers that 1 pro photographer can handle is about 7. After that, people get a bit neglected. In an ideal world, there are about 5 participants for every professional photographer on a trip.
There are a lot of great photographers out there. But I want to emphasize something for you: the best photographers aren’t always the best photography tour leaders. So, choosing a photographer to go on a workshop with isn’t about picking the best photographer, it’s about picking the one you’d most likely want to hang out with.
Some photographers are great educators. If you want to learn, these are awesome people to go with. I remember being out taking pictures with Richard Bernabe, early in my career and thinking, “man, this guy is just a natural teacher. I’m learning so much and I’m not even a student of his.”
Other photographers are just inspiring to be around. The love and passion for travel and photographer from guys like Greg Snell is just so encouraging. It makes you want to explore, and create photos.
Of course, there are also photographers that are chill. There are photographers that will push your boundaries. There are photographers that will challenge you. There are photographers who will make you feel empowered.
No one photographer is better than another, in general. But certainly, one photographer is better than another, for you.
I’m going to let you in on another photography workshop secret. The difference in price you see from one photographer to another rarely indicates a better experience. The difference in price is almost 100% about how much profit the photographer is taking.
Sure, there might be some small differences in accommodation or transport quality. But overall, if the trip is more expensive it’s just because the photographer is pocketing more.
And sure, maybe there are photographers that are worth more than others. But the differences you see some times in workshop prices is wild. I’ve seen photographers that I know charge 3x the amount I charge, while staying at the same hotels, and using the same local operators.
But hey, supply and demand.
Just be wary of the idea that paying more doesn’t mean you’ll get better photos, better education, or even a better experience. You’re just likely spending time with a more famous photographer.
All that said, if you’re curious about the value – be sure to ask about things like the accommodation and transport. There are photo tour leaders that do cut corners on these things to keep the prices down.
There is a direct correlation between having a great experience, and being in a place that suits you. And there are destinations in the world that lend themselves better to certain kinds of personalities.
Japan can be overwhelming to people who come from places that have lots of space, or it can be exciting.
Patagonia can be harsh for people that are used to comfortable climates, but inspiring for those who love to feel the brutality of weather.
Tajikistan can be scary for those who don’t have a lot of travel experience, but it can be a cultural paradise for those looking to dive deeper into the world.
Picking a destination that allows you to not only get great photos, but be empowered as a traveller is something so important. I’ve seen so many people say “I wanted to go to this place, because I wanted to get this photo.”
But, a destination is more than a photo. And there’s no point in getting that photo if you didn’t love the journey to taking it.
If you’re looking for a photography tour with a bit of an adventure angle, check out the trips we have to offer at the moment.
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Created in 2024, TRVL Photography is a joint tour operator business founded by Greg Snell & Brendan Van Son.