What is the difference between a Photography Tour and a Photography Workshop?
A tour is a group outing to a cool place, the focus being on exploring the place and photographing what you find there. A workshop is an educational experience, you are coming to this event to learn. Tours can be a great way to add a lot of image files to your portfolio, and learn about a place from an experienced guide. Workshops include more hands on instruction, with the focus being on improving techniques or learning new skills that you can use in other future photo opportunities.
There are many tours out there incorrectly labeled as workshops. Not that there is anything wrong with a photo tour, we have participated in them and offered them ourselves. But, when looking for the right photo experience for you, be sure you identify your goals for the experience, check out the event's description and itinerary, and ask the leader what to expect in terms of photo opportunities and instruction. If your goal is to keep instruction to a minimum, and just have the tour leader get you to photographable subjects, then a tour is the right event for you. If you are more interested in being taught new techniques or how to improve on your photography skills, then you should look for a workshop.
"I don't think I know enough to take a photo workshop... "
We are surprised at how often we hear this comment from folks. A lot of people worry that they will be embarrassed about asking questions that are too basic, or that they feel they will be holding up the group. Do not be embarrassed about your skill level, we are here to help you learn, regardless of how experienced a photographer you are. We tailor our workshops to the needs of each participant, and list in each workshop description the appropriate skill level we feel you should have to join the workshop. Yes, you may be paired with folks who have more experience than you, but that is okay. Not only can you learn from us, but your fellow participants as well.
And, if anyone starts picking on anyone else's abilities, we promise we will take away their memory cards and give them a time-out...
"I have heard on some workshops instructors are more worried about getting their own pictures than teaching..."
We have heard the horror stories too, and unfortunately that is true in some cases. There are some "workshops" out there that are just a way to have a group pay for a trip which the tour leader has always wanted to take. We recommend that before you take a workshop with us or anyone else, that you do some research, ask for references, and ask the workshop leader questions to find out if this is the right photography experience for you.
Our commitment to you, the workshop student, is that we are here to help you grow as a photographer. On our workshops our picture taking is not the focus, yours is. While we will carry a camera and shoot some, it is never our first priority, your questions and instruction are. So if we happen to be looking through the viewfinder when you have a question, don't wait for us to stop , ASK!
So what is the deal with your "All-Inclusive" workshops, just what is included?
Many of our workshops are listed as "all-inclusive -you get there, we take care of the rest!". Our idea behind these is to take the worries of planning and logistics off your shoulders, so you can just focus on your workshop experience. Exactly what is included is described in detail in the price section of each workshop. Generally, we include the following; all meals, all snacks, transportation during the workshop, and double occupancy lodging. This means you will share a room with someone, if that is not something you are up for, we offer a single supplement add-on for a private room, when possible.
Can I just pay for my own lodging/meals/etc. instead of paying the all-inclusive price? Will this save me money?
In most cases, no, occasionally we offer a workshop as either-or, and if so that will be an option at checkout when registering for a workshop. But in most cases, it will not save you money. We are often able to book rooms at a discount, transport people in large vans, and have the meals prearranged. By doing this as a group, we are able to get lower rates, which ultimately means less money out of your pocket during the workshop. It can also become a logistical headache for us, if we have to come pick you up at a different hotel, if we have to wait for you to get back from lunch at a different restaurant, etc.
What if I have to cancel my trip?
We understand life happens, from family emergencies to work commitments. To provide flexibility for the unexpected, we keep our deposit amounts as low as we can and provide clear details in our cancellation policies within each workshop description. Please realize that for many of our workshops we have to put down deposits to hold facilities, book rooms, buy permits, etc., so in our policy we try to balance being flexible enough to allow you to make changes, while still being able to hold a workshop in the event of a last minute cancellation. For details on our policies please check out our terms and conditions page, and the respective page for the workshop you are interested in.
A tour is a group outing to a cool place, the focus being on exploring the place and photographing what you find there. A workshop is an educational experience, you are coming to this event to learn. Tours can be a great way to add a lot of image files to your portfolio, and learn about a place from an experienced guide. Workshops include more hands on instruction, with the focus being on improving techniques or learning new skills that you can use in other future photo opportunities.
There are many tours out there incorrectly labeled as workshops. Not that there is anything wrong with a photo tour, we have participated in them and offered them ourselves. But, when looking for the right photo experience for you, be sure you identify your goals for the experience, check out the event's description and itinerary, and ask the leader what to expect in terms of photo opportunities and instruction. If your goal is to keep instruction to a minimum, and just have the tour leader get you to photographable subjects, then a tour is the right event for you. If you are more interested in being taught new techniques or how to improve on your photography skills, then you should look for a workshop.
"I don't think I know enough to take a photo workshop... "
We are surprised at how often we hear this comment from folks. A lot of people worry that they will be embarrassed about asking questions that are too basic, or that they feel they will be holding up the group. Do not be embarrassed about your skill level, we are here to help you learn, regardless of how experienced a photographer you are. We tailor our workshops to the needs of each participant, and list in each workshop description the appropriate skill level we feel you should have to join the workshop. Yes, you may be paired with folks who have more experience than you, but that is okay. Not only can you learn from us, but your fellow participants as well.
And, if anyone starts picking on anyone else's abilities, we promise we will take away their memory cards and give them a time-out...
"I have heard on some workshops instructors are more worried about getting their own pictures than teaching..."
We have heard the horror stories too, and unfortunately that is true in some cases. There are some "workshops" out there that are just a way to have a group pay for a trip which the tour leader has always wanted to take. We recommend that before you take a workshop with us or anyone else, that you do some research, ask for references, and ask the workshop leader questions to find out if this is the right photography experience for you.
Our commitment to you, the workshop student, is that we are here to help you grow as a photographer. On our workshops our picture taking is not the focus, yours is. While we will carry a camera and shoot some, it is never our first priority, your questions and instruction are. So if we happen to be looking through the viewfinder when you have a question, don't wait for us to stop , ASK!
So what is the deal with your "All-Inclusive" workshops, just what is included?
Many of our workshops are listed as "all-inclusive -you get there, we take care of the rest!". Our idea behind these is to take the worries of planning and logistics off your shoulders, so you can just focus on your workshop experience. Exactly what is included is described in detail in the price section of each workshop. Generally, we include the following; all meals, all snacks, transportation during the workshop, and double occupancy lodging. This means you will share a room with someone, if that is not something you are up for, we offer a single supplement add-on for a private room, when possible.
Can I just pay for my own lodging/meals/etc. instead of paying the all-inclusive price? Will this save me money?
In most cases, no, occasionally we offer a workshop as either-or, and if so that will be an option at checkout when registering for a workshop. But in most cases, it will not save you money. We are often able to book rooms at a discount, transport people in large vans, and have the meals prearranged. By doing this as a group, we are able to get lower rates, which ultimately means less money out of your pocket during the workshop. It can also become a logistical headache for us, if we have to come pick you up at a different hotel, if we have to wait for you to get back from lunch at a different restaurant, etc.
What if I have to cancel my trip?
We understand life happens, from family emergencies to work commitments. To provide flexibility for the unexpected, we keep our deposit amounts as low as we can and provide clear details in our cancellation policies within each workshop description. Please realize that for many of our workshops we have to put down deposits to hold facilities, book rooms, buy permits, etc., so in our policy we try to balance being flexible enough to allow you to make changes, while still being able to hold a workshop in the event of a last minute cancellation. For details on our policies please check out our terms and conditions page, and the respective page for the workshop you are interested in.