Where would you go?

[rpcrowe]

Kay mentioned... "So if I may turn this thread into a side street, has anyone been on a photo tour, where a group goes with a 'guide/pro photog' to a destination abroad for them & what were your experiences?"

I think that Donald hit the nail on the head regarding the different experiences on different tours...

I attended on presentation by a famous photo your guide (who will remain nameless) and talked to a woman who had gone on a previous trip with this guide.

Apparently, he blends his photo tours with other tour groups rather than leading a specifically photo oriented tour.. She thought that this was wonderful because, "He told me all about f/stops and composition."

That is certainly not the way I would consider taking a "photo" tour.

I took a non-photo oriented 13-day tour to China several years ago. I saw more of China that way (for a far lower cost) than I could have if I were traveling on my own. However, if I were traveling on my own, I would have spent more time in the areas that I likes and less time in other areas.

Here is a capsule of what happened outside the Forbidden City in Tienanmen Square. The guide said: "I will tell you about the areas we visit and then give you a few minutes to shoot your pictures." If seems like I was always running after the group because I wanted more than a few minutes to shoot my pictures...

During my cruise to Greece, my wife wanted to take a bus tour of Athens... I wanted to take the subway and local busses but, was over-ruled by "the boss". The bus tour stopped at the presidential palace for a few minutes and then left, just as the changing of the guard was taking place. I saw the changing of guard from the back window of the bus...

I would love to return to China someday. However, I would like to do it on my own and spend time in the places that I want to visit and explore. I would love to see the Li River at sunset. The day I was there was pouring rain...

[charzes44]

Donald,

I could not agree more!

[John 2]

Tuscany for the light and the landscape then New Zealand, top to bottom, side to side.

I've always been wary of organised tours for the very reasons Richard has outlined above. They were summed up for me by a cartoon in, I think, Punch magazine many years ago. It pictured a tour guide standing at the bottom of the tour bus steps addressing the exiting passengers with words something like " Ten minutes for Winsor Castle ladies and gents, 1/60th of a sec at f8."

[Manfred M]

In my case anywhere I haven't been before. Preferably to places where indigenous people that still maintain some of their traditions so I can capture them before the modern world catches up with these places. If you have been following some of my people shots from, you will know this is one of my photographic and video passions.

That puts Papua New Guinea near the top of the list, probably in conjunction with a trip to Australia.

[gregj1763]

For me it would have to be somewhere totally different from Tasmania in every respect so
#1 Antarctica for the sheer majesty of it
#2 Africa for the wildlife
#3 Indonesia or China for the landscapes.
Nice to wish

[IzzieK]

I'd like to take my husband on an Asian tour just to be different as knowing how he think, he'd rather like to go to where the Red Bull Races will be happening next...And of course I'd like to go back to the most beautiful place in the world for me...Japan, along with Korea and Vietnam...

[wilgk]

Thanks everyone for the responses re photography tours, so maybe my husband & I are not such an incompatible travel pair after all..... As long as I 'choose' to go where he can sailboard, then I can wander at will, stopping for as long or as short as I like.

[TareqPhoto]

I would like to travel everywhere, that if i have unlimited funds and open free time.

Luckily and unluckily, i have one but not the other, i have open free time, but no budget at all, i had some budget saved that i can use for 2 travels but it is gone for another stuff, so now i have to sacrifice my open free time by getting a job and start to save again.

I can't list all the places i want to go because it will be long, but let me mention some of my top on the list destinations i would like to visit:

Landscapes:
USA and Canada, New Zealand, Iceland, Norway, UK [Scotland mostly], Argentine, Australia, China and Hawaii.

Wildlife and Safari:
Kenya/Tanzania, Namibia/ South Africa, USA/Canada, India, Galapagos

Street life:
USA, UK, India, Indonesia and some of East Asia places in general, Egypt, France, Morocco

Ancient and history:
Egypt, Mexico, Italy, Greece, Spain, India, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, China, Japan

Family:
Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka

Buildings and architecture:
Honk Kong, Singapore, USA, Japan, Germany, UK, France, UAE, Malaysia

Beaches:
Hawaii, Seychelles, Thailand, Australia, Maldives, Brazil

[CP140]

Do I have to pick just one?!?! I'd love to go back to several places and explore a few new ones....

London (Again), Paris (Again), Rome(Again), Venice (Again), Easter Island, Galapagos, Australia (Again..hoping to ride the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide in 2016), Hong Kong, China (Great Wall), Hadrian's Wall (Again), Moscow, Berlin, Scandinavia, Belgium, Holland, Austria, India, Egypt, Morocco, Provence...

[Poider]

I had forgotten this post, thank you all for responding, I went on a whirlwind coach trip through England, Scotland, Orkney Islands, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Wales in 2011, and the biggest stand out were the Scottish Highlands

[BobGilbody]

I would like to travel back in time. Back to a time when there were places to visit that had never been visited before. This would of course be after a body transplant.

Back yard birds versus trekking the Andes by frog in search of the Lesser Spotted Wagfoot.
I am fortunate that I have a lot of garden to play in. I don't get out much so spend a lot of time photographing birds that come to the granny flat for sunflower seed or minced beef. I do enjoy getting out occasionally and photographing birds I do not know but it is not the same as getting to know individual birds.

This is Fred [ I call all visiting King Parrots Fred unless they are females in which case they are Mrs Fred].

Fred visit 30 10 20-3962 by Bob Gilbody, on Flickr

This is Mrs Fred.

Mrs Fred visit 12 04 22-3521-DeNoiseAI-standard-SharpenAI-Focus by Bob Gilbody, on Flickr

The magpies are more interesting. They regularly get into the main house. I try to keep them out of the granny flat because they poop on the furniture.
Anyone interested in magpies might like to check this book out:

https://www.une.edu.au/connect/news/...ralian-magpies

[rpcrowe]

My absolutely favorite places for landscape photography are the many parks in the State of Utah and Yosemite National Park, California; both in the USA.

My favorite cities for street photography which I have previously visited are Istanbul, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

The country which I would most like to visit is India. However to be realistic, old age and health concerns effectively eliminate that destination from my future plans.

[Tringa]

So if you had unlimited funds and time and could go anywhere, where would you go for your ultimate photo holiday?
I would go back to Scotland and spend a year walking the highlands
peter

Me too, though I will be there in a few weeks.

Dave

[LenR]

[QUOTE=rpcrowe;772590]My absolutely favorite places for landscape photography are the many parks in the State of Utah and Yosemite National Park, California; both in the USA.

Agreed, have visited many times and would add California's Big Sur to the list.

[pschlute]

For me it would be a return to Yellowstone and the Tetons. Still the best holiday of my life.

[William W]

Conversation having been revitalized by Peter . . .

My answer - Antarctica.

Had an opportunity to be posted there for 6 months when I was 21, I am sorry I did not realize that opportunity.

WW

[rpcrowe]

I earlier mentioned that I would like to go to India but, I have just finished watching the series "Good Karma Hospital" on ACORN TV. The series was supposed to be in India but, was actually shot in Sri Lanka. The combination of landscape and street photography in that series convinced me to add Sri Lanka as a high priority location. Again, health and age is a limiting factor but, if I can disregard finances in this dream scenario, I guess that I can also disregard health and age!

[Manfred M]

I earlier mentioned that I would like to go to India but, I have just finished watching the series "Good Karma Hospital" on ACORN TV. The series was supposed to be in India but, was actually shot in Sri Lanka. The combination of landscape and street photography in that series convinced me to add Sri Lanka as a high priority location. Again, health and age is a limiting factor but, if I can disregard finances in this dream scenario, I guess that I can also disregard health and age!

Sri Lanka is a real mess right now and until the financial / fuel / food situation improves, I would avoid that country. We had looked at going there in 2017, while we were in India, but just ran out of time. The one thing that we were warned about is that there is a real lack of places to eat. Sri Lankens tend to eat at home, so there is a lack of restaurants which means limited locations to eat at and fairly hefty prices.

That being said, we are planning to spend a month or two in India early in 2023, assuming that there are no more surprises from Covid variants. This time, we plan to spend some time exploring the northern part of the country as we will be staying in the Delhi area. I definitely would like to get back to Rajasthan.

[Ken MT]

So if I may turn this thread into a side street, has anyone been on a photo tour, where a group goes with a 'guide/pro photog' to a destination abroad for them & what were your experiences?

yes, My wife and I went on a 12 day tour with Rob Brown from Wanaka to Iceland in July 2016. We travelled around the south and west coast up to the north, and then through the centre back to the capital. Rob has run the trip on a number of occasions and knew where to go. He is also a photographer. His web page is "https://www.robbrown.co.nz/".
Yes we would go again but it is a bit expensive from NZ

[MrB]

It would be a great adventure to take photographs of the Earth from space.

Philip