Real vs Surreal
Photography Tour Great Wall to Guilin, China 2023
Photography Tour Yellow Mountain (Huangshan), China 2023
Photography Tour Great Wall to Guilin, China 2023
Photography Trip Guilin & Great Wall
"Chasing Magic & Mist"
04 - 10 May 2019 *** sold-out ***
11 - 16 May 2024 *** 3 spots left ***
This is the trip with TOP landscapes of China all rolled into one!
Join us for 6D/5N of sunrise and sunset shoots at the wild, remote and stunning part of Great Wall - free from the crowd and tourists. There are very few places at Great Wall where one can do sunrise, sunset or astro photography as most of these sites are gated access with set opening hours. These locations however, you can! As night falls, there's the opportunity to hike up the Wall situated in an ancient water-town illuminated by thousands of floating lanterns that makes one feel like one had stepped back into the a dynasty 1000 years ago..
In Guilin, we will be chasing after fog and light at various mountain tops for the epic panoramic view of ethereal mountains peaking through the mist by the hundreds, that makes you feel like you have stepped into a Chinese ink painting.
There’s also the option to head over to the Birds Nest Stadium or the mysterious Forbidden City if you get to Beijing early.
- Cost : From AUD 3800/ pax
- Group Size : 8
- Hotel : Modern 3-4 stars hotels and comfortable farm-houses (western toilets) at foothill of the Wall. Amazing location!
- Includes : Hotel, meals (except lunch), tours and transport, entrance fees, modelling fees, airport transfers in Guilin.
Check out the gallery below for locations we will be covering.
Photography Tour Xiapu, China 2023
Photography Tour Yellow Mountain (Huangshan), China 2023
Photography Tour Great Wall to Guilin, China 2023
Photography Trip Xiapu, China "Fishing Village and Fine-Art in Mudflat"
10 - 14 May 2018 *** sold-out ***
21 - 24 Sept 2018 *** sold-out ***
29 Oct - 1 Nov 2021 *** sold-out ***
18 - 21 May 2024 *** 3 spots left ***
Xiapu's landscapes is EPIC and unique during the seaweed harvest seasons. I first discovered Xiapu when I saw a winning entry in the National Geographic photography competition. Since then many of the images captured here had bagged prestigious photography competitions worldwide.
I too had won multiple awards with images from Xiapu. This place is ideal for photographers serious about competitive photography.
In China itself, Xiapu ranks as one of the top 10 photographers' paradise.
The oncoming and outgoing tide constantly transforms the landscapes. From its shifting mud-flats, floating fishing villages and tens of thousands bamboo frames spreading vastly across the ocean, the composition is endless.
It is also a perfect location for those into black and white minimalism.
- Cost : From AUD 2880/ pax
- Group size : 8
- Hotel : Modern/ clean rooms in 3-4 stars hotels with western toilets.
- Includes : Hotel, breakfast/ dinner, transport, entrance fees, models' fees, guides, return airport transfer from Fuzhou airport
Check out the gallery below for locations we will be covering.
Photography Tour Yellow Mountain (Huangshan), China 2023
Photography Tour Yellow Mountain (Huangshan), China 2023
Photography Tour Yellow Mountain (Huangshan), China 2023
Photography Trip Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), China "Autumn in the Sky"
23 -27 Oct 2021 *** sold-out ***
23 - 27 May 2024 *** 3 spots left ***
This place is unreal! Huangshan or Yellow Mountain is undoubtedly China’s most beautiful mountain range,, drawing tens of thousands of visitors a month.
It is most beautiful in autumn when the foliage changes. Yellow Mountain is not a single mountain. It consists of 72 peaks and hundreds of ravines. Where does one even start? Well, I'd done the hard yard and had it sum up in a focused itinerary to explore the best of Huangshan has to offer for photography's purposes.
We will be staying at mountain-top hotels with early start to photograph sunrises and sunsets. We will also visit several ancient villages including China's prettiest water village where Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed.
It is often said “once you’ve ascended the Yellow Mountain, you will never view other mountains in China the same way again”. It is famous for its ethereal beauty, mystical seas of clouds and the oddly shaped pines and rocks.
- Cost : From AUD 3800/pax
- Group size : 8
- Hotel : 3-4 stars hotels at mountain top/ at foot of the mountains.
- Includes : Hotel, transport, entrance fees, local guides and tour services.
- Excludes : Flights, meals, alcoholic beverages, optional activities, travel insurance.
Check out the gallery below for locations we will be covering.
Other Photography Tours
Other Photography Tours
Photography Tour Yellow Mountain (Huangshan), China 2023
Photography Trip Iran, "The Magical Land of Persia"
29 Oct - 6 Nov 2022 *** completed ***
2024 *** no longer offered ***
The landscape in Iran is truly mind-blowing. The mountains. The deserts. The architectures. All rolled into one and delivers one of the most diversified experience for any genre of photography (see gallery below).
But Iran - is it safe? YES! It is. I'd just spent a month there, travelling solo from north to south, from cities to mountains to deserts and had never felt safer. Iran is not Iraq so please don't get the 2 confused. Lonely Planet too had vouched for its safety. Just googled safety in Iran and judge for yourself. Or check out my blog below.
Join us for a 9D/8N trip, exploring the best Iran has had to offer. We will be photographing some of the world's most beautiful mosques, the kaluts/ the crazy strange formations in the Mars-like desert, the bazaars, the ruins and the mountains.
We will be covering all those locations featured in the photographs below (except for the multi-layered village where access is seasonal).
Register your interest now. This trip is open to all except for those that had travelled to Israel/ Israeli nationality (country's policy).
Due to the evolving Covid situation, deposit is not needed at this stage.
- Cost : From AUD5900/ pax
- Group size : 8
- Hotel : Comfortable guest lodges and luxury eco-lodge in the desert
- Includes : domestic flights, accommodation, meals, entrance fees, models' fees, guides, airport transfer
- excludes flights, insurance, optional activities
Check out the gallery below for locations we will be covering.
FAQ about Tours
Other Photography Tours
FAQ about Tours
Who's the trip for?
Photographers of all levels. I'll provide assistance in your photography, however you need to know your camera's basic functions/buttons.
If you like to photograph unusual yet stunning locations with a small team of like-minded photographers, then these trips are for you.
Who should not participate?
Our tours are geared to those who genuinely love photography and would not mind breaking out a sweat or "suffer" a little to get those winning shots. This tour is not for "divas" or those that are not culturally open-minded. There will be times when the bush is your toilet and western meals are non-existent. At remote sites, the accommodation although clean and decent, can be basic.
Are these destinations safe?
Please check the travel blog below. There's plenty of information there to address your concerns.
Can my non-photographer partner come along?
Absolutely. The shoots are usually held in the morning and evening (golden hours) and there is free & easy time in between.
Are your images manipulated?
Yes to some and no to some. I love to create and post processing allows me the freedom to transform the real into the surreal.
Are post-processing workshops included in the tour?
Sorry, no. These tours are not workshops. I do however provide post-processing tuition outside the tours.
What are the cancellation terms if my travel is affected by Co-VID19?
We had adapted our cancellation term to cater to the unpredictability of this pandemic. If the participant cancels due to travel ban, the fees are fully refundable, up to 90 days prior to departure.
Awards
Other Photography Tours
FAQ about Tours
Awards & Features
*The winner of Big Traveller 2016 National Photography Competition (Australia)
*1st, 2nd and 3rd placing (seascape and sunrise categories) in FOCUS photography competition 2017, Australia's largest photography competition in Australia.
* Photography work published by National Geographic, The Guardian News, The Weekend Australian.2022, BBC Science and CNN Arabic 2022.
* Wanderlust UK Landscape - Winner (Photography of the Year 2018)
* Commissioned by Costa Rica Tourism to photograph the landscape of the country 2018
*1st, 2nd and 3rd placing (urban landscape, creative and seascape categories) in FOCUS photography 2018.
* 2 golds and 3 silvers in Epson Panorama Award 2018 (all in top 50 placement)
* International Travel Contest SFR 2019 - Winner (Landscape Category)
* Invited by NEOM, Saudi Arabia tourism as the debuting team of photographers to this new region. Images were used in all related tourism campaigns (www.discoverNEOM.com) 2019.
* Maria Luisa Memorial 2019/2020 - Winner (Nature Category)
* Overall Winner and Category Winner (Travel) Australasia Photographer of the Year 2020
* Australian Geographic Photography Award - Winner (Botanical Category) 2021
* CEO Choice Heritage Bank Photography competition 2022, Australia's largest comp.
*Nature Conservancy Category Winner 2022
My work were also exhibited in Smithsonian Museum, USA, Kuala Lumpur, London, Taiwan, Australia, Spain and Saudi Arabia.
Landscapes Across The World
Some of My Award Winning Images
Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) 5D/4N Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Huangshan City
(direct flights from Shanghai to Huangshan City. Meeting up and picking up from Huangshan airport between 2.30-4.30pm)
Explore Tunxi Ancient street, Although its 630 years in history, Tunxi ancient street is one of the best preserved streets in China and showcases a mix of Song and Yuan Dynasties architectures.
Chinese Banquet
Day 2
Sokdam Village, Shexian - Sunrise Photography.
Sokdam Village is a relatively new location and is not on many photographers’ radar. It is virtually unknown to foreign photographers/ visitors. We will drive to the top of a vantage point for sunrise and hopefully some rolling mist.
Hong Cun Village – Sunset Shoot and Night Shoot
Hongcun, a stunning ancient village, originated during Song Dynasty (960-1276), is named arguably the most beautiful “Chinese painting-like” village in China. It is listed in UNESCO world heritage sites and showcases the best examples of ancient Huizhou-style architecture. The Oscar-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed in Hongcun. Naturally this place is swamped with tourists making photography difficult. However we will work around this and visit while this place is deserted and while the light is soft.
Day 3 -5
Ascend Huangshan via Cable Car in early morning after sunrise shoot. Travel light and bring clothing/ necessities just for next 3 days. Leave the rest in the hotel at the foot of the mountain.
Check into Huangshan mountain top hotel and explore the surroundings. Sunset shoot. If the sky is clear, we will aim for astro shoot as well.
3am sunrise shoots at various peaks that overlook columns of needle-like mountains rising starkly from the ravines. Sunset shoots at different peaks that commands a panorama view of northern sea of Huangshan.
Free and easy time in between shoots for personal exploration.
Descend Huangshan on day 5 in the afternoon. Evening shuttle from Huangshan to Huangshan airport.
Terms & Conditions
1. Itineraries are subject to change, dependent primarily on weather, snowfall that impact the trail access and the cableway operation
2. Names of actual locations in the mountain will be shared with registered guests only
The Great Wall to Guilin Photography Trip Itinerary
The Great Wall to Guilin Photography Tour “Chasing Magic and Mist”
This is the MEGA trip with TOP landscapes of China all rolled into one!
Join us for 6D/5N of rare sunrise and sunset photography shoots at remote part of Great Wall follows by breakfast on the Wall itself. It’s very cold hiking up there at 4am so be prepared. You will get to explore different sections of the restored and unrestored/wild parts of the Wall during the golden hours. These sites are hardly visited by tourists and you can have miles and miles of Wall to yourself.
As night falls, there’s an optional trip to explore and walk along the lit-up area of the Great wall and the dreamy watertown nearby. The watertown is made up canals , rivers, willow trees with quaint, ancient shops lighted up by thousands of lanterns and night lights making this an exotic destination.
In Guilin, we will be chasing after fog and light at various mountain tops to shoot the layers of misty karst mountains which Guilin is famous for.
During the free-and-easy time, there’s the option to head over to the gigantic, impressive library near Beijing that you might had oo-ahh on Instagram before. This site is great for photographers that are into urban/architecture shoots. Alternatively you can explore the mysterious Forbidden City nearby the hotel. For further details on photography trip to Guilin and Great Wall, check out the gallery and itinerary.
Itinerary
Day 1
Arriving at Beijing
For those that arrive early, we will be doing a evening/ night shoot of the Beijing National Grand Theatre or colloquially known as The Giant Egg. This follows by a Chinese style banquet dinner with the famous Peking Duck on the menu.
Day 2
Photography trip of Great Wall officially kicks off at 2pm. In the morning, its free-and-easy with optional trip to the *Hutongs, *Marriage Market or the *Forbidden City. Long drive from Beijing to the remote section of Great Wall for sunset shoot. Our first farm-cooked dinner right by the Wall. We will be staying at humble but decent farm-houses (with western toilets). Its called farm-houses but are relatively modernised. Located right at the foot of the Great Wall, this location is unique and great for exploration of the Wall anytime of the day.
Day 3
A 3 am start! We will be climbing up a restored but deserted part of the Great Wall passing through a series of amazing watch towers to wait for first light. Shooting sunrise at the Wall is a surreal experience. As the sun rises, the Wall turns red and golden resembling very much a flaming dragon. Sunset shoot at another section of the Wall with a different perspective and lighing. Alternatively, there’s an optional visit to the very pretty *Gubei Watertown in the evening if you are all great-walled by now.
Day 4
Morning flight from Beijing to Guilin. Photography trip of Guilin starts today!
Day 4 - Day 6
For the next 3 days, its all about sunrise and sunset shoots at different mountain/ hill tops and at river banks. From the mountain top, one can see a sweeping view of the endless layers of mountains peaking through the fog (fog’s not guaranteed although its best seen in May). If time permits, we will visit a fishing village for those that are interested in street/ portraits photography, And lastly we can't leave Guilin without shooting the quintessential setting of the fisherman wielding his lantern and his cormorants by the riverbank amidst the soft glowing sky. Tour ends in evening on Day 6.
(suggestion: after the marathon shoot and treks, have a think about winding down/ relaxing by extending a day or 2 in Guilin. Guilin is beautiful and is worthwhile exploring on your own. Have a laugh and a chat with the friendly locals. They seemed to enjoy inviting visitors for a game of chess or a communal dance at the park)
Photography Tour Iran - stay tuned for 2024 dates
Behind The Wicked Scenes!
