How do you like to travel for photography?

[AlanB313]

We drive for almost all of our travel. Mostly all back roads whenever possible. We camp so we can wake up with the birds and because it's cheaper, and hike a lot. Also, we don't plan exactly where we will go, instead we'll have a general destination with maybe one or two reservations. We'll stay in a hotel maybe once a week or if we get bad weather for a while.

My wife is not a photographer but is highly interested in plants and birds. I share that but also have become addicted to photography. I am trying to occasionally go out alone here and there when we are on our trips. Trying to not bore her while I'm photographing.

We've been traveling like this for many years, the serious photography for me is fairly new. We're on our 2nd truck with over 400,000 miles so I guess you can say we get around.

 

[Flemming Morgan]

I prefer to travel with my wife, she is not a photographer but is more artistic than I am so is great for helping me with composition and different angles. We did one trip with a group but I found it limited our freedom. The absolute best trip was with my wife and Greg du Toit. It is amazing to travel with a photographer who is so knowledgeable about wildlife. You have the freedom combined with the advice and experience of a world class photographer.

 

[lpphototx]

I do some of every type of travel. My wife does some photography and joins me on some trips (none with snow or ice). We do some road trips to include visiting our children out of state as well as airplane trips both domestically and international. We have traveled to Central America on 2 trips with a couple for bird photography and I have 2 friends who are also into bird photography and travel a couple of times a year to photograph birds- short trips within Texas and surrounding states and longer guided trips in Central and South America.

I occasionally take off on a solo trip, but it is not my preferred way to travel.

I also participate in organized photo tours- typically to areas that are difficult to access on my own or where the leader has specific local knowledge.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

If I'm a dedicated photo road trip, one that where working on photography is job #1 (with destinations and goals at the top of my itinerary), I definitely prefer to go it alone.

Any time I've done a mix, met with friends/family along the way, they always pushed photography to the back seat. Sometimes it's them, sometimes it's me being polite, but I always go home not having done all I wanted to do.

I work in the morning, I work in the evenings, I scout during the day; and around that, I only have time to take care of me (food, rest, health, take care of photo gear and backup storage, etc.).

Traveling with other photographers: that's not something I've ever tried, but it seems to me it would still be with compromise, perhaps not being able to take the time (on my schedule) to scout or shoot.

This doesn't count family destinations, such as "a one week photo trip that ends up in town with the folks", because I'm alone on the trip.

And it doesn't count photo tours. If I were to do one of those tours to Costa Rica or the like, I totally get that this is a not a solo thing.

Chris

 

[Jim J]

Travelling Locally, I go alone but would prefer to go with other photographers for learning and inspiration.

Travelling in North America, I go with my wife and another couple, one of which is a photographer. We both have travel trailers so we can take as much equipment as we want and we can watch out for each other in case of breakdowns. We generally operate on a fixed schedule and allow plenty of time for photography. We try to stay off the interstates and have found some interesting places on the less travelled but still good highways. Since COVID, it is harder to get camping reservations, so we now start a lot earlier with our planning than ever before. We are currently planning a trip to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone in May which we started working on in July of last year to get the reservations we wanted. Also getting 2 campsites is a little harder than getting just one for myself.

Traveling overseas I go with family and we either do a fly/drive vacation or a group tour or cruise. There are always other photographers on the group tours and cruises as well as people that my wife finds sociable. On the fly/drive tours we stay at B&B's where the hosts usually have excellent recommendations for photo ops.

When I have taken photo tours I have found that the cost is much, much higher than the value received. The guide/lead photographer quality and helpfulness can vary. Sometimes you get a mediocre guide with minimal photography instruction or advice. No sharing of photos or critiques, and within the group there are some who will monopolize the leader's time while the rest of the folks are left to fend for themselves. My advice to photo tour leaders is to hire an administrator to take care of all the logistics and hire an assistant to make sure all of the group members get the instruction they paid for and need, have review sessions to share and critique the photos.

I have found that the local camera club (or store) led tours are the best value for getting you connected to other photographers, getting you to photogenic spots, and proving a little coaching on photography skills.

 

[Flemming Morgan]

Travelling Locally, I go alone but would prefer to go with other photographers for learning and inspiration.

Travelling in North America, I go with my wife and another couple, one of which is a photographer. We both have travel trailers so we can take as much equipment as we want and we can watch out for each other in case of breakdowns. We generally operate on a fixed schedule and allow plenty of time for photography. We try to stay off the interstates and have found some interesting places on the less travelled but still good highways. Since COVID, it is harder to get camping reservations, so we now start a lot earlier with our planning than ever before. We are currently planning a trip to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone in May which we started working on in July of last year to get the reservations we wanted. Also getting 2 campsites is a little harder than getting just one for myself.

Traveling overseas I go with family and we either do a fly/drive vacation or a group tour or cruise. There are always other photographers on the group tours and cruises as well as people that my wife finds sociable. On the fly/drive tours we stay at B&B's where the hosts usually have excellent recommendations for photo ops.

When I have taken photo tours I have found that the cost is much, much higher than the value received. The guide/lead photographer quality and helpfulness can vary. Sometimes you get a mediocre guide with minimal photography instruction or advice. No sharing of photos or critiques, and within the group there are some who will monopolize the leader's time while the rest of the folks are left to fend for themselves. My advice to photo tour leaders is to hire an administrator to take care of all the logistics and hire an assistant to make sure all of the group members get the instruction they paid for and need, have review sessions to share and critique the photos.

I have found that the local camera club (or store) led tours are the best value for getting you connected to other photographers, getting you to photogenic spots, and proving a little coaching on photography skills.

Yes, one of the problems with photographer led tours is when the photographer is more interested in getting his/her own shots than teaching.

 

[Hobbzz]

I can't afford any kind of guided trip, so I don't do those. Any trip I take for photography would be to a destination that my wife enjoys so we always go together. I used to occasionally do local outings with other photog friends but have kinda gotten away from that in recent years. If the weather/light/subject are cooperative, I'm pretty much only interested in more artistic stuff like back-lit or motion blur shots, whereas anyone I would go with is only interested in front lit documentation type stuff. So not only would we have to physically shoot from different spots, defeating the purpose of going together, I'm more likely to spend more time than they want to, in one spot. So I now usually just go alone or with my wife.

 

[Woodyg3]

By myself or just with my wife, although I sometimes meet other photographer friends at certain locations.

 

[Whiskeyman]

My photography does not mix well with my wife's quilting. Each is best left to its own.

So I go on my own, and if I'm fortunate enough to meet other photographers at my destination, I am the richer for it. Even then, I would likely be found shooting by myself unless I'm with a guide.

My ultimate trip would be a driving trip with a camper to sleep in for three-or-four weeks at a time; alone, with no rigid schedule.

 

[ProperFrame]

I do both. Member of several groups/clubs that schedule photography trips. ie travel to a local spot, share a beach house. Those are a lot of fun because it is a collective effort and more eyes often mean more target sightings. Have made a lot of good friends.
I do quite a few solo trips too. The solo trips I enjoy because they are efficient in both time and money. No wasted time eating out, waiting for people, etc. A lot of the solo trips are fully outdoors. The wife is not a photographer and won't camp so I am left to my own devices.
I will occasionally go on a true tour if necessary. ie Africa, the Arctic. Otherwise I can travel for a lot less than $1k a day and can hit the same spots.

 

[MikePDX]

I do NOT like to travel any distances for photography alone. Being with one other person, especially a fellow photographer, makes a huge difference. I used to enjoy driving places by myself, but the older I get, the less I relish this.
.
For long-distance trips, I always endeavor to join a small group, whether a photo workshop or a birding tour. I really value being with a guide who knows where to find the birds and who can spot them for me. Once upon a time I was a sharp-eyed maven when it came to spotting and identifying birds, but that ship sailed a while ago. If I go out into a tropical forest on my own I will fail to spot oh, so many birds that a good guide will find and point out. Sometimes it's kind of embarrassing how blind I feel.

Almost ideal was the kind of trip my wife and I took to Costa Rica a little over a year ago. We went via the "Independent Birding Ventures" of Naturalist Journeys (Peg Abbott's company). We had private drivers/guides, a series of them over the course of our ten-day trip. The guides did the driving, knew where to go , spotted and identified the species, waited patiently for me to get my photos, and provided good conversation in the vehicles (and sometimes at meals). They are very good at pretending to be your friend (haha).

Most typically, when I visit a distant location either in the U.S. or overseas, I sign up for a workshop. Most of the workshops I have been on in recent years have had only two to five participants. I like having the logistics handled by a third party, and when the trip is to an overseas destination, I like having a leader who "speaks the language," not to mention one who knows the country.

Doug Greenberg

Hi Doug,

Mike Baynes here. Good to see you on this forum. I notice you are still using a Prairie Chicken photo from our trip to Colorado.

Assuming that I'm going to an unfamiliar place, I, too, like to travel in a group of like-minded photographers. Most of the trips I have been taking over the past few years have been organized photo tours or have been in larger groups with a high degree of interest in photography. For me, having someone deal with the logistics of the trip gives me the freedom to concentrate on improving my photography, and getting good (or at least better) shots to bring home. I also like the comradery that a group can offer, even though once in a while there may be some personality differences that crop up.

I have generally noticed two kinds of photo trips:

• Those that are simply "photo tours" where the organizer/guide simply gets you to the good places and lets you do the shooting.
• And those that could be called "workshops" where the organizer also offers instruction. That second type can be very valuable if the participant is open to learning what is being taught.

-Mike in Portland

 

[Eagleeye299]

I travel with my wife since we are both photographers. On the rare occasion that I go out locally alone I find that I miss her not being there. Besides she has the best eyes of anyone I know and usually spots things long before I see them.

 

[GrandNagus50]

Hi Doug,

Mike Baynes here. Good to see you on this forum. I notice you are still using a Prairie Chicken photo from our trip to Colorado.

Assuming that I'm going to an unfamiliar place, I, too, like to travel in a group of like-minded photographers. Most of the trips I have been taking over the past few years have been organized photo tours or have been in larger groups with a high degree of interest in photography. For me, having someone deal with the logistics of the trip gives me the freedom to concentrate on improving my photography, and getting good (or at least better) shots to bring home. I also like the comradery that a group can offer, even though once in a while there may be some personality differences that crop up.

I have generally noticed two kinds of photo trips:

• Those that are simply "photo tours" where the organizer/guide simply gets you to the good places and lets you do the shooting.
• And those that could be called "workshops" where the organizer also offers instruction. That second type can be very valuable if the participant is open to learning what is being taught.

-Mike in Portland

Hi Mike!
I have thought about you and wondered what you are up to. Fellow Olympus/OM shooter!

A good avatar is hard to find, so I have stuck with what I think is a good one. "Nobody here but us chickens!"

Coincidentally, since the Prairie chickens were my favorite subjects from our fabulously successful "Colorado chicken bird tour" in April 2021 (kudos to leader Ken Archer; we saw and photographed Greater prairie chicken, Sage grouse, Sharp-tailed grouse, Dusky grouse, and White-tailed ptarmigan--woohooo!), I have signed up with prairie chicken whisperer Noppadol Paothong for a Lesser prairie chicken photo workshop in Kansas in mid-April.

I wrote in the "other photo tour thread" about the above issue. Not to be redundant, but my theme was that the distinction between tours and workshops is often fuzzy. Most "tour leaders" will provide instruction if asked for (this often occurs when the photographer is unfamiliar with his/her gear), and workshop leaders will leave you alone if you don't want any help.

Doug Greenberg

 

[Winston Churchill (Sir)]

Road trip, alone. Fewer distractions, no competing interests, I stop wherever I like. Wildlife in campgrounds is awesome.

Ditto.

I find it very hard to have others on the same watch as me - inevitably it distracts me.

I am happy to gather around the fire in the evening to chit chat and mingle with the plebs - but I want to go my own way for shooting.

And I prefer to be in my overlanding vehicle. I have everything I need right with me.

 

[Abinoone]

Road trip, alone. Fewer distractions, no competing interests, I stop wherever I like. Wildlife in campgrounds is awesome.

I agree with you Doug, and most often I travel alone. However, there are times when I wish I had another nature lover/photographer with me, mainly for safety but also for company. For example, when I’m in Yellowstone, I enjoy getting off of the crowded main roads to hike some trails - it’s wonderful what you can find off the beaten track. Being bear country, I always carry bear spray but I’d much prefer also to have another person along. At the end of the day, it’s also nice to compare notes, and mull over options for the next day. I no longer have the luxury of an enthusiastic spouse, so finding a compatible travel companion isn’t easy. Larger group travel (e.g. tours and workshops) certainly has its benefits, but also some downsides.

 

[Eric Yellowstone]

Generally, I like to travel alone. I can decide when, where and what to photograph. I have done a few photo trips with a group and enjoyed them. When I go with a group it's usually to an area that I know nothing about so I'm trusting others to pick the best time and place for photos.

 

[GrandNagus50]

I think one can have one's own individual experience in the field while still traveling with a small group. Part of this my advancing age speaking, but it seems to me that more eyes means more different birds and animals located and possibly photographed.

 

[Joe]

What are your preferences for taking trips for wildlife and nature photography? Do you like to travel alone, or do you prefer traveling with others? Why? If you are a solo traveler, do you ever wish that you had a fellow photographer with whom to share the experience (and perhaps cost)? If you travel as part of a group, do you ever wish that you had more freedom and control? What factor(s) restrain you from taking more trips for photography? If you could describe your ideal photo travel scenario, what would it be?

The primary reasons for my questions are to identify the needs and desires of other nature and wildlife photographers, and to see if there might be opportunities for shared (not formally organized) experiences.

I travel both alone and with my wife. It would be great to meet other photographers at set locations. Many times in Yellowstone I meet a few folks that like to share info and compare notes. Sometimes I hike and sometimes I road hunt so I'm up for anything anywhere. Right now I'm looking for new spots in Montana, checking large ranches for access to remote areas.

 

[Calson]

There is also a middle ground option of hiring a guide and using that person as a driver-guide-translator-tour organizer. My wife and I did that with Juan Carlos Vinda in Costa Rica and the cost was no higher than for a 15-20 person group tour. He knew and had access to private property as well as more obscure locations for wildlife and he made all the room reservations and provided the 4WD SUV for the tour.

We did the same in the Pantenal where the company we used provided the guide-driver-translator and made the lodging reservations and reserved the boat and its driver. We had a fully enclosed and air conditioned vehicle and we could decide the hours when we were out on the waterways to photograph the wildlife (at times when most of the boats with their photographers were back at lodges having a late breakfast).

 

[splatbass]

My ex-wife was also a photographer, so traveling with her was good, other than having to travel with her.... Anyway, it was nice having someone that wanted to get up at the crack of dawn and spend hours shooting pics. My current girlfriend is not a photographer, and while she is willing to get up early I feel bad about making her do it so I limit that sort of thing and make time do to regular tourist things during the day. I've also travelled by myself quite a bit, most on business trips, and that is great. I can go where I want, when I want, and for how long I want (at least on weekends for business trips), without feeling guilty. But no matter which way I travel I'll make time to get some shots. I was on a business trip to Virginia last year and I found a wooded park with a lake about 10 minutes from my workplace, so I went there after work every day. Got some good osprey shots. I've spent a lot of time for a lot of years travelling by myself for work, so I don't mind it at all.

I also went to Australia and New Zealand on business trips last year and I highly recommend them both for wildlife photography.

 

[Bhyte8bit]

For me, traveling for photography is all about finding that perfect balance between solitude and companionship. Sometimes I love heading out alone, immersing myself fully in the surroundings, and letting my creative juices flow without any distractions. Other times, having a buddy along adds a whole new layer of fun and shared experiences. Plus, it's always handy to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to split costs with. Speaking of which, I recently came across this awesome guide to summer fun at Lake Clementine on MK Library (mklibrary.com). It's got some fantastic tips for making the most of your outdoor adventures, whether you're into photography or just looking for a good time.

 

[Eric Yellowstone]

Most of the time I travel by myself. I like deciding on my own when and where I want to photograph.
Several times over the years Yellowstone has been my primary destination, for both work and pleasure.
Once a year I used to do a photography trip with 2-3 other friends but the group has fallen apart.
We're from Ohio so we would often drive to the Smokies for5-6 days.

 

[Calson]

I have rented 4WD trucks with slide-in campers in Alaska and Calgary for road trips that maximized our time traveling around our destination and that has worked quite well. I had my own 4WD truck and slide-in camper and it was ideal for photography with the dinette table for us to use our laptops. We still spent about 50% of our time at hotels where we had access to a hot shower and Wifi.

Campgrounds can be a limitation in the western USA as they are not located near the wildlife and on BLM land one needs to be fully self-contained at most locations and tent camping is not an option. There is also the problem of trying to rent a 4WD vehicle in a town near Yellowstone to be able to go safely to places like Lamar Valley in the winter. Rental cars at the airports are more expensive than anywhere else in the USA and they do have snow tires mounted.

For single individuals I have encountered many people with a compact 4WD or AWD SUV pulling a very small trailer like the Burro ones. They have all been happy with their setup.

Burro RV – Tin Can Tourists

tincantourists.com

 

[R.Philip]

In the absence of someone with similar interest, I prefer to travel alone. I usually am up and out of the hotel well before sunrise and usually do not return until well after sunset. If I want to do some astrophotography, middle of the night excursions it will be. The long days do not bother me and I definitely do not get enough sleep on my photography trips. I like not having to worry about inconveniencing a travel companion. It would be nice to have a similar interested photography companion to share the experience and cost, but I don't wish to worry if they are enjoying those grueling long days. If I want to sit and wait two hours for an animal or light, I do not wish to be thinking what my companion is thinking. I just wish to enjoy my photography and to be alone to my thoughts. Face it, sometime you have to put some thought into how you approach an image. Distraction curtails creativity.

A companion would have to have very similar desires for the trip. If I want to work a landscape with various techniques and filters and spend two hours at one location, a photography companion that jumps out of the car and takes a hand held shot and is ready to leave will probably end up as bait for my wildlife images. I am in no way advocating baiting, but, like a marine, you have to adapt.

Another issue with companions and their gear is that it could limit the gear I wish to take and my access to it while traveling. For instance, when I am driving around in my mobile blind, I have two camera bodies on the passenger seat with varying focal length lenses. I just grab the one needed for a situation. If the camera is in the back seat, I SEE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES.

I would travel more, but the increase in costs over the last three years have really put a damper on all discretionary spending. If cost was not an issue, I would like to follow the coastline from southern most tip of Texas ending up in Maine. Then do the same on the pacific coastline starting in Southern California and ending up in Alaska. Always by car so I have all my gear ready at hand.

 

[Rassie]

Anyone want to go to Madagascar? LOL!

Heck, no! If you're going to fly that far, might as well pick any one of the many excellent South African wildlife destinations. I don't believe Madagascar has any better or more exotic wildlife than Africa itself. I grew up in South Africa, and Madagascar was never considered a go-to place for vacations or safaris.