Photo Workshop Adventures

Small-Group Photo Adventures in Over 40 Countries

Photo Workshop Adventures (PWA, run by Photo Workshop Adventures LLC) runs its own small-group photography tours, which it calls photo adventure vacations, and designs private versions for individuals, couples, families and groups. The homepage says "Since 2010, we offer over 100 curated small-group photo tours in over 40 countries." Prices and payments are in US dollars, and the contact line is a US toll-free number, 1-888-834-0288.

The destination list is long and specific. In Europe it runs from Amsterdam and Holland, Andalusia, the Azores, Cinque Terre, Croatia, the Camargue, Côte d'Azur and Provence, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Norway's Lofoten Islands, Paris, Portugal, Puglia, Romania, Sardinia, Scotland, Sicily, Slovenia, Switzerland, Tuscany and Venice Carnevale to Turkey. In the Americas it lists Arizona, Banff and Lake Louise, the California Coast, Charleston, Costa Rica, three group trips to Cuba, Guatemala and its Semana Santa, Historic Route 66, Oaxaca for the Day of the Dead, Utah and Yosemite. Asia covers Bhutan, Cambodia, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and five India trips (Holi, Kerala, the Lost Tribes of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Varanasi). Africa has Angola, Morocco, two Kenya safaris and the Big Cats of the Serengeti in Tanzania.

How the Range Is Organized

The tour finder sorts trips by length (4-5 days, 6-7 days, 8-9 days and 10+ days) and by subject: architecture, astro, cityscape, drone, landscape, nature, people, seascape, street, unique and wildlife. A "Soul of the Streets" series covers street photography in Barcelona, Istanbul, London, Naples and New York. Festival trips time a visit to an event such as Holi in India or Carnevale in Venice.

The About page says many adventures offer pre- or post-trip add-ons of 2 to 5 days, giving a 3-day Dutch Countryside Extension on the Amsterdam trip and a 5-day Varanasi Add-On on the Rajasthan trip as examples. It says trips are scheduled "up to 2 years ahead," with every departure on a schedule page. For Cuba, the page says its trips are "100% compliant with U.S. Treasury OFAC rules and regulations" and that it offers 6 different ways to travel there.

On Tour: Group Size, Hotels and a Typical Day

The About page gives the numbers most photo-tour sites leave out: adventures "typically consist of" 4 to 6 guests "and sometimes as many as 8 guests," with a leader-to-guest ratio kept "to no more than 8:1." The company says it usually stays in boutique hotels in the 4 or 5-star category, though some destinations lack them. Breakfasts are typically included when the hotel rate includes them, along with a welcome and a farewell dinner; other meals are mostly on your own, while trips such as Iceland, Bhutan, Antarctica and the African safaris may include all meals. Transport is mostly private car or minibus, with trains, ferries or walking where it makes sense, such as the rail link through Cinque Terre.

The site describes a typical day: an early photo walk or sunrise shoot, a mid-day break for rest, editing or travel, then late-afternoon and sunset shooting, sometimes with night photography. It says the tours suit "beginners, amateurs, enthusiasts and semi-pros," with learning "in the field" rather than in a classroom, and that non-photographers are welcome. Guests bring their own camera gear; the site suggests a tripod, spare cards and batteries and a laptop with Adobe Lightroom. Each trip page lists the start and end city, and the company recommends arriving a day early. Before departure, guests receive a PWA Welcome Package with daily itineraries, sunrise and sunset times and an equipment checklist. The About page describes its photographers and guides as "hand-picked," and the homepage credits an in-house teaching method it calls "The Art of Seeing."

Booking, Payment and Cancellation

Booking starts with online registration and a deposit paid by credit card. The site accepts Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express and PayPal. The full balance is due 180 days before the trip. Cancel 180 days or more ahead and the refund is in full. From 150 to 179 days out the refund is 75% of the trip cost, less a $400 per person administrative fee; from 121 to 149 days it is 50%, less the same fee; at 120 days or fewer there is no refund. Rescheduling to another adventure is free more than 120 days out, costs $400 between 120 and 61 days, and is not allowed within 60 days. The rescheduling option does not apply to private adventures. If the company itself cancels or reschedules a trip for low attendance, the site lists five choices, from switching to another adventure or date to accepting a special offer or taking a refund; if it acts because of unrest or a natural disaster, travelers can take the new dates or move 100% of what they paid to a different adventure.

Travel insurance is sold through Travelex, which the site says can cost as little as 4% of the trip price, with evacuation cover through MedJet. Early arrival and late departure rooms can be booked through the company. Excluded from the rate: alcohol, unscheduled meals, travel to and from the destination, airport transfers and insurance.

The loyalty program has three tiers. Orange members earn 4 points per dollar, Gold members 6 and VIP members 8, and the site's worked example says a $5,900 trip earns points worth $236, $354 or $472 depending on tier. PWA eGift Certificates come in amounts from $100 to $5000, are transferable and expire after 2 years.

What the Site Leaves Open and Who It Suits

The general pages do not show a price for a named trip, so the cost of a specific adventure has to be read on its own destination page. The deposit amount is not stated on the About page either.

Photo Workshop Adventures suits hobby photographers who want a relaxed, food-and-culture trip with a small group and a leader close at hand, and travelers with a non-photographer partner. The stated group size, clear cancellation ladder and wide choice of festivals and street-photography cities make it easy to plan around. It suits less well anyone after an intensive technical workshop or a last-minute booking, since payment is due 180 days out and late cancellations are not refunded.