Northern Laos Rice Harvest Photography Workshop & Tour, 1st to 5th of November 2022. This small group, maximum 3 participants, Photography Tour & Workshop offers you an amazing opportunity to improve your photography dramatically and experience the culture of beautiful Northern Laos. You will get lots of valuable one-to-one tuition from Jonathan Taylor, plus visit and photograph some truly amazing places and people.
Study photography whilst photographing rice farmers as they bring in their yearly harvest, in the very lush mountain terrain of Northern Laos. Take a private river boat tour to visit and photograph very remote villages on the banks of the Mekong, watch shaman as they practice their medicine rituals or locals making rice wine in their remote villages. This Luang Prabang based small group Photography Workshop offers you an amazing opportunity to Study Photography and master your camera, whilst experiencing the amazingly culture of rural Laos.
Jonathan Taylor has been running similar workshops almost continuously for the past 16 years, his experience of the region and vast photographic knowledge make this tour and workshop totally unique and special. He keeps the number of participants very low, so you have lots of valuable one-to-one time with him as he tutors you to becoming a better photographer. He will set you photographic tasks that suit your current photographic experience, run regular one-to-one critique sessions with you and hold group critique viewing each evening. You will get hands on personal instruction each day. Each tour is a different experience as he uses his contacts of local friends to recommend where to go for the best photography during your stay there. A truly unique and wonderful experience, where you not only get to know a fascinating part of the world in-depth but become a much better photographer too.
The itinerary includes:
Luang Prabang, Northern Laos
Set in lush rain-forested mountains, this is yet another world heritage protected gem of Southeast Asia. It offers fantastic photographic opportunities. Take a riverboat down the majestic Mekong River and visit ethnic tribe communities whose homes are scattered along the banks. Or head off to the hills to see shaman practice their traditional healing methods, then photograph the rice harvest on the sides of steep mountains.
- Day 01: Tour Luangprabang, it’s markets and people, we will meet in the early afternoon as a get-together opportunity and to further outline your course.
- Day 02: Visit the beautiful waterfalls at Kuangxi they are worth a visit, we will make regular stops to visit local communities, each trip is slightly different depending what we and our expertly eyed driver sees along the way. It may be Mon ( ethnic hill tribe ) Shaman performing a ceremony or women who wants to show her nearly born baby, who must sit by a heated stone as the birth and aftercare are deeply rooted in Laotian culture.
- Day 03: Visit various mountains ethnic hill-tribe villages, photograph and experience their culture all set in spectacular mountaintop vistas. It will be rice harvest time, so you will get spectacular photographs of the villagers pulling together as they collect their harvest the traditional way.
- Day 04: Float down the majestic Mekong River, stopping at ethnic hill tribe villages along the way. The truly spectacular scenery offers an amazing look at the traditional lifestyle of the locals. One of Asia most beautiful rivers, the Mekong, is surrounded by lush densely green jungle.
- Day 05: Visit local communities that produce silk, rice whiskey and photograph agricultural farmers at work. In the evening we can relax together, have a final assisted edit and critique of your best work over they last five days, while reflecting on your experience of the place, its people and your photographic growth.
Luang Prabang is famous for its child monks collecting alms each morning, you also have the opportunity to photograph each day before our tour begins.
Your personal tuition sessions can help you improve what is listed below and more.
- Learning to use the camera on Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority.
- Flash Photography
- Depth of Field
- Light Metering
- Composition Techniques: Including Framing, Movement, Abstract and Art Photography.
- Location Photography: Including Street photography, lifestyle, nature, and architecture.
- People Photography, learn how to approach people for great portraits and street photography.
- Documentary Photography: Including Feature photography, choosing a story, finding a narrative, editing and selling commercially, presentation techniques and Photojournalism.
- Creative Photography: Learn how to conceptualize and create unique images expressing emotion or theme.
- Photoshop, Lightroom and other post-processing programs to enhance your photographs.
- and more….
The fees include Jonathan’s one-to-one tuition time, minivan and river boat hire fares, you book accommodation yourselves separately. Jonathan recommends guest-houses and hotels that are close to each other for convenience and will help you with bookings when needed. Often arranging for everyone to be in the same guest house of hotel, where possible or wanted.
Workshop Fees-
Five Day Photography Workshop $1000 USD
The fee includes photography instruction & critique, minivan & riverboat hire ( accommodation not included ).
Tutor: Jonathan Taylor
Margie Greenberg – Blue Bell, PA. on a recent photographic journey to Thailand, Cambodia and Laos
“Jonathan, I wanted to offer my thanks to you for making my photographic journey through Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos something I will never forget. From the moment we arrived in Bangkok, I felt that you had meticulously planned our travel and photographic experience.
Your guidance, critiques and teaching expertise helped me to overcome my fear of manual mode and I feel that I have gained more insight into what is involved to create a good photograph. Your knowledge of Southeast Asia enabled us to travel off the beaten path to places I would have never discovered on my own. Urging us into situations that were not always our comfort level only served to heighten our creativity and our understanding of the environment
Your love of the people of this area is obvious and watching your interaction with people of such different cultures than your own was a highlight. You created an environment for me and Robyn to follow your lead.
I loved every minute of our 3 week trip from the markets to the monks to the tribal people in the hills. Before we left, Robyn and I wondered what it would be like to travel with such an accomplished photographer. We thought about nonchalance and attitude but I must say that you are such a warm welcoming individual and had little tidbits not slipped out over the course of the 3 weeks, we would have never known your accomplishments.”
I will practice using my camera until next summer when we meet again in India!!Thank you again for enriching my life both culturally and educationally.Fondly, Margie”
For more such comments from Jonathan’s ex-students who are now close friends visit our Testimonials Page.