Take A Photo Tour | Taiwan Travel Photographers

Taipei cityscape as viewed from Elephant Mountain

One of the easiest ways to get to some great photographic destinations is to sign up for a phototour. Instead of arriving in a new destination and wasting valuable time trying to work out how to get to the places that you want to visit, you can hit the ground running and get out there to make photographs. A photo tour offers the additional benefit of introducing you to some secret spots – photo locations that aren’t immediately obvious to the traveler and require a bit of local knowledge to find.

I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that I’ll be giving away a Black Rapid RS-5 camera strap to somebody who reads this, following on from yesterday’s video review of the RS-5.

Here in Taiwan, I have recently started Taipei Photo Tours. It offers you an opportunity for you to get to know some of the photography hotspots and secrets in Taipei. Customized to your needs, Taipei Photo Tours offer a range of different options covering a variety of photographic subjects. Whether your interest is traditional culture, scenic viewpoints, markets, nature, monuments, temples or city life, we have you covered.

Just as every photographer has unique interests, every photo tour is uniquely created. Let us know what you or your group want, and we will craft a tour to suit. Do you need instruction in photo techniques? Looking for a bustling local market? How about a half-day hike through a national park or some kind of cultural performance? Want to work in a studio with a model?

Having the ability to tailor a photographic tour to your interests and needs means that you have more time to photograph the things you want to shoot, and less time at the places you aren’t interested in. If you’re coming to Taipei, whether for business or travel, be sure to check out Taipei Photo Tours.

A good photo tour requires a few things, one of which is photographer feedback. That’s where the Black Rapid giveaway comes into play. Simply leave a comment below talking about what you’d look for in a photo tour and you’re in the running for a Black Rapid RS-5 camera strap. This is an international giveaway, so no matter where you are, leave a comment and you’ll get a chance to win.

EDIT : The competition is now closed. You can still leave a comment but it won’t get counted towards the RS-5.

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http://twitter.com/ScottLePage Scott LePage

Craig – What would I personally look for in a photo tour? I like street photography so I would be interested in going to the gritty parts of town to get some shots of people with “character”. Places that I would have a hard time finding on my own without running into danger. A variety of locations suited to different genre would also be great . I don’t typically shoot cityscapes so being taken to great vantage points would provide unique opportunity. Both day and night a must for me. Thanks, Scott LePage
http://twitter.com/davidonformosa David Reid

I would be looking for a guide that can show me some unique angles, not just repeating the typical shots you can already find on postcards. Also the guide should have good local knowledge and can give some interesting anecdotes and background information that can’t be found in brochures or guidebooks.
http://thegreensquirre1.wordpress.com/ thegreensquirre1

I’m interested in nature photography, so in a photo tour I’d be looking for opportunities to photograph unique fauna and flora endemic to the region, with a guide knowledgeable about such things to provide context.
http://www.holeinmysock.com holeinmysock

I’d look for great local knowledge. Not just of the best photo spots, and secrets photo spots, but also of the best time of day, etc, for each spot.
http://aegallerie.com Ed

So far all the other comments have hit the nail on the head. I’d add the ability to sit down in a local place like a coffeehouse or restaurant for some review and critique of the images. And as much as we all like geotagging I’d love a map that I could mark all the places onto that I’ve been and make notes on.
http://twitter.com/Theworldisraw The World Is Raw

I would want a guide that can take me to places that he or she has NEVER taken another client. That would mean these places might not seem like a place to go to take photos at all, but since no one has photographed it before, it would turn into a very unique photo-op. That’s what I would like a photo-guide to be able to do.
Tobypeters

If it is a driven tour, say meet at one point and pile into a van. Be driven out to the coast or to a national park (flowers, waterfalls, creeks and vistas), during the drive discuss the location and suggestions of what to take photos of and camera settings pertaining to the light at that sight. Morning shoot at one overall location, van to a lunch site (where the people pay for their own lunch or bring it with them). Talk about the morning shots and upcoming afternoon shots. After break drive to second location nearby and take more shots then return to the pick-up point by dark. Have a Craig Ferguson Photo Tour Flickr page for people to post their results from all the tours you have given.

If it is a walking tour, meet at a coffee shop and discuss the route, suggested shots and camera settings. Walk, shoot, lunch break with discussion, shoot until PM and call it a day.
http://www.thebellsite.com/blog Jbell2k

I’ve read the post and watched the vids; do I win the strap? ^_^
http://www.facebook.com/randygoertzen Randy Goertzen

If I were coming Id like the best possible chance to get great cityscapes. A challenge i know depending on smog and clouds.
Id like less tourist full places and more real life alleys. Id need transportation and possibly a choice of types of tours. Culture/food/night/morning/temples/ etc.

Then again your mention of working with models in studio would be a hoot…esp if with a working professional, a kind of mentoring tour.

Do I smell a working holiday in the midst??
http://www.craigfergusonimages.com cfimages

If only it were that simple. Let me know what you would like to see in a photo tour to be in the running.
Mark Lewis

For me the key is to have someone there at my shoulder when necessary to suggest other options, open my eyes to other posibbilities and to give advice on where they see I could improve. Yes a wonderful location is a bonus but you can take amazing shots in your back garden, it’s all about the advice and enthusiasm for photography!!!!
http://twitter.com/kinonola kinonola

I am generally looking for variety in a photo tour. Certainly not a market, skylines and nature tour all in one tour but more than a few choice shots. I appreciate that the general scouting has been done. Don’t take me to the same things everyone has already shot over and over…unless I ask. And of course another eye on what I am shooting to make suggestions either technical or different perspectives.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=549093488 Michael Steverson

The biggest thing I look for in a photo tour is flexibility. So many times in the past I’ve just been getting into a rhythm or maybe feeling like I haven’t gotten the shot I wanted when I’m rushed along to the next stop. I want the time to study the light and angles and get the best possible shots, so don’t make with walk for 2 hours up a mountain side and then make me leave in twenty minutes.. Tours run by photographers for photographers…

Everything else is gravy.
Argent Imaging

Something I’d look for in a photo tour would be a local guide who knows those hidden gems in their area. The places the average tourist might not see on their big box store tour package. Things like that make a tour more personal and fulfilling in my mind. I don’t mind getting dirty either so if I have to crawl through some woods to find an out of the way waterfall during sunset then I’m all for it!
http://paulbousquet.tumblr.com Paul Bousquet

I would look for someone who has a definite plan about were to go, but is flexible in what you want to shoot. It is also important for the guide to provide some feedback at times or tips, but not constant hand holding. And of course the guide should know the best places to eat and drink, coffee, etc!
http://www.craigfergusonimages.com cfimages

Congratulations, the random number generator has thrown your name up. An RS-5 is yours, email me your details.