Everything you need to know about photography tours

A photography tour is a guided trip built around taking great images. Instead of just sightseeing, the itinerary, timing and guiding are designed to put you in the right place at the right time with expert support.

What are some typical features of a photography tour?

You’ll be guided by an expert, usually a professional photographer, who knows both the location and the craft – helping people on the tour with composition, camera settings and fieldcraft. Your purpose-built itinerary will include early starts, sunset sessions (otherwise called ‘golden hour’), and off-peak visits so you hit locations in the best light and with fewer crowds.

Generally, a tour like this will be limited to a small group of, say, four to 10 people to allow for better access and one-on-one guidance. One extra-nice thing about tours like this is that all the logistics will generally be handled by those in tourism jobs on your behalf – from transport, accommodation and park permits, to local guides and most meals – so you can focus on shooting.

Think of it as a workshop on the move: You’re learning, shooting, reviewing images and sharing the experience with like-minded people.

Why are photography tours in South Africa so popular?

South Africa is a dream destination because it offers an extensive variety of options in a relatively compact, easy-to-travel. Select between:

• World-class wildlife: Kruger National Park and private reserves like Sabi Sands are renowned for big cats, elephants, rhinos, giraffes and more, often at close range;
• Dramatic landscapes: From the Drakensberg mountains to the Garden Route coastline and the Western Cape’s vineyards and seascapes, you can shoot multiple ecosystems in one trip;
• Great infrastructure: You’ll enjoy quality lodges, internal flights and tour operators, with specialised vehicles adapted for photographers (swivelling seats, lens supports and open sides); and
• Year-round options: Different seasons enhance different styles of work – the dry season for clean wildlife images, or the wet season for lush green landscapes and dramatic skies.

On top of all this, many South African photo tours are run by local photographers who know specific animals’ territories, den sites, roosts and waterholes, giving you a much higher chance of those ‘bucket list’ shots.

What are the top photography tour regions within South Africa?

Four key regions and their most fascinating highlights are:

Kruger National Park & other private reserves

Style: Big-5 wildlife, birds, environmental portraits and night drives.

Highlights: Frequent encounters with lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhino; and seasonal opportunities such as newborn animals in the wet season.

Best time: The dry, winter months (roughly May to September) are considered ideal for wildlife photography, due to thinner vegetation, animals concentrated at waterholes, and softer light.

Private concessions, such as Sabi Sands, often allow off-road driving and fewer vehicles per sighting, which is considered ‘gold’ for photographers.

Cape Town & the Western Cape

Style: Seascapes, cityscapes, street photography and cultural documentary.

Highlights: Table Mountain, Chapman’s Peak Drive and Boulders Beach penguins; and the colourful houses of the Bo-Kaap, together with the working harbour at Kalk Bay.

Best time: Summer and the shoulder seasons (roughly October to April) for long golden hours and relatively stable weather; winter can bring moody skies and dramatic surf.

The Garden Route & Eastern Cape

Style: Forest and coastline landscapes, and slower paced wildlife safaris.

Highlights: Coastal cliffs around Knysna and Tsitsikamma; and malaria-free wildlife reserves in the Eastern Cape (great for families).

KwaZulu-Natal

Style: Bird photography, wetlands, cultural and community work.

Highlights: Coastal reserves like iSimangaliso, famous for birdlife and varied habitats; and Zulu cultural experiences, traditional villages and ceremonies in some tours.

How do photography tours differ from normal safaris or tours?

There are five key differences:

1. Tourist safaris often rush from animal to animal or viewpoint to viewpoint. Photo tours, on the other hand, typically stay longer at one scene to allow for changing light, behaviour and composition.
2. Everyone on board is there to shoot. Nobody starts complaining if you spend 20 minutes waiting for a lion to yawn, or a wave to break just right.
3. Some specialist tourism job operators can remove certain rows of seats, plus add gimbal mounts and beanbag ledges so photographers can manoeuvre with big telephoto lenses, if required.
4. You’re encouraged to ask about settings, critique images and experiment as desired. Many tours include structured lessons on composition, exposure and post-processing.
5. Tours are often timed to coincide with special events: migrations, wildflower seasons, autumn colours or specific festivals just so that you have the optimal possible experience of that setting or location.

What gear should I bring on a photography tour?

Cameras

• A primary camera body plus a backup, if possible. Dust, vibration and weather can be punishing; and
• DSLRs and mirrorless bodies are both common – choose what you’re comfortable with.

Lenses (wildlife-focused tour)

• A telephoto zoom: 100mm to 400mm, 150mm to 600mm or similar is the workhorse for mammals and birds;
• A fast telephoto prime (optional): 300mm or 400mm, with f/2.8–f/4 if you’re serious about wildlife;
• A wide-angle zoom: 16mm to 35mm or equivalent for landscapes, night skies and environmental animal shots;
• A standard zoom: 24mm to 70mm or similar for lodge life, portraits and general travel images.

Lenses (city & landscape tours)

• An ultra-wide i.e. 14mm to 24mm or 16mm to 35mm;
• A standard zoom i.e. 24mm to 70mm; and
• A short telephoto i.e. 70mm to 200mm, for compressed landscapes and candid people shots.

Your tour operator will usually send a packing list; use it, but don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions about realistic focal length needs for specific destinations.

Additional items of support, as well accessories:

• A sturdy tripod (especially for waterfalls, night skies, cityscapes);
• A beanbag or window supports for safari vehicles;
• Plenty of memory cards and at least one backup drive;
• Rain covers or dry bags for sudden showers; and
• A cleaning kit – blower, microfibre cloths, or sensor cleaning if you’re comfortable with it.

How do I prepare creatively for a photography tour?

Beyond gear and logistics, prepare your eye and your mindset with these five tips:

1. Study other photographers’ work that you emulate

Look at images from your chosen destination, including tour websites, Instagram and photo blogs. This will show you classic views and also gaps where you can create something different.

2. Research the subject matter

For wildlife: learn basic behaviour patterns i.e. hunting, mating, parenting. It helps you anticipate the kind of action you may expect.

For cities/culture: learn about festivals, customs and etiquette.

3. Practise at home

Simulate your tour challenges, which could include anything from panning moving subjects in low light and long exposures with filters, to shooting in harsh midday sun and still getting usable images.

4. Define a small personal project

Examples could include “backlit portraits of animals”, “hands and gestures in street markets”, or “minimalist seascapes”. A simple project like this helps you stay focused when travel overstimulation hits.

5. Plan your backup workflow

This should ideally encompass two copies of your files (laptop + external drive, or two drives); and daily downloads with simple folder naming (e.g. “Day 01_Kruger_Morning”).

Is a photography tour worth the cost?

Photography tours are rarely cheap – especially when they involve remote destinations, specialist guides and small groups.

Whether they’re ‘worth it’ depends on what you value. Reasons they often are worth it is that you’re effectively paying for time, access and expertise – things that can take years to piece together without an organised tour.

You’re more likely to return with a cohesive body of work rather than a random collection of snapshots, and many participants describe them as “trips of a lifetime” – not only for the photos but for the friendships and shared focus that goes along with it.

However, be sure to reconsider going on a tour like this if you prefer total independence and wandering off alone; as well as if you’re mainly a casual shooter and would be happiest with a simple sightseeing tour plus a few self-guided photo walks. A good plan in this case is to select a hybrid option i.e. shorter three- to four-day photo workshops attached to a longer general holiday where you can do your own thing.

How can I be a respectful guest while photographing people and places?

The best tips range from always asking permission where appropriate (in many cultures it’s appreciated if you ask before taking someone’s close-up portrait – a smile, a gesture to your camera, and a simple “OK?” go a long way), and being sensitive when it comes to children and vulnerable people (always check with parents or guardians, and avoid images that feel exploitative or that you wouldn’t be comfortable showing them afterwards).

On that note, be sure to share the results if you can – show people the back of the camera; some tours facilitate sending prints or digital copies later.

Lastly, follow local customs and rules: some religious sites or government buildings restrict photography. Your guide should brief you, but asking never hurts.

And remember that you’re telling real stories, so try to avoid clichés and stereotypes. Look for moments of everyday life, dignity and humour – not just ‘exotic’ differences.

What final tips can help me make the most of any photography tour?

Travel as light as you can

Bring what you’re truly going to use. A slightly limited kit you know well beats a back-breaking load you’re going to fumble with.

Embrace all weather

Many iconic images come from ‘bad’ weather such as storms, fog and even drizzle. Have rain protection and keep shooting.

Be patient

Great images often come from waiting: for the animal to move into the right line of light, for a person to walk into your frame, or for clouds to shift.

Stay present

Don’t spend every break on your phone or buried in editing. Take time to actually experience the place’ the sounds, smells and conversations will influence how you shoot.

Back up daily

Assume that anything not backed up twice (or more!) could vanish tomorrow.

Photography tours are about more than just ‘getting the shot’. They’re about immersing yourself in a place with a camera as your excuse to pay extra-special attention to it.

Vanessa Rogers

Image credit: Freepik