Photography tours / adventures
One-to-one private guiding.
Field-based mentorship.
Immersive outdoor experiences.
If you’ve got a camera and you’re comfortable using it, perhaps a photography adventure is for you. I take clients, one-to-one, into the smaller more intimate landscapes of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, as well as along the coasts of the Carolinas, for adventures behind the lens. We bypass the event-like atmosphere of large group workshops, opting for more authentic outdoor experiences focused on connecting with the physical landscape.
On a photo adventure I work ONLY with you. We’ll be able to respectfully move through the natural landscape without overwhelming the resource or affecting the experience of other trail users. You’ll have my undivided attention and we’ll focus on whatever is of greatest value and interest to you.
Skip the large groups and inherent limitations of traditional photography workshops. Get greater personal interaction and more flexibility with a photo adventure.
Let’s get outside together and share an experience.
e-mail: info@markvandyke.net
Where you’ll find me:
day rate:
$500.00 / full-day
Sunrise to sunset.
Want more than one day? Drop me a line and let’s start planning.
e-mail: info@markvandyke.net
The process:
1. Choose a place.
Browse the places that I typically work along the Carolina Coastlines and/or within the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These are the places that I’ve returned to over the decades; the places that I know!
Or, choose a place that I’ve never been! Are you interested in teaming up with me to join you on a new trip or adventure? Somewhere new to both of us? I’m game!
2. Choose a date.
I believe that beauty can be found anywhere at any time. Therefore, I’ll work within your schedule.
I’ve highlighted some of my favorite times to visit the areas I work–and why–within the individual “place” pages found here on my website. These are my suggestions.
However, photo adventures are about the experience of using the camera to creatively connect with the landscape. They are not about bagging trophies for instagram. Thus, I’ll work within your schedule and we’ll make the most of the season and conditions we find.
3. Reach out & prep.
When you’ve got the location and the dates in mind, reach out to me. Drop me a quick line. Let me know your thoughts on place and season.
If there are specific things you really want to see in a particular place, let me know. These will help me structure out our trip together.
Also, if there are any specific camera techniques or areas of improvement that you’d like to focus in on while on our photo adventure, let me know those. Sometimes these areas of interest will help me to choose destinations and structure our time together.
4. Meetup and adventure.
I’ll meet you wherever you are staying on our chosen date and time and we’ll begin our adventure! The time together can be structured in any way that works for us. We’ll break as necessary throughout the time for rest, snacks, meals etc.
What others are saying:
“I participated in a private workshop with Mark in the Outer Banks. His teaching caliber far exceeded my expectations. I went in expecting to learn some specific techniques I wanted to improve, see a couple cool sights, and glean a few insights simply by observing an experienced professional in the field. What I didn’t expect was to leave with a completely new way of thinking about the images I capture. Mark’s teaching style is like his photographic work–understated yet powerfully effective, and with a depth that creates a lasting impression. The whole experience felt tailored to me and where I was in my creative journey. I will be thinking about the lessons Mark taught me for years to come.” –Kristi McLennan, OBX 2023
Questions
Why one-to-one?
Working with one client at a time allows me to offer more targeted photo adventures throughout the year, as well as to ethically access more–and more sensitive–locations. Together, we’ll have absolute flexibility in how long (or short) we stay on a subject. You’ll have my full attention; questions are welcome. One-to-one interaction will give us the greatest opportunity to actually connect and build a relationship. Most importantly, though, one-to-one photo adventures offer space: space to get lost in the landscape and create without the pressures of group and itineraries.
Why choose me?
My focus is on creatively connecting with the natural world.
I know the landscape. I’ve been a full-time photographer for over a decade and developing relationship with the landscape is very important to me. That means returning over and over and approaching the land with curiosity and a desire to learn. It means seeing not only the grand, but the small and the intimate as well.
How does this experience differ?
The purpose of a photography adventure is to practice the craft of outdoor photography in the field alongside a working photographer. Photography adventures focus attention not on the function of the camera but on the place and/or the subject. Our experience will be outdoors and raw.
Adventures are not orchestrated, highly planned, itinerary-driven events. I won’t waste time with activities that are not directly related to connecting with place. We’re either out shooting or we’re talking about photography, creativity, and place between shoots. We stay responsive to the weather and atmospheric conditions, and we follow the opportunities as they show. Photo adventures are informal and flexible; in short, it’s a real day in the field, just as any other I have when I’m working solo.
A mentorship approach.
Mentorship is relational. I’ll meet you wherever you’re at. I do not approach photo adventures as your guru or your coach. If you only need place guidance, then that’s what I’ll deliver. If you’re interested in camera technique and/or scouting strategies, then that’s what we’ll work on. This is an opportunity to go to work with me. We’ll chase beauty, together, and we’ll sort out all the details as we go.
The goal is to use the camera to engage the natural world. To be inspired and to create inspiration.
Have more questions?
Reach out.
e-mail: info@markvandyke.net