For 2023 I am delighted to announce that I am continuing to work with Light and Land Photographic tours to offer three photographic holiday tours.

In 2023 I will be guiding three tours - The Impressions of Holland tour is 11th - 14th April. In May, I will be returning to the UK 21st - 24th May to run my woodland and waves tour on the North Norfolk coast, and in the autumn I have the magical woodlands in the autumn the first week of November. Group size will be between 6-8. Accommodation is always booked on a single basis, so no supplements for travelling on your own. These tours are suitable for any level of photographer, but please note they are holidays rather than training workshops. But of course I will be offering as much help as anyone would like! Especially in regard to the creative side of photography, that I so love to share and enthuse others with. These tours are of a medium exertion level-simply because we are photographing full days (not because there are any hills in Holland!)

For all the info about myself as a tour leader and links to each of the tours I am involved with, click here. For individual tour details, info is below, but by clicking on the title of each tour, that will take you direct to the Light and Land website for full details.

Impressions of Holland Photography Tour - Holland Landscape Photography 

11th - 14th April 2023

Holland, just a short flight or train across the channel, but a world away from being in the UK. Most people know Holland for its cheese and windmills, and of course this photo tour will abound with both of these, but there is so much more to experience in this country which makes it a wonderful photographic destination.

Charlotte has been living in The Netherlands for 10 years now, and has handpicked a selection of locations that she loves for their photographic opportunities and wide variation. Her local knowledge will ensure you visit locations that give you a unique view on this small country.

Included in the tour is of course the chance to explore Amsterdam. This tour is unique in that you will get two bites at the cherry in this vibrant canal city. On day one, your arrival day, you will enjoy an evening in the city to experience the twinkling lights, sunset (hopefully) and blue hour as we position ourselves in a super location where canals cross each other – how many bridges you can get in one image will be your challenge! On the last day you will experience more of the city during a morning walking tour. Charlotte loves the canals for the wonderful reflections, but also the unique architecture and wonderful ambience (which just happens to be different on so many of the canals).

In contrast to Amsterdam, you will also enjoy a day out in the rural villages of Edam and De Rijp, as well as the Beemster Polder. These villages are wonderful to explore, and, in complete contrast to the bustle of Amsterdam, you will feel the speed of life slow down. Out in the polders, there will also be opportunities to photograph windmills in wide open landscapes. Depending on the weather, there may even be the odd tulip field to photograph, but that’s a bonus and not a guarantee!

Cheese and windmills were promised, and your morning at the Gouda cheese market will be an experience to tingle the taste buds, the nose and your camera! You can get right up close for fantastic action shots, as the cheeses fly through the air into the arms of waiting lads on the horse and cart, or the bartering for a good price between sellers. The town of Gouda also offers some lovely back streets to explore. After leaving Gouda we head a little further south to Kinderdijk – famous for its collection of 19 windmills, and you will have the opportunity for wide open landscapes, details, reflections and individual mills photography.

During the tour, Charlotte will be more than happy to share her knowledge of photographing the Dutch landscape in a traditional manner. But she also loves to work with ICM and multiple exposures and to look for the less obvious images of a location, so with her guidance you will have the opportunity to look at this super location in a very different way from the average visitor.

 

Norfolk Photography Tour - Norfolk Woodlands and Waves Photography

21st - 24th May 2023

All the locations picked for this tour have a rugged beauty, and are especially suitable for creative photography, which Charlotte is a specialist in and will happily teach. In addition to the Norfolk coast, this tour also offers a day of woodland photography around the Sandringham estate. Included are also zoom sessions before and after the tour.

If you've never experienced the Norfolk Coast, you're in for a treat! Think wide open skies, beaches of untouched sand as far as the eye can see, dunes and silence. Out of season, the beaches are empty, and you are guaranteed space and time to explore the super locations on offer on this tour. All the locations picked for this tour have a rugged beauty, and are especially suitable for creative photography, which Charlotte is a specialist in and will happily give help and teaching in (Intentional Camera movement and multiple exposure photography are two of her specialisms). In addition to the Norfolk coast, this tour also offers a day of woodland photography around the Sandringham estate. Two locations have been picked for their contrasting opportu
nities for creative photography. 

This 3-day tour offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself into a more creative way of thinking with your photography. Of course, traditional image opportunities still abound, but under Charlotte's guidance you will be encouraged to explore the landscape with special attention to lines, colours and light contrasts, interpreting the landscape in a way unique to the way you experience it. Allowing time to appreciate the effect of the changing tide, the way the wind has sculpted the landscape and how man-made elements can bring a beauty to this environment.

The woodlands will offer a chance to develop your eye for woodland composition and noticing contrasts and balance within images. From small silver birch stands to the beautiful tree lined avenues of the Sandringham estate, and everything in between, this is a great opportunity to develop your woodland photography skills.

For anyone who would like an intro to ICM and multiple exposure, or even a refresher - Charlotte will run an online Zoom session in the week before the tour. There will also be an online zoom session 3 weeks after the tour for the sharing and critique of images made on the tour.

This tour is limited to 6 places.

 

The Netherlands in autumn

31st October - 4th November 2023

Autumn in the Netherlands is a well kept secret. Whilst tourists flock to the tulips in the spring, autumn in the Netherlands is something special. Rising out of the flat lands, woodlands and forests create impressive contrast in this otherwise ordered and low landscape. 

The Netherlands (to name the area of the country you will be visiting correctly) is beautiful in the autumn, and offers striking photographic opportunities of colour and contrast. Straight lines of trees with overhanging reflections in canals in contrast to the gnarled trunks of the ‘dancing trees’ will leave you surprised and amazed at the landscape of the Netherlands – it’s not all cheese, clogs and windmills. 

The colours of autumn present a vista of vibrant leaves amongst strong trunks just waiting to be captured by a camera. There is a unique woodland - Speulderbos - in the east of the Netherlands, where, due to woodland management, the only trees remaining in parts of this area are gnarled and bent, leading to its nickname "the Dancing Trees”, and offering unique woodland photography opportunities. Much of the woodland of the Netherlands has been managed and, as such, you find beautiful woodland rides and pathways between towering ancient trees. Explore "The Old Kings Road" on the way to a hidden pancake house in the woods, and the beautiful castle estate of Ampsen. Remember to watch behind you for cyclists as you photograph a beautiful curved bike path disappearing through the trees and into the mist. Beech, birch, oak, chestnut and willow are just a few of the tree species we shall see.

This itinerary has been put together for us by Charlotte Bellamy, an accomplished photographer and tour guide, who has lived in The Netherlands for 10 years. Charlotte has been photographing these woodlands for over seven years, and no matter what the weather is, she finds unique opportunities to capture the beauty, colour and contrasts. Charlotte will encourage participants to try creating ICM and double exposure images, as well as traditional landscape work.