Equine Photo Expedition 08.-11.09.2023
Highlands Tour – Scotland
Have you ever dreamt of exploring Scotlands mystical highlands? This Expedition brings you to the best spots in Scotland, from dark lochs and smooth mountains, to bright beaches with impressive draft horses and shaggy ponies.This tour offers sessions with local horses, with special emphasis on native breeds, rare and endangered equines and free living horses. The choice of sessions, locations and breeds allows for a wide variety and experience.
Date
08.-11. September 2023
group size
min. 4 max. 7 persons
Trip Type
Photo Tour
Fitness Level
Moderate, with hiking
- Expedition date
- 08.-11. September 2023 (4 days) – updated dates!
- Start and End in Edinburgh, Great Britain
- Min. 4 / max. 7 Persons
- Schedule
- This photo tour will start in Edinburgh in Scotland, from where we will start our tour trough the Scottish Highlands, with day tours from our home base in the Cairngorms.
- Be ready for 2 photo sessions a day and return with a full hard drive full of wonderful photos.
- We are planning multiple photo sessions (2x day) in the natural scenery of the highlands and islands with free horses and horses on photo halters
- The locations feature exclusive photo sessions with typical Scottish locations such as the picturesque mountains, lochs, lakes and coasts, with portrait and action sessions with different breeds in front of castles, on beaches and free roaming herds.
- 2x Theoretical classes: Basic workflow with Adobe Lightroom and how to retouch photo halters and live editing of one of the pictures taken during the day
Informations
- Equipment
- We will have mainly staged photo sessions with portraits, herds and free roaming horses sessions. You can’t do nothing wrong with your standard 70-200 mm Iens, but I strongly encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and take the opportunity to try out new lenses.
- To include landscapes and architecture, a 35 mm is a good choice, and to be more flexible a 24-105 mm or similar zoom is a great alternative.
- For wildlife shots and free horses I recommend 100-400 mm lenses. More tele zoom would only be necessary, if you also plan to photograph wildlife / birds.
- You may bring your laptop for the theoretical class and to store your photos.
- Outfit
- The weather in Scotland's mountains and islands can change very fast. In summer we can have warm weather as well as wind and rain in the same day. Bring protection against the sun and rain, there will be situations when we are very exposed to the elements.
- Hiking boots or trekking shoes are a must. Make sure to walk them in before the trip.
- Please bring waterproof shoes and rain coats and change wear, in case there is more wind and rain than anything else.
- Fitness
- Tours including hiking require a basic level of fitness or at least you should be determined to reach the destination (at your pace 😉 ). I’m also a slow hiker compared to the mountain folk, but I have a strong will to grow beyond my limits. (the photos will be worth it and after a few days you will forget the pain). On flat plains, beach sessions or big pastures you still need to walk a lot to reach the destination.
- Weather
- We will take pictures in any weather, except in thunder storms or unbearable weather. Weather in the mountains or close by the sea can be extreme and slightly unpredictable, but safety is more important than being struck by lightning for a horse photo. Worst case, the sessions on exposed areas must be cancelled or switched.
- Social
- The Expedition is very intense and we will spend much time together. For this reason I reserve the right to pick the best candidate for a tour, to ensure we will get along well.
- Accommodation & Food
- We will sleep in shared rooms (double) in different locations
- In some locations we are self-catering, but the house has a well equipped kitchen.
- Language
- I will speak English, German or French depending on the group requirements.
- The local languages are English and Scottish Gaelic.
- The local currency is British Pounds.
Payment details
- Invest
- 1999 € – regular price
- 999 € – Influencer deal > contact me for details!
- Loyalty Bonus: Participants of past Explorer Events get a 10% discount
- Book Now!
Equine Photo Expeditions are intense, adventurous and absolutely unique. This is the photo tour of a lifetime you won’t regret.
Sign Up to this Expedition!
Register now by email to cecile@thepixelnomad.com or use this form.
I will get back to you immediately with detailed informations.
Impressions of the locations and models
Beautiful landscapes, native breeds of horses, free-roaming herds and regional attractions await you.
Adventure is calling, so we must go
Expedition
Your photographic adventure of a lifetime is calling you to join this unique horse photo tour. I have explored the best locations during my travels to take photos: from the highest glacier valley, to dramatic mountain sceneries, perfect beaches, free roaming horses and beautiful stallions — each session is a highlight and many locations will literally blow your mind and will make your flash drives glow hot. During the 6 to 10 day Expedition we will visit my favourite places and discover their horses in a small and diverse group, so the adventurers can inspire each other, exchange knowledge and share experiences.
- The Facts
- 6-10 days
- Small group (max. 6-8)
- 2-4 photo sessions a day
- Experienced models
- Tested locations
- For beginners to pros
- Travel expenses incl.
- Accommodation incl.
- The idea
- Exciting photo tours for curious equine photographers who seek new adventures, whilst discovering old traditions, different cultures and photographing the finest horses in picturesque landscapes.
- Staged photo sessions
- Free roaming horses
- Unique locations & sqcenery
- Native horse breeds
Exciting and unique
What to expect
During the past years I have made many contacts to amazing horses and people in different parts of Europe. For my unique horse photo tour Expeditions, I will put together one highlight after another. Our horse models will be mostly local horse breeds with a special focus on rare and endangered breeds. Each Expedition in unique and I don’t plan to repeat them in the following years.
Think outside the box
What you can learn
The Equine Photo Expedition is not like a workshop. We don’t have any theoretical classes, but focus on travelling, exploring and discovering new locations, amazing horses and the best scenery the place offers. But this doesn’t exclude any learnings! We will share experiences and give each other insights in our workflow, by spending time with each other and work together. Before embarking the tour we will have a preparation call to get to know and clear things up. A harmonic and social group is crucial to a successful trip together as a group. I strongly encourage you to step out of your photographic comfort zone and experiment with new techniques, lenses and angles during the tour.
Join the adventures
Upcoming Expeditions
Check out my Expeditions for the upcoming year. Don’t miss to sign up, they will not be repeated and spots are limited.
2023.06 Expedition: North Tour — Faroese Summer
Date: 23.-27. June 2023 (5 days)
Start/End: Vagar, Faroe Islands
Photo Tour on the Faroe Islands
#explorer_tour
Do you want to see photos of past Explorer Tours on Instagram? Have a look at #explorer_tour and see the results of the other photographers who joined me for a tour.
Informations & Basic conditions
The Expedition is very intense and we will spend much time together. For this reason I reserve the right to pick the best candidates for a diverse and international group of talents, to ensure we will get along well and inspire each other.
- General
- Each Expedition is individual in destination and theme. It is my aim to provide a high diversity in topics, formats and motives.
- My focus is on unique landscape experiences and interesting horses, therefore it is possible that we change locations during the day and drive to the next session and sleep in different places.
- The Expedition will take place in any weather.
- Fitness
- Tours including hiking require a basic level of fitness or at least a determination to arrive at your pace 🙂
- Experience
- You should have a basic experience in photography and know your camera. The Expedition offers unique and challenging possibilities for amateurs and professionals.
- Dogs
- On most tours my two dogs travel with us and it is important that you are not afraid nor allergic of dogs.
- Gear
- Camera with battery and flash cards, Portrait lens with min. 100 mm (e.g. 70- 200 mm).
- You may have opportunities to experiment with wide angle (e.g. 24 mm or 35 mm)
- For wildlife and free horses I recommend more than 200 mm (e.g. 100-400 mm or 300 mm or more.)
- You should be experienced to handle the camera in manual mode
- You may bring your laptop, some Explorer Days will have an opportunity to edit.
- Cloths
- You should bring clothing and footwear according to the weather and landscape conditions.
- Wear new hiking boots already at home, pack sun protection and rain protection for you and your camera.
- Fitting gear and track, depending on the tour topic.
- A backpack which fits your camera AND hiking gear
- Bring a snack box and refillable water bottle
- Use of Photos
- All Photos can be used for your portfolio, your website, social media accounts and your private usage. For the owners and models you need to send 3 edited photos per session not later than 6 months after our tour.
- Commercial use is possible, if you send 10 photos per session not later than 3 months after our tour, or at least before the intended commercial usage.
- Included
- Accommodation
- Breakfast
- Lunch Bag
- Snacks and drinks
- Travel costs and transport during Expedition
- Modell fees
- Preparation call before the tour
- Multiple unique photo sessions
- Breathtaking Locations
- Discussions & inspiration
- Excluded
- Arrival / travel expenses to and from pickup
- Insurances
- Dinner and extra meals
- Personal expenses
- Your camera equipment
- Teaching, Coaching, Lessons
Exploristas
I was fortunate to be accompanied by these amazing photographers. Here’s what they say.
Die liebe Cecile von The Pixel Nomad - vor die Linse Fotografie, plant und organisiert immer wieder Explorer Days und am 15. Februar war eins dieser tollen Events! Ich hab mich so gefreut, dass sie für mich noch ein Plätzchen hatte, denn ich wollte schon so lange Haflinger in Bergen fotografieren und bin nie wirklich dazu gekommen. Der Tag war super schön, mit lieben Menschen und Tieren, sehr toll organisiert, vom ersten Kontakt bis zum gemütlichen Abschluss-Abendessen und ich kann die Explorer Days von Cecile nur jedem ans Herz legen! Danke <3
Adventurous, exhausting and awesome.
This is probably the best way to describe the Alm-weekend. If you are looking for locations that you can't reach by car, but only by foot, a tour with Cécile during the Almsummer is the right choice. In addition to unique horses and locations, you will also get an insight into her way of working with horses and an honest exchange (if you like). For me it was a very successful weekend with many special impressions, a lot of kisses from the two four-legged family members of Cécile and lots of new pictures on the hard drive. It won't be the last time 🙂
Noch nie habe ich bei einer Fotosession so viel gelernt wie mit Cecile auf der Explorer Tour. Wir durchstreiften verschiedene Projekte von "Wildpferden" in Deutschland und ich kam mit so vielen schönen und aussagekräftigen Bildern nach Hause. Cecile hat viel Mühe in die Organisation der Tour gesteckt, und so hatten wir ein volles Wochenende mit wunderbaren Reisezielen! Ich würde diese Tour sehr empfehlen!
Wenn du auf der Suche nach einem wirklich einzigartigen und aufregenden Abenteuer bist - dann solltest du Cecile auf ihren Explorer-Touren begleiten! Es war eine wirklich lustige und lehrreiche Erfahrung, mitzumachen, wenn sie neue Leute kennen lernt, über ihr Projekt berichtet und unbekannte Orte und Modelle erkundet. Sie gibt großartige Einblicke in ihre Arbeitsweise und die Herangehensweise an ein Projekt - eine praktische Erfahrung, die normale Workshops kaum vermitteln können. Man kann nie mit Sicherheit wissen, wie eine solche Tour ausgehen wird, aber sie wird auf jeden Fall bemerkenswert sein.
