Nature Talks UK Photography Tours and Workshops FAQs

Nature Talks has been organising photography tours and photography workshops since 2016 with 110+ tours delivered alone in 2025. Our small group photography experiences bring together experienced photography guides, knowledgeable local specialists and carefully planned itineraries.

Many of the team members who answer your enquiries and help with bookings are photographers themselves. We understand the practicalities of travelling with camera equipment and can help you choose a holiday that suits your interests and experience.

Before booking, you can find information about your guide, accommodation, inclusions and physical requirements on each tour page. Before departure, we provide an information pack and invite you to meet your guide online.

Our tours are led by experienced wildlife and landscape photographers, often working alongside knowledgeable local guides. Many of our photography guides are award-winning professionals whose work has been recognised by competitions including Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the British Wildlife Photography Awards and Nature Photographer of the Year. Their photographs and stories have also appeared in leading publications such as National Geographic and BBC Wildlife Magazine.

Throughout the tour, your guide can help with composition, camera settings, fieldcraft, creative techniques and making the most of changing light and conditions. Each tour page introduces your guide and provides more information about their experience, the tuition offered and the guide-to-guest ratio.

The welfare of wildlife always comes before getting a photograph. Our guides follow responsible wildlife photography practices, minimise disturbance, respect local rules and maintain an appropriate distance from animals.

Nature Talks UK is also proud to support Photographers Against Wildlife Crime, an initiative that promotes ethical wildlife photography and challenges harmful practices.

Yes. All Nature Talks UK holidays are conducted in English. 

Not necessarily. The most suitable equipment depends on the destination, the type of tour and the subjects you will be photographing.

For wildlife photography holidays, we normally recommend a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a suitable telephoto lens. For landscape photography, a wide-angle lens, tripod and filters may be useful. Each holiday and workshop page provides specific equipment guidance, and our team can advise you before departure.

Smartphones are not usually suitable as the main camera on our photography holidays, particularly when photographing distant wildlife. However, they may be suitable for some workshops or brought along in addition to a conventional camera. Please check the individual workshop page for its equipment requirements.

We are also developing smartphone-only photography workshops for beginners and anyone wishing to improve their mobile photography skills. To register your interest, please email info@naturetalks.com.

Non-photographing partners or companions may be able to join certain holidays. Please contact us before booking so we can confirm whether the tour is suitable.

They should be comfortable with a photography-focused itinerary, which may include early starts and extended periods in one location while we wait for wildlife or the best light.

Absolutely. Many of our guests travel alone, and our small groups offer a friendly, sociable atmosphere.

Depending on the holiday, you may be able to book a single room for an additional supplement or request a shared twin room with another solo traveller of the same sex.

Room sharing is subject to availability. If we cannot find a suitable person for you to share with, a single-room supplement may apply. We will discuss the available options and any additional cost with you before confirming your room arrangement.

Please check your chosen tour page for the room options and prices.

Most of our photography holidays are limited to a maximum of seven guests. Small groups allow our guides to provide more individual tuition and give everyone enough space to photograph comfortably.

They also reduce our impact on wildlife. Approaching animals in a large group can cause unnecessary disturbance, which is both unethical and less likely to result in natural behaviour or rewarding photographs.

A small number of tours accommodate slightly larger groups. Our Isle of Mull holiday, for example, welcomes up to eight guests but has two photography guides. This provides a maximum ratio of four guests per guide, with the group dividing into two for activities where a quieter approach is needed.

You can find the maximum group size and number of guides on each holiday page.

This varies considerably. Some tours involve short walks from vehicles, while others require longer walks over rough, wet or uneven terrain.

Please check the physical requirements on the individual holiday page. If you have an injury, medical condition or mobility concern, contact us before booking. We will do our best to accommodate you and find practical alternatives or compromises.

Most Nature Talks photography holidays are designed for adults. If you would like to travel with someone under 18, please contact us before booking. Suitability will depend on the destination, accommodation and activities involved.

No responsible wildlife tour operator can guarantee sightings. Wild animals behave unpredictably and sightings can be affected by weather, season and local conditions.

Our guides use their experience and local knowledge to give the group the best possible opportunities while keeping the welfare of the animals first.

The published itinerary explains what we hope to do, but photography tours need flexibility. Your guide may change the order of activities because of weather, tides, wildlife movements, access conditions or the quality of the light.

This flexibility often produces better photographic opportunities.

Photography can continue in many weather conditions, and dramatic weather can create exceptional images. Your guide may adjust the location or timings to make the best of the conditions.

Safety always comes first. An activity may be changed or cancelled if the guide or a local supplier considers conditions unsafe.

This varies between tours and workshops, so please check the respective page for details. A tour will typically include between one and three optional image-review sessions, although the number and format may differ.

You will usually be invited to select two or three images: one you are particularly proud of and one or two that you like but feel could be improved. These sessions give everyone an opportunity to share their work, exchange ideas and receive constructive advice from the guide.

Reviews may be an informal conversation on the sofa or a more structured group presentation. Some tours also include Adobe Lightroom sessions covering how to select and edit your photographs. Participation in all image-review and editing sessions is entirely optional.

Transfers vary between holidays. Some tours include collection from a specified airport, railway station or meeting point; others require guests to make their own way to the accommodation.

The meeting point, transfer arrangements and any applicable times will be stated on the individual holiday page and in your joining information.

Accommodation varies by destination and may include hotels, guesthouses, lodges and specialist wildlife accommodation. On some adventures, you may even spend the night in a photography hide while waiting for bears to appear!

Full accommodation and rooming details are provided on each holiday page. Single, twin and double rooms may be available, although options and single-room supplements vary between tours. Please tell us your preference when enquiring.

Meal arrangements vary. Some holidays include all meals, while others include breakfast and selected lunches or dinners.

Please check the “Included” and “Not Included” sections on your chosen tour or workshop page for the exact arrangements.

We will do our best to accommodate dietary preferences, allergies and intolerances with advance notice.

Options may be limited in remote destinations. Please discuss your requirements with us before booking, particularly if you have a food allergy, so we can check what our accommodation and catering providers can offer.

Your clothing and footwear should suit the destination, season and activities. A rainforest, an Arctic coastline and a Scottish loch all require different preparation.

Your tour or workshop page provides initial guidance. We will also send more detailed recommendations before departure.

Yes. Subject to availability, you can request a free, no-obligation provisional reservation.

• Ten weeks or more before departure: we can hold your place for seven days.
• Less than ten weeks before departure: we can hold your place for 48 hours.

If another customer wishes to book the final available place during this period, we will contact you first and give you the opportunity to confirm your booking.

There is no obligation to book. If you do not confirm by the deadline we provide, your provisional reservation will be released automatically.

The standard deposit for our photography holidays is 20%, with the remaining balance due ten weeks before departure.

If you book less than ten weeks before departure, full payment is normally required when booking.

Different payment arrangements may apply to particular holidays or workshops. We will explain these before you confirm your booking, and your invoice will show the payment amounts and due dates.

Payment can be made by bank transfer, debit card or credit card. Full instructions will be provided with your invoice.

Some tours require a minimum number of participants. We will let you know when your departure is confirmed and you can book your flights.

If your departure is still awaiting confirmation, please contact us for the latest position and the expected decision date. Do not book non-refundable flights or other travel arrangements until you receive our confirmation.

If we cannot operate the tour, we will explain your options, including a refund, in accordance with our booking conditions.

Please notify us in writing as soon as possible.

Cancellation charges depend on how close to departure you cancel and are explained in our booking conditions. Different terms may apply to workshops or particular bookings.

Your travel insurance may cover eligible cancellation costs, depending on the reason for cancellation and your policy.

We will contact you as soon as reasonably possible. You can receive a full refund of the amount paid to us for the cancelled booking or choose a suitable alternative, where available and subject to any agreed price adjustment.

Refunds for package holidays will be made within 14 days of cancellation. Any entitlement to additional compensation will depend on the circumstances and our booking conditions.

The refund does not include flights or other arrangements you booked independently. Any insurance cover for those costs will depend on your policy and the reason for cancellation.

Yes, your package booking is financially protected.

If Nature Talks UK becomes insolvent before your holiday begins, you will receive a full refund of all payments covered by the protection. If this happens during your holiday, protection covers services not provided and, where applicable, your return home.

You are responsible for ensuring that you meet the passport, visa and entry requirements for your destination, including any required health documentation.

Check the latest UK government foreign travel advice and the destination’s official entry requirements well before departure. Seek travel-health advice in good time about recommended or required vaccinations.

Yes. We will email you a PDF information pack covering the meeting point, timings, accommodation, recommended equipment, clothing and local arrangements.

You will also be invited to a pre-trip participant meeting video call to meet your guide and fellow participants and ask questions. The meeting will be recorded and shared afterwards for anyone unable to attend or wishing to watch it again.

For workshops, joining instructions will be emailed before the event. Any pre-workshop meeting will be specified in the workshop details.

Call us on 020 3370 2947
Email us at info@naturetalks.com.

Our usual office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am–6pm UK time.