VIETNAM Hanoi, Ha Giang, Dong Van

Vietnam won my heart, my spirit and my eyes! It’s an incredible country and the 11 day workshop I did there in 2019 blew our collective minds. 

The warm and friendly people, the delicious food, the out of this world landscapes, the fascinating history and culture – and of course the colours and beautiful light. 

All of this is embedded in my spirit now, and I can’t wait to return.  

I will make this a once-in-a-lifetime-adventure.

We will make incredible photos, discover wonderful places and have a tremendous amount of fun together.

There is nothing more gratifying for me than hanging out with other passionate photographers – sharing ideas, tips and of course our photos!

We will start by capturing the street life and atmosphere of Hanoi – from the early morning markets, to creating street portraits and reportage, as well as capturing the atmosphere of this energetic city.

We’ll wander through the original streets of the Old Quarter, capture the fast-paced awakening modernity of Hanoi, check out the evolving arts scene and of course meet people and experience the city in all of its vibrancy. 

We’ll then head north to Ha Giang province, in northern Vietnam, to explore villages and the breath-taking natural beauty of one of the more remote and un-touristy parts of the country.

Ha Giang is home to amazing mountain ranges, almost otherworldly in their formations.

I’ll show you how to create beautiful landscapes of the many epic vistas around the Dong Van Rocky Plateau and the mystical landscapes of Quan Ba.

We will capture sunrise at the awe-inspiring Ma Pi Leng Pass and the islands of the shimmering Thac Ba Lake.

The province is home to many minority villages, with diverse cultures which we will explore. We’ll stop by some busy markets and stay in some wonderful locally run eco-lodges.

November is one of the best times to visit this region – with cool, dry weather and an average temperature of 24 degrees. It’s an excellent time for photography in the region.

We will also create photo stories of the people and journey we are making.

We’ll do a mix of iconic sights and off the beaten track. You’ll get to capture world famous sights – and I’ll show you how to capture them in interesting and unique ways; there is always a new angle.  

I will be working with each individual in achieving your individual visual voice. Helping you come away with images that are personal to you.

And if you know me, you’ll know we’ll also be seeing the places and meeting people that I have sought out to bring the ‘unexpected and unique’ into our workshops.

I want to show you how I discover a new place, how I dig into the local culture, history and community to create my photos.

But most importantly – this workshop is about you. It’s about your photo journey – about you growing in skill, technique and conscience. It’s about your creativity and learning how to keep improving your art.

I am so excited to be doing this – and I hope you will join me for this incredible adventure.