Peter Langer has travelled to over 170 countries over the years. As a result of his travels, he has prepared numerous presentations to share the beauty and cultural heritage of some of the most wonderful places in the world. In 2016/17 he will escort in-depth cultural & photographic tours sharing some of his favourite places with you, so you can experience these yourself. These cultural and photographic tours are open to all people, including photographers or photography lovers of all levels, from the amateur using their smartphone to seasoned professionals with their professional cameras.

Peter has chosen to work with Bestway Tours & Safaris, which for many years has customized a number journeys for Peter Langer and his team in various parts of the world, including destinations that are difficult to get to or to be in locations at times that are optimal for photography. Each tour price includes arrival and departure transfers from the airport, superior or deluxe class hotels with private facilities, breakfast and many other meals, as stated in the itinerary, local tours and sightseeing and entrance fees, local English-speaking guides in addition to Peter Langer..

Iran Tour

Fall 2017 (15 Days / 14 Nights) Minimum Tour Size: 10 persons.

Tour Notes

These tours are open to photographers or photography lovers of all levels, from amateurs using their smartphone to seasoned professionals with all their sophisticated gear. Peter Langer was personally involved in the development of each tour, as particular attention needed to be paid to the specific needs of photographers, something that would be nearly impossible when traveling on your own for the first time, or with larger group tours.

Schedules & Timings

Our photographic journeys are designed to get participants into unique, engaging locations at the optimum times for photography. We have programmed our visits to be at significant locations during the best possible available light, subject to weather conditions and opening hours. On our tour we aim to keep a flexible schedule to take advantage of the photographic moment within reason, thus we travel more slowly than typical tours, providing our tour guests the opportunity to understand the culture and customs of a particular location and to connect with the local people or photograph the wildlife at leisure, resulting in memorable interactions wherever we travel.

Group Size

We have limited our group size, so we can guarantee our guests a more rewarding and fulfilling experience. Additionally, with smaller groups, we are able to give more personalized attention to each tour guest and we can be more flexible with each day’s plan, adjusting to conditions and events that present themselves. The small group sizes also means that we spend less time organizing everyone for activities. Photographic interaction between our tour guests and the local people is also more easily facilitated.

Physical Fitness

This is a fairly minimum activity level tours. I’ve done this tour with passengers of varying fitness levels, they all get by. In Madagascar be prepared for some climbing on narrow steep paths in the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve and for uneven walks in the rainforests.

Photography Notes by Peter Langer

Discover beautiful places that are filled with magic created by natural light. Experience remarkable and memorable moments that happen unexpectedly, which makes for unforgettable images that stimulate the senses and emotions.

Finding photo gear in many far away locations can actually be quite difficult, so please ensure that you have all your accessories before leaving home.In the evenings Peter will be happy to offer one-on-one photo editing and critique sessions with tour members. Also every morning an orientation and a pre-shoot discussion will take place. Please be advised that no photographic instruction will take place during the tour and that Peter is not a camera technician and we kindly request that you know your equipment well.

Photographic equipment

Even if you only pack a smartphone, we take you to locations where it is impossible to take a bad photo. That being said, if you want to get the best out of your trip, I recommend taking gear you are comfortable and familiar with. I recommend bringing along a DSLR or a mirror-less camera with interchanging lenses. We visit vastly diverse places, meaning that you will probably use a variety of different lenses. If you want to get the best out of your trip, I recommend taking gear you are comfortable and familiar with. When it comes to lenses, you should take into consideration weight, versatility, lens speed and cost, did I mention weight? My suggestion is you take at least a wide angle zoom and a telephoto zoom. You definitely should consider taking a macro-lens or macro extension tubes for the photography of many small creatures. If you are considering packing a 300 mm lens or longer, you would very likely use it to shoot birds.

What Photo Accessories Should I Bring?

I think that no matter what you’re shooting, even a smartphone, you might want to bring a tripod. You will likely want a polarizing filter in the mountains to make the most out of the landscapes. A gradient ND filter, and a polarizer will definitely come in handy. If you love taking close-ups and for macrophotography, I recommend bringing a ring flash.

To find photographic accessories in many countries is actually extremely difficult, if not impossible. Before leaving North America, please ensure that you are bringing the following with you:

• Extra memory cards
• Batteries
• Battery charger
• Power adapter
• Cleaning gear for lenses & for sensor
• Filters
• Flash
• Tripod

Can I Rent Photography Gear?

To rent gear in outside larger cities is nearly impossible and extremely costly in some countries. If you need to rent lenses or camera bodies please do this before joining the tour, as there might not be time whilst on tour. Please be forewarned that Peter is not a camera technician and will not be able to help you with a piece of equipment that you are not familiar with, sorry.

Should I Bring a Laptop?

That all depends on how much editing you want to do on the road. Remember that I will be offering some photo editing sessions and critiques along the way. Thus, if you want some help during those sessions, it really helps if you have your own laptop, or at the very least a tablet, so we can look at your images together. Personally I think that having a laptop is fundamental when it comes to backing up your images. I also use backup portable hard drives.

Will there be any 1-on-1 Sessions?

In the evenings I will be happy to offer one-on-one photo editing and critique sessions with tour members. During breakfast every morning although a pre-shoot discussion will take place. Out in the field I won’t be giving many instructions to the group, however I will point out great shots the very moment I see them, as it is all about the sharing of the beauty of the moment.

Tips on People Photography

I do not ‘pay’ people for letting me take their photo. This is something that different photographers have different criteria. Personally it doesn’t feel quite right, as it only encourages the locals to start posing and start demanding money, without being asked to do so. In the case of children I feel very strongly that we should refrain from handing out well-meaning gifts, since we only create a horrendous beggar culture that will start demand bonbons, pens or cadeaux (gifts).

When it comes to photographing strangers in Madagascar it is super easy, as the local will welcome it with broad smiles. I generally shoot first and ask questions later, however if someone says no or I notice the person to feel uncomfortable being photographed, I do respect their wishes.

More Questions

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: info@peterlanger.com or call me at 604-984-2811.