better travel photography•COM
testimonials for steve's tours
photo tours with steve davey
Website, Images and text © Steve Davey/stevedavey.com 1990 - 2023
Steve only leads a four or five tours a year to balance with his professional and family life! He started running the Better Travel Photography tours in 2006.
Here are some of the testimonials from previous trips. These will give you some idea as to what people who have travelled with Steve think about the trips and what they have got from being on them.
Perhaps the most telling thing about the trips though is the amount of repeat business that we get from people who travel with us time and again This is one of the reasons why we keep changing tours and itineraries. We have had a couple of people travel with us on at least seven trips, and many people have done in excess of four or five trips.
This is a great indication that, although we are always striving to improve our trips, we must be getting something right!
A bespoke range of photographic tours, designed and led by travel photographer Steve Davey. These tours draw on Steve's years of experience and intimate knowledge of some of the most fascinating and evocative parts of the planet.
More than a holiday, you will benefit from many picture taking opportunities as well as tailored photographic tuition & encouragement.
"Steve provides a great mix of a normal holiday as well as a photography holiday. Most nights before dinner there is an optional photography lesson which usually relates to something the following day where you can practice any nuggets of information gleaned the previous night - or you can do your own thing and just explore the local area. The itinerary is designed around both great photographic opportunities, as well as great sight-seeing where you can lean more towards your preference on the trip at the time. Having been on a few trips now, there are usually some random extras that happen along the way, usually facilitated by the local guides that Steve works very closely with - for example, on one trip, we were asked at around 4pm whether we'd like to go to a traditional wedding that night! Most of us jumped at the chance and we ended up with a totally unplanned awesome experience starting with the groom (and his party) riding horses through the street in a procession and ending with a rooftop wedding! Steve has a captivating personality where he meets everyone at their level, and is therefore easy to get along with and makes a great person to go on a photography trip with."
JK - Impressions of India
"Journeying in open top jeeps through the Chitral Valley and breathtaking Hindu Kush mountains of Northern Pakistan has been one of our more memorable and exciting travel experiences giving us remarkable insights into rare cultures of which we had no previous understanding and fabulous photographic opportunities.
Brilliantly dressed monks enacting traditional Tibetan buddhist rituals at Korzog Gompa were unforgetable. Korzog lies on the shores of Tso Moriri a remote lake high in the Indian Himalaya close to the border with China. The air is thin and clear and the views across the Tibetan Plateau are never-ending. It's the domain of leather skinned nomadic families and their yak herds. You can't help taking great photographs.
Perched on the rim of a unique stone cut church at Lalibela in Ethiopia we looked down on traditional Coptic Easter celebrations until late in the night. The dim candlelight illuminated elaborately robed priests carrying intricate crosses and their white robed supplicants. These scenes begged to be photographed and yielded a treasure trove of spiritual images.
Some of these experiences will never be repeated but they were moments from photographic trips we have taken with Steve Davey.
Travelling with Steve has been a joy. He has the happy knack of being able to combine his extensive knowledge and experience of travel photography with an inexhaustible supply of optimism and off beat humour. Sensitive beings beware.
Using the resources of Intrepid Travel as a starting point and then customising to his own requirements he manages to provide great value to his clients in some wonderful locations around the world. We have travelled with Steve several times in recent years and all the trips have left lasting memories as well as portfolios of wonderful images, very useful if you belong to a photography club.
D & J - Various trips
"If you've ever wanted to truly experience something new, something exciting, something that has the power to change how you perceive the world around you, then Steve Davey is your answer. Whether you're a seasoned traveller / photographer or a novice, you'll find something special and unique in every trip. I don't say this lightly, but Steve's photography tours can create pivotal life moments, the ones that you always reflect back on as vibrant, exquisite, empowering, and profound. My first trip to India with Steve is one of my important life moments, permanently etched into my memory. I can't wait for the next!"
JR - Impressions of India
"I have travelled with Steve Davey eight times since 2006, four of them to India (accompanied by superb local guide Chetan), plus Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Laos and Cambodia, and Myanmar. All have been very enjoyable and included many returning travellers, some of whom I had met before. While I’m a much better photographer now than we first met, and have less to learn from Steve, I know that the trip will be full of surprises and always lots of fun — especially if you enjoy a quiet beer or two at the end of the day.·
Steve loves festivals and many of his trips are timed to coincide with local events, that bring out the best local colour and opportunities for great pictures.
While many photographers offer tours now, Steve was one of the first, and normally uses Intrepid to provide the essential logistics and infrastructure of hotels, transport, extra guides etc. This helps make them very economical compared with some.
GW - Various trips
"Impressions of Ladakh was an unforgettable experience. Not only because of the immense beauty of the Ladakh region, but also because of the complete trip experience; headed by Steve Davey. Steve is a great tour leader with an extensive knowledge of photography as well as being a great travel companion. I learnt some invaluable skills from Steve, which have helped me to construct better pictures ever since. The tour group was relatively small compared to other tour companies - which was ideal as we had a full timetable of places to go and see, but without feeling rushed like it would have been if we were in a large group. Steve had set up a Facebook group so we could all get to know each other before the trip started, this helped us to all “hit the ground running” when we arrived in Delhi, and also gave us a chance to chat about what we needed to take with us, etc. All-in-all, an immensely enjoyable trip; and one that I have recommended, and will keep on recommending to other friends and colleagues that are interested in photography. I can’t wait until my next trip with Steve."
JC - Impressions of Ladakh
“Impressions of Ladakh” takes you to an amazing and fairly remote part of the world where you will experience some stunning scenery, beautiful architecture and very welcoming people. As you would expect, there are plenty of opportunities taking photographs with Steve being to hand to provide practical help, assistance or guidance. Additionally, during the evenings Steve provides a series of informative & illustrated talks on both technical and creative aspects of travel photography. Of course, travelling with a like-minded set of people is an excellent chance to have a great time and make new friends which is in no small part thanks to Steve’s enthusiasm and charisma. I would definitely recommend one of Steve’s tours for anyone would enjoys travelling and wants to improve their photography.
NC - Impressions of Ladakh
Impressions of Ladakh surpassed my expectations in so many ways. Ladakh is beautiful, with its peaceful monasteries, stunning landscapes and welcoming people. This leads to amazing photo opportunities and with Steve as your teacher, you can't go wrong. Steve is a fantastic photographer and a brilliant teacher. Whether you're a beginner like me or an experienced photographer, there is so much that Steve can teach you and you're only bound by your ability to take it all in!
Travelling with like minded people makes all the difference as you have so much fun sharing experiences and learning from each other. The greatest achievement for me was learning to shoot in manual mode! I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to improve their photography, no matter what level you're at, whilst seeing an amazing part of India.
MF - Impressions of Ladakh
If you enjoy photography you will love travelling with Steve on one of his amazing adventures. I learnt more about photography from Steve in a couple of exciting weeks in Ladakh than I have in years! On top of this Ladakh was the most amazing destination - filled with ancient monasteries, surrounded by rugged & stark mountains, delightful people (who love having their photos taken) and a Tibetan Buddhist festival – this is a trip of a lifetime.
LY - Impressions of Ladakh
Steve's Impressions of India trip did everything it said on the tin and more. Not only did I get to see some of the most incredible sights, I've got spectacular photos to prove it. The combination of an intrepid tour guide with local knowledge and Steve's travel experience and photography instruction made it stand out from other trips I've been on. In three weeks I managed to go from complete beginner to competent user. SLR's not needed!
SG - Impressions of India
My trip to Morocco with Steve Davey was truly inspirational and one of the best trips I have ever been one. During the trip, Steve gave me a great insight into what it takes to be a great travel photographer. He willing shared his expertise with all the group throughout the day whilst we took photographs and gave talks most evenings. Personally, Steve has help me improve my photography both technically and artistically – I particularly remember him pointing out a great photo opportunity in Casablanca which he taught me to anticipate and take the photo I want rather than missing the opportunity. On top of all of this, Steve is a very charismatic and funny guy who is great fun to travel with - I would definitely travel with Steve again!
NC - Impressions of Morocco
... Steve Davey was the best. I can't believe everything that I've learnt about photography in those 2 weeks or the places that we saw but I have the photos to prove it!
JT - Morocco Through the Lens
The range of places visited made it a fantastic introduction to a fascinating country. While Steve Davey's excellent tuition and encouragement made it a brilliant intro to the art of travel photography. I'm now hooked on both.
FB - Morocco Through the Lens
Steve Davey certainly knows his stuff and I would recommend that trip, most highly!
LR - Morocco Through the Lens
Steve Davey did a great job with the tutorials keeping them to the point and giving impromptu talks on the bus on whatever people were interested in, plus personal support as necessary
AR - Morocco Through the Lens
India through the Lens accompanied by Steve Davey was an unforgettable experience. Steve went out of his way to share his knowledge and ensure that we got the best photographic opportunities. I learnt so much and it was a great experience to travel with others who shared my love of photography...
...Fantastic trip for anyone who has an interest in photography. Steve Davey's ability and willingness to share his amazing talent far exceeded my expectations
CB- India Through the Lens
Steve gave excellent lectures and was very generous with his time
GW - India Through the Lens
