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phototours with steve davey.
Drawing on Steve's many years of experience as a Travel Photographer which has seen him travel to almost 100 countries and territories – many of them on multiple occasions; and Intrepid Travel's network of Worldwide offices, expert leaders and 35 years of running small group adventures, we can offer you unforgettable travel photography tours to a wide range of stunning destinations at prices that are far lower than our competitors. You can see our current tours and the tours we are working on below.
We believe our tours are completely unique: our collaboration with Intrepid Travel combined with Steve Davey's irrepressible energy and years of experience as a travel photographer means that we can offer you photography tours that are unmatched in the industry.
I have been organising and leading my exclusive range of travel photography tours in association with Intrepid Travel since 2006, and I believe that this gives me a truly unique product, which offers you the perfect balance with tours that are organised and led by a passionate and enthusiastic photographer, but with the backing of one of the biggest and best names in adventure travel.

I am passionate about travel and about travel photography, and on my tours I work hard to share that passion. I am not a passive photographer: I believe that the best way to come back from a trip is to completely immerse yourself in the country that you are travelling. I think that a good photographer should try everything in the quest to try to feel and experience as much as possible.
For me this has included feeding wild hyenas - with my teeth, bathing in the Ganges, being covered in paint at the Holi festival in India, joining in the tomato fights of the Tomantia in Spain and the orange fights at the Binche Carnival in Belgium - and countless other crazy festivals, events and happenings.
It has also included approaching and engaging with countless local people on my travels. This is the way to get sympathetic and engaged portraits - it is certainly the way to take portraits in a moral way that doesn't intrude or exploit people.
On my tours I will be constantly on hand to encourage you to experience as much as possible and also to engage with as many people as you can. One of the main advantages of our collaboration with Intrepid Travel is that we will be accompanied by one of their expert local leaders as well, which will give us an incredible insight into the country and the people who live there. Intrepid local leaders are all passionate about showing you the true side of a country, and taking you to out of the way and genuine places, where we can witness and photograph real life.
This why I tend not to steer clear of canned photo-opportunities where the whole group tries to photograph a set-up portrait with a paid model - something that seems to be popular on some photography tours. I want you to experience authentic moments with real people, and also to learn who to create these moments for yourself.
Although I have a BA(Hons) in photography, and can talk for hours about photography techniques and theories if you are interested, the main improvements to your photography will come from this spirit of engagement, and from an emphasis on learning to see pictures and adjust your composition to make your pictures more meaningful and more effective.
Consequently we don't have any restrictions on the type of camera that you can use - even if you are only using a smartphone or a simple compact camera. Obviously though, if you are struggling with any of the technical aspects of photography, then I will of course be able to explain in simple terms whet the issue might be and how to correct it.
Unlike some tours we also don't have an upper age limit on our trips. I realise that age is not necessarily an indicator of how anyone will cope with the trip, or their level of fitness. What matters more to me is how someone travels, and how they fit into the group. I am, of course, always happy to discuss the physical requirements of any trip in advance, to see if it is suitable, and what we can might be able to do to help anyone cope better.
Please do reach out via the contact link above if you have any questions at all.
You can see our currently available tours, and the ones that we are working on below.
I do hope that you decide to join me on one of my tours in the future.
Steve Davey
You can read more about how we run our tours and my vision for them here.
Steve only runs four or five tours a year to balance with his family life and varied professional work. This also helps to keeps things fresh: running tours with Steve's passion and enthusiasm takes a lot of energy: spreading our schedule means that you will get the same incredible dynamism on each tour. You can see the tours that we are currently selling, and those that are in planning below. On the tours that are in progress you can register your interest which is vital for our more popular destinations.
Morocco is an endlessly fascinating and colourful destination, which manages to blend modernity and history, whilst still retaining much of its charm and culture.
We spend time exploring the iconic city of Marrakech, with its thriving main square which conjures up images of the North Africa of the movies. We also visit the walled coastal city of Essaouira, made famous as a location in Game of Thrones.
There is a cinematic link to our next destination too: the ancient kasbah of Ait Benhaddhou, has been countless films and TV series over many years. It lies under the North Star as so is the perfect place for shooting perfect star trails.
On this adventurous trip we also stay in two photogenic areas of desert - including soaring dunes in the Sahara Desert, visit a number of small traditional villages and take in the atmospherically unchanged walled town of Taroudent.
India is a land of festivals and one of the most iconic is the Pushkar Mela, which is synonymous with a sea of camels spread out across the desert. We will also attend the little-known Kolyat Mela that attracts pilgrims and Indian sadhus to bathe in a holy lake.
As well as these two festivals, we will see many of the highlights of this great state: the cities of Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur, and the towns of Jaisalmer and Bikaner, where we will photograph Palaces, ancient Forts and historic buildings.
We will also explore the more rural region of Shekhawati, which is noted for its historic painted buildings that were decorated with ornate murals in the 17th–19th centuries by Marwari merchants.
The historic theme to this trip carries on in our accommodation: we will stay in former havelis, a stately home and even a Maharajah's hunting palace.
Laos is undoubtedly one of the most laid back countries in Asia, and still retains much of its original charm. This exciting photography tour will be timed so that we can visit the Wat Phu Champassak festival, where long lines of monks receive gifts and alms from hundred of pilgrims amidst the ancient Khmber ruins.
Our exciting itinerary will take in the highlights of this incredible country from top to bottom: we will explore the languid islands of Si Phan Don on the Cambodian border, enjoy the lively cities of Pakse and the capital Vientiane, photograph the hauntingly mysterious Plain of Jars, visit hilltribes amidst stunning mountainous scenery in the far North before finishing in the iconic city of Luang Prabang - an enchanting blend of culture and history.
Ladakh is, quite literally, a breathtaking destination - perched at the very roof of India, the atmosphere here feels more Tibetan than Indian. It is a land of monks and monasteries; of snow-capped mountains, high passes and fluttering prayer flags.
Our itinerary will be timed to witness an ancient religious festival in a historic Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in the remote Zanskar Valley, where we will see traditional masked Cham dancers. We will also be able to witness the Leh Polo Festival, a blend of culture and exciting equestrian sport.
As well as comprehensively exploring the ancient Leh Valley, we will cross the towering Khardung La pass to the Nubra Valley, visit the Hemis and Lamayuru Monasteries, before driving to the Zanskar Valley. We will leave Ladakh on an adventurous drive to Manali in Himachal Pradesh, before finishing in the hillstation of Dharamashala.
Madagascar gives new meaning to the word unique: although influenced by cultures as far afield as France and Indonesia, the blend that forms the culture of this island nation is like nowhere else you will have ever been.
We are planning to revisit the town of Marondava for the Avenue de Baobab and the remote Tsingy de Bemaraha, before flying to Ifaty in the south, before driving back to the capital Antananarivo.
The wildlife in Madagascar is particularly unique, most notably with the endemic species of Lemur and Sifakas, which come in a bewildering array of species - you may even be lucky enough to encounter the feared Fossa. There are also countless chameleons and plants that you will find nowhere else on Earth - including many species of mighty Baobab trees.
Turkey has long been at the crossroads of history, culture and even religion. This slightly shorter trip will start in the mesmerising city of Istanbul which spans Europe and Asia and has influences of both.
Delving into ancient history, we head to the spectacularly preserved Greco-Roman metropolis of Ephesus on the Aegean coast to photograph the exquisite facade of the Library of Celsus and the ancient calcite terraces of Pamukkale, and the nearby ruins of the thermal spa of Hierapolis.
Further afield we witness the Whirling Dervishes of the conservatively religious city Konya, before carrying on to the incomparable town of Cappadocia, which is noted for its fairy chimney rock formations, ancient underground cities, and unique cave dwellings - best observed on a sunrise hot air balloon ride.
There is so much to see in Sri Lanka, with incredible historic sites, vibrant cities and even tea-covered highlands. This adventurous journey visits many of the highlights, giving a spectacular insight into the history and culture of this vibrant island.
We will photograph the best of the incredible historic sites: the religious caves at Dambulla, the ruins of Pollonnaruwa and Anuradhapura with its vast religious stupas and the stunning rock fortress of Sigiriya – perched on a massive granite outcrop.
Sri Lanka boasts incredible wildlife too, and we will explore the Yala National Park, looking for Leopards and wild elephants at the Minneriya Reserve.
Holi is the festival of colours, and nowhere celebrates more than the city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh - the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Holi in Mathura, and nearby Vrindavan, is a festival of exuberance and joy, and we will spend the time to photograph all of the different traditional celebrations, including the Haurangi, where women beat men with ripped garments or even sticks.
We are also planning on including the nearby Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, the fascinating city of Gwalior with its incredibly opulent Maharajah's Palace, colourful fort and carved Jain statues, and the stunning majesty of the Taj Mahal at Agra.
This will be one of our Assignment... series of tours, designed to emulate the approach of a professional photographer to a festival or significant event.
We can organise a Tailormade tour to any destination in the World for any duration. It might be a few days in the UK, somewhere in Europe or even further afield. Past destinations have ranged from a few days on Dartmoor in Devon, to an extended tour of Nepal.
A tailormade trip gives you the ultimate freedom. You can select exactly where we go, and what we photograph, the level of accommodation and even the inclusions. You can also select who you travel with, organising a trip just for family or a group of friends.