Tour details
Basic information
Group size
Max 5
Duration
10 days
Price
€6495 / €400 deposit
Fitness Level
Low to Medium
Our base
Khovsgol Lake Hotel in Ulaanbaatar
Mongolia Photography Tours & workshops
Stunning landscapes & Eagle Hunters
A 10-day Mongolia photography tour including stays with eagle hunters
Join me for an incredible photography tour of Mongolia’s Eagle Hunters as well as the stunning Altai landscapes. During the tour we will be staying with various eagle hunters and get the opportunity to see the eagle hunter festival (TBC).
This photo tour is the perfect opportunity for those who are happy to compromise on some luxuries to immerse themselves. We take you away from the ‘highlights’ as this means you’ll be shooting in more personal situations and have the time and space to create your own unique photography – not with a crowd of other photographers getting basically the same image.
Kazakh Eagle Hunters
This photography adventure provides a great opportunity to document first-hand the life of Kazakh eagle hunters as you spend time living alongside the hunters and their families witnessing their daily lives. On this itinerary, you will be hosted by some of the region’s most experienced and respected hunters and you will learn skills and history from them as well as explore the stark yet beautiful landscapes of Mongolia’s Altai.
Stay with the Kazakh families
All of your hosts are Kazakh families that the Mongolian tour operator has personally built up relationships with over the past 13 years. No agents or tour operators are used – we work directly with all the families as this leads to a more personal insight for you as our guest.
***Please note that the schedule is subject to change as details for the eagle festival haven’t yet been published.
Mongolia’s westernmost province
The itinerary through Mongolia’s westernmost province of Bayan Ulgii has been planned to provide you with an array of photographic opportunities. The Kazakhs are Mongolia’s largest ethnic group with over 100,000 residing in western Mongolia. A percentage of Kazakhs are eagle hunters – typically hunting with female golden eagles (known as berkuts) as they are stronger and more aggressive.
Photography techniques covered during the workshop
- Exposure and understanding of how to get the best out of the light
- Composition techniques to create balanced images
- Lens choice and focal length. Typically people head for the wide-angle in a landscape but up in the mountains telephoto lenses are also heavily used.
- Panoramic photography. How to best compose the beautiful panoramas that we’ll see during the photography tour
- Using Adobe Lightroom or Camera Raw to process our images
- Using luminosity masks in Adobe Photoshop
- Colour correction
- Stitching panoramic images
Upcoming Mongolia Photography Tours
Get an insight into Mongolia
FAQs
Why choose a Mongolia Photo Tour with me?
My Mongolia Photo Tours are supported by an extremely knowledgeable ground agent. We will help you get off the typical tourist trails and help you discover the authentic Mongolia.
We’ll explore the vast landscapes and the people that inhabit them. But not only that, you’ll get to stay with those people so getting the opportunity to be that much closer to your subject.
What is the experience of the photography tour leader accompanying the tour?
I have been a professional travel photographer since late 2010. Having travelled in 40 countries and counting I have extensive experience of the genre in a variety of situations.
You’re in good hands and I’m here to help you get the most out of your photo tour of Mongolia.
What is the best time of year to visit Mongolia for photography?
This is a very broad question because so much depends on what you want to see and do.
The time of year very much depends on what it is that you want to see and photograph. I have chosen late September/ early October as the famous Golden Eagle festival takes place in the Altai.
Outside of this, Mongolia has many other festivals that take place throughout the year, but it’s not only these that are the draw for the photographer. The untouched vast landscapes offer the opportunity to capture a country that is mostly unseen by outsiders.
Mongolia also has a variety of people and their sub-cultures, such as the reindeer herders and the shamans, too.
Do you offer tours focused on specific themes, such as street photography or landscape photography?
A photo tour of Mongolia revolves very much around the landscapes of the country and the people that inhabit them.
Although we will stay in Ulaanbaatar during the opening stages of the tour, it’s out in the vast empty landscapes where the magic happens.
Can we photograph local cultures and communities?
We sure can! In fact, on my Mongolia photo tours we will be staying with local people so we’ll have time to get to know them and opportunities to photograph their way of life.
Are there any cultural customs or etiquette I should be aware of when photographing people in Mongolia?
Every community and culture has its own cultural customs and etiquette. Our guide will always be on hand to help us navigate each scenario we find ourselves in so you’ll always be in safe hands.
Will there be opportunities for sunrise and sunset photography?
Where a subject demands it then yes, we will be up for sunrise or out for sunset photo shoots.
Unlike a lot of other more popular places such as Japan or Italy, Mongolia is very much undocumented in terms of landscape photography.
Each day we’ll have the opportunity to find a spot ready for the sunrise and sunset. It may sound unplanned but believe me, having already experienced the vastness of Mongolia it’s not like anywhere else you’ll have been to.
Is it safe to travel with expensive camera gear in Mongolia?
Mongolia is a very safe country. In the times that I have been travelling here, I have never felt unsafe when travelling around either in Ulaanbaatar or out in the countryside.
Of course, you should always exercise the usual cautions wherever you go and never assume you can just leave your precious camera gear lying around.
What kind of camera equipment should I bring for a Mongolia photography tour?
On a Mongolia photography tour you could quite happily have two lenses with you and capture everything you see.
Ideally, if you had the 24-105mm and a 100-400mm focal lengths, then you wouldn’t struggle to be capturing images. Very rarely do I go wider than 24mm and I don’t think I’ve ever gone beyond 400mm.
Outside of this, a good sturdy tripod will serve you well if shooting the landscape and sunrise or sunset.
Will there be local guides to help with language barriers and cultural interactions?
All of my Mongolia photo tours are assisted by local guides who will help us converse with the locals where needed. In some cases we will have more than one as there are two main languages within the country.
Are accommodations and meals provided, and what type of food can I expect?
When you go on a photography tour of Mongolia, you will be leaving behind your plush 5-star hotels. This type of tour is for those travellers who are much more adventurous.
Accommodation is basic but always comfortable. But do be warned that your daily shower will turn into a once a week affair.
Do the tours include transportation between photography locations?
From the time of your arrival to the time of your departure, all of your transportation during the photo tour will be taken care of.
We will pick you at the airport and transport you to the first hotel and upon departure to so you can have no worries about getting to and from where we are staying.
How physically demanding are the tours? Will we be hiking or trekking?
There are no strenuous walks during the photography tour so you don’t have to be supremely fit to join.
Can I participate if I’m a beginner, or are the tours suitable only for advanced photographers?
All of my photo tours are open to beginners and advanced photographers alike.
Some people just want to be taken to a location and left to their own devices whereas some people want tuition when we are out. In either situation, I’m happy to help you where you need it.
The aim of my photography tours are to ensure you have a great time and go back home with images you can be proud of?
What should I pack for a photography tour in Mongolia's climate?
Packing for a photo tour of Mongolia will require you to have good outdoor gear such as a down jacket along with various layers.
Expect sub-zero temperatures as in late September snow is not uncommon. Mongolia has an average altitude of 1400m so bear that in mind when packing.
Do I need a visa to enter Mongolia?
Yes, some countries do require a visa to enter Mongolia, whereas others enjoy a visa-free stay.
The Mongolian consulate web page has all of the relevant up to date information that will advise you. Of course, if you are in doubt then please contact me.
I'm ready to book, how do I book a spot?
To book a spot on one of my Vietnam photo tours, then please feel free to visit the specific page of the dates that you are wanting to go.
There is the usual checkout process that you find on websites.
Payments are securely processed using WooCommerce and Stripe so your credit card details are safe at all times.
You can either pay a deposit to secure your place or you can pay the whole amount upfront if you choose.
My website is set up to take transactions in Euros, US Dollars and GBP.