FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
A GREAT question! As a professional wildlife, landscape and travel photographer for the past 15 years, I have been very fortunate to have worked all over the globe, documenting various aspects of this beautiful planet that we live on. I have extensive experience shooting in nearly every climate you can imagine and even some you can’t 🙂 On top of this, I absolutely love teaching. I have worked for National Geographic as a photography instructor in South America and currently, I average around 10-15 workshops year after year. I am a firm believer in the organic approach I take to teaching photography, which involves a mixture of technical, philosophical and hands-on learning that gives you the best opportunity for not only furthering your photography skills but retaining that information as you progress as an artist well after our time together has ended.
In truth, everyone! While that might sound like a cliche answer at first, it is accurate. Unlike most photography workshops out there, I tend to stay away from large group discussions while we are out in the field and instead choose to work individually with each of my clients. This helps me meet each of my clients at their own level, essentially tailoring their workshop experience to fit their skill level and needs as a photographer. On a given workshop, I often have a few beginners trying to learn more about their camera and few professionals that simply want to be taken to the best places with the best light and be left alone. The bulk of my clients are in the middle between the two, aspiring photographers that what to learn more about very specific techniques, camera features or genres of photography. At the end of the day, we welcome all photographers of all different skill levels and we strive to make sure that everyone gets exactly what they want out of each of our photography workshops around the globe!
On every workshop page you will find a breakdown of what is covered and what is not. If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out and ask if you need clarification!
Every workshop with Colby Brown Photography is different when it comes to how physically active it is. On each workshop page, you will find a dificulty rating as well as workshop specific FAQ section that will explain in detail just how challenging or demanding a given photography workshop is.
You will receive a workshop welcome kit within 90 days of the start of the workshop you are registered for that will contain detailed information regarding what to bring with you on your adventure.
Yup! More information can be found HERE.
Absolutely! You are always free to bring a significant other with you on any of my workshops. But please note that there is no discount for this extra individual as they are still taking up room in our vehicles as well as our accommodations. If you have any questions or wish to ask for a special situation, please feel free to reach out!
My payment policy is as follows…
- You are required to make a minimum deposit to hold your spot (typically $1000)
- Full payment of the workshop tuition is required within 90 – 120 days before your workshop begins, otherwise, you risk forfeiting your deposit and opening your space to another individual. Invoices will be set out the week prior to your final payment is due.
I currently accept Paypal, Bank Wire Transfer or the Cash App.
No one wants to miss out on a trip of a lifetime…but things do happen. In those situations, the following applies…
Starting in 2021, all Deposits are non-refundable but can be transferred to another workshop. Regardless, all cancellations are subject to a minimum of a $150 service charge. In addition, if you cancel and your spot is otherwise filled, you will be refunded the full amount you have paid (minus the deposit & $150 service charge) or you can transfer those funds to another workshop with no penalties. However, if you cancel and your spot is not filled, the following fee schedule applies:
- 120 days or more: Your Refund is Transferable
- 90 -120 days: 50% refund Â
- Less than 90 days: no refund
As a matter of fact, you do! Typically I receive discount codes for up to 15% off various products from the companies that sponsor my photography work. Those are typically given out both before and after the workshop has concluded. Occasionally I have free stuff to hand out on location as well. Who doesn’t like free stuff?
You can find a list of my sponsors on my About Me page on this website.
I currently do NOT provide travel insurance as part of my workshop fees. I highly recommend that you purchase your own, mostly for the catastrophic medical coverage. It is not cheap to be airlifted out of a national park or put on a care flight from a third world country in order to receive quality medical attention in case of an emergency. I highly recommend World Nomads!
As a general rule of thumb, your safety is always my top concern. That being said…when weather starts to turn, that is when you typically have the best chance at capturing incredible light, especially right after an epic storm passes through an area.
There is no doubt that COVID-19 has changed the world since it was first introduced to us in 2020. For my photography workshops, my client’s health and safety will always take priority. In order to help combat the spread of COVID-19, every Colby Brown Photography workshop requires that you have one of the approved COVID-19 vaccinations. Since most of my workshops are international already, this is required to enter the countries we explore regardless. In addition, we will abide by all local and country-specific COVID-19 restrictions and recommendations as well.
At the end of the day, these decisions are not political in nature but based on both the health and safety of my clients, the moral desire to not spread COVID-19 to populations around the world that don’t currently have access to the vaccinations and the general liability of my photography companies. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message through our CONTACT page here on Colby Brown Photography.