Photographic holidays, or those themed to some extent with photographers in mind, offer an excellent way of combining leisure time away from home with opportunities to improve technique and acquire new and different images. The better trips are more expensive because they are accompanied by an experienced photographer whose expenses must ultimately be shared by the clients.

A number of different types of holiday are available. Landscape holidays are perhaps the most popular and plentiful. They operate in many parts of the world, typically Tuscany, Provence, Spain, the Greek islands, California, the canyons of the south-western US, the Rocky Mountains, Namibia, South Africa, Chile, Cuba, The Falkland Islands, Iceland, Morocco and the UK.

Another popular format for photographic holidays provides the opportunity to photograph models in beautiful sun-drenched locations. These vary from excellent to tacky, so take care when booking to ensure that the activities suit requirements. The better companies offer small groups opportunities to photograph professional models in stunning surroundings. They variously employ hairdressers, make-up artists, fashion designers and so on. Others provide only a couple of glamorous semi-professional models with swimwear and beachwear.

Specialized itineraries for general wildlife photographers, dedicated bird photographers, and flower enthusiasts are also available. Others visit areas such as Iceland or the Faeroes in search of interesting geology, icebergs etc.

Numerous companies offering photographic holidays are listed below.

• Authentic Adventures;
• Camera Etrusca; 
• Daniel Bergmann Nature Photography Workshops;
• Light and Land;
• Lakeland Photographic Holidays;
• Namaqualand Photographic and Visual Design Workshops;
• Naturetrek;
• Nigel Turner Landscape Photography;
• Photohols.com;
• Skye in Focus;
• South African Wildlife Photography Course;
• Tenerife Photography Tours;
• Wildshots.