Madeira Photography Tours & Workshops


Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of Madeira on my exclusive photography tour. Explore this stunning island paradise, renowned for its diverse landscapes and vibrant culture. Capture the essence of Madeira’s enchanting sunrises and sunsets in iconic locations like Pico do Arieiro, Porto Moniz, Ponta de São Lourenço, and more.

LODGING
1x Self Catering House

DATE(S)
8th to 15th May 2024

DURATION
7 Nights

GROUP SIZE
Maximum of 5

ACTIVITY LEVEL
Moderate

8 Days, 7 Nights

Madeira Photography Tours

Join me 300 miles off the west coast of Africa, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean as we explore and photograph the beautiful volcanic island of Madeira also known as Hawai‘i of Europe.

My Madeira Photography Tours are planned with you the photographer right in the centre. With spring like weather all year round, this lush green island 300 miles off the west coast of Africa, is a unique photography destination. From dramatic natural landscapes to towering mountains, Fanal forests and epic cliffs, there is something here for everyone.

Although this is a group tour, I will spend plenty of one-on-one time with you. Depending on your experience level, we can dive deeper into topics such as histograms or bracketing and I’ll explain everything without mind boggling technical jargon.

From the moment you’re collected at the airport to the day you’re dropped off I’ll be looking after you, airport transfers, transport during the tour, accommodation, guiding, and all tuition. The only thing you need to sort is your flights to Madeira and your food.

Madeira Photography Tour 2023

Don’t just take my word for it…

THE REVIEWS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

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Highly Recommend Chasing Lights Tours. Just recently home from 7 Nights in Lofoten Islands, Norway and it was absolutely incredible. Tylers knowledge of the area and skies allowed us to capture the Northern Lights on more than several occasion's throughout the course. Accommodation was perfect for the trip, A home from home with a supermarket and coffee shop right on our doorstep. Tylers enthusiasm for photography and the love of the outdoors was very refreshing and infectious, As a commercial photographer by traded I went into this course looking to learn as much as I could and Tylers wealth of knowledge and patients allowed me to learn so much in such a sort period of time. I would like to thank Tyler again and I look forward to going on another course very soon.

Richard Lavery January 29, 2024
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Highly Recommend Chasing Lights Tours. Just recently home from 7 Nights in Lofoten Islands, Norway and it was absolutely incredible. Tylers knowledge of the area and skies allowed us to capture the Northern Lights on more than several occasion's throughout the course. Accommodation was perfect for the trip, A home from home with a supermarket and coffee shop right on our doorstep. Tylers enthusiasm for photography and the love of the outdoors was very refreshing and infectious, As a commercial photographer by traded I went into this course looking to learn as much as I could and Tylers wealth of knowledge and patients allowed me to learn so much in such sort period of time. I would like to thank Tyler again and I look forward to going on another course very soon.

Richard Lavery January 29, 2024
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I was lucky enough to go on a photography tour to Lofoten last month with Chasing Lights Tours and I couldn't have asked for a better guide than Tyler. He is a knowledgeable and experienced photographer, and he provided valuable tips and advice on everything from camera set-ups through to post-production techniques. Throughout the tour, Tyler was easy going, generous and had a great sense of humour. He was also a confident and safe driver, taking us to some great locations in the archipelago. Thanks to his knowledge of the best viewing areas and an understanding of the necessary weather conditions, I was able to see the northern lights on two occasions! I had an amazing trip and felt that I learnt a lot during the tour. I am now more confident in using my camera kit and have some beautiful photos and memories of taking them which I will cherish. I can't recommend Tyler and Chasing Lights Tours highly enough - it was a fantastic experience, and I am very grateful to Tyler for making it so enjoyable.

Chloe True February 1, 2023
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The Lofoten Photography Tour with Chasing Light Tours was excellent! Tyler is an accomplished and creative photographer who is extremely professional and very knowledgeable. The entire tour was packed full of relevant information that was presented in a very accessible and user-friendly way, about focusing, aperture settings, shutter speeds, ISO settings and much, much more. This enabled me to use my camera to its full potential. The tour was also enjoyable and fun. Tyler looked after everyone extremely well and drove with care and skill on the icy roads. He took us to well-chosen locations that he had previously researched and visited to maximise photographic potential. The spacious accommodation that we stayed in was great and had all the amenities that we needed. I highly recommend going on a photography tour with Chasing Light Tours!

Deborah True January 31, 2023

Trip Highlights

  • Ribeira da Janela
  • Ponta de São Lourenço
  • Fanal Forest
  • Pico do Arieiro
  • Pico Ruivo
  • Ponta de Rosto
  • Ponta Do Sol
  • Véu da Noiva
  • 25 Fontes Falls
  • Astro Photography

Itinerary

Pico do Areeiro

Based on my extensive experience organising well over 30 photography tours, I’ve come to realise that adhering to a rigid daily itinerary significantly limits your chances of capturing the most extraordinary images possible.

Instead, I prefer to work in harmony with the weather conditions, carefully selecting the locations we visit based on the best forecast available. Each day, I meticulously plan our itinerary for the following day and inform everyone of the plan. This approach ensures that we find ourselves in the right place at the right time.

During this particular tour, our primary focus will be astrophotography, with a special emphasis on capturing the beauty of the Milky Way.

The core of the Milky Way starts its ascent at 22:52 and remains visible in the night sky until 5:20. As the week progresses, it rises slightly later at 22:57 and sets at 5:18.

On nights dedicated to astrophotography, it goes without saying that we’ll need to rest during the day. However, we will still make time for a sunset shoots before repeating the process. If there is cloudy nights, then we will get to bed early for a sunrise shoot and then reassess for the next night.

Our journey commences at Madeira Airport, and the exact details will be confirmed well in advance for each tour. The reason behind this approach lies in the complexities of flight schedules. I should know exact timings roughly 6 or so months out.

Day 1 – Arrival Day

This marks the day of your arrival. I’ll personally pick you up from the airport, and we’ll make a stop at the supermarket to gather any supplies we may need. From there, we’ll settle into our cozy accommodations, which will serve as our home base for the next week. If time permits, we’ll even squeeze in a sunset shoot in the vicinity of our lodgings.

Day 2 to 7 – The Adventure

Now, prepare yourself for the true essence of adventure.

Over the course of the next six full days, we’ll seize every available opportunity to capture awe-inspiring photographs. On the first morning we are there, we’ll rise early for what could be our only sunrise shoot, returning back to our accommodation afterwards to force ourselves to sleep for out sunset and astrophotography shoot.

In anticipation of the magical moments that unfold during sunset, we’ll arrive at each location approximately two hours in advance. This generous timeframe will enable everyone to scout their desired compositions for the perfect sunset shot but also it will allow us to scope out composistion for astrophotography. I will be showing folk how I use PhotoPills to plan my shots.

Day 8 – Departure Day

As flights generally depart in the early hours, this day will call for an early start.

Farewells are always bittersweet. However, rather than bidding you goodbye, I prefer to think of it as a “see you later” because I sincerely hope you’ll join me for another remarkable adventure. We’ll make our way to the airport, where each participant can catch their flights back home.

Your Guide

Photographer, Light Chaser, Aurora Guide, Web Dev, Biker, Daddy and I’ve got a very understanding girlfriend in no particular order.

What you’ll learn

On this trip I’m at your complete disposal to help and teach you everything I know about photography if you desire.

Here are a few of the key skills that I can cover.

Camera Settings: It starts with the basics. RAW, Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. Learn how and when to use the various modes on your camera to get the shot you want.

CompositionComposition is everything in landscape photography. Learn what I’m looking for when composing a landscape photograph.

Long Exposures: Learn how to use long exposures so you can create dramatic and interesting photographs.

Astrophotography: Learn how to shoot at night. Star & Milkyway photography. I will also have my star tracker with me.

Histogram: Learn how to read your histogram so that you’re exposing correctly and capturing maximum data with no clipping.

Editing: Learn how I edit my photographs using Adobe Lightroom Classic with final touches in Photoshop. (Only during bad weather)

Inclusions

Included

Transportation during the tour

Accommodation during the tour

Entry Fees

Airport Transfers

Photographic Guidance (Astrophotography)

Not Included

Flights/Travel to Madeira

Visa Fees (if applicable)

Meals / Snacks

Travel & Equipment Insurance

Good to Know

Packing List: A full packing list is emailed to you shortly after you have completed your booking.

Flights: You need to fly to Madeira Airport (FNC). I’m flying from Belfast with a stop over in London Gatwick and then a direct flight to Madeira.

Meeting Point: The meeting point of the tour will be Madeira (FNC) airport. I will confirm the meeting point well before the trip starts. It’s worth pointing out that we will all be in constant contact with each other leading up to the arrival day.

Accommodation: We will be staying in a self catering house that has everything we need to cook meals, store food etc. Where possible I will be booking accommodation that has single rooms. Depending on availability, some times you may need to share with someone of the same sex.

Self Catering / Meals: All my tours are based on self catering. We will visit the supermarket on the day we arrive and gather what’s needed for a few days so that we can bring packed lunches with us each day. We will revisit the supermarket a couple of times throughout the trip too.  There will be opportunities throughout the trip to visit cafes and the odd restaurant if we have time. But primarily, we will be eating as we go.

Hiking: There will be some hiking involved on this trip but nothing to strenuous. There will be hiking at night so a headlight is compulsory!

Spending Money: On my last trip, I managed to spend approximately £30 per day. Everywhere takes card, cash isn’t needed.

UK Mobile Network – If coming from the UK, your data roaming will work and come out of your data back home.

Travel Adapter – Madeira uses the standard 2 pin Euro plug.

Madeira Photography Tours Dates & Prices

Prices quoted are per person. Only a 15% deposit is required to secure your spot. Remainder balance is due 8 weeks prior to start date.

DateDurationPricePlaces Left
8th to 15th May 20247 Nights£14505 Spots Left