Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the meeting point for our tours?
We meet our guests on the corner, outside the new Zara store at Plaza Catalunya [on the corner of Carrer de Bergara]. Directions can be found here:
Directions to Plaça Catalunya meeting point.
At what time do we meet our guests?
Our meeting times are flexible, but in general we recommend the following:
- 3.5 hour morning tour: 9.00am year round
- 3.5 hour night tour: 7.00pm-10.30pm [Oct 1st – April 30th], 8.00pm–11.30pm [May 1st – September 30th]
- 6 hour morning/afternoon tour: 9.00am year round
- 6 hour afternoon/night tour: 4:00pm–10:00pm [Oct 1st – April 30th], 5.00pm-11.00pm [May 1st – Sep 30th]
What photographic experience level are the tours designed for?
Our photography tours are designed for beginners, enthusiasts, advanced amateurs and semi-professional photographers. We look at each guest as an individual, so we take into account your technical skills, preferred subjects, equipment used and what aspects of your photography you are trying to improve upon. Some guests may want to know more about camera settings or to find unique compositions, while others may just want to be guided to specific locations that match their shooting style.
What photo equipment do you recommend bringing to Barcelona?
This is the question we probably get asked the most. You should bring what you are comfortable carrying. Size and weight should be a consideration when travelling. For DSLR and mirrorless cameras, our personal recommendations for lens choices are: wide-angle zoom or prime, 50mm equivalent fast prime and a tele-zoom.
Another option is bringing a super-zoom if you want to carry just one lens. If bringing a tripod, neutral density filters could be useful. A flashgun is not necessary. At least 1 fully charged battery [preferably 2]. A memory card with enough storage space. A tripod is a must for night photography. If you don’t plan on bringing one, please advise and we will bring one for you!
We have given photographic tours and workshops to clients that use anything from a smartphone to a state of the art digital medium format camera [and everything in between!]. As you will quickly learn on our tours, it is not the camera equipment used that makes a great photograph, but the photographers artistic vision.
What else is needed for the tours?
Light, comfortable, clothes. Good shoes/sandals for walking. A light rainproof jacket or warm jacket depending on the weather conditions.
Are the tours private?
Yes, we strongly believe that our guests benefit in private, individual to small group size tours. We only offer the option of mixed groups during our multi-day workshops. Our guests also have the option to book private, individual workshops.
How are the tours priced?
Please contact us with regards to our price structure. Prices are given according to the number of guests, tour itineraries, photo shoots and workshops.
How is a booking secured?
For photo tours, a 50% deposit is paid via Paypal to the following Paypal account: laurieciao@yahoo.com. The remaining 50% balance is paid in cash to the guide on the day of the tour. If you do not wish to use Paypal or do not have a Paypal account, please contact us for other options to secure your booking. For multi-day international photography workshops, payment of the full amount invoiced is required to secure the booking. Payment for the workshops are made by international bank transfer.
What is our policy on refunds?
In general, we do not give refunds for cancellations of tours, as our guides have specifically held their availability for a tour – we believe that their time is valuable. In the case of any health issues, travel delays or stormy weather, we will do our best to reschedule a tour. Failing that, the 50% deposit paid would be refunded in full. In case that a multi-day workshop needs to be cancelled by the client, we will reschedule to a future date.
What happens in case of bad weather?
We go out on tours, rain or shine! We find that most images with an extra element of atmosphere are actually taken during conditions that would at first sight seem non ideal. We believe that improvement in our clients creative and technical skills comes from the challenge of working with what is around them. We do however, understand if a guest wishes to reschedule a tour due to stormy weather.
I am coming to Barcelona for a few days. Which day would you recommend having a tour?
This is an important question, and one that is asked quite often. We always recommend that our guests have a rest before taking our tours if arriving on long-haul flights. The ideal scenario is for our guests to take our tours on the first or second day of their trip to Barcelona. The reasons being are that you would get an overview of the city as well as your photography tuition. This makes for planning the rest of your trip easier. It would also allow you to reschedule any tours in case of any unforeseen circumstances or stormy weather. It would also allow you the possibility of planning a 2nd tour with us! Guests have often ended up taking a night tour, or an editing class after a previous day’s tour, for example.
Apart from our regular photo tours, what other services do we offer?
We also offer on-location photo shoots, basics of workflow and post-processing classes in Lightroom & Photoshop, as well as our fantastic multi-day photography workshops. Please check our website for further information, or contact us for any queries or to schedule a booking.