In an era when everyone seems to fancy themselves a photographer via Instagram and Facebook, amateurs can often be found hiding beind overbearing filters and crop-jobs. The grim reality of poor lighting and unfortunate angles is mostly due to a lack of proper training. Increasingly, luxury resort brands like Six Senses, Wilderness Safaris and Banyan Tree are offering comprehensive photography trips organized via an elite group of industry professionals. This fall Mexcio’s Mayakoba Resort, that’s 15-minutes outside Playa del Carmen, will host National Geographic photographers Steve Winter, Tim Laman and Brian Skerry for Wildlife Photo Masterclass that's a series of 3-night instruction programs. The photography courses include novice to advanced skill levels in a resort landscape of over 200 species of birds and native wildlife found within property’s mangrove forests and internal waterways. For those looking for something even further afield, National Geographic organizes its own Photographic Expeditions with trips adapted to itineraries in Morocco, Tibet, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Tanzania. Nat Geo’s organized trips attempt to make the most of photographic sites and landmarks. Excursions are timed to, “take advantage of the best light, arrange special photo shoots, and linger in picturesque spots to capture the essence of the place.” For an even more intimate experience, photographer Jennifer King leads a destination-based series of landscape photography jaunts in the US as well as Western Europe while Nomad Photo Expedition features one-on-one tours organized through Machu Pichu, Jaipur and Cuba with award-winning photographer Harry Fisch.
