- Amateur and prosumer photographers who want to explore new cultures, places and creative boundaries.
- Beginners who have a general love of photography and travel.
- Professionals who want to maximise their shooting time at specific locations by relying on a trusted operator to organise all the details and itineraries purely for photography.
- Anyone who wants to get some photography tips as well as travel to exciting new places.
- Well organised trips that use local suppliers, guides and resources in a responsible and sustainable manner.
- Professionally laid out itineraries that maximise shooting time on location.
- A comprehensive source of information on preparation, locations and packing.
- Expert and helpful guidance and tuition to raise their skills and knowledge.
- Ability to create professional level work, ideal for a portfolio, artwork or to launch a new campaign.
- A relaxed and fun time mixing with like minded people.
- A high standard of ethics regarding how we travel and support local communities and environments.
- A professional and courteous service.
- Enduring memories.
Who and what is Creative Trails:
Creative Trails is a new company that provides custom photography tours to inspiring tours to Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia. The principals of Creative Trails are simply to provide the very best opportunities for people who have a love of photography and travel to explore some of the finest locations on earth.
The company is unique in that the founder, Mike Marlowe, is an experienced professional photographer who also has many years of leading groups on overland trips, in places ranging from the Amazon to the remote beaches of Mozambique. The primary objective of our trails is to take participants to new and exciting locations and to help them develop creatively.
All of the locations we travel to have been visited countless times. We know and work with the best local guides and suppliers. We understand how to plan an itinerary that blends in with local customs and practices. We have journeyed the trails many times. From the Lake District to the high Andes we have scouted out the best angles and shots. If we are exploring a new location then this trips are listed on our site as a recce trail, which give you an opportunity to come along and explore and help develop a trip.
Although many of our trails lead to the far flung corners of the world we also appreciate and work with what we have closer to home. We don’t look in awe only at what is over the hill, the splendour of the Lake District or the eternal charm of Andalucía are no less magnificent in their own way than the beauty of The Fitzroy Massif in Patagonia.
Shooting memorable travel images is an art. Firstly you have to know where to go and when to go. Secondly you have to know what to do when you are there. A Creative Trails trip is about taking away the years of experimenting and development allowing you to immerse immediately into taking fabulous photographs with the minimum of hassle. Mixing with like minded people, getting tips and guidance from your leader, seeing wonderful sights through the eye of a photographer, this is what you can expect on a Creative Trails journey.
The team:
Mike:
Creative Trails is run by professional photographer Mike Marlowe. As well as being an experienced photographer, whose work has featured in magazines, books, newspapers and advertising campaigns, Mike is also a an accomplished tour leader. From overland trips in sub Saharan Africa to leading groups across the High Andes he knows a thing or two about the logistics of putting together well co-ordinated trips.
As a compulsive traveller (over 60 countries so far) he has also worked for a number of organisations leading tours and expeditions including the most experienced of them all Dragoman Overland. With an easy going and hands on nature combined with a wealth of knowledge and attention to detail he is ideally placed to manage and implement trips that give passionate photographers a rewarding return on their investment.
Sue:
Is the ever patient and unflappable co-ordinator of all of our trails. If you call or send an email it is most likely she that will be the one to answer you in the first instance. A country gal with a love of the outdoors and country life, Sue is also an avid climber (having just returned from the Rockies) and in between everything else is cramming in study for a degree in psychology.
We are talking to a number of other photographers/tour leaders with specific expertise and knowledge about joining us. We’ll keep you posted!
Who are Creative Trails for:
Our trips are open to anyone. To join a creative Trails tour you need a positive outlook, sense of adventure and lust for life. You do not need lots of camera equipment (a basic DSLR and a few lenses is sufficient). You also do not have to follow a prescribed way of working. You are free to develop your own personal style and interpretation in your own minds eye, with all the guidance and training you want.
Ideally suited for;
What participants can expect:
We look forward to welcoming you on one of our trips.