We had great time.Japan easily was one of the superlative countries I have been lucky to visit. Great country. Great people.I definitely would like to return to enjoy fall foliage and for more landscape photography. Being vegetarian I can’t say “ wonderful food “. One thing is sure Japan means lots of walking and lots of climbing. But did not mind that. Every trip can have a few hiccups but I believe that is a part of experience. Met some very nice fellow photographers. Under the circumstances Chris tried his best in my opinion. He had to work with a new local guide. She tried her best but that sometimes was not successful or sufficient. I do feel for her as she did try the best she could

Terrible. I know you have received phone calls from participants. I will give my review just so you are clear that this isn’t just about one or two difficult participants. Otherwise I probably would not bother because it is hard to do. I will not be signing up for any other workshops with your company. Hotels-what does Chris tell you about these hotels you use over and over. They were in most cases dirty, old, extremely small, wouldn’t rate over 2* for any of them. The only nice hotel we had was in the lakes/mt fugi area (a new hotel for you, your regular one was unavailable). I feel taken advantage by your organization. What I paid for the trip did not match the quality of hotels, leadership, or photography experience expected. It was like one of the tours you pay $1,500 for. Leadership - Japanese guide did not know much English. You couldn’t ask her much because she rarely understood me, anyone else or Chris. Chris was there for his own photography. He always got the first shots then moved away for others to shoot. His language was inappropriate, using the F bomb to a hotel worker who was just trying to help take our group photo and did nothing wrong. Not the only time he went off. Told us things and didn’t follow through. He would tell us we were on our own in the busiest areas you have ever seen then tell us to meet in and hour at a place we had no idea where it was. Then he would go off for his own shots. Participants were uncomfortable and tried to stick together. One time had to catch him and suggest that the meeting place was too far and it was already night. You might want to look into another company to provide transportation to and from airport. Driver was angry and rude to Pam on our trip back, flying off the handle just because she asked if this was the correct terminal for Japan airlines. The pick up person made isabel and I sit in the airport for over an hour because you gave her the incorrect information as to the hotel she was taking us to. That was not fun after flying for 24 hours. The truth is I could go on and on. Laura

Overall, this was a great trip! Christopher, Marcus, and James were very knowledgeable and helpful. Our group was congenial which is very important for a 2-week trip. With a couple of exceptions, the hotel accommodations were very satisfactory. A highlight was photographing the Jacobite Steam Train in the Glenfinnean viaduct. Staying at the Eishken hunting lodge on the Isle of Lewis was a real treat. We were unaware that we would be sharing bathrooms, so I suggest that be made clearer in the future. The food was great there and the ladies that run the lodge were top notch. A highlight was the chance to photograph models, the best of these was Lexie, the 17-year-old Scottish dancer who performed like a trooper on the moor, in the cold, and in the wind. The room in Fort William was clean but very small making it a little crowded for a couple. The accommodation in Drumnadrochit, near Loch Ness, was abysmal and I see that the 2024 trip will overnight in Inverness, instead. The itinerary was more strenuous than was advertised. The hike to the Old Man of Storr was advertised as very strenuous and only two of the group made that hike. The hike to the Eilean Glas Lighthouse was long we did it in 40+ mph winds. After so much effort to get there, I found the lighthouse to be a letdown, photographically. The biggest complaint is that the itinerary was too full. Many times, we reached our hotel late at night. I recommend a less fully packed itinerary next time. Participants need down time to rest and look at their photos

The people were fun, we saw lots of great places, had varied photo ops. Most accomodations were good, the food was great.

The group was very compatible. Our local guide, Daniel Rosca, was well organized, had hired a fantastic driver, and did a great job of arranging activities that were interesting and provided good photography opportunities. We spent a lot our time with spontaneous stops to check out rural villages, farmers, shepherds, all of whom were willing to put up with posing for us. One especially interesting stop was at a gypsy household with extended family. They were delighted to pose for us and we had a great morning with them. Our hotels were very comfortable. The only disappointment was that foliage was not yet at its peak, obviously not Daniel's fault.