8 – 14 November 2026
6 Nights / 7 Days
Depart Rotorua
Finish New Plymouth
Maximum People: 6
Tour Details
6 Nights / 7 Days : Sun 8 Nov – Sat 14 Nov 2026
Explore and photograph the central North Island’s famed volcanoes, wild waterfalls, hidden gorges and much more as we travel to some seriously awesome locations.
This is a photo tour that packs a lot of Geo-thermal power as we explore and photograph the grand mountains Ngauruhoe, Ruapehu and Taranaki. We also venture through Tongariro National Park, photograph Rotorua’s famous Geo thermal parks and the Taranaki coastline. Along the way we discover some of the regions secret gems which offer a fantastic opportunity to put into practice our photography skills in some amazing locations.
Our Photography Tours are an immersive hands on experience where you will be putting your newly acquired knowledge to use in-the-field. We believe in giving you sound knowledge and developing new skills in landscape photography, and then putting these to practice in some of the best landscapes in the world.
Our Photography Tours are an immersive hands on experience where you will be putting your newly acquired knowledge to use in-the-field. We believe in giving you sound knowledge and developing new skills in landscape photography, and then putting these to practice in some of the best landscapes in the world.
$5900 NZD
I have now been on three tours with Richard. I first did the South Island Autumn 2023 tour, then the West Coast 2024 tour and I have just done the South Island Autumn 2025 Tour. All of these tours were very well organised and brilliant experiences. I totally recommend a photo tour with Richard.
WHAT TO EXPECT
During this photography tour we are up and on location before dawn and aim to stay out till after sunset – taking advantage of what can often be magical dawn and dusk light. We never rush locations and make sure that everyone is capturing the images they want. Often we are the only people at these amazing locations.
Throughout the tour you will learn a variety of in-field techniques including how to use ND, Graduated and Polarizing filters allowing you to capture beautiful photographs. You will also learn how to read the changing light conditions, identify strong compositions within the landscape and capture a variety of images types.
We share leading techniques within camera and good workflows with RAW files to ensure you are capturing amazing photographs. There is an enormous amount of knowledge shared throughout the tour on all aspects of landscape photography ensuring you are capturing stunning photographs and are able to present them to their fullest.
Over this tour our photography will include:
A Typical Day
Our day begins early, with a meeting time around 5:30 AM to ensure we arrive at the first location well before dawn. Depending on the site, this may involve a drive of up to 45 minutes, followed by a short walk to reach our location. Upon arrival, we explore the location and begin shooting. We remain on location throughout sunrise capturing the scene as it transforms in the dawn light.
Following the morning session, we will head to a café for breakfast and coffee – this first coffee of the day always tastes amazing after an adventurous morning shooting photography. If we are changing locations, we will checkout of our accommodation and depart shortly thereafter allowing us plenty of time to settle into our new location before heading out for our evening shoot. Otherwise, we take time to relax and review the images captured during the morning, while discussing plans for the afternoon and evening photography sessions.
In the mid-afternoon, typically around 3:30 PM, we will set out for the afternoon shoot. Again this may require up to an hour’s drive. En-route, we remain attentive to potential photographic opportunities that often arise spontaneously. Our objective is to arrive at the evening location in plenty of time allowing us to explore the scene and begin shooting as the light changes throughout sunset and dusk. The day concludes with dinner at a local restaurant, where we discuss the day’s photography, share insights, and outline plans for the following day photography.
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Note: Times given are general and provided to give you a good feel for how a day is structured. Times do vary between seasons and drive and walk times vary with each location.
Itinerary
The precise order of locations we visit is determined by the conditions – we allow for flexibility in our schedule and aim to be in the best locations at the right time. We have learnt that sometimes the best photographs are captured when you ‘follow the light’.
Day 1 – 2 Rotorua
We meet mid-morning in Rotorua. After introductions we will have a debrief of the tour, including running through equipment (camera’s, lenses, filters etc), weather conditions and answer any questions.
Rotorua is a special location with many features to photograph. Our primary aim for our time here is photographing the unique Geo-thermal parks and making sure we all get amazing photographs of these brilliant landscapes. Around this we will head to Lake Tarawera and the Redwood Forest.
Day 3 – 5 Central Plateau
On our third day we head to the Central Plateau where we have many photography options. The backdrop and focus of our time here are the mighty mountains of Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe, which we capture from various locations. We also have Beech forest, waterfalls and hidden gorges all within the vicinity.
This is a very special region and a landscape photographers dream.
Day 6 – 7 Taranaki
As we settle into Taranaki we will capture the amazing mountain from some seriously great locations as well as photograph waterfalls, the famed goblin forest, the rugged coastline and more.
Taranaki offers an amazing amount of opportunities for landscape photography and we will pack in much of it.
Photo Tour Reviews
I attended the 2024 Taranaki Workshop which was fantastic. The knowledge provided and great locations made for a some great photographs of this region. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone looking to enhance their photography skills and have a great experience.
Richard is a very experienced photographer. He took me and my wife to amazing places and shared his knowledge with us. I enjoyed this photography tour very much. Thank you again for a great experience. This was my first photography tour. I am now an addict.
I have now been on three tours with Richard. I first did the South Island Autumn 2023 tour, then the West Coast 2024 tour and I have just done the South Island Autumn 2025 Tour. All of these tours were very well organised and brilliant experiences. I totally recommend a photo tour with Richard.
FAQ’s
What Is Included In The Price?
PRICE INCLUDES
- Accommodation – your own room
- Transportation in quality private vehicle
- Professional landscape photography tuition
- Any excursions as listed
- Fruit & snacks
- Any entrance fees
What Is Not Included In The Price?
PRICE EXCLUDES
PRICE EXCLUDES
- Airfares / Transport to & from beginning and end points of tour
- Meals
- Beverages & Alcohol
- Medical & Travel Insurance
Who does the tour suit?
My Photography Tours are designed for photography enthusiasts wanting to learn new skills and put those to practice in some truly outstanding scenery. But also we have designed them to be about discovery and finding inspiration in the outdoors. These really are fantastic (sometimes) life changing experiences.
What Fitness level Do I Need?
For most of the tours a medium level of fitness will be fine. There is some moderate walking required along the way but nothing too excessive.
What photographic experience do I need?
You should be familiar with the basic operations of a DSLR camera. Regardless of your skill level you will learn and experience new and exciting things.
What will I learn?
Our photo tours are designed to provide you with practical new skills and techniques – and then put these to practice in-the-field in amazing landscapes. You will be photographing alongside a guide with decades of experience and a passion for creating beautiful photographic images.
What you will come away with is new knowledge, many new images and an amazing experience that leaves you highly inspired in your own landscape photography journey.
What are the meal options on the tour?
We generally find that there are a variety of meal options applied across a typical tour. Breakfast will normally be at a cafe after a dawn photo shoot – that first coffee can be really rewarding after a early morning on location.
We always allow time to get supplies at supermarkets, bakeries or cafe’s and lunch is usually spent along the way, often in some superb spots. Dinner is usually after our evening photo shoot at a local restaurant where we can relax after a great day of photography.
Meals are not included in the tour price.
What is the Accommodation?
Our accommodation is in quality hotels, apartment studios or chalets depending on the location.
Accommodation is full single supplement ie your own room – we believe at the end of a full day of photography you will relax and refresh the best with your own room.
Group Size?
We have a maximum group size of six on our photography tours.
We have found this to be the right size to have great dynamics within the group (we have a lot of fun along the way) and allow everyone’s needs to be met in terms of learning and the overall experience.
What To Bring?
Your sense of adventure and fun – our photo tours are immersive experiences with plenty of fun along the way. We send you a photo tour welcome package in advance of the start which offers more suggestions on what gear to bring. However a good start is:
Essentials
- A DSLR or mirrorless camera and lenses
- A sturdy tripod
- Memory cards – we take plenty of images
- Spare batteries and recharging cables
- Walking shoes, head torch, rain jacket, sun hat, gloves – we get all the weather conditions
Nice to haves
- Remote shutter release
- Filters – ideally Polarizer, Graduated and Neutral Density if you have them
How to book your place on the tour?
To pay in full add the tour in the cart section above and make payment. We accept all major credit cards and the payment is secure through SSL Secure Shopping.
If you prefer to pay by Bank Transfer, then please send an email to info@phototouradventures.co.nz and we will send you the bank account number to pay into.
Full registration details will be sent once payment is received.
Can I pay a deposit to reserve my place?
Yes. A $1000 deposit is required to secure you a place on the tour.
Please note: The booking deposit is non-refundable. The balance is due 60 days out from the tour start date.
Please email info@phototouradventures.co.nz and bank account details will be sent to you allowing you to pay the deposit and reserve your place.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Can I bring someone along who is not a photographer?
Yes this is fine and normal booking is required.
This person should consider that this is a landscape photography orientated tour where our focus is getting to and being at amazing scenes often early in the morning and well into the evening. Photography is about patience and we don’t rush at these amazing locations.
What happens if I arrive late or miss the meeting point?
If you have travel delays, contact us as soon as possible. We will do our best to accommodate you, possibly arranging for you to meet the group at an intermediate location without missing the rest of the tour. We highly recommend having comprehensive travel insurance for situations like this.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes. We strongly recommend that all participants purchase travel insurance that covers trip cancellation, medical emergencies, and equipment loss or damage.
Are the tours insured and safe?
Yes, we are fully insured with public liability coverage, and your safety is the top priority during all tours.
Any Questions
If you have any further questions on this photography tour please get in contact – we love to hear from you. You can contact us via the form on the contact us page or send an email to info@richardhume.com