Tours
New Tour, with co-leader Arthur Meyerson, Madeira and the Azores!
Join Arthur and Keron for a journey to the Islands of Portugal: Madeira, and São Miguel and Terceira in the Azores! Tropical color, legendary warm Portuguese welcomes, delicious food, luxurious accommodation and fun await. Along with non-stop photographic opportunities. We had so much fun last year in the Azores (on São Miguel) that we decided to do a full island exploration! This will fill quickly so do not wait to get your deposit in.
Dates: June 5-18 13 nights and 14 days.
We will fly directly into Madeira from the US on the 5th, (out of Newark, JFK, and Boston) arriving the morning of the 6th. Light activity is planned for this day in Funchal, and a dinner get-together.
June 6, 7, 8, and 9, will be spent exploring this fascinating island: it’s full of vibrant color, and a bit of mystery too if the foggy weather gods are with us for the ancient forests. We’ll be out all day each day, with lunches at local ‘spots’ hand-picked by our tremendous guide. There will be a super mix of village, city, small ports, landscapes and botanical gardens to appeal to all types of photographers. If you are a hiker you will have an opportunity to test the “levadas”. Otherwise we’ll travel by jeep or van to out of the way spots including the mysterious Fanal forest. We’ll try their famous Bolo do Caco (a bread made with sweet potatoes and garlic butter…) the Poncha, a punch with a punch, the Espetadas (beef with garlic and bay, grilled over laurel wood) and of course, Madeira wines.
On the 10th, we will fly to Terceira, in the Azores (Flight included in cost), to take in this deeply traditional island in the Azores group. Rural life dominates here, and of course small fishing ports, but we’ll be exploring this small island for everyday life and its genuine moments. The capital city, of Angra de Heroismo is a highlight. It is the oldest in the Azores, and the original capital for the Azores.
On the 13th we will fly to São Miguel (flight included in cost), the “Green” island in the Azores. And they are not joking. Keron says “Hawaii and Ireland got together and had a baby” to describe this Jurassic Park with milk cows paradise. Volcanoes formed the Azores and are STILL forming the Azores. We’ll even stay in a fabulous Spa hotel INSIDE a caldeira. Steam vents, sulphur, super hot water and ancient ferns are all around. The facilities cannot be bettered. So be sure to bring a bathing suit. The water is high in mineral content so a darker suit is best, but be sure to pack it. There’s nothing like floating in the very warm water in the outside pool at night, gazing up at the stars! Fish is the star of the daily menu, except at Keron’s favorite small restaurant outside of the town of Nordeste where the traditional beef stew takes center stage! The breakfasts (all the food really) at our hotel, the five star Octant Furnas, are delicious, nutritious, and filled with local delicacies. Be sure to try the cinnamon cookies before Arthur gets them all.
On Sao Miguel, we’ll be in and out of small and smaller towns, a mid-week market, fishing ports, a ceramics factory and museum, parks with waterfalls, and a working tea plantation.
We are confirming festival dates now and also posted air travel, which is subject to change. Please do not purchase airfare yet. It may suit the flow better if we reverse the trip and start in the Azores. Either way, there are direct flights into Sao Miguel in the Azores, just as there are for Madeira. This itinerary will be settled by September 15, 2026. Your flights between the islands are about an hour long into and out of very small airports, so no hassles, and they are both included in the trip cost. Baggage allowance will be a suitcase in the hold, a small carry-on and approved international-sized small roll-on bag. I’ll send more explicit weights and sizes before that September 15 date.
Arrival and final dinners are included, as are all breakfasts. Not included are the lunches and dinners on your own. Tips to drivers, guides, and hotel staff are all included. Travel insurance is STRONGLY recommended as we cannot refund fees within 150 days of travel.
Cost per person, double occupancy: $8750
Cost per person, single occupancy: $9840
Hotels on Madeira and Terceira are 4-star. On Sao Miguel, the Octant Furnas is fabulous 5-star hotel.
New Tour, with co-leader Arthur Meyerson, Madeira and the Azores!
this is a bespoke tour of Portugal’s Islands.
Keron and her assistant, Maria, make certain all our arrangements are seamless. You will be cared for every step of the way. We can’t wait to welcome you to all our favorite places.
full details coming FEBRUARY of 2026. This will fill quickly.
JAPAN IN WINTER, Dates for 2027 coming soon.
I had dreamed of this trip for several years. The February 2023 and 2025 trips were all I ever imagined! Now, a tremendous opportunity for a few lucky people in 2027! 12 (including travel days to and from Hokkaido) days of snow/trees/rolling hills and glimpsed mountainsides…charming lodging, spacious private vehicle for transport (no trains), and a renowned Japanese professional as our guide. This is a bespoke trip, fine-tuned after my experiences to maximize our camera time. The participants are fewer…which means better shooting! Do NOT miss this once in a life-time opportunity to see this serene landscape, flora and fauna, in all its silent majesty.
We’ll concentrate on areas that will yield the greatest landscape possibilities. Lone poetic trees, curves in rivers and lakes with silver ribbons of water, the swans and dancing cranes, deer and foxes…all of this and so much more will captivate our imagination and spark a flurry of creativity with our lenses! Yes, it will be very cold but we will take every opportunity to ensure your warmth. The beauty of such a small group means flexibility and comfort.
You might consider renting a very long lens (300-400mm with tripod foot) from borrowlenses.com to make the most of your opportunities with the red crowned cranes. You will be assisted throughout the trip with your luggage but as with all international trips I do encourage you to pack, then take 1/2 of it out, and then repack. (That’s my trick). We will have laundry service available at each stop. Just think layers of smart wool or silk long underwear. And I’ll be supplying snowshoes and yak-trap as needed each day. More information and suggestions to come in official trip information.
Lodging in 3* or better accommodation throughout. All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners included. We may get a take-along lunch to maximize our time in the field on one or two days. As days are short in winter we’ll want to be out as much as possible! And of course there will be review sessions during the trip. You need not pack a laptop, you are welcome to plug your external drive into mine to review your work.
Group size, 7 guests
Begin at Sapporo CTS, end at Kushiro for international air arrival/departure
Single, $9,500
Double, $8,100
Deposit required (fully refundable up to 120 days prior to trip) $2000
Trip Insurance is a requirement
My photography trip with Keron Psillas and Charlie Waite to Scotland was a dream come true! They carefully tended to every detail making sure everyone had individual photographic help so we could expand our personal goals. Their styles were caring, organized and very cordial making it such a pleasure to be with them and they set a great tone for the group. The trip was carefully planned with interesting stops to unique places and they were always focused on making sure everyone in the group was engaged. It was such a joy to spend time with these two amazing photographers exploring a fascinating part of our world.
Portugal GROUP sessions 2026 and 2027
DATES BELOW, 7 nights, transport from and to airport, all meals (with wine) included, local guides and all other transport, entries for UNESCO sites, museums, Fado, Bullfights are included. This trip is truly ALL INCLUSIVE and an incredible value. There is no difference between single and double. There are three bathrooms and three guest bedrooms in the house. We will all share in some form. There is one bedroom that is a single (twin), One bedroom with a king bed, and one bedroom with two twins. There is also a full double ‘day bed’ in the living area that your hostess might use if my own room is needed. In other words, plenty of space!
Sleeping accommodations will be worked out in advance.
$4300 per person
Deposit required (fully refundable up to 120 days prior to trip) $1200
Begin and end at Lisbon airport
Trip Insurance is a requirement
August or November time slots available.
I’ve arranged these dates to make it an easy transition for you to come to Europe, relax, learn, recover from jet-lag, and sharpen your technical skills before going on to another destination (with me perhaps!!). It saves time, money, and wear and tear on you to bundle these trips.
The Portugal trip highlights include, in addition to the SMALL GROUP SIZE:
- Exploring Lisbon with local photography guides
- Private Fado performance and catered dinner at home with four fantastic musicians
- Reveling in the majesty of UNESCO sites
- Photographing the glorious Lusitano in new and exciting locations
- Enjoying the coast at sunset for landscape and atmosphere
- Delicious food, catered in my home or meals out in my favorite restaurants
- Daily opportunities for image review and sharing
- Special guest photographers to help you strengthen your composition, lighting, editing and ‘seeing’ skills.
The Portugal time slots fill very quickly. There has been tremendous interest since I first announced my move to the new home. If you have a small group of photo buddies interested in coming at any other time of the year, please contact me to create your specialized opportunity. The weeks throughout the year are already filling fast and of course I will maintain a robust mentoring schedule throughout. Therefore, weeks are limited.
Holland for Flowers, Art, and more Art! NEXT YEAR, 2027!
April 12-18, 2027 already half-full! Contact me soon as this trip always fills quickly and there are only 2 spots available.
Once again (if it is marvelous, why change?) we’ll gather at the charming boutique hotel (Vila Beukenhof) that serves as our base to explore all the flower fields and the spectacular Keukenhof garden. Located at the edge of Leiden, birthplace of Rembrandt, we’ll have easy access to the north (Amsterdam) and to the south (The Hague and Kinderdijk…new this year) for a broad experience of Holland. Art museums large and small, iconic windmills, the World Press Photo Debut, and strolling along canals for great night shooting will round out our experience. And if your interests include history, the Dutch Resistance Museum is fascinating and I’ll work hard to procure tickets to the Anne Frank House. But the centerpiece remains the flowers! We’ll have a minimum of three trips to the gardens. Personal instruction for Macro, ICM, and other Creative techniques as needed, along with review and critique sessions will enhance your skill and vision.
All breakfasts, welcome dinner and final night dinner, entrances to two museums and gardens for three visits, and transportation included. Lunch and other dinners not included. To call it simply ‘breakfast’ at Vila Beukenhof is like calling Versailles a house. Trust me. It’s a feast of food and refinement!
Cost: $5850, single $4975, double (per person)
Deposit required (fully refundable up to 120 days prior to trip) $1200
Trip Insurance is a requirement
Trip begins and ends at Amsterdam Schipol Airport