Had such an incredible time with Nyoman for a full day tour and got to check out so much, including some random stops that we noticed while driving around the island. Nyoman was an absolute wonder to have take us around and finding top notch locations. From rice fields to volcano vistas, he knew every spot inside out and where weather conditions didn’t hold up found alternatives that worked beautifully. In addition to getting some great images, it was a wonderfully fun day. I will absolutely do this again on a future visit to the region.

David is a knowledgeable photographer, and knows the best off the beaten path spots for shooting in the area around Ubud. He's a good guy and will tailor your day according to your skills. I am an avid amateur and experienced in landscape photogrpahy. I also love shooting people. We spent hours Ina really cool market that no one but locals would know. What a day. David also works with a local driver, NY man Dana (nyomandana622 on WhatsApp) who is just an all around fine human being. He gave so much color and local background info. Do not hesitate to engage either or both of these guys. They're just superb.

All I can say if you want to experience a beautiful sunrise over volcanoes, go to a very local market tourists rarely visit, have lunch in the home in a local village, and stop at many spots along the back roads, all the while taking incredible images, then this is the tour for you. I recommend this tour without any reservation. Also David is very helpful to ensure your camera settings are appropriate for the setting. A must do for any photographer visiting Bali.

Thoroughly enjoyed our time with Nyoman, he's a really great guy and took us to some terrific locations. 

Nyoman is hugely experienced and took the time to help me to improve my shot choices and think about composition. The clouds didn't clear for us at dawn so there was no opportunity to capture Mt Agung on this day. Instead, Nyoman took us into the fields and I was able to capture the early mist amongst the trees and rice terraces. After this, we visited markets, temples and waterfalls. Nyoman also recommended and offered an ND filter at a water temple. This proved invaluable for long exposure shots and yielded some terrific results. My partner came along for the ride and although she was not taking pictures, she also had a great time. Nyoman’s family and friends were also very welcoming and made us feel very comfortable. The home cooked meal was delicious!

 Overall, Nyoman was very knowledgeable and his enthusiasm is infectious.

As a preface to our review, we are photographers looking to build our portfolio and our travels are dictated by landscape photo opportunities in various countries. With that said, we typically identify which shots we are aiming for prior to planning out a trip. We reached out to David outlining exactly which landscape photos we were looking to take. While we knew where and when (sunrise/sunset) to take the photos, we wanted to hire someone that is familiar with the area as some locations may require a quick hike or is located on private property. Any photographers know spending the extra minutes to figure a location out once you arrive is crucial and it can mean a lost opportunity in getting the best light. We sent to David a list of all of the landscape photo locations for sunrise and sunset and well as opened up the opportunity to photograph cultural-based subjects during the day. After some back and forth, David provided back to us a very detailed itinerary outlining exactly what to expect every single day, the time, etc. As a person that is considered a "planner" (me), this was exactly the type of information I was looking for and the level of detail. Additionally, we absolutely loved the ability to adjust the entire itinerary - to as much or as little as we preferred. Lastly, any changes we wanted to make, David was sure to insert his opinions and warnings in case anything created conflict. This entire process of creating the itinerary was invaluable! Unfortunately, David was not available for the days we requested but he did refer me over to Nyoman (using the finalized itinerary we agreed on) who is a local photographer and guide that work under the same team as David. While we never got to experience what it was like to tour with David, I have nothing but praise for Nyoman and this goes back to my concerns over figuring things out once you get to the exact photo locations. There are several examples but one of the highlights is when we wanted to take sunrise photos at the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan temple. Prior to arriving for sunrise, I had no idea they open at 6:30am. During our visit, sunrise was 6:15am which means just getting in at 6:30am would result in a lost opportunity as the beautiful sky prior to sunrise would already be gone. We were already there at 5:30 am. Fortunately, there was a 24-hour guard and Nyoman was able to speak to them directly and they let us in! If we were there without Nyoman, I am certain we would not have been able to get in. Overall, our experience with Nyoman was one of the best. He was not only very accommodating, but it's nice to have a guide that understands photography. The most unique aspect of our tour was not photo-based and it was actually a very pleasant surprise. During our first day and after our first cultural-based photo session, Nyoman invited us over to his house where his wife cooked us a traditional Balinese lunch; we felt so honored in having to see where he was raised, meet his wife, and experience their food. And during this meal, they had dancers perform in their garden providing us with even more opportunities to take photos. For any other photographers on the fence about which photo guide to go with, please consider David and/or his team (Nyoman). I know there are other photo guides out there (that are quite famous on Instagram) but they do not provide you the ability to adjust and dictate the flow of your itinerary, they charge 4 to 5 times more and those guides most likely are not even permanent residents or locals of Indonesia. With that said, if you go with David and/or his team, you are not only going to get one of the best photo tours experiences (and I've been on a lot throughout the world), but the money you pay goes back to the people that live there - not just there to "set up shop".

Spent a fantastic day with Nyoman and came away with some fantastic images. Although the weather was initially challenging, Nyoman adapted really well until the rain cleared up. He also quickly understood the types of images I like to shoot and adjusted the itinerary accordingly. Communication with both Nyoman and David was excellent throughout - highly recommended.

Outstanding day, we had challenging conditions with the weather but my guide Nyoman was excellent and adjusted the tour's itinerary to suit the weather conditions. While early rain impacted some of the sites, we had great light as the sun broke through the rain clouds lighting up the rice fields. Nyoman is also a very good photographer who provided helpful guidance during the tour, particularly photographing people at a local market and also the village ceremony. The booking process through Viator was simple and effective, and follow-up communications for the tour were very good. David, Nyoman and Wayan were very responsive, and David provided a pre-tour brief which was very helpful. I have no hesitation in recommending David's tours, in particular the full day tour.

We had absolutely fantastic time with Nyoman on our 1 day photography trip. We started early morning with a sunrise shoot, followed by a local market, streetphotography and a lunch and traditional dance at Nyomans home. He is this super warm and friendly person that helps you improve your photoskills, show you the best places and make all the people so relaxed so you get wonderful portraits. The warmth of Nyoman and his family is really inspirational. The communication with David through whatsapp worked great. We would highly recommend a trip with them!

David is a very nice guy who is very knowledgeable about photography, local customers, and good photography spots. On my trip I got photograph and experience the way of life here in Bali. The driver Made was also wonderful and they both made me most welcome and I felt very safe as a solo woman traveler. Would recommend.

I had an amazing experience with both David and Nyoman. If you have the opportunity this is the most incredible chance to explore not only the cultural aspects but also the photographic challenges of Bali qnd the tradiitional back streets of the Island.. Nyoman is a font of knowledge and and an amazing soiuce of traditional sites and culture.

My husband and I had been to Bali before -- and fell in love with it immediately -- but our trip last month with David Metcalf broke our hearts wide open. Not only was David's itinerary a remarkable 10-day tour that kept us off the beaten path, but also it introduced us to exceptional people along the way. Thanks to David's particular relationships and philanthropic efforts in multiple Balinese communities, we were greeted with open arms -- and kitchens and homes! -- wherever we went and immediately felt welcome. We felt included as we took in spectacular dances and traditional ceremonies, with plenty of opportunity to get to know some of the people along the way. Is it possible to feel like you made life-long friends after a single visit? We think the answer is yes! And on top of it all, we enjoyed top-notch accommodations, food, drinks, spa treatments and more along the way, soaking up every bit of Bali's exceptional hospitality. We're already planning our return visit, looking forward to seeing the friends we met again, exploring more places and meeting new people!

My wife and I went with Dave and Mark Rayner for a tour in Alaska. This was our 4th tour with Dave. Need I say more?

My wife and I partnered with David to bring a small group of photographers to Bali from the United States for a 9 day cultural photographic experience. This was our second trip to the beautiful Island of Bali and it far exceeded our expectations. Wow, David is one of the most passionate people I've had the privilege of being around and his love for the Island and most importantly the people is abundantly obvious. This was a photography workshop that turned into a spiritual and cultural journey with our cameras. We are already planning our next adventure to Bali and beyond with David.

David Metcalf is the best photographer guide i ‘ve ever worked with. I really enjoyed our trip in Ubud, i’ve been showed the most amazing places and i had a chance to capture amazing pictures

My wife and I were part of a custom photography & cultural tour led by David. Some of us were experienced photographers, others not. David's connections with the locals and his understanding of Indonesian & Balinese culture were more than we ever could have expected, and this cannot be understated. David’s team of local guides and hosts were incredible, with special recognition to I Nyoman Darna who spent hours sharing his Balinese culture and answering our many questions, and prepared a special meal in his home for us. The local people and David have a bond, and that openness extended to all of us on the tour. We were enthusiastically welcomed into villages, temples, homes, home temples and intimate local Balinese ceremonies. We benefited immensely from David's experience of great photogenic areas and photographic techniques. Everyone’s photographs came out great. David materfully adjusted to the varying weather conditions and consulted with us before making any necessary schedule changes. Great planning AND spontaneity was key, and that is exactly what David provided. All through the tour, we were able to stop at any moment to capture interesting scenes and people. The food was always so delicious (“enak” in Indonesian) and we were never hungry. The logistical details of what and where we visited are too numerous to list here, but I felt that at the end of 9 days I was eager to keep going so we are already planning our next trip with David!