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Review Highlights
The Best New Zealand South Island Photographic Experience!

I have just returned from Phillip Bartlett’s South Island of New Zealand Winter Tour, and it was... read more

Reviewed July 5, 2023
Billee M
Amazing South Island Trip

Phillip leads amazing trips. We spent 12 days touring the South Island and saw many of the iconic... read more

Reviewed July 5, 2023
Dale G
,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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11 - 16 of 35 reviews
Reviewed December 8, 2016

Led by professional photographer, Phillip Bartlett, I recently had the pleasure of attending a photography workshop on the South Island of New Zealand. This was a great experience which had us visiting and photographing the best 'authentic New Zealand' locations utilising the best light. Phillip possesses a wealth of experience, skill and expertise which he is able to share with each individual photographer, as the group was limited to six participants.

The accommodations throughout the workshop varied in style, though all were very clean, comfortable and welcoming. Also, it was quite obvious that Phillip had gone to great lengths to ensure that the meals on offer to participants were first rate. Similarly, a great deal of effort is made to ensure that each individual has their own needs and goals met; whether these be photographic or personal.

Amongst many highlights was a 'doors-off' chopper flight over Fox Glacier which provided a unique perspective from which to shoot the glacier - just one of the experiences Phil organised!

Some people may ask is a trip like this worth the cost? My response would be if you are looking for a professional, impeccably organised way of photographing the South Island that provides the opportunity to improve your skills - all while travelling with fun, like-minded people; it is more than worth it and you would be hard-pressed to find better.

Date of experience: November 2016
Thank Alan B
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 8, 2016

I've attended multiple photography workshops in different countries, and Phillip is definitely one of the best photographers I've had the privilege to work with. Most photographers attend workshops to improve their compositional skills, as we've already mastered the use of our cameras. If this is what you're looking for then you've found the right photographer/workshop. At each location Phillip gave individual attention to each photographer's composition, giving advise and the rationale for it. Sometimes a small shift in the angle of the camera or stepping a little to the left or right can make or break your image, and a more experienced eye is needed to pick out the subtle nuances in your composition. I was amazed at Phillip's compositional eye as he immediately saw what needed to be corrected when he looked at my LCD monitor. Phillip is also a master at reading the weather. Many times he would stop and look out the window for minutes at a time trying to gauge which way the weather is going to change and trying to pick out the best spots for the workshop participants. Now that's a thinking and caring photography guide! So if you're looking for a photography workshop for New Zealand, look no further!

Date of experience: November 2016
Thank hilton880
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 5, 2016

This was one of the best photographic workshops I have ever attended any where in the world. We started off in Christchurch and traveled over 4,000 km to view the most scenic places in the South Island. Our leader, Phillip Bartlett, a professional Photographer from New Zealand, worked extremely hard to make sure we were at the most scenic vistas not known to the majority of tourists. He went out of his way to make sure we were present at sunrise and sunsets to capture the most beautiful landscape vistas. He worked individually with each one of us to help get the best composition and taught us how to think outside of "the photographic box". Our guide, Darryl, enlightened us on the history of each place we visited and was very helpful in getting us to these remote places safely and many times helped carry our equipment. The highlight of the trip was the helicopter ride over Fox Glacier, where Phillip taught us how to shoot the that amazing vista from the helicopter with the doors removed. I highly recommend using Capture New Zealand with Phillip as your leader if you want to photograph the South Isalnd of New Zealand and improve your photographic skills at the same time.

Date of experience: November 2016
Thank Lawrence K
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 21, 2016

I had a delightful time travelling around the South Island with Phillip and his assistant, Paul, and the five other guests, on the 2016 winter landscape photography workshop. Phillip is a superb landscape photographer; however, during the workshops, he almost never pulled out his camera. Rather, his focus was entirely on his guests to ensure that we got to the best locations at the best times to take the best possible shots of some pretty phenomenal landscapes. And, to top it off, he arranged for us to have the chance to do some aerial photography over the Fox Glacier.

Phillip and Paul wanted all of us to have a grand holiday as well, so we were well-fed and well-caffeinated (which meant that we visited some charmingly quirky coffee shops and cafes up and down the South Island). They also kept us amused with Kiwi facts and anecdotes (some of which might even be true) as we drove between locations. In short, this was a fabulous photography workshop and a delightful introduction to the South Island of New Zealand.

Date of experience: July 2016
2  Thank EMME_1155004
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 19, 2016

We had a wonderful time with Phillip and Paul on the south island of New Zealand, learning so much about taking landscape photography while enjoying ourselves immensely. Phillip made sure we were all in the right spot at the right time and we came away with some fantastic images. What a wonderful country!
Phillip and Paul made sure we were happy with everything - accommodation, meals, etc. and if anything was amiss, they sorted it out immediately. Can't fault them. Thanks heaps, guys!

Date of experience: July 2016
1  Thank Lorraine S
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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