Thailand - Suan Sook Custom Photography Retreat Photo Retreat

Amazing Suan Sook Custom Photography Retreats
Providing exceptional learning experiences focused on the skills you most want to improve or learn.

These retreats are customized to best suit where you are at in your photography journey. We have tons of experience in many, many styles and photographed everything from hill tribe to celebrity portraits, trolly racing to World Rally Championship competition, corporate boardrooms to garbage dump dwellings. We are passionate about what we do and enthusiastic to impart our passion and expertise to you. Book an @ Suan Sook Photography Retreat with us and you will have the opportunity to discover more of your creative gifting, learn how to use your camera intuitively and infuse your photos with a depth of meaning and feeling beyond what you can currently imagine.

Your Photography Retreat
@ Suan Sook
Welcome To Our Home

Greeting you with a cool drink we’ll let you settle into one of our two guest rooms, each featuring king bed, en suite, air-conditioning and the warm comfort of our home.

Once you’re ready we can sit together and go over the options for how you would like to design your Photography Experience Retreat. To get an idea of what’s available, browse through the many options below. There’s a variety of locations we can teach at in the region and the photography topics best suited to each of them are also outlined. You can pick and choose where you’d most like to spend the time based on what you most want to see and the photography skills you most want to improve on.

During this initial discussion we’ll get a feel for where you are at with your photography and what you most want to focus on. Through our years of experience teaching we have found this to be a most valuable time. It will enable us to teach you matching your skill and experience level. We’ll also get a feeling for the way you prefer to use your camera and the styles you are drawn to.

Planning Your Photography Retreat Experience
Whether you are coming for a single night and one day workshop, or a longer stay with multiple days of workshops, we will map out an itinerary based on your preferences. Photographers with a reasonable amount of camera knowledge and experience will likely prefer arranging to go directly to a location first thing the following morning. For beginner photographers we recommend spending some time together in the morning at Suan Sook.

For Beginner Photographers
We will focus on familiarizing you with your camera and some of the essential photography skills. Around Suan Sook we’ve incorporated an abundance of interesting features to photograph and to aid your learning experience, so this will not be a boring classroom session. Once we have got you well grounded, understanding your camera better and the fundamental concepts of what makes a great photo, (and how to achieve doing this,) we’ll head out and do it!

For More Experienced Photographers

Those who are already more familiar with using their cameras can begin the experience at your first chosen location. With a careful selection of locations you are sure to learn new techniques, develop your skills and spend the time capturing creative, dynamic photographs.

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Pick the locations which most interest you and mix them with the style and skills you most want to work on. We not only want you to learn and love photography more, but we really want you to enjoy your experience at our home, in and around Doi Inthanon National Park and the region.

As you read through the outlines of locations below you will notice we have matched them with various types of photography best suited to them.
The Locations
@ Suan Sook
Portraits (outdoor studio)

I have developed a technique to make outdoor portraits with a custom made ‘studio’ using only available light, based Irving Penn’s own outdoor studio.
Night & Dusk

Dusk and night photography @ Suan Sook. Learn to experiment with low light, long exposures, ‘blue hour’ and using flash and other light sources.
Macro Photography

Attention to the smallest details. Focusing on making great photos of little things (or small portions of big things.)
Still Life

Take time to create and photograph still life subjects. It’s about balance, careful composition and lighting.
Flowers/Nature

Natural creation provides endless opportunities to produce stunning photos.
Architecture

Learn to see light, shadow and shapes @ Suan Sook.
Food Photography

Pique appetites by discovering how to make food look tempting and irresistible.
Digital Work-flow

Kevin has developed his work-flow diligently to ensure maximum efficiency and enjoyment to manage and manipulate digital photographs.

Inthanon National Park
Mae Ya Waterfall

Our favorite of the many waterfalls in the national park.
– Landscape, nature, panorama, long exposure.
Royal Project Agricultural Station and Gardens

Splendid gardens, green houses and nurseries developed to teach local farmers new and more productive growing methods.

– Flowers/nature, landscape, macro, stock
Ang Ka Walkway

A short walk down fairly steep steps brings you to a serene green tropical forest boardwalk.

– Nature, abstract.
Big Rock View Point

Stunning panoramic views from atop this large rock.

– View, panorama, landscape
Kew Mae Pan Walkway

2.8km trail through forest and along the mountainside with more sensational panoramic views.

– View, panorama, landscape, stock, story telling
Twin Royal Pagodas

The twin pagodas are set in spectacular gardens with majestic panoramic views.

– Architecture, landscape, flowers/nature, panorama, view, stock
Rice Terraces

Terraced working rice fields stretch impressively on and on across mountainsides and through valleys. (Available only during the growing season – July thru early November)

– Landscape, panorama, stock, view.

Local Highlights
Weekend Markets

Rural markets selling everything from mobile phones to buffalo. Throngs of locals (and few or no tourists) flock to these markets every Saturday and Sunday. (You’ll need to be staying with us on a Friday or Saturday night to include this option.)

– Street, candid, people, storytelling, black and white, food,
Temples

We have a variety of local Buddhist temples, of which we’ve picked out the most photogenic, close by Suan Sook and further away.

– Architecture, still life, story telling, abstract, stock
Reclining Buddha

A massive statue rests on a hill top surrounded by gardens and religious sculptures.

– Architecture, still life, story telling, nature, panorama, view, abstract, stock
Mae Lai Karen Village

Real rural hill tribe lifestyle. We have a close relationship with people in this village. It’s a wonderful place to experience a little of Karen lifestyle and make some great portraits with our outdoor studio.

– Portraits, architecture, street, story telling, black and white,
Baan Thong Luang

Slightly north of Chiang Mai, so a little further away, is one of our favorite places to photograph and take guests to. We have very good relationships here which afford us, and you, remarkable photo opportunities.

– Portraits, people, candid, architecture, black and white, story telling, flash
Muang Mai Market

Another of our favorite photography locations. We’ve been taking workshops here for years and never get tired of the hsutle and bustle and real Chaing Mai life.

– People, street, story telling, candid, food, macro, black and white, time lapse, stock, abstract
Pricing

We have a base rate per day with additional charges depending or your choices, as some locations require an entrance fee. The accommodation cost varies from high to low season, (currently between 1300bt – 1900bt per room per night.) Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the workshop prices. Drinking water, tea, and coffee are also included. Alcoholic drinks are not included in the prices.