Soft Lite Workshops

The Ultimate Photographic Journey

EXPLORE: New Perspectives, New Techniques, New Skills

ENRICH: Your Vision, Your Knowledge, Your Passion

ENGAGE: In Bigger Ideas, In Bigger Productions, In Bigger Networks

All workshops

A Tale Of Two Worlds

Vietnam Photography Tour

View ticket options
Dates
Sep 5, 2027 – Sep 18, 2027
Tuition
See ticket options
Difficulty
Easy
Group size
12
Focus
Cultural, Landscape, Street
Guides
Tim D. Neumann, Son Nguyen

Workshop Details

Join us on a journey through Vietnam’s visual wonders. From the northern terraced rice fields to the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam’s varied terrain and culture is a photographer’s playground. Set against the stunning backdrops of Vietnam’s varied terrain, photography is a look backward and forward in time. The culturally rich people of Vietnam are extremely friendly and amazingly photogenic in authentic dress and costume finery. From rural farming from another time to the modern bustle of cities on the grow, Vietnam offers outstanding street and portrait photography alike. Couple dramatic photographic opportunities with tropical misty mornings and monsoon skies, and you genuinely have the photographic trip of a lifetime.

Our photographic adventure kicks off in Ha Noi, the historic heart of Vietnam, nestled along the banks of the Red River. With a rich history spanning over a millennium, Ha Noi is a treasure trove for history enthusiasts, boasting traditional markets and shops in the ‘Old Quarter’ alongside modern developments. The city’s rich cultural heritage, diverse cuisines influenced by centuries of occupation, and a blend of architectural styles offer photographers a myriad of captivating scenes. The bustling street life, fueled by the iconic motorbikes, is a particular draw for many photographers.

From Ha Noi, our journey takes us north to the terraced rice-growing regions of the Yen Bai Province, Mu Cang Chai. This region, a blend of tropical forest and mountainous terrain, is hailed as the most picturesque rice-growing region in the world. The physical beauty of this region, with its lush tropical forests and rugged mountains, is a paradise for nature lovers and landscape photographers. The local villagers, known as the H’mong Flower people, engage in the centuries-old traditions of carving growing terraces, channeling water, and growing rice in hydroponic paddies. This physically demanding work yields large amounts of harvested rice, not to mention a stunning photographic backdrop. The region’s rich culture, including regional markets, handmade crafts, and rich textiles, adds another layer of photographic interest. Many National Geographic images have been captured in the Mu Cang Chai region.

After our time in Mu Cang Chai, we travel to the Sapa, where we will continue our photographic explorations of the rice terraces and work on some stunning mountain sunset images. You will begin to notice that the H’mong People are tribal in nature, and each village’s H’mong tribe subscribes to specific textile styles, color preferences, and decorative traditions. Those photographers interested in cultural portraits will find the variety of styles between the villages quite photogenic. We will stay overnight in Sapa to rest for our journey south, with a stop-over in Ha Noi.

*****NEEDS MORE WORK***** We overnight in Ha Noi so that we have an evening to recharge before heading to Ha Long Bay and to afford us a few more street photography opportunities. Ha Noi has a vibrant nightlife, and we intend to take this opportunity to capture some candid images of local Vietnamese enjoying their leisure time. Our following day is packed with photographic opportunities in and around Ha Noi, which we assure you will result in some stunning images.

After our time in Ha Noi is complete, we head to the Ha Long Bay region for our private boat tour of the bay. With a pre-lunch boarding time, we depart the dock just in time for our onboard seafood lunch. Our cruise through Ha Long Bay will take us past many of the limestone karsts and islands for which the bay is famous. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the bay offers many photographic opportunities. Caves, islands, local fishermen, and even floating villages can be seen and visited throughout our cruise. As the day winds down, the opportunity exists for a sunset image across the water, happy hour drinks on the upper deck, and even a cooking class centered around local cuisine. We will enjoy dinner on board before retiring to our cabins for a night’s sleep on the bay’s water. The next day offers a potential sunrise shoot on the water, followed by an onboard brunch and then motoring back to the dock for the conclusion of our tour of Ha Long Bay.

From Ha Long Bay, we head directly to the Ha Noi airport to catch our flight to Hue, Vietnam. Hue, located in Central Vietnam, in the Thua Thien-Hue Province, on the Perfume River, is known for being the former imperial capital of Vietnam. Home to many elaborate mausoleums, temples, pagodas, and royal residences, Hue provides many opportunities to capture the architecture of a more traditional era of Vietnamese history. Our in-country guide has arranged for local models to accompany us throughout the day so that we may capture traditional dresses on display throughout the city.

Included

Transportation: 

All internal transportation is included in the cost of the workshop, including but not limited to domestic flights, transfers, chartered transportation, and specialty transportation, if required.

Lodging:

All lodging, during the scheduled workshop is included in the cost of the workshop. Lodging is based upon double occupancy, with upgrades to single occupancy typically available, for an additional fee. When and where available lodging is of 4 or 5 star quality. It should be noted that some locations only offer minimalistic lodging.

Dining/Meals:

All meals throughout the duration of the workshop are included in the cost of the workshop. Where possible meals are enjoyed as group events, fostering deeper communications and richer learning. When scheduling neccesity exists we have the capability to provided mobile meals, so that are photographic schedule can be met. Nutritious snacks and beverages are supplied througout the day.

Professional Guides:

All international workshops are guided by both a professional photographer, as well as a professional in-country guide. Our in-country guides are specialists in the countries that they guide in, holding the necessary permits and credentials to guide effectively in their specialty countries. Our photoghraphic guides are master photographers, with deep knowledge of photographic techniques as well as rich experience in guiding you to ideal compositions.

Prices and Registration

Details Price Qty
Workshop Fee, Grand Opening Sale (05/29-06/12)show details + $8,495.75 USD  
Workshop Fee, Standard Double Occupancy Price (06/12-08/22)show details + $9,995.00 USD  
Workshop Fee, Single Occupancy Supplement (05/29-08/22)show details + $1,095.00 USD  
Add-On Room, Pre-Workshop Start Dateshow details + $195.00 USD  
Add-On Room, Post-Workshop End Dateshow details + $195.00 USD  


Online event registration and ticketing powered by Event Espresso

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ – Why Choose Soft Lite Workshops?

This is the toughest and easiest of all the FAQs to write! Why so tough? Let’s face it: many workshop providers are in the marketplace today, and words are free. Why so easy? Because we say what we mean and mean what we say.

Okay, we will start with the tough part. It’s best to get that out of the way first. The workshop marketplace is complete with workshop providers; we have even sampled many to get a comprehensive feel for what’s offered to customers. What we found was even a bit shocking. Don’t get us wrong; many providers do a quality job of providing a solid workshop offering. At the same time, there is an equal number that, in our opinion, are missing a part of the equation.
Undoubtedly, you have heard the grumblings. Workshop guides who are so busy shooting their pictures that they can’t be bothered to help with yours. Workshop guides who don’t even attend the workshop, sending someone else in their place. Workshop guides whose idea of a critique is telling everyone that their picture is “great.” None of these behaviors is acceptable, let alone in any way helping you, the paying customer. Truthfully, workshops are not cheap, take time from your precious schedule, and should benefit your photographic pursuits. A workshop that doesn’t meet your needs, or worse, provides incorrect information, is useless to you.
Now for the easy part. We at Soft Lite Workshops take extreme pride in the workshops we have designed. Not only are they designed to give you the best possible images at the locations we visit, but our workshops are also accompanied by the finest, most passionate guides available. Our guides have spent years in the field, guiding clients in the pursuit of better compositions and teaching techniques that yield significantly better images.
Our idea of a great workshop is one where everyone has a great time, learns valuable new photographic techniques and goes home with world-class images. A tall order to be sure, but you can be assured that we will do our absolute level best to deliver exactly that. None of this can be done without some effort expended by all parties, customers and guides alike, but that’s what we are here to do. We will help you push the boundaries of your technical knowledge and challenge you to expand your sense of composition.
FAQ – What Is A "Destination Photography Workshop?"

That’s a good question, and we have an equally good answer for you! In a destination photography workshop, we take you to a specific destination, having already scouted ideal locations. While at that destination, we guide you through various photographic opportunities, helping you with advanced photographic techniques and reinforcing your composition style.

In many locations where we offer workshops, location access and knowledge can be difficult for first-time visitors to ascertain. We remove this uncertainty by working with local guides and making multiple scouting trips before offering a workshop at a new location. In addition to our scouting efforts, we use a variety of forecasting tools to assist in picking the best vantage points at the ideal time.
For our international workshops, we utilize the services of professional in-country guides. These guides are not only experts in the locations they service but are also extremely well-versed in the local culture and customs, and they ensure that we have the most authentic experience possible. Throughout our travels, we have found that embracing the local traditions offers the best chance of seeing the local people in their everyday lives.
FAQ – Can I Get A Single Room If I So Desire?

The short answer is, of course! The longer answer is we will do everything possible to make that happen, and in most cases, it is not a problem. However, in some locations, depending on how busy an area may be or the possibility of minimal services, we may not be able to fulfill your request. But we will certainly give it our best shot.

In the vocabulary of the travel industry, single-occupant rooming comes with an upcharge. As your tour operator, we incur that upcharge for switching a room from double occupancy to single occupancy. We will pass that charge on to you in addition to your workshop fee.
When we possess the necessary information in advance, the single supplement add-on price is displayed in the ticketing information at registration time.
FAQ – Pricing

All workshop pricing is quoted per person and based upon double occupancy lodging arrangements. Please upgrade to single occupancy lodging for a private room; we will make every attempt to accommodate that request. For this wishing to arrive early or depart later than the planned dates for the selected workshop, we can make those accommodations for you. We will extend your reservation as requested and will facilitate keeping you in the same room as during your workshop stay.

Our typical lodging selections are 4 or 5-star properties where such properties are available. This lodging level is simply unavailable in specific locations, and we make every effort to obtain suitable lodging for our time there. In some regions, we choose accommodations based on their cultural significance. Such hotels allow workshop participants a more authentic experience and a closer relationship with local customs. Rest assured that no matter the location, we will obtain comfortable and suitable lodging for our time there.
All meals during the scheduled duration of the workshop, including breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, are included in the cost of the workshop. Snacks and beverages will be available to the workshop participants throughout each day.
Coffee, tea, and water are included with all meals. Specialty and alcoholic beverages will be billed separately.
FAQ – Do I Need To Be An Experienced Photographer To Attend A Workshop

Absolutely Not! If you are familiar with your camera system, we can take you to the next level. As a personal baseline, it would be best if your familiarity included exposure settings, exposure modes, and the ability to adjust exposure compensation. If you can manage those things, we can assist you in getting to creatively correct exposures and finding compelling compositions.

At Soft Lite Workshops, our passion is taking you to incredible photographic locations, a culmination of physical location, time of day, and quality of light. Once there, our mission is to guide you to the best possible image of that confluence of elements. 
FAQ – How Can I Be Ready For My Destionation Photography Workshop?

Wow, that’s a loaded question! There are so many different things to think about. Where do you start?

Considering this is all about photography, we will start with that first. 
The next thing to think about is clothing. What should you pack, and what conditions should you prepare for? In large measure, clothing decisions are dictated by the location you are headed to and the time of year that you plan to be there. Each of our workshop descriptions will discuss the environment for a specific workshop and the weather you are likely to encounter.
For international travel, we will cover, at a high level, requirements for traveling to the country where the workshop will be held. You must understand that these recommendations are based upon our perspective as residents of the United States. Those participants that might be joining us from other countries MUST research travel requirements imposed by their country of residence.
Last but not least, bear with us while we review some general travel recommendations and reminders that we have found helpful over the years.
In closing, if you have any questions please feel free to contact us directly and we will do our best to help you.
FAQ – I Have Questions Prior To Booking A Workshop, May I Contact You?

Of course! There are several ways to reach us. If the question is generic, the best contact path would be through the Contact option on the main menu of the Soft Lite Workshops website. On the other hand, if the question is specific to an upcoming workshop, it would be best to use the contact link on the Event Details page for that workshop; that way, the question automatically gets directed to the appropriate person.

We do not employ a full-time administrative staff, and the actual guides will be responding to any questions you might have; as such, depending upon the urgency of the response or our location in the field, our response may be delayed until we are back to regular connectivity.
We endeavor to answer all questions as quickly and as completely as possible.
FAQ – What Is The Typical Group Size?

For each workshop, we specify a Minimum group size and a Maximum group size. When you look at the Event Details for any workshop, you will see that information listed for that workshop.

We do not run any workshops with more than 12 participants; for financial reasons, we will not run a workshop with less than the stated Minimum group size. In some locations, regulations for that area limit the maximum group size, and we will not exceed that maximum number.
FAQ – Do You Offer Discounts For Non-Photographers

The short answer is no. It would be nice if we could, but our research tells us that doing this is impractical. Experience tells us that more often than not, an attending companion wants to hang out with their travel buddy and, in the end, does the same things their companion is doing, leaving us with the same costs and logistics to manage for both the photographer and the non-photographer.

As a practical aside, a destination photography workshop schedule can be demanding, leaving the non-photographer feeling left out. We would suggest that this isn’t the ideal trip for a non-photographer.
FAQ – Do I Need To Worry About Model Releases?

In short, no, as long as the images you create are for editorial work and not intended to be commercially used. As a practical concern, local models are compensated for their time and, as such, are content with that compensation.

If you intend to use your images for commercial purposes and have an existing model release that you would like to utilize, advise us of that need prior to your workshop.
For any photographic contests you intend to enter, please check with the contest organizers for the specific image category you plan to compete in. It is more than likely that travel photographs will require model releases.
FAQ – Can I Request To Share A Room With Another Workshop Participant?

In today’s day and age, we need to answer this carefully! We will make every attempt to accommodate all lodging requests that we receive. Pairing up roommates in mutual agreement about lodging arrangements is one of the most straightforward tasks for us to accomplish. Please be sure that your intended roommate agrees with your request so they are not surprised by our arrangements on their behalf.

Once we have managed any requests that we have, our policy is to pair up like sex participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. Where possible, based upon lodging availability
FAQ – What Camera Equipment Should I Bring?

This is one of those questions that can be difficult to answer. Not because we don’t have preferences and recommendations, we do, but we are always cautious about the notion of “pushing” people into equipment decisions. A long-standing quote in photography goes something like this: “What’s the best camera?” “The one that’s in your hand.” It’s tongue-in-cheek, but there’s a lot of truth in those simple words.

Let us break some of these thoughts down for you. First, let’s set a starting point in the conversation. That’s the notion that knowing your camera is essential; the worst camera in the world is the one you have no idea how to operate. More about that in an upcoming paragraph. Second, we will make some baseline recommendations. Here, we offer a few suggestions on what would be considered the typical field kit for a photographer. Third and last, some thoughts on specialty gear that will allow you to expand your technique skillset but is not required to enjoy a successful workshop.
FAQ – Instruction While At A Soft Lite Workshops Workshop…

At Soft Lite Workshops, we are all about sharing our passion for acquiring fine art images while out in the field. Nothing is more rewarding than showing our participants outstanding image opportunities and how to capture them. Over the years, we have learned and embraced a wide variety of techniques for optimizing our image-capture capabilities, and we love to share those techniques with our workshop members. Remember, at our workshops, we are committed to helping you bring home some of the best images of your life.

 
It is worth mentioning a bit about our teaching style so that while we are in the field, we can communicate effectively. When working with sunrises and sunsets, time is of the essence, and reacting quickly can make all the difference in the world. We want you to know that your workshop guide(s) are THERE FOR YOU.