Guilin Photo Guides
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Our photo guides are here to take you to some amazing places and help you get the most from your time in the Guilin area. Although our photo guiding service does not include instruction, we're all about helping you go home with great shots and are happy to share what we know as we go.
We take you to amazing places & open the doors to beautiful people. Our aim is to help you capture a portfolio shot each day. All photo guides understand a photographer's needs and are picked for their caring personalities. They know the local area inside out, have been handpicked and head hunted for their location knowledge and character. We then further train and shadow all guides on photo tours, developing fixing skills to help you. |
Beware Chinese travel agencies posting so called 'photography tours', saying the guides are photographers, trained by... or have 5 to 30 years of photography experience. That simply is not true. The polite way to describe this is 'sales'. Bait and switch tactics also frequently occur and there are many sites putting up photo tours as an SEO marketing tactic.
We recommend you dig a little, check out reviews for Chinese grammar mistakes, look out for fake reviews. |
Meet Our Team
Photographer & Co-Founder
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Andy
Andy Beales is a British photographer who has featured in Digital Photo Magazine, won the Telegraph's annual travel photography of the year competition, Big Picture, won the 2017 Hong Kong International Photography Exhibition title of 'Photographer of the Year'. His images have featured on the homepage of the The Guardian, ITV Television, National Geographic traveller magazine, Daily Mail, and the Telegraph. He's a photo guide to famous CEO's, diplomats, and guided the some of the world's most awesome photographers in China. When not out shooting Andy consults in digital marketing and business strategy in the travel sector, including helping large Chinese operators research and design tours, and has even been hired by local Guilin firms to help train their local tour guides and develop tour products. Andy speaks Mandarin and has been living in Guilin for more 10 years. An ultra-marathon runner with a love of hang gliding and paragliding. The glue that initial bonded Andy and Mia to Guilin (before photography) was being involved (hands on, and on the board) of a Chinese children's charity, serving orphans with disabilities. Andy & Mia founded the company and both actively guide when possible. Andy's developed close friendships with the last remaining cormorant fishermen and families in the villages. Andy's been known to be wading across a river at 4am in the black of night to get a good sunrise shot. He's clearly too enthusiastic about photography and China. #NIKON D850 ENGLISH - CHINESE |
Photographer & Co-Founder Mia
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Mia
A Finnish photographer, married to Andy, speaks fluent English, very good Mandarin, and is in her 10th year in Guilin. Mia was guiding the most photography trips but got busy as a volunteer medical manager (helping orphans in foster care placement) then in expanding and training our team across China. Mia has a gift to open the doors of locals hearts and homes with her Chinese language, bringing you glimpses of life in Guilin's surrounding villages. When not shooting landscapes Mia loves shooting people, ancient villages, capturing ancient China in a close personal way. The family and people Mia knows, and the homes she visits open up opportunities to photograph another world, the daily life journalistic style or portraits. Mia is also skilled in landscape and HDR photography, but loves environmental portraits. Her cormorant fishing images have featured in the Guardian recently and she won a 'outstanding work' award and 3rd place at an International photography exhibition in Hong Kong with her tribal shots and night photography of the Rice Terraces flooded reflecting fireworks. Mia's lovely personality, caring heart, and the way she relates to the locals and clients means she is a pleasure to travel with and you're sure to go home with great images and a new friend. #NIKON D750 ENGLISH - FINNISH - CHINESE |
These guys are just a few of our Chinese team...
We've got a team of 6 Chinese guides, we're currently updating this page, getting new pictures...
We hope to show updated images and information by July 2019.
We hope to show updated images and information by July 2019.
Photo Guide George
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George
George has been guiding hiking and photographers for many years. George was out of action recently due to a broken ankle but is ready for 2016 guiding again. We're so happy to have George fit for 2016 and back in the team. You'll not only get the right spot, but be there at the right time. His local connections mean a photogenic local farmer or tribal family visit is no problem, offering you a chances to see China in a more personal way. George has guided people for years, but like all guides we required George to co-guide a number of trips run by Andy and Mia before going out solo with our clients. George didn't need much training, we and our clients love his enthusiasm and his fun cheeky personality, you'll make a friend with George, and can rely on his knowledge of off the beaten track locations. #NIKON D750 CHINESE - GOOD ENGLISH |
Photo Guide Jerry
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Jerry
Jerry loves the outdoors and off-the-beaten-track travel. Andy first met Jerry on the side of a mountain. He was shocked to see anyone there, especially a foreigner photographer at such a remote place. We were just as shocked to find someone there, especially a local who spoke such good English.
We discovered a common friend, a passion for hiking, and a love of showing people beautiful places. He has been guiding for years, not for Chinese agencies, but more authentic trips, hikes, cultural trips, including outdoor companies. We hit it off. We tested J out with some personal Aussie friends who were coming over in 2014, they just loved him and had a fantastic time. We are lucky to find a guide who is so focused on people and passionate about getting you to beautiful places. We've never been able to get a camera into his hand much, but boy does he know photography locations. He is a great photo guide and nice guy. CHINESE - GOOD ENGLISH |
Photo Guide Jessica
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Jessica
Jessica is kind, caring, calm and really dedicated. Although new to photography herself, she had been guiding photographers in Guilin for years, and so we headhunted her. We first co-led tours in 2014, and the feedback at the time and since has consistently been awesome, as you can read on our TripAdvisor page. As a local Chinese her friends and local connections mean a chance to photograph a local family is no problem. She has a knack to know what aspects of the culture and customs westerners find the most interesting. She' attentive and a pleasure to travel with. We are delighted to have her guide for us. #CANON 5D MKIII CHINESE - VERY GOOD ENGLISH David, Gao, PeggieCurrently being updated...
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Start designing your trip with our guides today...
We put a lot of time into selecting only the best guides, they are what makes or breaks our business, so you can relax and know whoever guides you, you're in good hands.
We can't guarantee a particular guide to a customer:
We are a niche service, and due to the possibility of sickness, family emergencies or other issues such as our charity commitments (that might require emergency medical support) we allocate guides in the last few weeks before your trip. Our schedule is very dynamic, also because our clients arrival and departure dates can also change, we need to juggle a small expert team.
Please understand that we do need some flexibility, and so we must reserve the right to switch guides. No particular guide by name is ever guaranteed, even if we tell you the person guiding months before. In most cases it's possible, but sometimes things are outside our control, especially as many of our clients are booking a year in advance.
We can't guarantee a particular guide to a customer:
We are a niche service, and due to the possibility of sickness, family emergencies or other issues such as our charity commitments (that might require emergency medical support) we allocate guides in the last few weeks before your trip. Our schedule is very dynamic, also because our clients arrival and departure dates can also change, we need to juggle a small expert team.
Please understand that we do need some flexibility, and so we must reserve the right to switch guides. No particular guide by name is ever guaranteed, even if we tell you the person guiding months before. In most cases it's possible, but sometimes things are outside our control, especially as many of our clients are booking a year in advance.
