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Free Banff Sunrise Photography Meetup

Join me for a FREE landscape photography meetup session!

     I’m inviting you to join my “Free Banff Landscape Photography Sunrise Tour Meetup” group.  When you join the group you will receive a notification immediately after the next almost free Sunrise landscape photography tour is created.  There is about one free tour every month or two, depending on my scheduled paid tours.  And sign up early because these tours fill up fast.

The Rundle Diamond" occurs only around the Winter solstice at Vermillion Lakes. It's become a sought after composition since I first popularized it with this National, multiple award winning photograph in 2012. © www.brianmerry.ca

     Yes, I’m giving away a one and a half hour FREE sunrise landscape photography tour.  The registration fee is just $10.00 and you WILL be refunded if you show up for the tour.  The tour is free.  I know.  I can hear you saying this right now:

 

Why charge $10.00 to register if your going to turn around and refund everyone afterwards?

     The truth is that when I started this “Free Sunrise Tour” series, I did give it away for free.  But, after the first 3 tours only 1 out of 6 photographers actually showed up for the Sunrise photography session after signing up.  I felt hurt honestly.  It was a humiliating feeling that I couldn’t give this tour away.

     However, I knew that there had to more to the story.  After all, I’ve won 3 Travel and Hospitality Awards for my tours for the variety and educational experience that they represent.  I was frequently selling this same tour to photographers who wanted to book me on other days for $250.  In fact, while the free tour was poorly attended I was still booking a healthy amount of paid private sunrise, half day and full day tours.  

      I reasoned that when people don’t actually pay to book a tour they didn’t value it enough to get out of bed early in the morning to attend it.  It seemed that if they didn’t have any “skin” in the game, they were more likely to sign up for the tour and then simply not bother showing up for it or canceling.

     I know that many of the photographers who follow me can’t afford to hire me for a tour.  However, I also know that I absolutely need to charge for my tours to make a living.  I am a full time outdoor photographer and I can’t give my services away for free all of the time, and I wouldn’t be in business long if I did.  But, how do I help all landscape photographers and not just the people who can afford me.

I had to find a balance between these conflicting goals.

The Solution!!

     I thought that if I charged $10.00 for my “free” tour then maybe people would start showing up because they would feel that they now had some “skin in the game!”  Also, I reasoned that everybody that could afford a camera could afford $10.00.  However, I also knew I would potentially be giving back to the photographers who didn’t have a lot of disposable income too.

     The free part occurs when photographers actually show up for the tour.  If they show up I will refund them the full amount of the tour.

     This tour series doesn’t discriminate against higher income earners in favor of low income earners either.  This tour is for everybody from all walks of life.  This meetup group is an inclusive group.

The tour Sunrise tour is FREE once per month!

However, the tour will cost you $10 if you sign up

and then you don’t show up or cancel in advance.

     Yep, that’s right.  You will be refunded the registration fee after you attend the free tour.  However, if you sign up for the tour and then you don’t show or cancel your spot at least 12 hours before the tour, you will not be refunded your $10 sign up fee.

What? 

You can’t make the next date that I have for the free tour? 

Why not book your own private tour if you’re short on time? 

Book your own private tour

at any time of the year, at your convenience *

     Maybe you have a limited amount of time in Banff.  Or, maybe you’d like to book a regular priced Sunrise/Sunset/half day or a full day tour with me on one of the other days of the month?  If you would then book a time that’s convenient for you on my landscape photography PRIVATE TOUR webpage. 

     You can also choose to book a private group tour for your photography club or group.  We offer group tours with Parks Canada approved transportation includedContact me with your custom group booking request and I think you’ll be pleased with just how affordable these tours can be.

I think you'll be pleased with just how affordable a private group tour can be.