Queenstown: Private Skippers Canyon Photography & Sightseeing

If you’re looking for a tour guide who teaches you how to take photos, you’re at the right place! This private photography tour is definitely one for the books. As beginners to photography, Martin taught us how to take better landscape photos and some technical aspects to look out for when shooting sceneries. He also knows all the good spots to capture beautiful sceneries of Queenstown and Skippers Canyon. Overall, Martin is a very informative and hospitable host who makes sure we’re well taken care of and goes at a pace which we’re comfortable with. Highly recommended!

Our tour guild Martin is wonderful. The weather was very bad, rain/snow. But he delivered a memorable trip for us.

Martin was a great host and knows just how to strike the right balance between offering helpful insights and letting you do your own thing. Easy to talk to and a very personable companion for the day. I got to photograph landscapes you wouldn’t normally be able to access in a hire car (at least without voiding your insurance). The car was comfortable and the driving smooth. I’d highly recommend Martin’s tours for any keen landscape photographer spending some time in Queenstown who wants to tap in to a wealth of local and photographic knowledge.

Our Skippers Canyon half day tour was fantastic. Martin offers a great balance of assisting with photo skills, settings and composition while also letting you do your thing. Martin's passion for and knowledge of the area helped make this tour a 'must do' for anyone interested in capturing some great images.

The irony here is that this trip was a last-minute replacement for another Skipper's Canyon adventure (cancelled with little notice and no explanation). Sometimes you get lucky. This was captivating country - shared with a fellow photographer (and guide/driver), Martin. I lost count of the number of stops we made. The changing lighting conditions (we headed out at 8 am) proved to be both a challenge and opportunities for new angles. Whether you have a digital SLR or iPhone/Android you will learn something about photography - and head home with many memorable shots.

I recently did the Skippers Canyon photography tour with Martin and it was sensational. Not only is Martin an experienced photographer, he also knows a lot of history about Queenstown and Skippers Canyon. Martin picked me up from my accommodation just outside of Queenstown in a new, very clean and comfortable car. We then made our way up Coronet Peak, stopping at a few locations as we went up in height. We then went down the Skippers Canyon track. The scenery is spectacular, but the drive is precarious—at all times I felt very safe with Martin driving. We stopped at lots of locations for all different types of photos. Near the bottom of the canyon we stopped for coffee and a muffin (both yum) before we continued along and the Shotover River came into view. All up, we were away for about 5 hours and loved every minute. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting to get spectacular photos while In Queenstown. Martin is a personable and exemplary host 10/10!

Martin was awesome. He customized our trip for my desires and skill level. I appreciated his knowledge of a photography form I was new too (landscape). He was a wonderful conversationalist willing to share his love of Queenstown.

The Queenstown region has many stunning photography locations. A Remarkable Imagery tour of Skippers Canyon will ensure that you see many of the very best of these. Martin knows each of the many twists and turns along Skippers Road. He let me explore different compositions for myself whilst also providing great suggestions for different angles and techniques. A bit of rain and lots of mist added moodiness to the pictures that I took away. I had a very enjoyable morning, left with a set of images that I really like, and improved the way I think when I take photos.

Skipper’s canyon is not an easy place to get to, so decided to go with a tour operator. And a ‘photo tour’ was a bonus. Martin was great, providing some history as well as some useful photography tips along the way, besides safely navigating the difficult road. Highly recommend!!

Had a fabulous 5 hours with Martin on Skippers Road in my visit to Skippers Canyon. The 5 hours with Martin was great value for money. Martin's knowledge of the area was excellent and I learnt a lot about the Canyon and it's history. I went there to see somewhere which is dificult to visit with out a 4WD. I will gladly seek out Martin on my next visit to Queenstown.

Martin is the best guide I have ever met. He is a professional landscape photographer. He shared a lot of photography tips with us. He has a strong passion about landscaping photography. He is very knowledgeable about the local history. He told us a lot about the old gold mining days. He knows a lot of secret photo shooting spots and stopped the car several times to let us take photos. His driving skill is great. We felt very safe. His communication was great. We had very nice conversations with him. We liked his narratives very much! The Skippers Canyon itself is absolutely beautiful! The scenic road is gorgeous. The experience is amazing!

Martin is the best guide I have ever met. He is a professional landscape photographer. He shared a lot of photography tips with us. He has a strong passion about landscaping photography. He is very knowledgeable about the local history. He told us a lot about the old gold mining days. He knows a lot of secret photo shooting spots and stopped the car several times to let us take photos. His driving skill is great. We felt very safe. His communication was great. We had very nice conversations with him. We liked his narratives very much! The Skippers Canyon itself is absolutely beautiful! The scenic road is gorgeous. The experience is amazing!

Martin gave a knowledgeable guided tour of the canyon focusing on photogenic sites, but with personal tips and shared experiences on photographic techniques. We ran overtime with no concern on his part. It was one f the highlights of our trip and we would recommend anyone interested in the experience whether or not they are serious photographers.

I am an avid photo/videographer, so it felt intuitive to me to get a local guide to take me down the scourge of the rental cars- Skippers Canyon. Right from the very first moment I knew I had made a great choice. Martin is a professional who understands photography intimately. He was ready and accomodating and had great suggestions on opportunities for breathtaking photos. It was delightful to be with someone who got the same level of excitement out of the views. I honestly don't think it could've gone any better. Don't go on a bus tour of Skippers. Hire Martin. You'll be glad you did. I know I'll be looking to hire him again next time I'm in town. Absolutely 28/10

Small group tour was great. Martin was extremely flexible on the schedule as well as sites to see. Very knowledgeable and personable as well We didn’t rent a camera but Martin was very accommodating regarding taking photos at various spot on the tour. We had another couple who almost canceled but we’re very glad they did the tour. Highly recommended Read more about Half Day Skippers Canyon Photography Adventure - https://www.viator.com/tours/Queenstown/Half-Day-Skippers-Canyon-Photography-Adventure/d407-19849P15?mcid=56757

Small group tour was great. Martin was extremely flexible on the schedule as well as sites to see. Very knowledgeable and personable as well We didn’t rent a camera but Martin was very accommodating regarding taking photos at various spot on the tour. We had another couple who almost canceled but we’re very glad they did the tour. Highly recommended