Jim and Magrit Nilsen: Helping Groups Capture Europe’s Beauty Through a Lens
For over 15 years, Jim and Magrit Nilsen have been offering group tours for photographers of almost all skill levels in destinations throughout Europe, helping travelers capture truly stunning imagery.
Whether it's Italy, France, Portugal, Slovenia, Croatia or The Netherlands, their business—Photography Travel Tours (photographytraveltours.com)—offers what's often "the trip of a lifetime" for many.
Jim, who was once a commercial fisherman in Alaska, earned a degree in commercial photography and has worked as a professional photographer for over 30 years. Magrit was born in Austria and holds a degree in architecture, as well as graphic design. Both skilled and trained artists, the couple help participants with technical and composition instructions in the field, along with post-processing sessions on rainy days. They love sharing their knowledge and seeing the transformation their clients experience, even after only a few days on a tour.
"We guide our clients to some of the most beautiful and photogenic scenes on the planet and help them to create their own photographic masterpieces," Magrit said. "It's our goal to make each tour the 'greatest experience' and the most fun, positive, memorable, enjoyable and productive photo tour possible."
All locations including hotels, restaurants and cafes are meticulously researched, with the couple noting they'll never offer anything that doesn't top their passion and excitement meter. Their groups max out at 12 participants, allowing for personal attention and camaraderie amongst each other. Some even take multiple tours in a row to make the most of their time in Europe. And while smartphones offer higher quality images than they ever have before, the couple truly believe in the power of an actual camera and the beauty of taking the time to intentionally be making rather than taking images.
"We focus mostly on architectural and landscape photography. However, our clients who enjoy photographing people get many opportunities to 'populate' their images," Magrit explained, noting the difficulty in choosing a favorite tour. "Each European country we visit has its own unique identity when it comes to culture, architecture, language, cuisine and landscapes. Choosing a favorite would be like choosing a favorite child!"
A highlight for the couple has been creating a viable business together they're both suited for.
"We can work together, which works out in a beautiful complimentary way, and we get to combine the things we love most: travel and photography," Magrit shared, adding that sampling local cuisine is also a welcomed perk.
"We've also learned over the years that while we can be very well prepared and organized, we also need to be able to turn on a dime if the weather gods conspire against us," she added. "Unforeseen challenges (but also delightful surprises) do happen and what we've learned is to go with the flow and to meet them with some level of equanimity (at least most of the time)."
Their advice for industry newcomers?
"Work hard and put in the research hours to make the experience as enjoyable and as easy as possible—for your clients, as well as for yourself."
Written by Sarah Suydam, Managing Editor for Groups Today.
This article originally appeared in the Sep/Oct issue of Groups Today.
Photos Courtesy of Photography Travel Tours
