You don’t always need a plan.
Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.

Mandy Hale

Photo Retreats Hawaii brings internationally known photographers to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands to focus on inspiring your vision, building your craft and understanding your business. The goal is for everyone, professional, amateur or hobby enthusiast, to build community and relationships with like-minded peers to help support and grow our industry. The schedule and environment allow for ample opportunity for hands-on learning, mentoring, one-on-one and group interactions and networking.

ENERGIZE YOUR CREATIVITY.
ENHANCE YOUR TECHNIQUE.
STIMULATE YOUR BUSINESS.

 

Integrate body, mind, heart and soul with your art.

Life happens and it happens fast. Our lives are complicated and filled with challenges, choices and the constant need to have it yesterday. Who wouldn’t appreciate a day to rest, regroup, reassess and refocus? A retreat is the perfect opportunity to pull away from the fast paced rat race we call life. The greatest benefit a retreat offers is perspective. Perspective gives us a fresh look and the ability to see things objectively. Could you use some time to ponder, to listen, to learn and to find a deeper, truer self?

Upcoming Retreats

A retreat can be a great way to step back from your business for a new perspective, learn from experts and other entrepreneurs, and just reset your brain. See how a retreat can be great for your business.

A retreat might be just what you need if you answer yes to any of these questions. Do you:

  • Long for some quiet “me” time?
  • Want to spend time developing your interests with like-minded people?
  • Wish to know more about photography both the technical and the business aspects?
  • Need some time for reflection away from work or family...or with your family?
  • Need some inspiration and space to explore and unleash your creativity?

 

Get ready for late nights, complete candidness, real shooting, real relationships, no fluff.

International Award Winning Photographers, Dan and Alex McClanahan want you to leave Hawaii rejuvenated and empowered to better your photography and your life!

Retreat FAQ’s

Questions? No problem, get the answers to these and other common questions on our details page. Still not sure, send us and email: hello@photoretreatshawaii.com and we'll be happy to help.

  • What's included in the retreat price?
  • How do I reserve my space?
  • Can I bring my partner, studio manager or family with me?
  • What is the closest airport?
  • What about transportation on the island?

Retreats are for everybody.

Retreats are for ordinary people at any time in their lives, giving them the chance to step aside from life for a while, to rest and become refreshed in a nurturing and peaceful environment.
Socrates says the secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.

DO IT NOW. Sometimes LATER becomes NEVER.

I attended my first retreat over 8 years ago, on a whim as my life changed suddenly I found myself free from obligations and with an offer I couldn’t refuse. I had a passport so I booked my ticket to Costa Rica at midnight two weeks prior to the retreat start date knowing only the retreat host and barely at that. I didn’t even know where Costa Rica was on a map.

I landed in Costa Rica a day early. I was alone and I didn’t speak a word of Spanish! It was scary at first, but also empowering as I navigated a place to stay, food and the time difference my iPhone didn’t register.

By the time we arrived at our Retreat Center…an eco-lodge… I had survived the night, gotten myself to the group’s meeting location and taken a sketchy 45-minute flight on a 12 passenger hopper where you had to be weighed carrying your luggage to make sure the plane wasn’t too heavy. The plane took off and landed three times at these secluded, small “towns” before finally arriving at our location. I gathered my backpack from the side of the “landing strip” and jumped into the back of a truck with a bench seat for a 45-minute, bumpy car ride on an unpaved road through the jungle of Costa Rica’s rain forest.

let the fun begin!

My home for the next 10 days was a hut made out of bamboo with no walls or a real door for that matter. The bathroom was in a separate building off to the side and you couldn’t flush the toilet paper! There was a bug net to sleep under or risk being eaten alive and don’t even think about leaving food out or eating in your hut unless you like ants and other critters in your bed. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was doing here, but here I was and here I would be for the next 10 days!

There was no electricity in our rooms, but solar panels lit up the kitchen/dining room/main hang out area. We used candles and headlamps to get between there and our rooms. All meals were served family style at a specific time and we ate together on a long wooden table with bench seats. The sun rose at 6 am and set at 6 pm. The yoga deck was outside with no cover or protection from the elements but a beautiful view of the beach.

Let’s Connect

Form submitted successfully, thank you.Error submitting form, please try again.