FAQs
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Before reserving your place in an Active Light Photography tour, please review these answers to frequently asked questions about deposits and payments, our withdrawal and refund policy, travel insurance recommendation, passports and participant responsibilities.
How do I sign up for an Active Light Photo Tour? How much deposit is required?
To sign up for an Active Light Photography tour, call 1-408-483-3782 from 8 am to 6 pm Mountain time. You can also initiate a tour reservation with our online reservation form. For all photo tours except 1/2 day tours, the non-refundable deposit per person is $150. The entire tour fee is required as a non-refundable deposit for 1/2 day tours only. Deposits may be made by check or a major credit card. Please note that a deposit is required to hold your place in a tour.
The balance of your photo tour cost is due 90 days before the tour. Balances may be paid by check in U.S. dollars or by credit card. With your authorization, we automatically bill your credit card when the balance is due. We also require your signed Release Agreement and your Participant Profile 90 days prior to the event for you to participate. If final payment, Release Agreement and Participant Profile are not received when due, Active Light Photography reserves the right to cancel your reservation and refund the tour cost less deposit.
When will I receive more detailed information so I can start planning?
After you book your tour, you will receive a Travel Packet, which includes a descriptive itinerary and detailed information about arrival and departure, area hotel recommendations, clothing and gear, and passports and visa requirements if any.
Will my Tour Run?
On the rare occasion when there are only one or two participants booked and it’s unlikely that more participants will sign up, we’ll contact you well in advance and give you the option to receive a $100 credit per person to transfer to another tour of your choice with more participants, or pay an additional $400 per person to stay on the smaller tour by yourself or with one other guest† (refundable if more participants sign up).
† We reserve the right to cancel tours in cases of force majeure or other uncontrollable conditions, in which case all payments received to date will be refunded, which constitutes full settlement. Active Light Photography is not responsible for expenses that are incurred in preparation for any canceled tours, such as airline tickets, or for costs that are incurred due to travel delays, flight cancellations or illness. We highly recommend travel protection insurance.
Will the price of my tour change?
Once you book an Active Light Photography tour, your price is guaranteed. The best prices are available for those participants who sign up early.
What is Active Light Photography's withdrawal and refund policy?
Group size is limited in our tours, and we count on your attendance once you have been accepted. If you must withdraw from a tour, we must receive written notice of your cancelation via USPS mail service.
- If you withdraw more than 90 days before the tour starts, you will receive a refund of the tour fee less the nonrefundable deposit.
- If you withdraw 60 to 90 days before the tour starts, you will receive a refund of 50% of the tour fee.
- Withdrawals less than 60 days before the tour starts are non-refundable.
Exceptions to our withdrawal and refund policy cannot be made for any reason, including weather, terrorism, civil unrest or personal emergencies. There is no refund for arriving late or leaving a tour early.
Does Active Light Photography Recommend Travel Protection Insurance?
Active Light Photography highly recommends you purchase a travel protection plan that includes tour cancellation/tour interruption, tour delay, emergency medical expenses/evacuation, 24 hour and Common Carrier accidental death, baggage delay and any other travel expenses. Active Light Photography LLC is not responsible for cancelations due to medical emergencies, or for non-refundable airline tickets in the event of a tour cancelation.
Travel protection insurance carriers include –
Allianz Travel Insurance
Insuremytrip
Travelex Insurance Services
These links are provided for your information only. It’s your responsibility to choose a suitable travel protection plan.
Can I Change my Mind and Transfer to Another Tour Even After I've Already Made a Reservation?
Transfers to another tour are always allowed before final payment without penalty. After your final payment due date we are unable to allow transfers, and any withdrawal will follow the tour Withdrawal and Refund Policy above. When transferring to a different date or tour, if the tour costs more than your original tour, you must pay the difference.
Will I Need a Passport or a Visa if I'm Traveling Internationally?
International travel requires a passport. This includes travel to Canada and Mexico. Visas are required for travel to most countries outside North America and must be arranged far in advance of departure. Since visa requirements change frequently, you’ll need to contact your nearest U.S. consulate for the latest requirements for international tours. Your Travel Packet contains details about required documents, and the consulate number, if applicable, for your particular tour. Participants who are citizens of countries other than the U.S. should contact the closest consulate for the country to which they’re planning to travel to determine if a visa is required.
What Responsibilities do I Assume as a Participant?
Participants are responsible for:
– Choosing a tour that suits their abilities, fitness level and state of health
– Providing the Active Light Photography office with a signed Release Agreement and a Participant Profile prior to tour departure (participants will not be permitted to join a tour without this information on file)
– Arriving at the tour start with the clothing and gear recommended in the Travel Packet
– Respecting the laws and customs of countries visited
– Following environmental guidelines and regulations while on the tour in accordance with leader direction
– Respecting the rights and privacy of other tour members.
An individual may be asked to leave a tour if the leader feels that the person’s continuing participation may prove detrimental to the individual or to the well-being and enjoyment of other participants.
What are Active Light Photography' Limitations of Liability?
Please see the Release Agreement at this link.
Active Light Photography is also not liable for:
– Expenses (e.g., meals, transportation or hotel costs) not specified as included in the tour cost but which may be required.
– Evaluating the health and fitness of any participant, or evaluating their ability to participate in any tour at the time of their reservation. It’s up to each participant to choose a tour suitable for their abilities. See What responsibilities do I assume as a participant above.
– Tour modifications as necessary to improve the tour’s quality or maintain the comfort and well-being of participants. Active Light Photography reserves the right to make tour modifications as required.
Participants grant Active Light Photography express permission to take photographs or make film records of its tours for promotional and commercial use, as well as approving such use by third parties with whom Active Light Photography may engage in joint marketing, without financial remuneration.
Do you Charge any Additional taxes?
Tours anywhere in the U.S. are subject to state sales tax which is not included in the quoted tour price.
How Can I Get More Answers?
You can send us an e-mail through our contact form with further questions (expect a reply within 48 hours), or please call 1-408-483-3782 daily between 8 am and 6 pm, mountain time.
Questions? email me - markb@activelightphotography.com
Can’t make a scheduled photo tour? Ask about a tour on your schedule. I can accommodate private tours with at least two participants. I’ll need at least a month’s advanced notice for Chaco Canyon and Tracking the Anasazi tours, and two weeks for everything else. Just call me at (408) 483-3782 to set up your private tour.
Because of extra planning and attention, private tour cost is 15% more than a scheduled tour, and subject to my availability.