Tonya Colson

Tonya is a traveler, photographer, and teacher. Her photographic journey led her to Dubai, where she spent 14 years photographing international corporate and sporting events, teaching at a well-known photography school, and freelancing for the daily newspaper 7 Days. Her diverse photographic work has been printed and published worldwide in newspapers, magazines, and websites. In addition, Tonya has written a photography curriculum for adults, youth, and corporate audiences. In 2012 Tonya took a group of her photo students to Cambodia, and she’s been leading photo tours ever since. Her favorite tour destinations are Ethiopia, Jordan, Oman, UAE, Cambodia, Nepal, Tunisia, Morocco, Mexico, and her native state of Oregon.

Tonya has a passion for travel and strives to create compelling images that transport viewers into scenes around the globe. She enjoys exploring locations in-depth, revisiting places multiple times to develop relationships with the people, culture, and landscapes. Tonya has wandered through over 50 countries with her camera and shows no signs of slowing down.When she’s not shooting on land, she can often be found underwater with her camera.

As a photo leader, Tonya sets a positive, encouraging tone and strives to help participants of all levels create their best possible images. Several photographers have won international awards with images created on her tours. Tonya’s enthusiasm for teaching makes her tours well suited for beginners who may want a bit of extra guidance and advanced shooters who want to push their skills. Her participants often form lasting friendships, returning to travel together multiple times.