Bio

Laurie Cohen

Since childhood, my father had instilled in me a deep sense of adventure and curiosity by his own travels in far away destinations and exotic lands that were all but unknown before the age of mass produced tourism. His stories of the people of Africa, adventures in the Far East, Central & South America would be a major influence on the person I would become.

With over 25 years experience as a photography guide and instructor, my passion for photography and unique tours continues.

Around the time my brother was on a 4 month expedition climbing Mount Everest, my father would take me on countless sailing trips around the Mediterranean with our little yacht, which enforced my love of the sea and the great unknown. At the age of 17, while travelling in the Far East, my career in photography began – giving photographic diving tours off the coast of Thailand with the wonderful Nikonos underwater camera system.

At 19, I began a Company with my brother in a small village set in an oasis in the Thar desert of Rajasthan, India. This was a great period in my life, swapping tonnes of raw silk with clay water containers from as far away as Kashmir! This enterprise created a dramatic increase in the economy for the local residents, which is a feeling not easy to describe. I stayed in India for 6 years, only returning to Europe during the monsoon months.

From here my passion for travel to exotic locations only increased, and I would travel extensively in Africa, Central America & Papua New Guinea before taking a round-the-world trip, which included guiding in white water rafting tours, shark diving and photography tours in some of the most amazing locations on the planet.

Since moving to Barcelona, Spain in 2000, I established our sister company, the hugely successful “Barcelona Photography Tours”. The service was designed to offer niche, educational tours to photography enthusiasts visiting Barcelona on short-stay. Now with a team of 4 exceptional photography guides & instructors, the company is the leading service for private photography tours in Barcelona.

In 2014, I returned to my native home in Israel to be my base. Although often travelling abroad for international workshops, it was always my dream to return to Israel and set up a company offering a memorable learning experience in my native home. With pride, I set up “Israel Photography Tour” – a unique and personal way for photography enthusiasts to gain invaluable tuition in improving their creative and technical skills on location in the exotic and fascinating land of Israel.