References for Summers Abroad

Elle Baldwinson

Modelled on my first Summers abroad event last weekend and had the best experience! I was over the moon to be approached about this event as I has admired Rachelle’s events for so long! The location,styling and models are always incredible.

Despiste so many obstacles in her way,Rachelle was so resilient and made this event happen! Prior to the shoot Rachelle was incredible when it came to pre communications and she ensured I had everything I needed & that everyone would arrive safely. Her hospitality continued over the weekend as she always checked up on the models,provided us with incredible food and made sure we were enjoying ourselves! (Also a special thank you to her for getting me into many corset dresses) I cannot express how much I enjoyed the weekend,I have already met models I can call friends and such lovely,respectful and fun photographers!

I have already seen a couple of images from the day and they are so beautiful! Very excited to see more & hopefully be able to model on one of these amazing events again! I could not recommend more!

Nigel Anderson

This was my second weekend event with Summers Abroad and, as usual, everything was well organised and very friendly. Everyone was well looked after and the models were all very professional and great to work with.

Highly recommended.

Stuart P

I had a great time at the Summers Manor event. Pre-shoot comms were excellent. There was a change of venue due to being let down by the the original venue, but Rachelle worked hard to re-organise the event keeping in touch with the photographers and models to make sure everything went smoothly.

The shoot had an amazing line up of models (many whom I'd been wanting to work with for a while) in a lovely manor house setting. The event was well organised and had a very friendly atmosphere. It was great to see Rachelle & Mark again.

I'm looking forward shooting at future events and highly recommend them.

JPea

I have been to several events both abroad and in this country organised by Rachelle and Mark.

They are always superbly organised and a delight to participate in.

The models are tops and the Monor House shoot last Saturday was absolutely up to the standard.

I came away shattered but relaxed and with lots of images that I like a lot.

I expect I will keep going to such events as long as my little body holds up!

Thank you both......very much recommended to all photographers.

Katey Model

I have worked on 2 previous "Summers Abroad" events now and thrilled to be looking forward to a 3rd soon..

I absolutely love working with Summers Abroad; not only do they take amazing care of their models but photographers alike. Every need is catered for in terms of accommodation, amazing food, venues that are to die for.. And the atmosphere on set is always exciting & fun.

Rachelle & Mark are a dream team to work for, both lovely individuals and so caring about everyones well being and ensuring all parties are enjoying their creative experience.

Thank you so much for the amazing opportunities - see you all again soon! xXx

Nikolas Engström

I have been to two of Summers abroads events. They where both very good! It was clear that lots of hours had gone into doing research, scouting and planning the events. Locations we went to where amazing. All the finer details about the locations they knew about and shared with the photographers and models before so everything went very smoothe during photosessions.

Food, accomodation and transfers also was very nice!

Last but not least. Model linup is alway top. The models are experienced super pros that give the photographers top quality photos.

Highly reccomened!!!

MattB

The best models in the best locations with the best styling and the best hair and make up. In 1 day of their Casino Royale event I shot so many different styles of image I actually couldn't believe it - so superbly organised by Rachelle and Mark that it flowed naturally from one set to the next and a nice long break for lunch to recharge. Such a friendly group of photographers, as well.

I had a great time and got great images - what else is there to say?

Fantasy Dabblers

We enjoyed the amazing range of opportunities on the “Casino Royale” photography weekend.

This was a very varied and highly professional weekend stretching over three days. Each session (Friday evening; Saturday morning and afternoon and Sunday morning and afternoon) included four separate locations set up with clever theming, appropriate makeup and styling, and excellent models. The theming combined using the stylish house where the event was based with extensive decoration carried out by Summers Abroad. For example, a “Great Gatsby” set involved placing a classic car in the elegant driveway to the house, while the “Casino Royale” set involved transforming part of one room of the house into a casino, complete with roulette table and cocktail bar.

The weekend included the splendid, all inclusive hospitality that has been a part of all the Summers Abroad events we have been to. We were particularly grateful for the care and thought Rachelle put in to make the weekend more accessible for A. We both enjoyed the weekend very much and have some super photos to show for it.

Colin Daniels

This year I have been on various events hosted by Rachelle and Mark (shadow of doubt, winter wonderland, and a trip to Bali )

I can't recommend them enough their events are well thought out and planned meticulously.

They are the perfect host's during their events and look after you perfectly even in the evening (a piano 🎹 and a rendering of various Queen songs come to mind)

I look forward to working with them both again in the future thank you both for all your hard work

VictoriaLosAngeles

Did show up but is not recommendedShot 1667174400

otteypm

Another amazing trip! I joined Summers Abroad on this years Vegas trip. This time I did the sensible thing and booked the full week. As always the trips are amazingly well organised, with great locations, fantastic models and great fun throughout. They really are all inclusive, food accommodation and transport means you can pack a bag, book your flight and you are good to go!

Rachelle sourced a great set of new locations and some familiar ones too. Taking into account sunrises and sunsets to get the best out of the locations. There were loads of styling options available and the shooting time is genuinely in your control so each photographer can get unique images.

Huge thanks too to Mark for driving and feeding us through out! Fingers crossed I can get out on another trip soon!

mike rowley

Spent an amazing 4 days in Namibia with Summers Abroad!

I’d been looking forward to it for nearly a year and it exceeded my expectations. Rachelle and Mark had scouted amazing locations and worked out where to be when to get the right shots.. The accommodations were all first class, and the food outstanding.

It wasn’t easy, but Rachelle had found two simply stunning talented models, perfect for the occasion.

A superb photographic experience and a hugely fun social occasion – most highly recommended!

Fantasy Dabblers

Organising a trip to Namibia is not easy at the best of times but doing it with a group of photographers and models takes a lot of skill - and Rachelle certainly showed she has what it takes. The variety of locations, the meticulous care in scouting and the choice of models were all outstanding.

I see one person has left a not recommended for one of the later groups - I can think of no valid reason for doing so, this was a superb trip, well organised.

otteypm

It is hard to know where to start with this reference so I will just dive in! I have just returned from the most epic, majestic, awe inspiring trip across Namibia organised by Summersabroad. I first became aware of this trip a few years ago not long after I had attended my first ever photo event abroad. The fantastic Las Vegas trip also organised by Rachelle.

I was sold on it as soon as I saw the potential locations and images and I knew Rachelle and Mark would do a sterling job on the organisation, styling, locations, travel and accommodation. I smacked my deposit down as soon as I could.

As always there were a range of options for the trip available, there were two shorter trips that took in half of the proposed locations or a full trip that covered everything available. I already knew this was going to be a trip of a lifetime so I immediately chose the full 10 day option.

As soon as I could, I started booking flights and other miscellaneous things I needed in preparation but then Covid changed everything! Rachelle was on it straight away, she created a discussion group so the photographers who had signed up could keep in touch and Rachelle could keep us updated. As this trip was set to move across the country there were numerous accommodation and transportation issues to deal with as Rachelle worked tirelessly to find us solutions. We had all decided we still wanted to make the trip a reality so we kept our deposits in place.

We made a collective decision that we would be happy if Rachelle postponed in the hope that the issues surrounding Covid would be manageable. Amazingly she secured the locations for a future date and the trip was a go again.

On such an epic trip like this Rachelle was faced with a huge range of logistical issues but her determination to make it a reality did not waver.

As we got closer to the event Rachelle kept us updated and helped us out with key information for the trip as she was scouting with experienced guides to fully exploit the location opportunities.

All aspects such as airport transfers and logistics were dealt with so I could simply arrive with camera gear ready to go! Rachelle had a detailed schedule as we were moving around the country so keeping organised was simple, call times, meal times and shooting were all clear and easy to follow so I could stay prepped.

Once the photography started it became clear just how awesome the locations were, my expectations were high and they were exceeded at each place. Each time we finished I said to Rachelle and Mark how epic the location was and they kept saying, ‘wait for the next one’. They weren’t wrong, they just kept getting better. There was a great mix of grand vistas such as the iconic dune trees at Deadvlei, the grand views from the Fish River Canyon to the, fascinating rock formations at Spitzkoppe. This was mixed with other fascinating areas such as an abandoned mining town taken over by the desert to organised shoots with camels and flamingos! There is literally too much to list here and each one was epic!

The accommodation across the country was a fantastic mix of shared villas and unique individual cabins out in the desert, watching the sun rise at 5am across the plains got me ready for the shooting in the day.

A huge thanks also to Mark and Howard who took on the driving tasks, several thousand KM of mixed roads, gravel tracks and dune driving an epic challenge in itself but they also worked tirelessly to manage the shoots, keep us on time and keep us informed and also checking under rocks for snakes and scorpions!

Shoots were run efficiently and to time with a spot on balance of time for the photographer pairs to work and create individual images, I never felt clock watched and always had time to get the shots and sequences I wanted from each location.(Although I could happily have done the trip all over again straight away! Damn my pesky job!).

There was time to socialise and relax after the days shooting and our small party bonded really well. We wiled away the time on our 4x4 journeys chatting and playing ‘is it a Zebra or is it a rock?’ as we tried to spot the wildlife in the landscape.

So a huge thanks to Mark and Rachelle, for organising such an amazing trip, thanks to Howard for his insight and taking on the long drives. Thanks to Rachelle and Lucy for epic skills creating shapes in the landscapes and working so well together in the duo shoots. And thanks to my fellow photographers as we shared shooting time, shared ideas and worked so well together.

It was literally an epic trip that I will never forget….

Lucy Artmodel

Oh my gosh where to begin? I had heard from other models how awesome being on a Summers Abroad event can be, but they truly exceeded all my expectations. Sorry for the essay but here we go.

Attending the Summers Abroad photographic event in Namibia last year is honestly the highlight of my modelling careerere ar. Here a few reasons why:

The experience - Rachelle and Mark work so hard to make it a full package experience for everyone there. You find yourself in incredible accommodation, stunning location after stunning location, delicious meals and just really well taken care of in general. These two are wonderful people and create a really great vibe, I can see why they have such loyal photographers who want to attend so many of their events. They are fantastic at dealing with any difficult situations that may arise.

The organisation - They were great at communicating and all the planning was done well in advance. Everything was perfectly scouted before our trip and we were all sent our itineraries through our whatsapp group. Each day we knew what was happening and each day it just got better and better. The days were well laid out with a good amount of time for shooting, rest, fun lunches and dinners together and experiences (watching the cheetah feeding was a little highlight).

I've already said it but THE LOCATIONS!!! These are jaw dropping and inspiring places to shoot and really take images to a whole other level.

All in all, I so highly recommend attending these events (and have been saying so to all photographers I work with!) as you'll never forget the amazing experiences and the warmth of the people running them.

otteypm

Yes! It happened again.... I joined a Summers Abroad event and it was epic! This time it was the Wild West themed event, it was a 'must do' for me with my obsession with cinema. Starting off with the most amazing location. A full replica western town in the UK, used on many films, with its realistic main street, building interiors and authentic western performers joining in on the shoot. An epic find from Rachelle. Add to that a pair of super talented horses and their amazing handlers, not one, not two but three models that can ride the horses too. Galloping at full pace down main street! Every model, every bit of styling and every opportunity to shoot was spot on perfect. I came away with many epic shots. As always the comms, organisation and hosting were spot on. Thank you again or should I say Yeehaw!!!

Ellie Fox

Yesterday I shot a half day at my 3rd summers abroad event. It was a tad unexpected as unfortunately one of the models fell ill, so I was asked to step in. Naturally I jumped at the chance having experienced their events before, I knew I was in for a treat.

I turned up at an incredible location to be told that I would be shooting as an elf. Me being a LOTR geek I was absolutely chuffed!

Every detail is on point at a summers abroad event. The atmosphere is always so lovely. So many sets and options for ideas so models and photographers can really work as a team and get some amazing shots. Good food, good people, good times.... The list goes on.

They go above and beyond to look after the photographers and the models.

The planning and effort that they put into this is incredible. Highly recommended by me and I would adore to work with them again in the future.

Girl on Fire - Lydia

Today I modelled for their Lost World event and oh my gosh it was excellent!

Both Mr and Mrs Summer are so professional, welcoming and incredible hosts. The pre-communications were great and the entire event went so smoothly. What I loved most about the event was how cared for the models and photographers were and of course the stunning location that was booked for this event!

I would absolutely recommend their Summer Abroad events and really look forward to working with them again.

Thank you so much !

GOF

Gray2

This was the first Summers Abroad event that I have attended in this country as my previous event of theirs was in Spain last year.

As last year both Rachelle and Mark run a well oiled machine so everything flows so well. Their choice of venues is always excellent and this 'The Lost World' weekender was no exception with plenty of areas to shoot and use your imagination on.

Unfortunately I could only manage a morning three hour slot but I still came away with some fantastic images of the four models available during that period.

I would highly recommend one of these events, home or abroad, as you are so well looked after and they are good fun.

Thanks Rachelle and Mark.

Starglider Photography

Oh hell yeah would I recommend Summers Abroad for events!

I recently went to their Lost World event and it was simply the best experience. I have not done an event before so was understandably unsure of what it entails, but I could not have been looked after any better. Rachelle made sure that we had everything we needed, had everything prepared in regards to shooting, models, locations etc... and in no time at all I was shooting away with some amazing models in a stunning location.

The day went so quickly and everyone at the event was buzzing from the shoot. Afterwards we all enjoyed Mark's fantastic food and we all had a lovely social evening outside. The weather was perfect and I was honestly gutted that it had to end.

If you are an experienced event participant, or like me a complete noob, you cannot go wrong by joining one hosted by Summers Abroad and I very much look forward to tagging along to another one in the near future!