Our Philosophy

We seek out the world's most extraordinary wildlife, landscape and cultural experiences then tour small groups there in comfort, providing unique access away from the crowds with exclusive charter of ships, aircraft, vehicles and remote lodges for not only the most incredible, unhurried photography opportunities on Earth, but also an amazing holiday. Our friendly, professional photography guides are on hand to help you improve your photography (be that on a pro DSLR or iPhone) ensuring you get the best possible shots.

We're passionate about conservation too.

10 Reasons

to travel with us

Many of the incredible species we delight in sharing with you are endangered and many of the pristine environments under threat. We strongly believe in giving back - not only to the local people, but also directly to conservation projects. We are proud to donate many thousands of dollars to both community and wildlife projects around the world.

Founded by award-winning Australian Geographic photographer Chris Bray in 2009, we've grown into one of the world's most respected small-group photography tour companies.

Our Core Team

Chris Bray

(Founder & Tour Leader) still leads many of our tours and his passion for wildlife, photography and wild places continues to drive our growth. Chris grew up sailing around the world then leading world-first cart-hauling expeditions across the arctic before becoming an award-winning Australian Geographic photographer, Lowepro ambassador and Canon’s Australian ambassador for five years. Chris’s work has appeared in National Geographic and Discovery Channel along with Australian Geographic, TIME Magazine etc. He’s also an accomplished writer, with feature articles published around the world and even a successful book 'The 1000 Hour Day' (now an award-winning documentary 'The Crossing'), sits on the advisory committee for The Australian Geographic Society and is founder and CEO of Conservation United, crowd-funding the world’s critical conservation projects. Chris is also an International Fellow of 'The Explorers Club' and has been chairman of their Australia and New Zealand chapter. Chris and his wife Jess are also keen high-latitude sailors, recently becoming the first people to sail a junk-rig boat through the Northwest Passage over the arctic, on their little 29-foot wooden sailboat 'Teleport'. Australian Geographic Society's 'Young Adventurer of the Year' in 2004 for a Tasmanian wilderness hike, Chris has also been awarded their 'Spirit of Adventure' medal in 2009. In 2017, Chris and Jess started Swell Lodge on Christmas Island.

Jess Bray

(Tour Leader & Operation Manager) is an experienced wilderness guide, photographer, videographer and video editor, with a bachelor degree in Social Science. She's had her photos widely published including in Australian Geographic Outdoor, in-flight and wedding magazines. Now Operations Manager for Chris Bray Photography, Jess not only organises and coordinates the courses and tours, but assists on them too - her approachable nature allowing her to encourage and inspire all our guests. When she's not off on adventures with Chris (including cycling around Tasmania and New Zealand and becoming the youngest couple to sail through the infamous Northwest Passage in the arctic on their small wooden yacht 'Teleport', Jess enjoys a side-business filming and photographing weddings.

Jonathan Ives

(Tour Leader & Operation Manager) is a gifted and passionate photographer whose images have appeared in Australian Geographic, AG Outdoor and other prestigious publications. Having completed his Bachelor of Science in Advanced Biology (specialising in animal behaviour) in 2009, Jonathan has dovetailed his keen interest in wildlife and the outdoors with his photography skills to capture truly unique images. Jonathan assisted on several tours and photo courses, learning the ropes while also completing his Master of Arts. In 2013 Jonathan joined Chris Bray Photography full-time and the company has gone from strength to strength. Jonathan now runs many of our sell-out photography courses and tours to high acclaim.

Louise Wright

(Tour Leader) is a documentary photographer, based in Brisbane. After four years of full time study, she graduated from the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Photography with Class 1 Honours, majoring in photojournalism and social documentary. In 2013, Louise was the issue editor for the Australian Photojournalist issue “Unsustainable Cruelty”, which was awarded a grant from Voiceless for the journal’s unflinching exploration of our relationship with animals, portrayed through photojournalism. Louise has been assisting with photo courses & tours since joining CBP in 2013. In recent years she has also worked as a freelance wedding and portrait photographer, and currently is the Content & Engagement Coordinator at CameraPro, keeping up to date with the latest releases in the photographic industry. Besides photography, Louise's passions include spending time in the great outdoors going hiking & camping.

Natsumi Penberthy

(Tour Leader) has had a varied career which has included leading expeditions in remote parts of the Kimberley, and working as writer, photographer, videographer, picture researcher and picture editor at Australian Geographic. She made sense of this when she joined CBP in 2013 and she now helps run their courses and trips. She also juggles a coveted role as AG’s staff writer. Along the way, thousands and thousands of images from the country's most sought-after photographers have passed across Natsumi’s desk and talking about how to make images is one of her favourite subjects. When she’s not talking about photography for CPB, Natsumi is most frequently found working on Australian Geographic’s magazine, as well as for AG Outdoor and the award-winning Archer magazine.

Kate Carragher

(Tour Leader) is a photographer, wildlife creative, artist and adventurer with a focus on Women and the Wild. Recently named as one of the Runner-Ups for the Discovery Channel Global Internship, Kate’s photographs and illustrations of nature have featured in the ‘She Went Wild’ Women’s Adventure Expo, Travel Play Live and in private collections in more than 10 countries.

The daughter of a painter and a mathematician, Kate has been fascinated with the arts and sciences for most of her life. After gaining her Bachelor of Communication, Kate worked as chief speechwriter and media manager for a tier of Government lobbying for the rights of NSW communities and the environment.

The call of the wild was too much and so she packed her bags and moved to the remote South Pacific island nation of Niue to be a Whale Whisperer, leading swims with humpback whales. While on Niue, Kate also obtained her Dive Masters and a host of guiding certificates. From there, she became a grizzly bear guide in the remote Chilcotin region of Canada and director of Vida, a women’s creative collective and magazine. These adventures lead to Kate being a regular guest on ABC Newcastle 1223 and sponsored by Kathmandu as a wildlife creative.

When she is not photographing or guiding, Kate is a freelance communications consultant and runs an art studio with her Mum and her sister. Kate’s life mantra is to 'Draw, explore, write, take flight, keep it wild, keep it styled. Capture it all.'

Lachlan Gardiner

(Tour Leader) is an award-winning photographer, working primarily within the outdoors and adventure sports industry. Storytelling is at the heart of Lachlan’s work, and he views the camera as a way to share the amazing places, experiences and human relationships that make up these journeys. Graduating from Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art in 2012 with a Bachelor of Photography with First Class Honours majoring in photojournalism and documentary practice, Lachlan’s photography has been recognised with several awards including: The Memorial Maria Luisa International Photography Competition, The CVCE International Mountain Photography Contest, The New Zealand Alpine Club Photography Contest and the Moran Contemporary Photographic Award. His work has also been published and exhibited extensively throughout Australia and abroad. Some of his clients include Sea to Summit, Rab Equipment, Paddy Pallin, Scarpa, Osprey Packs, Marmot, Patagonia and The North Face. Lachlan is also a regular contributor to Wild Magazine and The Paddy Pallin Blog, along with other print and online publications. Aside from undertaking his own projects, Lachlan enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with others.

Till Simons

(Tour Leader) is currently studying visual anthropology. Besides his work as an ethnographic filmmaker, passionate photographer and storyteller with a huge interest in people’s behaviour and interaction, he’s also drawn to the great outdoors. Traveling has brought him to many places around the world, where empathy and patience always led to great relationships and occasionally even lasting friendships with the local community. His work stretches from photography workshops in Tanzania to wildlife documentaries in Australia and journalistic photo stories in Germany or Switzerland. Always up for the next adventure into the unknown, photography has always served him as the glue, when he launches work, studying and travel without compromises and combining the three pillars whenever possible.

Our Assistants

We're very proud to have these exceptionally talented people helping us run our courses and tours, each possessing a great passion and skill for photography, as well as a wonderful ability help other people in that friendly, easy-to-understand way that we love.

Michelle Oppert

is one of our assistants who has possessed a keen interest in photography ever since she can remember. She has travelled extensively and fell in love with the way photography can capture moments and places in a way that not only holds those memories forever, but enable her to share them with other people too. After completing one of our very first 1 Day Photography Courses at Adelaide Zoo, Michelle elected to study the Evolution of Photography at university and has since been able to appreciate both the art and technique of photography and what goes on behind the lens. With a particular love for photographing animals (her work hangs in Adelaide's busiest veterinary Centre), Michelle is full of energy and when you meet her someday, she would love to hear of your adventures and what piques your interest in photography.

Sarah Summers

started out as a self-taught photographer, her first published photograph being on the real estate board of her parents house in 2004. She then went on to do voluntarily work as a photographer for a local magazine during the Melbourne Fringe Festival in 2006, and started to win some photography awards. In 2010 Sarah attended one of our Melbourne one day course, and then joined us for our Tasmania and Galapagos photo tours in 2011. Since then, she has jumped and excelled at every photographic challenge thrown at her, from shooting her first wedding, stepping into the realms of product and portrait photography, as well as coordinating and directing photo shoots. Her warm, friendly persona makes Sarah a delight to be around, and she has simultaneously built her career in the non-profit sector, combining her various passions of people and wildlife with her love of photography. Sarah is enthusiastic and strives to try or learn something new each time she picks up the camera.

Simone Heron

is a bright, friendly and approachable member of our team. She’s always had a passion for art and creative expression, and ever since experimenting her first disposable camera when she was just twelve years old, Simone has developed a passion for taking photos. Having studied photography at school, Simone then purchased her first DSLR in 2010, completed a specialist fashion and design course, and attended one of our 1-day photography courses at Perth Zoo, where she says “everything just fell into place” and she hasn’t put her camera down since. We instantly recognised her engaging energy and quick understanding of the camera, and are delighted to now have Simone helping our new course attendees gain more enjoyment and ability from their shared passion.

Tash Godfrey

has several degrees including one in Education and is perhaps one of our best-qualified course assistants, but it’s her patience, personality and passion for photography that caught our attention when she first attended one of our courses. Living in Melbourne, Tash grew up taking photos on a disposable camera, upgrading to a film SLR for her HSC/VCE and finally justifying a DSLR to shoot her sister’s wedding. Since then, in between teaching, Tash travels the world with her camera, leaning over cliff faces and boats for unique angles, lying on the ground to find tiny details, even climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to capture moments she wants to last forever. She’s photographed Cambodia several times, along with Vietnam and most recently East Africa, where she decided her passion is photographing children and animals - talk about a hard duo! Tash feels these can be some of the most rewarding photos and she looks forward to helping you capture yours.

Hollie Newman

is in her final year of a Visual Communication and Design degree at the University of Newcastle, and after attending our 1 Day Photography Course she went on to start her own company called Evolution Photography and Design. Conservation is close to Hollies heart; she sees photography and design as a catalyst to influence the world for the better, as a voice for those who are not able to speak for themselves. Outside of study and business, Hollie volunteers with Hunter Animal Rescue, taking amazing studio photos of the animals to help them find their 'forever homes', and also enjoys finding and photographing the small things and fleeting moments which otherwise go unnoticed, yet are so beautiful to capture and a joy to share. Hollie is really excited to be a part of Chris’s amazing team, and loves helping other photographers discover the world's hidden beauty which their camera can reveal, and of course the fun that sits alongside photography.