EARLY BIRD
€200 off for anyone who books before the end of May
INTIMATE GROUP - LIMITED SPACES
The Portugal Edit: Creative Workshop
It's finally here!
Four days that will change the way you shoot, the way you edit, and the clients who hire you. Come and spend four days inside a stunning private Algarve villa where you'll work directly with me to shoot F&B and architecture the way luxury brands actually commission it. Everything I know, packed into four days; the techniques, the process, and the secrets I've spent years figuring out and mastering.
- Acqua di Mare, Quinta do Lago, Algarve
- 15–19 October 2026
- Fully residential · all meals included
- For working photographers
- Intimate teaching group · limited spaces
THE RETREAT
"I've spent years shooting luxury hotels and restaurants for some of the most beautiful properties in the world. This October, I'm opening up that world to a small group of photographers who are ready to shoot at this level - and learn how I actually work."
This is four days of full, unfiltered access. You'll shoot alongside me inside a real luxury property, watch me edit from start to finish, and get direct, honest feedback on your own work. You'll also spend an afternoon with a very special guest working in luxury PR - the person who actually decides which photographers get hired in this world. Everything you need to shoot at the same level as me is here...so keep scrolling!
THE VENUE
Acqua di Mare, Quinta do Lago
Acqua di Mare is a privately owned villa in Quinta do Lago. Two hectares, seven en-suite rooms, two professional kitchens, a 21m pool, and more shooting locations than we'll know what to do with in four days.
It's the kind of property I get hired to photograph. Which is exactly why I chose it - you'll be working in the same environment, with the same light, the same surfaces, the same challenges. I chose this villa for this exact reason (and trust me, I did a loooot of villa research to find the perfect property for us!)
Our chef will be cooking and styling in our multiple kitchens throughout the retreat. The food you photograph won't be a prop - it'll be real, prepared specifically for the camera by someone who understands exactly what that means.
21m swimming pool
Grand pool with poolside restrooms and 16 loungers
Luxury En-suite Rooms
Each with air conditioning, underfloor heating and organic toiletries
Gym & wellness pavilion
Fully-equipped Technogym, yoga space and massage area
25 mins from Faro airport
Easy access for international participants (plenty of Ubers)
Direct access to me, the whole time
I'm there with you - shooting alongside you, answering questions in real time, watching how you work and telling you honestly what I see. The kind of access that doesn't exist in any online course.
A real luxury property to shoot in
You won't be practising on a set or a mock-up. Acqua di Mare is the kind of property that luxury brands actually commission photography in. The light, the textures, the spaces - all real. All yours to shoot across four days.
I edit, you edit - we edit
A full live editing session where you watch every decision I make - colour, tone, consistency, what stays and what goes. Then you edit your own shoot from the day before while I sit with you and give direct feedback on every decision.
The business of getting hired
Shooting well is only half of it. We spend a full morning on cold pitching, client relationships, email strategy and portfolio positioning - the practical tools you need to actually land the clients you want.
My work
These are images from real briefs - hotels, restaurants, and properties I've been booked to shoot. This is the standard we'll be working to across the four days, inside a property built for exactly this kind of work.
MY CLIENTS INCLUDE
Who this is for
For working photographers ready to go further
This retreat is not for beginners. You need to know how to operate your camera - exposure, composition, manual settings. What you're here to learn is how to shoot at the level luxury brands expect, and how to get hired to do it.
You're already working as a photographer...
in any discipline - and you want to move into luxury hospitality, or take your existing hospitality work to a higher level.
You want to understand how I work ...
not just theory, but the actual decisions made on a real brief. How to read a space, build a shot, tell a story, and edit to the standard premium clients expect.
You want to know how to get hired ...
not just how to shoot well, but how to pitch, how to position your work, and what the people commissioning photography actually need to see.
You're ready to invest in yourself ...
in your skills, your work, and where you want to take your career. This retreat will push you, excite you, and give you an extraordinary four days in one of the most beautiful parts of Portugal.
The programme
Four days, in detail
This is four days of full, unfiltered access. You'll shoot alongside me inside a real luxury property, watch me edit from start to finish, and get direct honest feedback on your own work. We'll also be joined by someone senior in luxury PR, to give us the low down on what your dream clients want, and need from you.
Thursday 15th October
Arrive from 3pm. Today there's no fixed agenda, just time to settle in, explore the villa, use the outside gym or go for a dip, and meet everyone over local Portuguese cocktails. We'll sit down together for a welcome dinner in the evening.
WHO YOU'LL LEARN FROM
Real people, real access
Hayley Kelsing
HOST - LUXURY HOSPITALITY PHOTOGRAPHER
This workshop has been in my mind for a decade - and I'm finally bringing it to life just as I'd imagined. You'll be learning directly from me, a professional photographer in the luxury hospitality space, who works with some of the worlds most recognised and established brands.
Guest Chef
RELEASED CLOSER TO THE DATE
We'll be enjoying 3 wonderful meals every day, prepared for us by our private chef. Whether dining al fresco outside on the terrace, or indoors cosied up by the fireplace, there'll be plenty of unique dining experiences for all of us to enjoy across the 4 days.
PR Guest Speaker
RELEASED CLOSER TO THE DATE
One part of my dream workshop was to have someone - on the other side of the industry - to talk to us about what it's like from the POV of a Marketing/PR individual choosing and working with a photographer. This is real behind the scenes access you won't find elsewhere.
Sophie
WELL-BEING FACILITATOR AND OUR GO-TO-GIRL
How lucky are we, to have our very own well-being facilitator join us on our workshop to make sure we're also looking after our mind and body? Sophie will be there with us every day, making sure everyone is looked after and needs catered for, whilst also hosting daily-changing wind-down activities after our long days of learning.
EARLY BIRD OFFER
Book before the end of May to save
Anyone who books and pays their deposit before 31 May 2026 receives €200 off the total price of any room - applied automatically at the time of booking, plus a free portfolio review before the workshop, where I’ll assess your style, editing, lighting, composition, strengths, weak points, and share what luxury clients look for.
€200 off + portfolio review
Any room · bookings confirmed before 31 May 2026
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ROOM SELECTION
Choose your room - everything else is included
Your room is the only choice you need to make. Once you've selected and confirmed your deposit, everything else - all teaching, all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks throughout), and all retreat activities - is taken care of. The price you see is the price you pay.
INCLUDED WITH ALL ROOM CHOICES
✅ 4 nights accommodation at Acqua di Mare
✅ All meals - breakfasts, sharing lunches, fine dining dinners
✅ Snacks and soft drinks throughout
✅ Alcohol - local spirits, wine with dinner, beer
✅ All four teaching days with Hayley
✅ Food styling sessions with the guest chef
✅ Industry professional afternoon talk and Q&A
✅ Evening guided relaxation sessions
✅ Welcome cocktails and closing dinner
✅ Full access to pool, gardens, gym and wellness spaces
NOT INCLUDED
❌ Flights to Portugal
❌ Transfers to/from Faro airport (25 mins — cheap taxis readily available)
❌ Personal laundry
❌ Personal purchases outside the programme
❌ Camera equipment - bring your own camera and laptop
❌ Travel or personal insurance
These are total retreat prices, not room-only costs. Accommodation, all teaching, all meals and all activities are bundled into one single price. There is nothing else to pay. JUST SELECT YOUR PREFERRED ROOM, AND WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST.
STANDARD ROOM
En-suite · garden views
Beautifully designed en-suite rooms in the main villa and guest annexe. Each with Portuguese artisan finishes, air conditioning, and full access to all villa spaces.
Solo occupancy
Your own room — private
€4,250
SHARED occupancy
Share with a friend or we can match you
€3,150
€500 deposit secures your place · balance split into 2 payments · final payment due 8 weeks before arrival. ROOMS WILL BE ALLOCATED UPON APPLICATION.
SUPERIOR ROOM
Master suite · pool view
A step up from the standard rooms. More generous dimensions, a stronger position in the main villa, and a higher specification throughout.
Solo occupancy
Your own room — private
€4,550
SHARED occupancy
Share with a friend or we can match you
€3,450
€500 deposit secures your place · balance split into 2 payments. final payment due 8 weeks before arrival.
PREMIUM ROOM
Room 1 — the standout
The best room in the villa. The finest light, the best position, the most generous space, with stunning bathroom with bathtub. Solo occupancy only.
Solo occupancy
Your own room — private
€4,950
€500 deposit secures your place · balance split into 2 payments · final payment due 8 weeks before arrival.
Shared rooms: Both participants must pay their deposit before a shared room is confirmed. If you'd like to be matched with another solo participant, let us know in your application and we'll do our best to find a match. If one participant in a shared room withdraws, the remaining guest will be asked to upgrade to solo rate or we'll attempt to find a new match.
PAYMENT
How it works
A €500 deposit secures your place. The remaining balance can be split into two equal payments, with the final payment due 8 weeks before the retreat. Payment plans are available on request.
ON BOOKING
PAYMENT 2
FINAL PAYMENT
€500 deposit — secures your room. Early bird rate locked in if booked before 31 May.
50% of remaining balance — date agreed at time of booking.
Remaining balance due 8 weeks before retreat — by early August 2026.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Deposits: A €500 deposit is required from each participant to secure a place. For shared rooms, both deposits must be received before the room is confirmed. Deposits are non-refundable after the cancellation window below.
Cancellation by participant: Cancellations received more than 90 days before the retreat (before 15 July 2026) — full refund of all payments made minus the €500 deposit. Between 60–90 days (15 July – 15 August 2026) — 50% refund of balance payments. Within 60 days — no refund. The €500 deposit is non-refundable in all cases after booking.
Shared rooms: If one participant in a shared room withdraws, the remaining participant must either upgrade to solo rate (paying the difference) or Hayley will attempt to find a match. No guarantee of a match can be given.
Cancellation by Hayley: In the unlikely event the retreat is cancelled, all participants receive a full refund of all payments made. Hayley is not liable for any third-party costs including flights or travel.
Minimum numbers: The retreat requires a minimum number of confirmed participants to proceed. If this threshold is not met by a defined date, all participants will be notified and deposits refunded in full.
Travel & insurance: Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements and are strongly advised to take out appropriate travel and cancellation insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know
Faro International Airport (FAO) is the closest airport - approximately 25 minutes from the villa. It is served by direct flights from most major UK and European cities, including London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Dublin, Amsterdam, Lisbon and more. There are plenty of international arrivals coming into Faro. We recommend checking direct routes from your nearest airport as Faro is very well connected, particularly from the UK. Alternatively, if you wanted to spend some time in Lisbon (the capital) before arriving, there are countless options to fly there and then either take a train or hire a car to explore beautiful Portugal.
Transfers aren't included in the retreat price but taxis and Uber are readily available from Faro arrivals, and the journey takes around 25 minutes. I'll share recommended options and a suggested arrival window closer to the date so people can coordinate if they want to share a transfer.
Your camera, your lenses, and a laptop to edit on. I'll have lighting equipment available for the group shoot sessions. A full 'what to bring' list will go out with your participant pack 6–8 weeks before the retreat.
October is one of the best months to be there. Typically 22–26°C during the day, cooling down in the evenings. Mostly sunny, very little rain, and the light is genuinely beautiful for photography - warm and golden without the harsh midday intensity you get in summer. Bring a light layer for evenings.
Yes, of course! The retreat is designed to bring together a small, curated group so you'll be in good company from the moment you arrive. Solo rooms are available, and if you'd prefer to share to reduce the cost, I can help match you with another participant.
Ideally, you're a working photographer who's confident with your camera - manual exposure, composition, and basic post-processing. You don't need to specialise in hospitality already, but this isn't a course for beginners. If you're unsure whether your level is right, mention it in your application and I'll come back to you directly.
Yes - all requirements can be accommodated. Our chef designs menus around the group's needs, and all meals are served together. If you have a severe allergy, please flag it in your application so we can confirm arrangements in advance.
Cancellations more than 90 days before the retreat receive a full refund minus the €500 deposit. Between 60–90 days, 50% of balance payments are refunded. Within 60 days, no refund is available. The €500 deposit is non-refundable in all cases. I'd strongly recommend taking out travel insurance that covers cancellation.
There's free time built into every day - time by the pool, in the gardens, or to shoot at your own pace with no agenda. Sessions run in the mornings and afternoons, with each evening being totally relaxed, and Sophie leads an optional guided relaxation session after dinner.
There will be no more than 10 participants. It's a small, carefully curated group. I've kept it intentionally intimate so everyone gets real access to me, to the space, and to proper one-to-one feedback. That's not possible with a large group, so places are limited.
BOOK YOUR PLACE
Ready to join me?
Places are limited and the group is curated carefully. To apply, click the button below and you'll be taken to a short application form. Tell me a little about yourself, your photography, and which room you'd like. I'll review every application personally and will be in touch within 2 days.
Submitting an application does not commit you to any payment. If your place is confirmed, you'll receive a deposit link to secure it.
