A 4-Day, 3-Night Mobile Photography & Travel Journaling Study Tour at Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel

In early May, I planned a trip to Shandong for June, and on a whim, considered organizing a study tour in Qingdao during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. The tour content would be mobile photography and travel journaling.

It took two weeks from planning to recruitment. Many thanks to Teacher Hu for his guidance and help with the Qingdao study tour, to agent Teacher Chunhui for adjusting the course schedule, to Teacher Du Zhongju from Qingdao Hua'er Art for her strong support, to the full cooperation of Shangri-La Hotel, and a thousand thanks to all!

This was my first time designing a study tour itinerary. I handled every step myself—from booking tickets and insurance to hotels and dining, from chartering vehicles to entrance tickets. Although there were hiccups during ticket booking and a last-minute schedule change when we encountered a church service, everything went smoothly in the end. This study tour was a test for me and also a process of gaining experience. At the same time, I thank all the participants for their support and cooperation.

Alright, enough chatter. Here is a recap of this Qingdao study tour. If you like this kind of travel, come along with me! Let's make travel more meaningful!

Study Tour Dates: June 11 to June 14

Number of Participants: 12 (8 adults, 4 children)

Hotel: Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel

All meals: Restaurants from Dianping's Must-Eat list

Day 1 (June 11): Took bullet train D335 (sleeper) arriving in Qingdao at 06:39 the next day.

On the first day of the study tour, participants headed to Beijing Station and Beijing South Station after school to catch high-speed trains to Qingdao. Teacher Hu and student Guoguo arrived in Qingdao that evening; the others arrived at Qingdao North Station the following day.

Day 2 (June 12): Picked up at Qingdao North Station, had breakfast, and then checked into Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel. After freshening up, we went to Badaguan Scenic Area for photography.

It was cloudy, around 25°C. The streets of Badaguan were packed with tourists. We chose Teacher Hu as our model. When photographing people, clothing, makeup, and props are key; they must harmonize with the surroundings and colors for the best results. (Only color correction was applied in post-processing; no retouching of the person.)

1. Badaguan / Vintage Film Artistic Style – Model: Teacher Hu

2. Princess Tower / Fresh and Sweet Style – Models: Guoguo, Pipi, Xiaowo, Anzai

This is a photo taken by participant Teacher Shuhong at the Princess Tower, capturing an innocent sisterly bond. The original was good quality, but due to the shooting distance, we chose to enhance it in post.

Step 1: Adjust size. First, crop the photo to a suitable composition, making the subjects stand out more.

Step 2: Choose a mood. The two girls suit a fresh, clean look; the colors should be clear and airy.

Step 3: Add a title. To reduce the visual weight of the balcony above, a light, airy font combination was added, giving the photo a fresh and sweet feel. (Adding a title is optional!)

3. Xiaomaidao / Nordic Artistic Style – Model: A passerby

In the afternoon, we visited the trendy spot Xiaomaidao. Even before reaching the seaside, traffic was restricted, so we walked to the island. Drawing on the morning's Danish architecture at Badaguan's Princess Tower, we shot a series of Nordic-style artistic photos. Choosing the right angle and focusing on a girl by the sea, we captured a sense of solitary gloom on a cloudy day, combined with a sailboat just returning to shore. A set of Nordic melancholy-style photos was created.

4. Xiaomaidao / Fresh and Sweet Style – Models: Pipi, Chen Feng

5. Evening travel journaling class at Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel

Dinner: Yipintang buffet at Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel (rated 4.82 on Dianping). After dinner, photos were printed to compile the day's journal entries.

Day 3 (June 13): After breakfast, we headed to Signal Hill for a panoramic view of downtown Qingdao and to photograph the Jiangsu Road Christian Church.

7. Signal Hill Park / Cityscape – Models: A newlywed couple encountered by chance

▲ In the foreground is the German-style Jiangsu Road Christian Church

8. Christian Church / Cityscape

Lunch: 1937 Qingdao Old Flavor Local Cuisine (rated 4.90 on Dianping). In the afternoon, we visited St. Michael's Cathedral and then went to Xiaoyushan Park to capture the sunset (unfortunately, heavy fog obscured the sunset).

9. St. Michael's Cathedral / Vintage Artistic Style

10. Xiaoyushan Park / Documentary Photography – Models: Teacher Hu, Xiaowo, Guoguo

11. Evening travel journaling class at Shang Palace, Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel

Dinner: Shang Palace restaurant at Shangri-La Hotel (rated 4.88 on Dianping). After dinner, photos were printed to compile the day's journal entries.

Day 4 (June 14): After breakfast, we walked to Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center for photography. Still cloudy, Teacher Hu bought bubble machines for the kids, and they played joyfully.

12. Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center – Models: Guoguo, Xiaowo, Pipi, Anzai

Checked out of Shangri-La Hotel at 11 am. As the saying goes, "dumplings for departure, noodles for arrival," we had lunch at Minguohai Seafood Dumpling House (rated 4.88 on Dianping). Afterward, we headed to Qingdao Station to catch train G198 back to Beijing.

13. Return Journey / Closing photos and journal entries

After arriving back in Beijing, parents told me that the children started crying after saying goodbye to their little friends. They had such a wonderful time together that they were reluctant to part, and some even said they wanted to go back to Qingdao for another ten days. I'll definitely find opportunities for them to reunite and continue their precious friendship.

Happy holidays always fly by. I hope participants gained something while learning and having fun. More importantly, I hope everyone's memories include the wonderful times we shared together. Thank you all for your company; until we meet again!

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