Join me on one of these new journeys and fulfil your own vision.

I was born and raised in China, and lived there through 22 years, so it is only natural for me to conduct China photography workshops in places that I have a deep connection with. 

Landscape/wildlife photography is deeply embedded in my being, and the most  important form of my expression, and has been the main focus of my travel since 2004.

A first visit to the Himalaya and Gobi desert gave me a great sense of inspiration  which led me back many times; some were workshops I conducted on my own and some with other photographers. I love the Gobi desert for its ever changing forms and the Himalaya’s snowy peaks is where my spirit nestles. Being in these places enabled me, photographically, to explore and portray facets of my personality, and to share these parts of myself, as images, with others. My approach to facilitating photography tours is to take people to places I have a great deal of experience in and local knowledge of, so they may be inspired to create a body of work that shows their own personality and artistic expression.

In the past years, I also travelled on my own and ran photography tours/workshops to the Yellow Mountains, Guilin, Wuliangyuan, Shangri-La and Tibet region (where I was based for 7 years) , North coast of Spain, Scotland (where I lived for 6 years) and Iceland. 

During covid I no longer ran photography trips or even returned to these places, instead I moved to London in May 2020 and then built a career working with children in their early years. I absolutely love and adore children, their curiosity and openness to new experiences has taught me a lot in my own search and desire to thrive in a different way. Being away from the places I love, rarely using my camera, didn’t stop me from preparing myself to return, with the certainty of again using images to connect with myself and others. 

My Photography Journey

Initially, I photographed birds almost exclusively, spending many hours getting to their habitats and documenting their movements in an admiring way.

black–necked crane

The very first time I went on a journey to Mt. Kailash in 2006 my heart opened to another realm of being, that took me years to understand, and these images came as the result of this learning.

 

Mt. Kailash

Subsequently, the exploration of Gobi Desert has lead me to develop another language that is poetic and romantic in making the images. 

Gobi Desert

Now much of my work is to explore the effects of an elemental landscape.

Review from Vlad SadovskyHe has participated multiple photography workshops to Scotland and Spain, and also the Kharta Valley (Everest Region) expeditions
“I was fortunate to join number of simply outstanding trips to China and Europe with small groups, all put together by Juanli Sun.

First, I had been very impressed by the close to perfect organization and planning of all the trips, allowing us to focus completely on enjoying being in these majestic places and taking in the environment to work on photography. Recognizing an inherent complexity to deal with for such locations that was wonderful. An especially memorable trips to Kharta Valley and Gobi simply would not be so productive without a solid plan.

Secondly, Juanli, being an excellent photographer with an unique artistic eye, added a flavor to the trips, being right next with her vision of the places, helping with discussions, yet not being over present. Trip planning for such a places with frequently difficult weather was invaluable, allowing for both creative photography and wonderful discussions.

Finally, Juanli being right next and being not only native for the areas in China, but also in touch with the culture and customs of these places, enabled us to see it in a better light. While the tours promised mostly landscape photography, one can’t negate the tremendous value of the whole experience, impacting the way how the places are perceived, be it desert, mountains, remote villages or Lhasa’s temples.

Unforgettable experiences I will want to come to again with these tours.”