When I moved to Amsterdam, I knew almost nobody in the city. I bought a rusty old bike and spent hours cycling around, discovering new streets, canals and neighbourhoods.

I was astounded by how beautiful Amsterdam was.

Naturally, I started photographing it.

I went out alone at sunrise. I wandered the city after dark with a tripod strapped to my back and music in my headphones. I photographed Amsterdam in the rain, looking for reflections, and in the snow and ice. Then spring would arrive and the trees would burst into green above the canals.

I fell in love with photographing Amsterdam.

The more I explored, the more I began to understand how much the city changes with the light, weather and time of day — and how many incredible photographic locations are surprisingly easy to walk straight past.

I started sharing my photographs online. At first they weren’t particularly remarkable, but I was learning. Gradually they became better, and people started to take notice.

When friends visited, I would take them out and show them the places I had discovered. Some were Amsterdam locals who had lived in the city for years — and even they were surprised by what was hiding around the next corner.

More and more people wanted to come out photographing with me.

That was the beginning of Amsterdam Photo Safari.

I wanted to create something very different from a conventional sightseeing tour. I wanted guests to have the same experience I had given my friends: a relaxed few hours exploring Amsterdam with someone who knows where the photographs are.

That philosophy has never really changed.

Amsterdam Photo Safari has always had a family feel to it too.

For many years, my dad, Barry, looked after our bookings. He loved being part of the business and genuinely enjoyed speaking to people travelling to Amsterdam from all over the world. He never really saw it as work — he simply wanted to be involved.

We lost Dad last year, and he is very much missed.

Today, my fiancée Stacey has stepped in and helps with bookings and behind the scenes. Like Dad, she became involved simply because she wanted to be part of what we’re building.

I think that says something about Amsterdam Photo Safari. It has never really felt like just a tour company to us.

More than 14 years after it began, we’re still deliberately small and personal.

Today, our photography guides combine their photographic experience with an intimate knowledge of Amsterdam, helping visitors discover both the Amsterdam they came to photograph and the photographs they might never have found on their own.

Over the years we’ve welcomed people from all over the world — from complete beginners and iPhone photographers to highly experienced photographers travelling with professional equipment.

We’ve also been fortunate to receive international recognition, including features and recommendations from National Geographic Traveller, Condé Nast Traveller and Travel + Leisure, as well as television and other international media.

But the thing I’m proudest of is much simpler.

People still come to Amsterdam with a camera, spend a few hours exploring the city with us, and leave having seen something they wouldn’t otherwise have seen — often with better photographs, greater confidence and a different way of looking at the world around them.

That’s what Amsterdam Photo Safari was created for.

And the journey continues.

Tim Collins
Founder, Amsterdam Photo Safari