Learn to Shoot the Stars at Bushtops - Astrophotography and Wildlife Photography Workshops 2017

Wildlife and Astrophotography Workshops 2017

We keep trying to imagine what could possibly be better than a Bushtops safari; these exciting Wildlife & Astrophotography workshops provide the answer. Bushtops Camps is offering exclusive Art of Night Africa Photography Workshops this August, perfectly timed with the Perseids Meteor Shower and the peak of the migration season.

The Workshops are 2 day/2 night photographic adventures which really do live up to the claim "holiday of a lifetime". Each tour is run by international award-winning photographer Mark Gee.

Mark spent time at Bushtops during August 2015 and June 2016, and was totally blown away by the experience both times, so much so that he wants to invite others to join him to repeat this amazing photographic adventure on the following dates in August 2017:

MARA BUSHTOPS: 18/19 August & 20/21 August 2017

SERENGETI BUSHTOPS: 23/24 August & 25/26 August 2017

Both locations are African wildlife hotspots, especially for the famous Wildebeest Migration. The night skies are incredible, thanks to the absence of light pollution in the area. If you haven't ever viewed the Milky Way Galaxy with the naked eye before, you will be amazed by the starry skies here! By focusing on wildlife and astrophotography, each tour promises to be a photographer's paradise.

By day we'll follow the herds and look out for carnivores, adding insights, new techniques and personalized tips to your existing photography skills. Yet it is at night that the real magic will happen, as a billion stars come into view. Whether a novice or professional, Mark's guidance will take your capabilities into a whole new dimension!

Tour Itinerary

Day 1 - Introduction and meet and greet before heading out on our first full day game drive for wildlife photography. Picnic lunch provided out on the drive. Meet back at the camp late afternoon before heading to a sundowner, where we will talk about the night's proceedings.

Night 1 - After dinner we will meet up, go over some of the fundamentals of night/astrophotography, and head out on a night game drive with our cameras to practice.

Day 2 - Morning Q&A and processing session. After lunch we will head out on an afternoon game drive for wildlife photography.
Night 2 - After dinner we will meet up, go over some of the techniques we learnt the previous night with a Q&A session, and then head out on our final night game drive with our cameras.

*The night photography sessions are weather dependent, but alternative activities will be held if the weather doesn't give us the opportunity to head out.

The cost for the 2 day workshop is USD $650.00 per person on top of the Bushtops Camps' accommodation cost

Contact africa@andreahugo.com for more information

What will I learn on the tour?

Whether you're a hobbyist photographer or a seasoned pro, these tours will cater for all. Mark will accompany you on all the game drives and night shoots, guiding you every step of the way and offering personalized tuition. We will cover all the basics of equipment, settings and techniques to get you the best shots possible. You will also learn how to process your images, with a step by step guide in either Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop.

What equipment do I need?

-A digital DSLR or a mirrorless camera, with a basic knowledge of operating the camera and changing settings.
-For wildlife photography - a zoom lens somewhere in the 70-200mm range is good, but the longer the focal length the better.
-For astrophotography - lenses with a maximum aperture between f/1.4 and f/4 and a focal length between 10 and 24mm are ideal. For example - a 14mm f/2.8 lens is perfect, a zoom lens with a minimum focal length of 24mm at f/4 would be fine too.
-A sturdy tripod.
-Laptop computer with Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop installed.
-A headlamp or torch - one with a red light mode is best.

Optional equipment:
-Spare camera batteries - always good to have backup batteries ready to go.
-Spare memory card(s) - memory cards can fill up fast and also fail, so good to have a spare.
-Portable external hard drive for additional data - we shoot in raw, so tend to use a lot of data, especially when photographing a time-lapse image. Extra hard drive space can come in handy.

Who is Mark Gee?

Each workshop will be led by Mark Gee, an international award winning Photographer and brilliant teacher. By day, Mark is a visual effects artist having worked on countless Hollywood movies like Lord of The Rings, The Hobbit, Avatar, I Robot etc. While his images portray a wide variety of subjects, in the past few years astrophotography in particular has captured Mark's imagination and interest. He often ventures out to the darkest, most remote skies all around the world, enjoying the challenge of combining striking landscapes with the ethereal beauty of the night sky in new, creative ways.

You can see some of Mark's awe-inspiring work on his website and Facebook page and by watching the video below:

To learn more about the workshop itineraries, equipment needed and costs, please CLICK HERE

If the images in this newsletter (all taken by Mark Gee) whet your imagination, you can learn more about his stunning astrophotography via http://markg.com.au/

Once you've browsed these websites, lose no time in signing up. Places are limited - and the workshops just wouldn't be the same without you!