Landscape Photography Workshop while White Water Rafting on the Zambezi River

I'm excited to offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to photograph the Zambezi River by rafting from the stunning Victoria Falls (one of the seven natural wonders of the world) through the Batoka Gorge. This is a seven-day trip, rafting over some of the worlds best white water by day and photographing this amazing landscape at dawn and dusk.

In partnership with Water By Nature, one of the world's leading and most experienced river rafting companies, this workshop will combine the best elements of expedition-style whitewater rafting with comfortable campsites, good food, great company and of course the opportunity to make some incredible landscape photographs of the river.

My goal is for you to enjoy the rare privilege of experiencing this mighty river, to make photographs of locations that few people have seen and to learn how to use your camera effectively, both creatively and technically. Once you know how to do it in these locations, you'll be able to manage it anywhere!

There is a limit of 16 places available on this workshop to ensure that everyone gets plenty of individual attention.

If this sounds like something that you'd love to do - read on!

Philosophy

This trip is about improving your photography as well as experiencing the river. I will be out shooting with you every day, helping you get the shots you're after. I'll be introducing you to new ways of seeing, so you get images you never thought of before.

As such, this workshop is targetted to a wide range of people. From the advanced amateur who is looking to refine his or her technique, to someone who has recently started to cultivate their passion and is looking for a guiding hand to master the technical and compositional aspects of the art.

A sense of adventure helps, too!

What You Will Learn

There will be a seminar after arriving in Livingstone on the subjects of composition, use of light and (for those who are less experienced) a primer on how to get to grips with the technical operation of your camera.

In the field, I'll be giving hands-on help and ad-hoc demonstrations of the following:

• How to make a good exposure
• Understanding aperture and depth of field
• How to use a tripod
• Shooting technique and how to eliminate camera shake and vibration
• Photographing panoramas with a view to digital stitching
• How to use filters (polarizing and neutral density)
• The basics of good composition, and when to break the rules
• How to use RAW to maximise your image's potential
• Exposing to the right to capture maximum detail

In the evenings while enjoying our sundowners, I'll be on hand to demonstrate (on my laptop) such topics as:

• Optimising your image in Photoshop, Lightroom and other applications with:
  • Curves
  • Local contrast enhancement
  • Contrast masking
  • Cropping

As well as all that I'll be available to critique your images to see what went wrong and what went right, and what you can do to improve for the next day.

Logistics and Equipment

Camping

This is a nine-day trip in total. The first and last evenings will be spent in a hotel in Livingstone, and the rest of the nights will be spent either in tents or under the stars on the banks of the river.

All camping equipment except sleeping bags is provided for you, and a list of necessary clothing will be emailed to you upon booking.

Gear and the wet

Getting wet is a big part of this trip, but there's no need to worry about your camera gear - it'll be secured in watertight Peli cases when on the rafts and will be nice and dry when you need to use it. We'll be shooting at the beginning and end of the day primarily, but we'll also be photographing each others' rafts going through the rapids. I recommend bringing along a smaller camera with a waterproof enclosure for on-raft shots, and we'll be using the normal cameras for action shots in the middle of the day (off-raft).

Power

As we'll be camping for seven days of the trip, we'll need to recharge camera and laptop batteries. A small generator will be brought along for this purpose, so have no fear of your camera running out of juice!

Food

All meals are included. If you have a special dietary requirement you will be accommodated - just be sure and let us know when you make your booking.

Structure of the Trip

For a full itinerary, visit the Water By Nature site. Here I'll outline the basic structure of the trip and how each day will break down.

On day one, after arriving in Livingstone and getting settled in, I'll give you a seminar on composition, how to get the most from the light and how to use your camera effectively in the field.

After this, you can relax and unwind on a sunset cruise on the upper Zambezi above the falls.

The morning of day two will begin with a dawn shoot at Victoria Falls and be followed by a comprehensive safety briefing by the expedition leaders before we head out into the Batoka Gorge and our first rapids.

After an exhilarating afternoon on the water we'll land and while the camp is being set up and dinner prepared, we'll make the most of the evening light with another photo shoot.

After dinner, we can relax in the warm night air and watch the stars overhead. There'll be the opportunity to do some night photography, capturing the star trails over the basalt cliffs before heading off to bed. It's generally comfortable to sleep outside the tent with the stars as your roof.

The next days will follow this basic format - photo shoot at dawn, rafting downriver through the rapids, lunch, more rafting and then an evening shoot and dinner.

On our last day on the river, we'll get a real treat to cap the trip off - a stunning helicopter flight from our last stopping point back up through the gorge to Livingstone.

The Instructor

I am a professional landscape photographer - one of only a handful in Ireland. I've spent years developing my craft and have photographed around the world.

I have a passion for both photography and for teaching. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced photographer, I make sure to pitch my lessons at your level and to ensure that you understand what's being taught. My goal is for you to leave not just with great pictures and fond memories - but with increased confidence and ability too.

I teach year-round, both private and group workshops and courses - all on digital landscape photography. I also teach a short Winter course on digital postprocessing techniques at Williams College in Massachusetts in the USA.

I won the Irish Professional Photographers Association's "Landscape Photographer of the Year" award in 2007 in both the portfolio and single-image categories, and have placed highly in several international photographic competitions. In 2008, my work was the major feature of a nationally-broadcast television show.

I encourage you to visit my photo_course_testimonials page to see what my past students have had to say about me.

The Price

This workshop will cost £1,995. This price includes all expenses except your airfare to and from Livingstone airport, departure taxes, travel insurance, innoculations, sleeping bags, alcohol, sunset cruise, personal items or gratuities. For full details, see the workshop page on the Water By Nature site.

Sign Me Up!

If this trip has you as excited as it has me, then head over to the Water By Nature site and place your booking!