Safari highlight:
- 6 days hands-on digital photography workshop focusing on wildlife, nature and local tribal culture in Maasai Mara.
- A must for enthusiastic beginner and seasoned photographers.
- Accommondation at Leleshwa Luxury Tented Camp.
- Maximum of 8 participants with no more than 4 photographers per safari vehicle.
- Departure dates: 6 th to 11 th Sept 2011, 11 th to 16 th Oct 2011 & 8 th to 13 th Nov 2011.
- Accomplished wildlife photographer Mike North to lead the workshop.
- Specially outfitted photographers 4WD safari Land Cruiser vehicles.
- Unlimited game drives in search of great photography opportunities.
- Annual cyclical Wildebeests and Zebras migration.
- Mara / Serengeti eco-system - 30,000 sq km's wilderness.
- 2 million herbivores and predators. 

Prey & Predators is a 6 day (5 nights) hands-on digital photography workshop focusing on wildlife, nature and local tribal culture within the Maasai Mara eco-system. The workshop targets the enthusiastic beginner and seasoned photographers who have not previously specialized in wildlife photography.

If you enjoy photography and would like to learn more about wildlife photography, then this is a course designed for you. The maximum group size is 8 participants with no more than 4 photographers to a vehicle thereby ensuring that each participant enjoys a high degree of personal attention.

The workshops will be led by Mike North, an accomplished wildlife photographer, who has honed his skills over the past 20 years mainly in East Africa and has also travelled extensively in Africa.

What are the workshop’s objectives? We will learn by doing. Mike will demonstrate his own personal style of making photographs in the African wild and will lead you through a discovery of technical knowledge, nature experiences and practical application.

Producing better photographs is only partially due to the selection of camera equipment but, crucially, has more to do with a passionate knowledge of the subject and how to apply technique. The short instructional lectures are designed to stimulate as well as educate and will expose you of the following:

- Mastering the photographic controls offered by your modern digital camera. A sound technical understanding of camera equipment is important as it allows the photographer to capture the qualities of a given scene in the best way possible. A slice-by-slice approach which can be memorized through frequent use will be adopted.

- In order to take better photographs, you need to see better photographs. Most good photographs capture the spirit of a subject by giving it expression and meaning. Learning and applying a few basic techniques such as lighting, exposure and composition will greatly improve results.

- Digital photography enjoys a harmonious relationship with your computer and printer when you harness the power of Adobe Photoshop CS4 to organize digital work flow and edit images. Having full control over the quality and output of your images and the sheer convenience are perhaps the most compelling benefits of digital photography.§ Arousing greater awareness of the fragility of our natural heritage and by so doing promoting conservation and community building initiatives.

How is the workshop conducted? Each day will consist of image creation on location and hands-on work in the Imaging Center. A typical itinerary is as follows:

Day 1:  Arrive at camp in the morning where Mike will be waiting to greet you and give you a camp briefing, followed by lunch. The afternoon commences with a presentation of Mike’s images and a discussion of the assignment for the day. Off we go on our first game drive capped by ‘sundowners’ and a night drive back to camp.

Days 2 & 3: The Maasai Mara Game Reserve is world renowned for its game diversity and density and, of course, the annual Wildebeest Migration, affording you plentiful opportunity to create unique images. After a picnic lunch we head back to camp. In the afternoon session you will create a slide show selecting your best images based upon the assignment of the day which will form the basis of a “learning and appreciation” discussion. Mike will make a special interest presentation covering one or more of the subjects listed in the workshop objectives. 

Day 4: The day commences with ‘Sun Risers’ followed by a Nature Walk guided by our competent Guides and Maasai Trackers. This is a great opportunity to learn (and photograph) more about the countless symbiotic relationships that exist in nature. After a hearty bush brunch we will immerse ourselves with the culture of the Maasai people. We will make visits to their markets, schools and villages where you will learn to make stunning portraits.

Day 5: Today you will learn how to manage and edit your images using Adobe Photoshop CS4. During the afternoon session you will prepare your ‘Big Five Images’, a selection of which will be published in our annual workshop publication. We cap the day off with a fabulous bush dinner followed by a night drive.

Day 6:  After a hearty breakfast it is time to depart for your onward flight. There are shorter workshops available as well. Mike will conduct 1½ day workshops when 5 day workshops are not in progress. This workshop will focus mainly on:

Afternoon session: Mastering the photographic controls offered by your modern digital camera. Seeing better photographs. Applying composition and technique.

Full day session: Practical photo shoot on location. Feedback session of photographs taken during the day.

Client Comments:  "The internal flights in Kenya could hardly have been better - punctual and with the expected level of service. The planned range of habitats visited provided opportunities for good photography of birds, mammals and nature. The guides at Masai Mara were excellent. Kenya is a very beautiful country and it was good to have had the opportunity to visit it using the local flights as this saved me a lot of driving time". M.D, Kent.

Entry requirements. Most of Europe nationalities passport holders and most other nationalities require a visa for Kenya which is obtained in advance from the nearest embassy. You will also need to have various vaccinations and take malaria prophylactic. Please consult the nearest embassy about your requirements as soon as possible before traveling.

Tour price, tour reports, detailed tour plan and how to book your place. For the tour price, tour reports and a detailed tour plan and in order to book a place on this holiday, please call us now on: (00 254) 20 600 14 54. Alternatively, fill our online booking form or email us at: safaris@mbangosafaris.com giving us your contacts. Once we have received your request / booking we will confirm your booking and send you all the further details necessary for you to prepare for your holiday. At peak times our confirmation may take up to a day or two to reach you; normally we aim to do it within a day.