Photo Tours in 2011
Nick's Tour Diary
- Baja Mexico: 8th Festival of Wildlife 10th - 20th March 2011 - see Wildlife Tours
- Tanzania: Serengeti Migration 24th March - 7th April 2011
- Borneo: Photo Workshop 7th-15th & 13th-21st May 2011
- Scotland: Mull & Treshnish Isles 11th - 18th June 2011
- Kenya: Photo Workshop Late June 2011
- Canada's Great Bears 8th - 22nd September 2011
- Zambia: Photo Workshop October 2011
- Madagascar: November -2011 - see Wildlife Tours
Tanzania: Serengeti Migration
24th March - 7th April 2011
Price £4895 (Ground Only)
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The annual migration of wildebeest, zebra and other game around the Serengeti-Masai Mara ecosystem is one of the world’s greatest wildlife wonders. Between January and April the cycle of rains brings the massing herds, in their hundreds of thousands, to the fertile short grass plains of the southern Serengeti Here females give birth to their calves and males spar with one another to establish dominance. Witnessing this spectacle is one of the “must see” events of the natural world.
I have visited the Serengeti on numerous occasions at this time. Sightings and photographic opportunities on each trip have been different – with considerable year-by-year variation – but it is always special and lives long in the memory.
For photographers the areas around Ndutu at the boundary of the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area consistently provide a stream of unrivalled opportunities. Here the vast open plains are broken by areas of woodland with lakes and marshes that form focal points for the gathering herds and attendant carnivores.
This trip has been designed to make the most of this special place with an extended stay in the Ndutu area. Through a combination of morning, afternoon and full-day game drives, there will be ample time to explore the vicinity and go further a field to follow the shifting herds, look for cats (it can be exceptional for Cheetahs) and other predators.
To complement the open spaces of the Serengeti, I have also chosen to include several excursions into the Ngorongoro Crater. The Crater is an exceptional place, where tolerant game can be viewed in close proximity, and all set against an awe-inspiring backdrop. Our efforts will be concentrated early in the morning and later in the afternoon when the temperatures are cooler, the light for photography is often exquisite and the majority of other people are still in their lodges.
In combination these destinations will make for an unforgettable, varied safari, offering spectacular photographic potential at an unhurried pace. Places are limited to just 8 clients, plus myself, so early booking is strongly advised.
The Importance of Safari Guides
Safari guiding involves anything from "spotting" wildlife, to in-depth knowledge and appreciation of animal behaviour and local cultures and languages. The difference a good driver-guide can make in the overall safari experience can be phenomenal. This is especially true for dedicated photographers where a guides’ skill is crucial, and their ability to read a situation, predict an outcome and place a vehicle sympathetically with the best light it vital.
I have been leading trips to East Africa for 15 years and have experienced a wide variety of competence in the driver-guides who have taken these trips. Some have been extremely good, others mediocre or even poor.
I am now confident the driver-guides I now use are not only amongst the most dependable and professional guides in Tanzania, but also the very best when it comes to appreciating the particular demands and requirements of photographers. Indeed they are extremely talented photographers in their own right.
Such skills naturally come at a price, which makes these tours perhaps more expensive than those with rival companies. Unlike other companies there are also no restrictions on the distances that may be covered in a day, so you can be assured that if there is something worth seeing, we will travel the extra mile or more to see it.
Scotland: Mull & Treshnish Isles
Photography Workshop
11th - 18th June 2011
Price £975
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The north-west coast of Scotland has long provided inspiration for anyone interested in photographing the natural world. The rugged but beautiful landscape provides a spectacular backdrop for subjects as varied as the capricious conditions for which the region is renowned.
The Isle of Mull typifies inspirational qualities of the Scottish Highlands and is perhaps one of the best single locations to indulge in all aspects of wildlife and landscape photography. Throughout the week of this holiday/photo workshop we will introduce you to varied approaches including portraits, close-ups and abstract work with telephoto, macro and wide-angle lenses. Our favoured locations on Mull include meadows flushed with orchids and other flowers, ancient oak woodlands with gnarled trunks encrusted with lichens and moss, spectacular seashores and impressive waterfalls.
Perhaps the tour highlight will be a trip to offshore islands where spectacular breeding colonies Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots and other seabirds can be photographed at very close quarters and without restrictions (unlike many other islands around the UK). We exclusively charter a boat to take us to the best seabird colonies for the maximum amount of time and make the most of the photographic situations that exist.
Mull is one of the best places in the UK to see impressive White-tailed Sea Eagles. A new addition to the trip for this year will be a session on a specially chartered boat to see and potentially photograph these majestic birds as they take fish from the water’s surface (baited). And further you may add to this the possibility of seeing other shy and elusive creatures like Otters, Peregrine Falcons and Golden Eagles during the course of the trip.
Our base for the week is the beautiful Glengorm Estate on the north-west coast. Here, in the grounds of majestic Glengorm Castle we have the use of delightful estate cottages set amidst woodlands and adjacent to the hills and coast. Deer and other wildlife are regular users of the woods and meadows around the estate.
Photographic Highlights
· Close-ups of Puffins and other sea birds
· Potential for White-tailed Sea Eagles fishing
· Rare flowers and other plants
· Varied macro and abstract possibilities
· Atmospheric landscapes
Kenya: Safari Photo Workshop
Late June 2011
Price £TBA
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Nick has again teamed up with award-winning tour operator Wildlife Worldwide to host a photography tour to the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya. During a six-night stay in the Mara, we’ll spend time in some of the best game viewing and photography locations in Africa. During this tour in 2010, there were several sightings of Cheetahs, Leopards and Lions, lots of Elephants and one spectacular crossing of the Mara River by thousands of Wildebeest.
During game drives and while back at camp, Nick will be on hand to guide, advise and encourage on all matters to help improve and develop your photography. While at the lodge he will also spend time explaining how to work with your digital images to develop efficient work-flow, editing and processing.
Each tour will be based at a top-notch safari camp located in a prime area of the Mara. The tours will run at both beginner and advanced level, so you can choose according to your ability. The dates are designed to run consecutively, so if you’ve completed the beginner course you can go and take the advanced lessons, too.
Day 1. Depart UK
Day 2. Arrive Nairobi, transfer to camp in the Mara.
Days 3 - 7. Photography in the Masai Mara.
Day 8. Depart Kenya
Day 9. Arrive UK
Canada: Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia:
Spirit Bears, Black Bears & Grizzly Bears
8th – 22nd September 2011
Price £7505 (Ground Only)
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This exceptional photographic spectacular draws together the chance to see and photograph all of the native bear species of British Columbia. It focuses on the pristine wildernesses of the Great Bear Rainforest, where Spirit Bears, Black Bears and Grizzlies roam.
Spirit Bears & Black Bears
Considered by many to be the bear watchers “Holy Grail”, the Spirit or Kermode Bear is the rarest of North America’s bears. It is an all-white variant of the Black Bear that is restricted to a handful of islands in the Pacific North-west. Its rarity and appearance have led to it being intertwined in the folklore and spirituality of the First Nation communities of the region.
Princess Royal Island in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest is the best place to see Spirit Bears. When the salmon run the streams in September both Black Bears and Spirit Bears emerge from the dense forest to feed on the annual bounty. At selected sites that bears frequently visit we will be able to photograph the bears at close quarters. In addition Wolves often patrol the shorelines and the inshore waters are excellent places to see Humpback Whales, Orcas, Dall’s Porpoises and Steller’s Sea Lions.
Our lodge is located along side the densely forested shores of Princess Royal Island and in the company of experienced local Fiorst Nation guides our bear watching and photographic opportunities will be maximised.
Grizzly Bears & Black Bears
The Bella Coola River Valley, on the mainland offers perhaps the best chance of intimate encounters with Grizzly Bears and Black Bears. The bears again gather to fish for salmon in the Atnarko River and can be seen and photographed in a variety of ways – on foot while walking along the river’s edge or from a boat while drifting serenely down the river – which adds to the excitement and makes for exhilarating viewing and photography.
Our lodge is located adjacent to the river and is set amidst utterly breathtaking natural splendour and combines comfort with sympathetic style. Bears and other wildlife are often seen in the grounds of the lodge.
