Join professional wildlife photographer Kathleen Reeder in an unparalleled photo workshop that will appeal to photographers of all levels as you explore the wilder side of photography at Out of Africa Wildlife Park. You won’t find a similar venue with various photographic opportunities for this cost anywhere else. Many participants have attended the workshop every year because of its tremendous value.
Who should attend: Amateurs, Intermediate and Advanced photographers, professionals.
What you should know: You need to be familiar with your camera to make suggested setting changes (including f-stop, shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation) on your own throughout the day.
Physical Requirements: Participants should be in good health, able to step onto and off a bus frequently and able to walk 200 yards with a single camera/lens. You will also need to carry your full camera bag a short distance a couple of times. If eye-level photographs of certain predators are desired, you will have the opportunity to kneel on one knee, however, you must be physically able to get back up to a standing position without the need to grab and hold the fence.
Highlights
This private workshop offers many unique and exciting features:
- An online webinar presentation the week before to prepare you. The webinar covers wildlife photography tips, recommended gear, and an illustrative slideshow of photos taken at Out of Africa Wildlife Park with camera settings.
- An exclusive, one-of-a-kind opportunity to photograph the animals at dawn’s first light, hours before the park opens to the public, with staff access to vantage points not available to the public.
- Dedicated transportation with plenty of room for your camera bag and gear.
- Animals treated to specific areas within their habitats that make best use of the light and minimize man-made elements in the compositions.
- Unobstructed views to photograph the famed Tiger Splash™ show through fence cut-outs not available to the public.
- Instruction and hands-on assistance from Kathleen throughout the workshop, with plenty of one-on-one time to ask questions and get coaching specific to your individual photographic needs.
- Lunch is included, doughnuts are available mid-morning, and bottled water is provided throughout the workshop.
- The workshop ends at 2:00 pm, after which you are welcome to remain in the park until closing at 5:00 pm.
- Workshop size is limited to 12 participants.
Previous photography workshop participants have graciously shared these images from their experience.
Online Webinar
During the online webinar, Kathleen explains the basics of capturing extraordinary animal portrait and behavior photos at the park. Topics include wildlife composition, choosing the right camera exposure mode, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus considerations, the importance of depth of field, and understanding histograms. Kathleen will walk through adjusting your camera settings, so you’ll be ready to start photographing the animals the morning of the workshop.
Equipment Requirements
Aa DSLR or mirrorless camera and a telephoto lens with a focal range of approximately 70-300mm. Other required equipment includes memory card capacity for up to 2,000 RAW/JPG images and an extra camera battery. Equipment that can be left at home include a tripod, flash, lens filters, wide angle lenses less than 70mm and super long lenses greater than 500mm.
Overnight Accommodations
It is recommended (but not required) that you stay overnight at a nearby hotel the night before the workshop to ensure the group is all together 30 minutes before sunrise the following morning. The park gate is opened briefly for the group to enter and closed again, so it’s critical that everyone is on-time. For reference, the park is approximately 90 minutes north of Phoenix and 30 minutes south of Sedona.
A discounted room rate is available at the Best Western in Cottonwood. You must call the hotel directly and ask for the Out of Africa Photo Workshop Rate to receive the discount. The hotel direct phone number is (928) 634-5575. Cottonwood is a popular destination so book your hotel night soon after registering for the workshop. Please note that the lodging is not included in the workshop fee.
Kathleen is available the evening before the workshop for an hour in the Best Western conference room to assist you with camera settings and to answer any last-minute questions. Waivers can also be signed at this time. This is an optional meet-up but helpful for those who want their camera settings doubled checked.
