Trekabout July August 2013 Workshop Bulletin

July August Workshop Program G'day everyone, We've got some fantastic workshops coming up over the next couple of months and if you like wildlife and nature we've really got you covered. Check out the details below. Please take note that if you book the Macro Experience and the Reptile and Frog Experience together (they are held on the same day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon) we reward your enthusiasm with a 30% discount for both. Michael and I would love to see you along. Call me on 0459 221678 to book. Cheers, Mark Australia Zoo Experience Sunday, 14 July 2013 $273.90 Join Michael and Mark for an exciting day of wildlife photography at Australia Zoo! After an initial group tuition session and once everyone is ‘up-to-speed’, we start our day of wildlife photography. Our first stop will be Australia Zoo’s famous crocodiles, followed by Tasmania devils, dingoes, koalas, cassowaries and much more. The cute otters will be sure to put on a show. Mark and Michael will be on hand throughout to talk to you one-on-one, and make sure you are utilising your camera to its potential. After morning tea at a nearby café, we will head to ‘Roo Haven’ where there are different species of kangaroos and wallabies to photograph at close range. There are also echidnas nearby, which always make for great photos. We then head to the ‘Asian’ section of the zoo to photograph tigers, Asian elephants and red pandas on display. After lunch at one of the cafes (or bring your own) we will venture to the new ‘African’ section, where giraffes, rhinos and zebras are on display. To finish off the day, we will spend a reasonable amount of time in the huge walk-through bird aviary, where there are loads of different birds to photograph. Before each of the different sections we will be heading to, Michael and Mark will give you instruction on the best settings and photography techniques to use, in order to get the best wildlife photos. Weekend Post Processing and Workflow Bootcamp 3 -4 August 2013 - $396.00 The workshop is spread over two days, incorporating 5 two hour sessions and a 2 hour 'Phototrek' to begin the workshop. Held in air-conditioned comfort at the new Lantastic Centre at Redcliffe, there is plenty of parking available with easy access. Morning teas will be provided. Topics covered will include but not be limited to: * Importing and opening images Image resolution * Selections and masks Colour and white balance adjustments Retouching * Histograms * File formats * Filters * Actions * Scripts * Plug-ins * HDR Metadata Batch processing * Presets * Keyboard shortcuts * Exporting and saving Automating tasks Re-sizing * Sharpening Noise reduction Pre-workshop Phototrek We commence proceedings shooting the Redcliffe foreshore and surrounding parklands during a 2 hour photo walk. We will all be photographing together and this shoot will provide much of the imagery for the weekend's processing tuition. You will be working from scratch on images from your own camera. Session 1 This session covers the basics of Adobe Bridge and Camera Raw and de-mystifying the connections of both with Photoshop. Mark will show you how best to transfer your images to your computer and some convenient protocols for folder naming and storage. Session 2 This session will cover image adjustment and enhancement in Camera Raw and look at a number of techniques to speed up the post-processing workflow. We will look at the various adjustment modules and tools which will become the backbone of your image processing. Session 3 We will start to get into some of the new user friendly aspects of Photoshop and really begin to make a difference to our RAW files to produce images with that "Wow" factor. We'll look at the best way to set up your tool panels and optimise your workspace to suit your style and needs. You will explore the different tools available in Photoshop and how and when to use them. Session 4 To help speed up the workflow process we will begin to incorporate plug-ins, presets, actions and scripts. As well as providing you with many ready to use presets and actions, Mark will guide you through the process of creating your own actions to speed up processes that you find yourself doing more often. Session 5 By this session you will have a new understanding of presets, actions, scripts, plug-ins, batch processing, curves, layers, masks, resolution, filters and many more terms.This session will put your new found knowledge and skills to work and consolidate what you have learned into a smooth and efficient workflow. We will also look at the basics of some of the hot topics of digital photography such as HDR (High Dynamic Range), Panorama stitching and more. Space limited to a maximum of 8 participants to ensure quality of learning. To find out more have a look on the Trekabout website here. Macro Experience Photography Workshop Saturday 10 August 2013 - $163.90 Where: Brisbane Botanic Gardens - Mt Coot-tha, Toowong In this half-day photographic workshop, Michael and Mark will instruct you on how best to achieve sharp, evenly-lit and well-composed photos of anything “macro”. You will be shown how to use different types of lenses, extension tubes and filters as well as ways to achieve perfect lighting using various flash methods, diffusers and reflectors. Depth-of-field, an important component of macro photography, will be discussed at length as well as the best ways to steady your camera/lens. Our subjects will include various types of flowers in bloom, insects and more. Program: 8.15am – Meet at the café entrance at the bottom of the car park (Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens) There will a brief session covering the best types of equipment recommended for macro photography. Michael will then instruct you on various macro photography techniques “in-the-field”. 10am – Morning tea We will work our way around the gardens, photographing other macro subjects, showing you how to achieve the best results in-camera 12.15pm - finish More here.... Reptile and Frog Experience Saturday 10 August 2013 - $207.90 Where: Geckoes Wildlife , Marshall Lane, Closeburn (Approx. 6kms from Samford) This half day workshop is designed to get you the opportunity to photograph an amazing array of reptiles and frogs at close range. Some of the species are virtually impossible to photograph in the wild, so this is a chance you will not want to miss. Mark and Michael will also give professional photographic tuition throughout the workshop. They will teach you how to take better photos as well as getting the most out of your camera. Meet at 1.30pm at the front gates of property – Marshall Lane, Closeburn (North West Brisbane) 1:35pm – Tuition given by Michael and Mark on best techniques for photographing reptiles and frogs 2:00pm – Reptile and frog photography in natural bushland setting. 4:15pm – Final discussion on techniques discussed, questions and answers. 4.45pm - Finish Some of the species available on the day (depending on availability) may include: Leaf-tailed Gecko Knob-tailed Gecko Bearded Dragon Southern Angle-headed Dragon Pink-tongue Skink Blue-tongue Skink Shingleback Lizard Carpet Python Diamond Python Green Tree Python Magnificent Tree Frog Green and Gold Tree Frog Green Tree Frog White-lipped Tree Frog Various other reptiles More here...

Get Up Early

Home

Michael and I are about to head off to the outback to run our Seven Day Red Centre Experience Photography Workshop and Tour.

We elected to drive out this time, camping along the way, and giving ourselves some time to capture images of our amazing country. Smell the outback roses if you like.

One thing that you can be sure of is that we'll have some very early starts. Sunrise in the outback is pretty special, well, it's pretty special anywhere really. The dawn of a new day brings with it a fabulous array of colour and mood. On many of our workshops you'll see a number of sunrise shoots mentioned and for good reason.

Seeing the new day in is rewarding in other ways too. I always feel that I have accomplished more on a day when I have seen the dawn. The magic images that often result are a bonus.

So get up early, get out there and experience the wonder of a new day. You'll look back on the experience and say, as I often here said on our workshops, "I really must do this more often".

Have a wonderful day.

Cheers, Mark

Borobodur