Java - Volcanos and Ancient Kingdoms June 2019

9 Day Java - Volcanos and Ancient Kingdoms Photography Tour and Workshop presented by David Metcalf and Mark Rayner 18 June to 26 June 2019 Book now to secure your spot on this amazing photography workshop and tour. Hi Everyone, David Metcalf and myself are pleased to announce that are returning to Java. Without doubt this is one of my favourites. Amazing landscapes and wonderful people make this place something very special. Please read on to learn more. The workshop is planned to show you the real culture and stunning landscapes on the Island of volcanos. This workshop is designed to challenge you as a photographer, teach you new skills and techniques under the watchful guidance of Mark and Dave, capture some amazing Images and give you a great insight into culture of the mountain people of Java. This is a workshop not to be missed. Java is truly extraordinary. It is described as the most habitable and the most hospitable place in all of Asia, a veritable tropical paradise with stunning landscapes, soaring volcanoes featuring balding cones on top, forests in the middle and rice terraces below. Truly luxurious accommodation We'll fly you to the historic town of Malang in East Java, one of Java’s hidden treasures, a large town of around one million people and a great base for exploring the area. Malang is a very well planned city with many parks, tree lined streets and old Dutch architecture. You'll be staying at the beautiful historic Tugu Hotel. We will start our photography adventure in the nearby bird and flower market and mix with the local friendly Javanese. We will catch the late afternoon light and do some street photography around the canals and small kampongs of this wonderful city. The Tugu is one of the most beautiful historic hotels in Indonesia and a photography project in its own right. Volcanos and Wild Horsemen Travelling in modified four wheel drives we'll visit Mt Bromo where you can catch a horse ride ( or walk ) to the top of the crater and photograph a live active Volcano. You'll see the Tengger horseman as they gallop across the sand sea, like a scene out of Lawrence of Arabia. We'll take you to visit the charming Tengger Villages in the area. The tengger are hobbit like and the last remaining group of Hindu’s in Muslim dominated Java. Very friendly they will invite us into their homes and we can get some charming portraits. . Temples from the Past Built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, is a spectacular sight and we will be there to photograph the star trails over this amazing monument, then the sunrise as the first light hits the many stupas. To the north and east, a majestic procession of Volcanoes soars to heights of more than 3000 meters, making for an unforgettable sight. To find out more about this incredible adventure follow this link -> Volcanoes and Ancient Kingdoms or give Mark a call on 0459 221 678

California Eastern Sierras 2019

15 Day Eastern Sierras - California Photo Expedition - In the Footsteps of Ansel Adam

When : 23 September  to 7 October 2019 

This photo safari with Mark Rayner will be an incredible experience for those interested in photographing some of the most beautiful landscape scenery in the world.

We will be following in the footsteps of Ansel Adams one of the most famous photographers in the world and learning from his techniques and vision.

For more information and bookings please click here -> Eastern Sierras 2019 or call Mark on 0459 221 678

Highlights include:

Photographing Death Valley, the lowest point in the U.S. Extraordinary colours, beautiful rock formations, dramatic cliffs, spectacular badlands vistas, high rugged peaks, soft textured sand dunes and contrasting salt flats.

 

Mammoth Mountain and river valley surrounds including several beautiful mountain lakes and dramatic canyons contrasting with the vibrant, spectacular fall (Autumn) colours. 

Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the United States (outside Alaska) and the surrounding Alabama Hills, a scenic treasure and magnet for landscape photographers.

Mono Lake, formed 760,000 years ago and home to millions of migrating birds, Mono Lake is a unique sight to see and photograph, producing different hues and colors at sunrise and sunset.

Bodie, the largest preserved (un-restored) ghost town of the west, dating back to 1877. We have special permission to photograph inside some of the old buildings. For those interested in the old west, it is fascinating wandering around the deserted, dusty streets with a wide-angle lens and soaking in the spirit of this historic wild-west town.

Tioga Pass, the highest pass in California and without doubt the most spectacular  with waterfalls, rivers, wildflowers, towering mountains and wildlife. We have allowed a full day to photograph the highlights of Tioga Pass, which ends in our highlight destination, Yosemite National Park and the place Ansel Adams spent 68 years of his life photographing. http://www.anseladams.com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography/

Yosemite is a simply unforgettable experience – you experience nature at its finest. We will spend four days photographing the glacier carved valleys and mountains from many different angles - sunrise and sunset and at night under the full moon!

This trip has been planned to take in the beauty of the fall colours , just when the first snows of winter are arriving.

San Francisco – Next we're off to San Francisco where we spend two days to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge, the redwood trees and the wild windswept coastal scenery.

The more adventurous will have the opportunity to take a helicopter flight which actually flies under the Golden Gate Bridge.

Departing San Francisco we head south and take in the Big Sur. Fabulous coastal scenery with an abundance of wildlife and sea-birds will make this a fitting finale to our grand adventure.

We will be staying in comfortable accommodation including mountain cabins and travelling in our own private bus with ample time factored in to upload photos and learn from the review sessions with your professional photographer guide, Mark Rayner.

This workshop is suitable for the beginner to advanced photographer.  Partners are welcome. Small group size (maximum 8 photographers) will ensure you have access to one-on-one tuition and guidance.

The Safari starts in Los Angeles where everyone will meet up before  we head off to Death Valley to begin one of the most exciting 2 weeks of our lives.

If photographing glacier carved valleys, crystal clear lakes, waterfalls, mountain wildflowers, authentic old west towns, one of the most unusual geological regions on the planet, Yosemite, vibrant fall colours with the backdrop of 14,000 foot mountains, abundant wildlife and birdlife interests you, then this is an experience you should be part of.  Please join us.

For more information and bookings please click here -> Eastern Sierras 2019 or call Mark on 0459 221 678

Alaska 2019 - Bookings now open

12 Day Alaskan Photography Adventure and Tour - with Mark Rayner and David Metcalf

ALASKA   - A Wilderness and Wildlife Extravaganza

When : 10 - 21 September 2019

It's on again. We took a break from it in 2018 but we just can't stay away from Amazing Alaska. 

Starting  in Juneau and finishing in Anchorage, Alaska this photo safari with David Metcalf and Mark Rayner will be an incredible experience for those interested in photographing some of the most beautiful landscape scenery in the world.

John Muir a famous American explorer spent some time in Alaska many years ago and made the comment that in all your travels you should leave Alaska to last because nothing else will compare with its grandeur and beauty.

Click here to find out more and book -> ALASKA 2019 or call Mark on 0459221678

There are few places in the world with the unspoiled wilderness, mountainous grandeur and immense wildlife that is Alaska.

David Metcalf and myself will be taking our third photography tour  to Alaska and we are more excited than ever before.

For those interested in wildlife photography and  landscapes so vast and varied that it seems they are beyond the scale of comprehension, then this is the workshop for you.

Alaska is so incredibly huge with a coastline that is enough to circle the globe one and a quarter times, 33,900 miles of oceanic coastline to be exact!

Whilst we will not be able to see all of this in 12 days we have picked out a route that will take in many of the highlights of this beautiful country, and a feast of incredible variety to photograph.

The workshop begins in the states capital - Juneau , the most beautiful city in Alaska on September the 10 th.

This trip is perfect for beginners, seasoned pros or just passionate photographers with a love for wildlife and extraordinary scenery that will take your breath away.

Get ready to photograph majestic whales as we cruise by boat around spectacular waterways, focus your zoom lenses on bald eagles as they majestically sore above the glacier carved mountains. We will go bear spotting on Admiralty Island, which has the highest populations of bears in Alaska. There are 1500 brown bears on this island so the shutters will be in overdrive as we photograph these magnificent creatures. We will travel by  ferry  as we explore the stunning waterways of this part of Alaska, and head up to Haines and Lynn Canal, North America’s longest and deepest fjord.

As we travel from Juneau to Anchorage you will have plenty of opportunities to get tips and instructions from Mark and Dave  on photographing landscapes and wildlife. 

This will be amazing experience and one I am sure you will never forget. Alaska is an extraordinary place and one of the last great wilderness frontiers of the world. There are few, if any, places with the unspoiled wilderness, mountainous grandeur and immense wildlife that is showcased in Alaska. But don’t listen to me come and see for yourself.

Click here to find out more and book -> ALASKA 2019 or call Mark on 0459221678