11 Day Sri Lanka - The Undiscovered Country Photography Tour with Mark Rayner and David Metcalf

HOME

11 Day Sri Lanka - The Undiscovered Country Photography Tour with Mark Rayner and David Metcalf Hi everyone, If I was to describe a place which offered the following; welcoming people, timeless ruins, elephants, beautiful, magnificent tea plantations, UNESCO world heritage sights, 2000 years of culture, colourful ceremonies, an array of colorful bird and wildlife, rainforests and mountain peaks, stunning coastal scenery with dazzling white sandy beaches, all within a relatively small country, would you like to see and photograph this? Come and join David Metcalf and I in Sri Lanka, August 4-15, 2014 planned around the full moon and a very special time in this wonderful country where tourism is only just starting to ramp up. You will be photographing in places with very few, if any, other tourists and a visionary delight awaits the keen photographer who loves to capture variety in their images. Starting in Colombo, we start on the streets with amazing street photography and a visit to the colorful Pettah markets. Balipitiya is the next stop, with the opportunity to photograph the immense birdlife of the area as we cruise around on our own private boat. We move on to Koggara to capture the stilt fisherman as they balance precariously on long poles, sillouhetted against the setting sun. And there is so, so much more. To see the entire program please click on the link -> here. Come with us and discover the wonderland that is - Sri Lanka - 4 August to 15 August 2014

Special Offer - Australia Zoo Photography Workshop 6th April 2014

Not long to go - Australia Zoo Experience Photography Workshop - Sunday 6 April 2014 30% OFF!! Come and join Michael and Mark for a fantastic day of wildlife photography at the incredible Australia Zoo at Beerwah on Sunday 6th April. This is a BIG deal as we are knocking 30% off our normal price so get in quick and book now! Our day starts at 9:00am where we meet inside Australia Zoo. Once everyone has arrived, we will board the next "train" to Africa. During the train trip we will assess each participant’s skill levels, talk about equipment needed during the day, as well as a run-down of the day’s itinerary. When we arrive in Africa, we will present a brief session on the best wildlife photography techniques, which will include specifics that are relevant to photographing animals in captive situations. After the briefing, the giraffes, rhinos and zebras are all fair game for your lenses. A quick morning tea (on the run) and the we are off to the Asia to photograph tigers, Asian elephants and gorgeous red pandas. Lunch is a treat where we will visit the eatery above the Crocoseum where you can view the Wildlife Warriors show. After lunch the cute otters are due to be fed and will be sure to put on a show. Australia Zoo’s famous crocodiles are next , followed by Tasmania devils, dingoes, koalas, cassowaries and much more. 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. There is no planned afternoon tea break but there will be time to grab a drink along the way. We also venture 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. To finish off the day, we will spend time in the huge walk-through bird aviary, where there are many varieties of birds to photograph. At the end of the last session in the walk-through bird aviary, we will do a wrap-up of the day and Michael and Mark will answer any questions or help with any niggling problems you may be having with your photography. We finish off around 4:30pm. (During the day, there will be ample opportunity for you to talk to Michael and Mark and ask any questions you may have in regards to wildlife photography or photography in general). To book call Mark on 0459 221678 or email admin@trekaboutphotography.com for this amazing deal.

Aussie Aussie Aussie Photo Comp Results.

HOME

Aussie Aussie Aussie Photo Comp Results.

It's been run and won.

Prizes were as follows:

First Prize
One Weekend or Full Day Photography Workshop and Tour
Proudly provided by Trekabout Photography Workshops.
Choose from Full Day Mountain Experience, Full Day Mountains to Beach Experience, Australia Zoo Experience, Bird Photography Techniques, Weekend Mountain Experience or Weekend Mountain to Beach Experience
Valued up to $394.00

Second Prize
Hologon 20B Backpack Camera Bag
Kindly donated by Cameras Online 07 3207 6066
Valued at up to $219.00

Third Prize
DSLR Performance Pack - A premium service for your digital SLR and includes wet sensor clean - Before and after images - Clean mirror box - Check back focus - Check mode dial - Check exposure - Optimal external clean of body and lens. Kindly donated by Anderson's Camera Repairs (07) 3245 6444
Valued at $199.00

Fourth Prize
$50.00 Print Voucher
Kindly donated by RGB Digital Pro Lab (07) 3426 8200

Fifth Prize
$20.00 Gift Voucher
Kindly donated by Highcove Educational (07) 3359 3776

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone for your amazing entries.

Weekend Beach to Mountain Experience Photography Workshop 8 - 9 March 2014

Weekend Beach to Mountain Experience Photography Workshop 8 - 9 March 2014 Hi Everyone, We still have limited spots available for our Weekend Beach to Mountains Experience coming up next weekend. Join Michael and I for a comprehensive weekend of photography as we take you through techniques for landscape (including sunset and sunrise), waterfalls, macro, birds and some post precessing information for good measure. Rainforest Waterfalls We kick off on Saturday morning and, after some basic theory and camera settings discussion head into the Buderim rainforest for waterfalls, rainforest cascades etc. We can't promise a 'Trash the Dress' session but its a beautiful spot nonetheless. Macro World A quick break and then we're into the tiny world of macro. Don't worry if you don't have a dedicated macro lens. We have both Nikon and Canon extension tubes available which allow you use your ordinary zoom lens to shoot macro subjects. Post Processing After lunch I will introduce you to easy digital workflow and post-processing techniques at Buderim Girl Guides Hall. If you are wanting to start shooting RAW then this session will give you the tools to get started. Sunset Techniques We finish day one with a beautiful sunset photography session overlooking the ocean at Point Cartwright. Sunrise over the Ocean On Sunday we are up early to capture sunrise at Point Cartwright (very early start but well worth the effort to capture the beautiful morning light as the sun rises over the ocean). After our sunrise shoot we will give you some time to move out of your accommodation (for those people staying over for the weekend), have breakfast etc. Bird Photography We reconvene for bird photography techniques at top of Buderim Forest Park where we see many rainforest species such as Eastern Yellow Robin and Golden Whistler. Image Critique We finish off this amazing weekend back at the Buderim Girl Guides Hall for an image critique and final post-processing techniques session. During this weekend workshop, Michael and I will present group presentations as well as one-on-one tuition for each participant. We will explain a variety of digital camera functions, teach you how to use these functions correctly and discuss different photographic techniques that will allow you to take better photos. By the end of the weekend, you will have learned macro, landscape and bird photography techniques and some digital workflow and post processing tips. Queensland's fabulous Sunshine Coast will play host to a wonderful weekend of photography and tuition. The workshop cost is $394.90 per person (this workshop qualifies for Loyalty Discounts). If you have any questions regarding the workshop please feel free to email or call Mark on 0459 221678. We hope you can make it along. Happy shooting. Cheers, Mark

New dates for Brisbane Post Processing and Workflow Bootcamp - Lightroom and Photoshop

Post Processing and Workflow Bootcamp - Lightroom and Photoshop BRISBANE - New date released for 12-13 April 2014 Hi Everyone,  I am pleased to announce the new dates for my Brisbane Post Processing Bootcamp. The Brisbane workshop will be held over the weekend of 12th and 13th April 2014 at the Caboolture 'HUB'. The premises is fully air-conditioned and very comfortable. The workshop is limited to 10 people to ensure maximum learning opportunities. This workshop always fills quickly, so please book now to avoid disappointment. This workshop is designed for the beginner to fast track entry into the world of Lightroom and Photoshop, but still caters for the more experienced user wanting to hone their skills and learn new tips and tricks. Some comments from past participants: Chris Holland wrote: This was such a useful weekend... I'm still in mental overload, but excited about putting into practice so many of the ideas that I absorbed. Thanks to Mark and the rest of the group for making it all so worthwhile. There wasn't one unanswered question!! Anne Reid wrote: Was a great weekend, yes it was a great venue. Easy parking, close to shops and beach for the lunch time breather. Must mention the great teacher and the surprises we all received with some of the things we learnt. Heather Streatfield wrote: Am feeling especially inspired after my photography Bootcamp this weekend. Alarm set for 3.45am, it's time to drag this butt out of bed for a summer sunrise! Here is a rundown of what to expect over the weekend. Phototrek - 8:30am Saturday We will all be photographing together in the surrounding area and this shoot will provide most of the imagery for the weekend's processing tuition. You will be working from scratch on images from your own camera, far preferable than working on supplied images which may have totally different characteristics than your own. Morning Tea 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. We will also look at the benefits of utilising Lightroom 4 and 5 for this process. 1:00pm Lunch (BYO or purchase nearby) will split session 1 Session 2 This session will cover image adjustment and enhancement in Camera Raw / LR4 - 5 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 - 8:30am Sunday 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. 10:30am Morning Tea 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, Mark will guide you through the process of creating your own actions to speed up processes that you find yourself doing more often. You'll learn how to create stunning, unique and interesting backgrounds for your "studio" portraits and much more. 1:00pm Lunch (BYO or purchase nearby) will split session 4 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. If you have any special or problem files you wish to work on please bring them along (time permitting). All the details can be found on the website here -> Brisbane Price: $396.00 Hope you can make it along. Cheers, Mark Questions? Please give me a call on 0459 221678 or shoot me an email.