Summary

Experience the highlights and contrasts of Madagascar's landscapes with Emil von Maltitz and Nick van de Wiel, who will, for the second time, be leading a magical 17 day photography workshop and tour within this enigmatic island. Explore the dry west with its baobabs and semi-dry tropical forest. Cross from Morondava to Toliara with stunning scenery composed of baobab forests, thorny bushes, untouched white, sandy beaches, and remarkable mangrove forests. Leave the coast and cross the savannas of the South to admire colourful Isalo National Park and its rocky hills. Complete your experience further north, discovering the terraced rice fields and new landscapes in the picturesque Highlands.

​WHEN	17 MAY - 2 JUNE, 2018
PRICE	€5935,- P/P
FOCUS	TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY, LANDSCAPE, PEOPLE, ANIMALS
GROUP SIZE	4 MINIMUM, 7 MAX
INSTRUCTOR GUEST RATIO	1:3
DURATION	17 DAYS
ACCOMMODATION TYPE	VARIOUS
NUMBER OF DESTINATIONS	9

In Detail

EXPLORING THE ISLAND CONTINENT

Please note that this tour is not a traditional relaxing holiday! It is a serious photographic workshop with teaching sessions/lectures at locations, and photography guidance in the field. It is for those photographers/photography enthusiasts who want to take their photography to the next level, with a steep learning curve, while visiting iconic destinations with a tutor on site to help them create masterful images. 

The emphasis is very strongly on landscape photography, and teaching sessions covering both creative, technical and editing aspects. Participants can choose what topics they would like to have covered during the workshop. In doing so, teaching needs can be assessed during the workshop and tailor made to suit individuals needs. Therefore, this workshop is suitable for both beginners as well as experienced photographers, and where and when required, the group can be divided so that the two instructors and their assistant can each teach different topics and over various experience levels. 

To offer true versatility and flexibility the workshop tours the country with two or three four wheel drive vehicles each taking 3 or 4 people. Accommodation is varied ranging from rustic chalets to 4 star lodges, all ensuring the best possible access to the photographic locations. Having 3 staff to 7 participants ensures the best teacher- student ratio available on the market. Good to know: The tour is pretty much all inclusive so you will have very little extra expenses! The workshop can also be extended visiting the famous wildlife reserves or scuba diving sites of Madagascar. Talk to us for more details. 

Read on to see why we are confident that you will want to book this workshop with us! 

Key highlights

             Photograph: 

• The quintessential Madagascan animal, the lemur and chameleons
• The iconic Baobab's at Morondava
• Picturesque mountains of the interior
• The idyllic and tranquil white sand beaches of the west coast
• Open and friendly faces of the Malagasy people
• Colourful patchwork rice paddies

             Enjoy: 

• Exploring the extraordinary landscape of Madagascar
• Probably the world's best instructor to participant ratio, maximizing your learning
• Having highly experienced tutors helping you on the spot as you craft your image
• Spending time with like minded people off the beaten track in Madagascar
• An adventurous holiday that mixes amazing food, exotic locations and stunning scenes to photograph

             Learn about: 

• Creative Composition: The basics and beyond, such as The Element Approach, Balancing Composition etc. 
• Basics to advanced techniques in digital landscape photography. There are two instructors (on groups of 5-6 participants) meaning that virtually all levels of photographer can be catered for.
• Workflow & digital asset management. 
• How to create awe-inspiring astrophotography and star trail images. 
• How to create panoramic images. 
• How to create time lapses (optional) 
• Advanced composition for landscape imagery
• Post-production using Lightroom and Photo Shop

See The Video from our 2017 Tour

Madagascar from Emil von Maltitz on Vimeo.

Itinerary

Day 1 - All guests arrivE IN ANtananarivo (International Flight)

Arrival in Tana in the afternoon, transfer to your hotel. Briefing and meet the team. Early night at Gassy Country House on BB.

Day 2 - TANA to MIANDRIVAZO

A very early breakfast and departure before daybreak. At this early hour, crossing Antananarivo - infamous for its appalling traffic - should be a breeze. The first 80 km is all curves, winding through the hills of the Highlands. Here we plan to stop and look across the valleys on some of the interesting rice paddies and farm workers as they head to fields for the morning. The low-hanging mist which is common at this time of year makes for some excellent imaging opportunities. At Antsirabe we leave the National 7 road, towards the West. Villages are now further and further apart, the hills become more barren. Miandrivazo marks the place where we descend from the Highlands to the coastal plains. The rivers now flow wide and slow and make for a sensational view as we dine overlooking the floodplain.

day 3 - MIANDRIVAZIO to MORONDOVA

Our first real morning on tour starts with an early morning shoot near the wide shores of Mania River, potentially with a pirogue trip to photograph on the water. We return for breakfast the lodge before the drive Morondova and the Renala Hotel.

Morondova is only about 3 hours drive from Miandrivazo, allowing some time behind the computers before setting out to the fabled Allee de Baobab (Baobab Alley) which is about half an hour's drive from Morondova. We shoot the alley until dark before heading back to Morondova and the fabulous Chez Alain restaurant.

day 4 - Allee de Baobab to Belo sur Mer

One of the best times to see the famous alley of baobabs is in the pre-dawn light, long before villagers wake up and tourists arrive. For this reason, we set out early to the baobabs in order to photograph these incredible giants under the night sky and a panoply of stars.

After our morning shoot, we head back to Morondova for a quick breakfast before setting out to Belo de Sur. Belo is a small village, but what attracts us to the area are the vast flat salt plains that stretch around the small village. Here we are able to shoot in the late afternoon as light plays out across the flat, white expanse, or wander out to where the shore meets the shallow estuary system that feeds the salt flats. Coupled with this is, of course, the opportunity to photograph artisanal salt workers as they harvest the salt from the flats.

day 5 - Belo to Manja

This is really a long travel day, but thankfully an interesting one. The sandy road between Belo and Manja can be extremely treacherous in some places and the drivers will have to select the most appropriate track depending on how high the rivers are. Most of the rivers have to be forded as there is very little infrastructure between Morondova and Tulear in the south. After the rainy season fords might have moved, this it might take some time to find the right track.

We spend the night at Kanto Hotel. This is the most basic of our accommodation stops, simply as there is nothing else in the area (the Zebu steaks are excellent though!) In the spirit of honesty, we have to point out; you will probably not enjoy this accommodation, but it is literally the best available.

day 6 - Manja to Andavadoaka

We set out early in the dark in order to make our way to an interesting stand of baobab trees for a picnic breakfast. This also allows us to see some of the interesting grassy hills that start to populate the landscape (a change from the flatness of the previous two days).

Despite only being 180 km, it is still a long drive. Here we are really in Africa with its bush landscape. After 4 hours on a bumpy road, we reach Bevoay where we cross the Mangoky River by ferry. After this the river and vegetation changes to thorny bush and baobabs. We reach Andavadoaka on the coast at the end of the afternoon after first photographing an incredible stand of Fony Baobabs.

The next few nights will be spent at the wonderful Laguna Blu Hotel with its phenomenal location along a shoreline of carved limestone features.

day 7 - Andavadoaka

After several days of travelling, the first morning shoot is entirely voluntary, although once photographers see the view outside their cabins they are likely to grab tripods and hurtle down to the shore.

Our location is chosen for the diversity of photoshoots available within a relatively small area. We spend the time at Laguna Blu photographing the local fishing village, the coastline, stands of baobabs and nearby ponds (when there is water in them) as well as the iconic spiny desert. Thanks to the time spent here, we also have the opportunity for some really interesting star trail and milky way photo sessions. To top it all off, our hosts at Laguna Blu offer an absolutely extraordinary dining experience to their guests.

day 8 - Andavadoaka

As with the previous day, we have the opportunity to explore, photograph various aspects of the area as well as take part in photoshop, lightroom and critique sessions of images that have already been shot.

Day 9 - Andavadoaka to ifaty

After an early morning shoot, we set out to an area north of Toliara. Today's track is relatively short but the segment near Befandefa is dreaded by all drivers: 30 km of soft sand. If you stop you're stuck, if you change gears you stop and are stuck. But the scenery is worth it: mangroves, mudflats, saltpans, dunes, the blue lagoon, and fishermen villages.

We have chosen the rest spot for access to the incredible black mangroves that litter the sides of an enormous brackish water estuary system. Late afternoon and the following morning can be used to photograph these magnificent plants against azure like water an alabaster white sands.

Day 10 - itafy to isalo

After an early morning shoot of mangroves followed by breakfast, we set out for Isalo. The goal is to reach Isalo around lunchtime so that we are able to explore the picturesque rocks around our accommodation. This is in order to catch the last light of day as it lights up the rock features against a pink and purple sky.

On the way to Isalo, we also have the opportunity to stop from time to time to photograph the yellow grass plains as well as yet another species of baobab that can be found growing in the forests east of Toliara (depending on light and our travel time of course).

Along the way, we also start to see a change in the villages and the people as we move into the Mahafaly and Antandroy territories. We'll see many tombs of these tribes as we pass. We cross the national park of Zombitse, a transition zone between the dry south and the land of Isalo, a formation of continental sandstone rocks.

Day 11 - Isalo national park

Isalo is known for its geological formation. Composed of eroded sandstone coloured red/brown by iron minerals and green by lichens, this mountain massif offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. The rock seems to lie in waves of sandstone and quartz that light up in shades of orange, red and gold in the right lighting conditions. We have managed to team up with one of the most influential mountain guides in Isalo and are able to access the park in the early hours so as to reach some of the viewpoints for dawn light.

Also a feature of Isalo is the fact that it is a sacred place for the Bara tribes who bury their dead in the grottos and caves of the cliffs.

In the late afternoon, we will set out to "The Natural Window" where we enjoy the sun setting in a rock-window, although the mountains that surround the window, as well as the straw coloured, long grasses, make for just as compelling imagery.

Day 12 - Isalo - Ambalavao

For those who feel like an early morning shoot, there is the option of a dawn shoot amongst the incredible rocks around our accommodation. After breakfast, we head on to Ihosy, which is the capital of the Bara tribes who are shepherds of the iconic Zebu cattle that are a signature of the island. We pass through the huge "plateaux de Horombe" with its very spacious savannah. This is an excellent spot to view the typical Bara villages with their triple story structures and red mud plastered sides. While travelling across the plain we are also likely to see large herds of Zebu.

We arrive in Ihosy, the land of the Bara. They are cattle-raiders and many activities during their life are associated with Zebu. The latter part of the drive is stunning as we climb into the mountainous interior of Madagascar. Along the way, we will also pass the incredible "Bishop's Hat" - a granite massif that rises like a Madagascan Ayre's Rock from the grassland below.

We try to take the day relatively sedately as there are quite a few interesting locations along the way. With luck, we will also have a final sundowner shoot before entering the valley where our accommodation, La Varangue de Betsileo resides.

Day 13 - Ambalavao

Betsileo and the larger town of Ambalavao are nestled in a cradle of magnificent granite topped peaks. In the morning, as the sun heats the surface of the earth, the valleys are commonly shrouded in mist and fog that swirls around the base of the mountains. This can make for some extraordinary photographic opportunities. 

The days are divided between visiting Anja park, the Zebu cattle market and traders market in Ambalavao and exploring the valley for landscape images.

Anja park is a community run sanctuary that lies snug against the base of one of the enormous granite peaks. It is one of the best places in Madagascar to see and photograph the ring-tailed lemur. Unlike other parts of the country the people in the Valley consider it fady (taboo) to harm the lemurs. As a consequence, the lemurs of Anja have no fear of humans and it possible to get right up close to them for photography.

The nearby town of Ambalavao offers the unique opportunity to photograph the Zebu market; a large open area that once a week plays host to hundreds of Zebu and dozens of farmers who haggle and trade. Nearby is also the frenzy and bustle of the weekly market, which is a trove of photographic opportunities.

Naturally, there are also the majestic mountains that surround the valley as well as the colourful mosaic of rice fields to keep the photographic eye busy, as well as time spent on Photoshop and Lightroom sessions.

Day 14 - Ambalavao - antsirabe

Today we leave the South behind us and enter the Highlands. In the town of Fianarantsoa, it is considered a must for photographers to visit the shop of Pierrot Men, Madagascar's most famous photographer. Although he travels and exhibits all over the world, you might just be lucky and meet him.

It's a fairly long drive as we twist along serpentine roads through the mountains towards Antsirabe.

Day 15 - Antsirabe

Antsirabe is one of the largest cities in Madagascar. What makes it special is its position in the heart of the mountain chain that runs like a spine down the length of the island. Bisected by a large river and flood plain, the city is both historic and picturesque. Our plan for this last shoot location is to access some of the rice paddy system and photograph farmers and their livestock as they tend the fields in the early morning and afternoon.

Classic images of Madagascar can be created in the environment, particularly as we haven't quite reached the bustle and business of Antananarivo (which comes with other consequences such as a world-weariness of camera toting tourists). Antsirabe still offers the quintessential Madagascan town without the trappings of the capital.

Day 16 - antsirabe - antananarivo

We arrive back in Antananarivo on the Friday allowing guests to depart either on the Friday night or any stage during the Saturday. Photographers can also opt to stay on a few days or do one of the city tours. Most photographers choose to fly out in the afternoon on one of the international flights to either Paris, Dubai or Johannesburg.

Day 17 - Antananarivo (Departure)

Photographers can book flights to leave on the 2nd June, or we can help arrange a longer stay on the island. Shuttles are provided from Gassy Country House, so departure times are flexible.

Dates

This is an annual workshop.
The 2018 tour starts on the 17th of May and ends the 2nd of June 2018.

Price

€ 5935,- per person (approximately US$ 6835,- as of August 2017). Minimum 4 participants, maximum 7 participants.
(If under 6 participants, only one photographic leader with an assistant will conduct the tour) 

Single Supplement: €500,-, subject to availability

Guided Tour Includes: 

• All food
• All lodging
• All transport within Madagascar
• Tuition and workshop fees
• Park entrance fees
• Bottled water

Guided Tour Excludes: 

• Airfares to and from Madagascar
• Drinks and non-meal time snacks
• Tips, souvenirs, and items of a personal nature
• Possible extra excursions/ activities and/or additional days
• Travel insurances (mandatory!)
• Photographic gear rental (if required)

Extensions: Please talk to us for possible extensions.

Please note: Accommodation can potentially differ from the establishments mentioned in this itinerary (if fully booked). In such cases we will look for suitable and similar accommodation, without charging an extra admin fee. Any changes will be discussed with you. 

The Nature's Light Terms & Conditions apply to your booking with us. For more information see: Nature's Light Terms and Conditions.

Interested? Drop us an email on info@natureslight.co.za and we'll be in touch with you!

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