Summary

Join the Hunter's of Light community for an amazing weekend of photography training, locations and discussion in the extraordinary Drakensberg Mountains. This workshop is a full weekend of 100% photography led by two of the South Africa's well respected and recognised professional photographer's; Quintin Mills and Emil von Maltitz.

Visit the Workshop Experience...

WHEN	26th to 30 January 2024
PRICE	R15,200 P/P (R1800 single supplement if required and available)
FOCUS	LEARN AND HAVE FUN
GROUP SIZE	MINIMUM 6, MAX 10
INSTRUCTOR GUEST RATIO	1:5
DURATION	4 Nights
ACCOMMODATION TYPE	Chalets
NUMBER OF DESTINATIONS	2

In Detail

Introduction to landscape photography

We visit arguably one of the finest portions of the Drakensberg Mountains, which themselves are part of a UNESCO World heritage site that stretches into the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho. Although called 'An Introduction to', this workshop is suitable for photographers of all levels, and even for partners that'd like to join as well, but are not that interested in photography themselves. It really is a 4 night excursion which revolves mostly around having fun and learning a ton. 

This workshop is a collaboration between the Hunters of Light community and lead photographer Quintin Mills and Nature's Light. It promises to be a packed excursion with landscape composition, shoots, macro, interior architectural photography, post-production and critique sessions planned for the group. ​​

The instructors on the Hunter's of Light Mountain workshop are Quintin Mills, founder of Hunter's of Light photographic community and Emil von Maltitz, lead instructor with Nature's Light.

Quintin operates from his studio in Kyalami, which expands to accommodate the type of shoots he loves doing.

He travels throughout South Africa and beyond our borders when the project requires it. To date he's been commissioned to shoot in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius and Zambia. On top of this he founded and runs the online Hunter's of Light platform, dedicated to teaching and broadening the love of photography.
















Emil's bio can be read here on the Nature's Light webpage.

key highlights

           Photograph:

• The Amphitheatre - one of South Africa’s most iconic mountain faces. 
• The Tunnel and its exquisite sandstone curves.
• Capture one of the most iconic views of the Drakensberg, seemingly only ‘discovered’ by experienced photographers. 
  

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           Enjoy:

• Probably the world’s best instructor to participant ratio, maximizing your learning while on tour.
• Having highly experienced tutors watching over your shoulders and helping you on the spot as you craft your images of the amazing Drakensberg and its beautiful valleys and peaks. 
• Spending time with like minded people in one of South Africa’s most spectacular places.

           Learn about:

• Creative Composition: The basics and beyond, such as The Element Approach, Balancing Composition etc. 
• Basics to advanced techniques in digital landscape photography. With two instructors (depending on group size) all levels of ability can be catered for. 
• Workflow & digital asset management. 
• How to create awe-inspiring Astrophotography and star trail images. 
• How to create panoramic images. 
• Post-production using Lightroom, Capture One and Photo Shop
  

itinerary

part 1 - Thendele Camp, Royal Natal National Park

Day 1
The first day starts with arrival at the Royal Natal National Park where we stay at Thendele Hutted Camp with it’s phenomenal outlook of the famous Amphitheatre massif. This curved escarpment wall rises to over 3000m above sea level and is the home to the Tugela Falls. These falls, dropping 947m, are officially recognised as the world’s second tallest waterfall, but recent measurements have made a case for it actually being the tallest (actually beating Angel Falls in Venezuela by 50m!).

Day 2
Day two starts with a dawn shoot followed by breakfast at the hut while photographers are able to download their first images. Depending on group size and interests we have post-production seminars, and different location shoots available to the participants to fill the course of the day.

At the end of the day we finish with a sunset shoot before heading out of the park for the finest pizza in the country...and potentially...weather permitting, a star shoot.

Part 2 - Witsieshoek

​Day 3
After a sunrise photoshoot on the third day we make our way for the two hour’s drive north to Witsoeshoek (ironically also only two hours away). This is a leisurely drive with potential stops for images along the way. An afternoon shoot overlooking the Amphitheatre is on the cards along with an astrophotography session, glass of wine in hand from Witsieshoek.

Day 4
This is a the day we get that epic sunrise! For those up to it there is an insanely early start to the base of Sentinel Peak. This is followed by a walk in the dark to get to the Witches viewpoint, half way up the Drakensberg Mountain. This is an entirely optional outing and there are other sunrise venues for those less-inclined to walk.

As with the second day we have severel shoots and sessions planned for the various interests among the guest photographers.

The day ends watching the sun descend behind the Berg, followed by an image crit session in the comfort of the Witsieshoek lodge.

Day 5
A final optional dawn shoot is the perfect way to begin our final day in the mountains. 
We depart around 10 or 11 in the morning, either traveling back home

what to expect

​The Drakensberg is one of South Africa’s most beautiful landscape features and possesses some of the world’s top trekking routes (the Giant’s Castle Cup Trail is ranked in the top 50 trails of the world and is considered equal to the Fish River Canyon, Otter and Atlas Mountain Trails). Because the Drakensberg is mountainous (an average escarpment height of 3000m above sea level) it experiences extreme weather throughout the year. This can mean that rain or snow can put a damper on activities. From a photographic point of view though, extreme weather also means for the most interesting images. During winter it does snow, so be prepared for cold weather (I have experienced a snow storm on the escarpment on New Year’s Day – the middle of summer).

Water in the streams is drinkable away from the actual lodges and there are no water-borne bacteria in the streams in the escarpment proper as well as in the foothills. The foothills all have decent walking paths and see day visitors walking comfortably in all manner of ill-equipment. The escarpment is another matter. The route we are taking onto the escarpment is popular and well trodden, unlike most of the rest of the escarpment, so trainers or even running shoes are adequate.
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Some wildlife can be viewed in the foothills, while birds of prey such as the endangered Bearded Vulture are likely to be seen on the escarpment. The escarpment view itself is unparalleled and there have been accounts of people seeing the Indian Ocean on a clear day (technically possible as the escarpment view is roughly a vertical kilometre above the base of the escarpment). What most people seek from the Drakensberg are the amazing mountains themselves, unique in that they form a solid basalt wall that stretches for almost 200km from south to north. In effect the Drakensberg is really the eastern face of the huge Maluti Mountain Range which forms the country of Lesotho. ​

dates

27th to 31st January 2023

price

R13,995 per person Minimum 6 participants, maximum 15 participants.
(If under 5 participants, only one photographic leader will conduct the tour) 
Single Supplement: R1 800 - subject to availability 
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Guided Tour Includes:

• All Lodging (based upon sharing)
• Pickup and drop off from Durban International Airport
• Dinner day 1, breakfast, lunch, dinner day 2-4, breakfast & lunch day 5 - including most drinks 
• Local tips for guides and for restaurants
• Photography guidance by two professional photographers and an assistant
• All tuition including teaching material and hand-outs
• All road transport in comfortable 4x4 vehicles
• All entrance fees and photography permits
• All toll and parking fees

Guided Tour Excludes:

• Airfares to and from Durban International Airport
• Single room supplement (R1 400)
• Non-meal time snacks if purchased on route
• Possible extra excursions/activities and/or additional days
• Travel insurances (mandatory!)
• Photographic gear rental (if required)

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

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