Trekabout Photography Workshops

 Trekabout
Mar 312011
 

Trekabout Photography

Trekabout Photography Workshops was created by professional photographers and tutors, Michael Snedic and Mark Rayner in early 2006. They present in-the-field photography workshops in various stunning locations in south east Queensland and across Australia, with minimal classroom tuition. Trekabout participants will learn all about numerous photography techniques, using their own camera and do so with like-minded participants who are also there to learn, have fun and make new friends!

Trekabout participants in the field

Workshop Durations

Duration of shorter workshops include:

  • 3 hours
  • Half day
  • Full day
  • Weekend

Duration of longer ‘tours’ or workshops include:

  • 3 day
  • 5 day
  • 6 day
  • Week-long
Workshop Locations
  • Various south-east Queensland locations including Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast Hinterland (O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat – Lamington National Park)
  • Girraween National Park (near Stanthorpe – Queensland)
  • Red Centre
  • Norfolk Island
  • Lord Howe Island
  • Many more new, exciting locations currently planned!
Professional, Experienced Photographers and Tutors

Michael and Mark are fulltime, working professional photographers and experienced tutors and both have a passion for their photography. They genuinely enjoy sharing their photographic knowledge with new and repeat workshop participants. Trekabout’s high participant return-rate is a testament to the high standard of tuition on offer – they look after their customers! Michael and Mark are also very likeable, friendly tutors who are very patient with all participants and work to each participant’s own skill levels. With many years of experience behind them, as well as regularly keeping up with the latest digital camera models and makes, they can guarantee you the highest quality tuition.

Trekabout Photography Workshop - Group shot - Dec 2011

For All Types of Skill Levels and Limited Class Sizes

Trekabout Photography Workshops aim to give their participants the best possible photographic tuition and they cater to beginners, intermediate and the more advanced photographer. They strive to teach each participant numerous new photographic techniques and tips and to take their photography to another level. If you are struggling with composition, exposure or take too many blurry shots, Trekabout Photography Workshops can help you. Workshop sizes are limited to a maximum of 14 participants, for more participant/tutor time. Michael and Mark are present at the large majority of workshops (except where indicated), so you are guaranteed group tuition as well as some personalised, one-on-one tuition at every workshop.

Tuition for all Types of Photography

No matter what type of photography you are interested in, Trekabout Photography Workshops are there to help you gain a better understanding of your digital camera and to teach you how to get amazing shots that your family and friends would be proud of!

Testimonials

Here is what a couple of past-attendees had to say about Trekabout Photography Workshops:

“Hi Michael and Mark,

Many thanks for a fantastic weekend workshop in Lamington National Park. Thank you for sharing your wealth of Knowledge and experience. It is obvious you both share a passion for photography and the Great Outdoors. I came home energized and excited about what I had learned. Your workshops are truly unique and I recommend them to anyone wanting to fast track their skills, or simply to associate with like minded people. Finally I have photos worthy of the wall! Thanks Again.”

Tim Graham – Sunshine Coast

Trekabout participants - Norfolk 2011

“G’day Michael and Mark

Just wanted to drop you both a quick line to tell you how thoroughly I have enjoyed the last five days! I am not sure I could even suggest what you guys could have done to have made it any better than it was and I want you to know that I have come away knowing a great deal more about photography than I knew at 5.30pm last Sunday. You guys should be proud of that and I know that my sentiment is shared by everyone who attended the workshop. We could not have asked for a better bunch of people to share 5 days developing our common interests and an added bonus to the skills I have learned is the friends I have made. You guys deserve a lot of credit – I know we are the paying customer, but you guys deliver in spades and your knowledge and personalities complement each other and make everyone feel very comfortable very quickly. All the best guys and rest assured, the big guy up there willing, we will meet again! Thanks heaps.”

Bob Raymont – Robina

To read lots of other testimonials from satisfied Trekabout Photography Workshop attendees, please click here

Find Out More…

To find out more about Trekabout Photography Workshops, please click here.

Alternatively, you can call Michael on 0408 941965 or Mark on 0459 221678 for any questions you may have.

8 Day Bowra Birding and Bird Photography Experience

 8 Day Bowra Bird Photography
Mar 312011
 
8 Day “Bowra Birding and Bird Photography Experience” with
Nature / Wildlife Photographer Michael Snedic and Birding Guide Barry Davies

8 days and 7 nights from July 26th to August 2nd 2012

Little Egret
Little Egret

A video, showing a selection of images taken by participants
of the 2011 Bowra Birding and Bird Photography workshop

Michael Snedic, one of Australia’s most accomplished wildlife photographers and tutors, has teamed up with Barry Davies, a highly respected and experienced Birding Guide, to present an 8 day birding and bird photography workshop, ‘out west’. In this workshop, Barry’s immense birding experience will help participants find and identify numerous species of birds by studying their behavior, habits and habitat. Michael’s experience as a leading bird/wildlife photographer and tutor will also be utilized to help you improve your bird photography, including tuition on birds in flight, composition, lighting and correct exposure, focal points and much more. The majority of the trip will be spent at one of Australia’s birding hotspots, Bowra Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, Queensland, where there are lots of different habitats, and therefore birds, to locate and photograph. Below is some information on Bowra Sanctuary, courtesy of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy website:

Tawny Frogmouth
Tawny Frogmouth

Location

Bowra is located near Cunnamulla in southern Queensland. It is in a high priority bioregion: the Mulga Bioregion has less than 5% reservation level.

Area

Bowra covers approximately 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres).

Brolga
Brolga

Ecosystems

Bowra protects 15 regional ecosystems, none of which occur on other AWC properties:

  • six of these broad ecosystem types are listed as threatened.
  • five of the ecosystems are not found in any national parks, while another seven are poorly protected in national parks.

The condition of Bowra is very good. There is a fine-scale mosaic of habitat types, with good structural complexity, thus supporting a diversity of wildlife.

Features of Bowra include:

Red-capped Robin
Red-capped Robin

  • Mulga communities, often mixed with Poplar Box and bloodwoods, dominating the low scarp and elevated ridges in the northern section of the property.
  • The southern section of Bowra comprises mainly alluvial plains decorated by gidgee and Coolabah open woodlands. Low sand ridges rise marginally above the plains, hosting Cypress Pine and more bloodwood and Poplar Box.
  • Majestic River Red Gums guard the length of Gumholes Creek, the property’s major watercourse. Permanent, deep waterholes are a feature of this creek. Bowra lies within the catchment of both the Warrego and Paroo Rivers, two of the most biologically significant rivers within the Murray-Darling basin.
  • Bowra hosts numerous other wetlands ranging from Bluebush swamps to gilgais and other smaller swamps.

To see a complete list of birds found at Bowra Station, click here

Itinerary:
Day 1

Thursday

July 26th

 Brisbane to St George (510km).

7.30 am departure from arranged point. Travel by 4WD with occasional stops including the UQ campus and Apex dam at Gatton; lunch break at Lake Broadwater near Dalby. We will be going out for dinner at St George and we will be also staying overnight at St.George, on the Balonne River.

(L) Accommodation: Pelican Park Caravan Park Cabins
Day 2

Friday

July 27th

 St George to Cunnamulla (310 km).

7.00 am start with lunch stop at Cunnamulla. We will then move on to Bowra; a 40,000 hectare former grazing property just west of Cunnamulla.

After settling in, Michael will introduce the art of bird photography beside the waterhole. Meanwhile, Barry will set up a bush hide on the property near another bird ‘hot spot’, which will be available for participants to use at anytime during the week (seats up to 4 people).

Evening session: Audio-visual on identifying birds and bird calls with Barry.

(B, L, D) Accommodation: Bowra shearers’ quarters.
Day 3

Saturday

July 28th

 Bowra Sanctuary

Morning – Finding and identifying birds in the field, with Barry. Michael will then show you how to get the best photos. We will walk from our base and head to various spots around Bowra Sanctuary.

Afternoon – Michael will present a session on how to get the best shots of birds in flight. This will be at the Wier in Cunnamulla, which has a wonderful array of birds to photograph.

Evening – Audio-visual about bird photography with Michael

(B, L, D)
Day 4

Sunday

July 29th

 Bowra Sanctuary

Early morning- capturing the first light. Michael will be there for any advice needed to capture the myriad of birds that are found around the lagoon, less than 100metres from your base.

Morning – Stony Mulga country, Bowra’s ultimate birding/photography challenge. Find and identify the most iconic birds, Hall’s Babbler and the Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush, as well as any other birds found.

Afternoon – Getting in close, using bird hides and camouflage to get the best possible pictures. Theory and practice.

Evening – Free time to relax and unwind

(B, L, D)
Day 5

Monday

July 30th

 Bowra

Morning – Visit some of Bowra’s waterholes and other habitats with Michael and Barry, for more birding and photographic opportunities.

Afternoon – Free time to go and practice your bird photography. Alternatively, have a rest.

Evening – Optional star trails photography – loads of fun!

(B, L, D)
Day 6

Tuesday

July 31st

 Bowra

Morning – Head out to different parts of Bowra Station with Barry, to search for different species we haven’t seen and photographed yet.

Afternoon – Questions and Answers – the opportunity to ask more questions about bird photographic techniques (Michael) followed by a field session (Michael and Barry).

Evening – A review of some of the participant’s best bird images of the week with Michael

(B, L, D)
Day 7

Wednesday

August 1st

 Bowra to Goondiwindi (300 km)

8.00 am start. We head east with a lunch stop at Bollon with various birding stops along the way.

(B, L) Accommodation: Goondiwindi Tourist Park cabins.
Day 8

Thursday

August 2nd

 Goondiwindi to Brisbane (420 km)

7.30 am start. We travel back to Brisbane via Inglewood and Warwick, where we will have lunch, visiting some bird watching areas including Coolmunda Dam and Durakai State Forest (where there were plenty of birds to photograph during our 2011 Bowra workshop) before crossing the Great Divide to head into Brisbane late afternoon.

(B, L) Accommodation: Own arrangements.

Pelican
Pelican

What is included:

Travel in air-conditioned 4WD vehicles with driver/guide plus 4 passengers in each vehicle. Tour cost covers twin or share accommodation, which is budget style. The Bowra shearers’ quarters are quite basic with outside bathroom and toilet. Meals provided as part of the package are shown in the itinerary by B, L or D. Dinner on the way out and coming back home will be your responsibility and will be at places where cafés, restaurants or roadhouses are available. (NB – some changes to the itinerary may be necessary because of possible conditions prevailing at the time).

The weather:

The weather at night and early morning can be cold with temperatures around zero and the days will be mostly warm and sunny. Good hiking boots and long trousers and a hat are essential. Sunscreen cream is also recommended. Insect repellent is also advisable

Cost: AU$2400 per person
Inclusions:

Barking Owl
Barking Owl

  • All travel (we will be driving there and back in air-conditioned 4-wheel drive vehicles)
  • Accommodation – Quite basic but clean and comfortable (combination of hotel, tourist park and shearers’ quarters at Bowra)
  • All meals (except two, where indicated)
  • Expert birding and photography tuition from Barry and Michael
  • Various audio-visuals including review of images taken throughout the tour
To book this workshop or for more information on the birding component:

Please contact Barry on barry@gondwanaguides.com.au or phone +61 (0) 7 55333162

For more information on the bird photography component of this workshop:

Please contact Michael on info@michaelsnedic.com or phone 0408 941965

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