Join nature photographer Andrew Goodall for a great day of photography tuition at the Sunshine Coast’s own Australia Zoo. Practice your skills and learn some new tricks shooting some very colourful characters!
The plan is simple. We meet in the morning and spend a full day exploring the zoo and working on each new challenge as they come. See how much difference the light, the angle and the right camera settings make to every photo opportunity. Your best photos depend on good camera technique, but also developing your instincts working with light and dealing with good or bad backgrounds.
Each workshop will be different depending on the weather, and on which animals perform for us on the day. But you can expect to photograph plenty of great subjects including Lemurs, Meerkats, Tigers, a variety of birdlife and more. The indoor reptile house poses its own challenge…see how to get great shots even in dim light.
This is an intermediate workshop focused on practicing wildlife photography skills, and it will be assumed you already have a basic understanding of aperture, shutter speed, ISO etc. However with such a small group (six only) there will be plenty of time to get some help with any individual camera issues you may have. If you are looking for a beginner’s workshop you should consider the Photography Essentials two-day workshop in Maleny.
Although you may use a variety of lenses at the zoo, a telephoto lens is what you will use the most. We suggest a focal length of 200mm or higher would be ideal. I will be taking photos with an 18-135mm, and a 150-500mm over the course of the day.
I have kept the price much lower than my usual full-day workshops, but please note that your entry into Australia Zoo is NOT covered by the workshop fee. This decision was taken because our very small group will not qualify as a group booking, plus many people have annual passes or can benefit from seniors discounts etc. So each person will pay for their individual entry into the zoo.
Meet me and your fellow photographers at the entrance to Australia Zoo at 9.30am. Once we have all paid for our entry we will head for a quiet spot where we can sit and chat about the day to come. Here is where I will see how you are going with your camera 'basics' and try to address your questions before we start shooting.
Now we head to the exhibits and start taking photos. I am not going to just pick the fun 'easy stuff.' I will also be looking for the more challenging photo opportunities to show you how I would tackle them. Some problems are solved by camera settings, others by your position and choice of lens.
Australia Zoo has a pretty decent cafe and food court (you know...relatively speaking!). I will be buying my lunch there and I hope you will join me (own expense). However if you choose to bring and carry your own lunch, of course you are welcome to do so.
It's a big zoo, so there is still plenty left to photograph. We keep on shooting until the zoo begins to close, or until you have had enough and choose to go home. We will aim to finish our day at the large Africa section, as the light will be best later in the afternoon.
You will be on your feet and in the open for much of the day so a hat, sunburn cream and comfortable shoes are advised. Bring your camera and whatever lenses you like but you will do most of your photography with a telephoto lens (200mm or larger recommended). Once your booking is completed (i.e. paid) you will be sent more information to help you prepare.
