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Natural Wonders Photography
Tylwyth Teg
Llanigon
Hay on Wye
Hereford
HR3 5QA
United Kingdom
Natural Wonders Photography
Tylwyth Teg
Llanigon
Hay on Wye
Hereford
HR3 5QA
United Kingdom
Natural Wonders Photography provides the opportunity for everyone from complete beginners to professionals to experience the wonders of the natural world in many different locations in the UK and overseas. All locations are chosen to enable you, the client, to obtain great images from the best possible position and settings. Our aim is always for you to have a great experience in a relaxed and friendly way.
From meeting you at Heathrow Airport everything was well organised and clearly well thought out. The one night stay at the Fairlight Beach House at Umdloti Beach was nice and relaxing after our long flight and helped to acclimatise to the South African time zone. Our transport to the Game Reserve was comfortable and the arrival greeting from the staff at Zimanga was courteous and very professional. Whilst the schedule you had planned was demanding with early rising and late sunset drives, it was totally rewarding and we were able to get the best of the morning and evening light plus see the animals before the day's heat set in and they went to sleep! The food at the resort was first class and nothing was too much trouble to the staff, including always making sure my favoured drinks were chilled and ready after our sunset drives. My room was excellent with everything I'd expect staying at a 5 star hotel anywhere in the world.
The photography opportunities were unbelievable, which was mainly due to our excellent driver and guide Johno (whom I insisted in always calling JonJo). He knew where to find whatever animal we wanted to photograph and always positioned our land cruiser in the right place for the photo. He was a fountain of knowledge telling me so much about the animals and their habitat, and was even able to convince me to walk close to the cheetahs after I initially declined to get out of the vehicle. From the first morning when he drove us into a pride of lions trying to (unsuccessfully) take down a Hippopotamus until our final evening drive when we witnessed two cheetahs hunting and catching a young impala, he made our trip an unforgettable experience.
Probably the most memorable experience was our 3 nights in the all night hides Zimanga has. We went into them at about 2 to 3pm and stayed there until 8am the next morning. Firstly they were comfortable, with bunks, a kitchen and a loo and most importantly aircon. Our first night was fairly uneventful with a buffalo lying down asleep just opposite our viewing window and spending most of the night there and hence very few other animals visited, however our next two nights were very eventful with elephants, rhino, buffalo, giraffes, monkeys, impalas, warthogs and a host of other animals visiting the waterhole in front of the hide and posing for some great photos.
When it came to our time to leave Zimanga I felt sad but exhilarated and inspired by the whole experience. Our flight back to the UK was comfortable but as I walked out to my car in the cold driving rain that greeted us at my local airport, I couldn't wait to be back on one of those early morning game drives as the sun rose on a warm and eventful day at Zimanga.
Thank you Janette
Our guide Peter Hogel gave a fascinating insight into the culture and people and embellished it with many interesting and amusing anecdotes. The trip involved a number of fairly long road journeys on a variety of surfaces but there was always things of interest along the way. The absolute highlight had to be the time spent in the company of a family of gorillas, it was incredible to be concentrating on what was in front of you only to realise that the gorillas were all around you and above in the trees as well. I felt privileged to be targeted by a rainforest fruit from some considerable height.
Other wildlife highlights were the trek to see chimpanzees, surprisingly large and incredibly noisy, the welly splosh to see shoebills, the attempts to view the ‘mythical’ tree climbing lions of Ishasha and the number of huge Chinese cats to be spotted on most of the road journeys. Bird life was spectacular and varied and was complemented by our driver Abraham’s Wikipedic knowledge of birds, ie not always to be believed.
The accommodation was excellent, each lodge had its own unique character and we stayed at some really beautiful locations. Culinary highlights included gorging ourselves on some delicious tiny bananas bought very cheaply at the roadside, a packed breakfast/lunch of cold fried eggs and fish and chips as well as participating in the apparently traditional Ugandan ‘hard boiled egg festival’. Overall it was a stunning experience and we look forward to travelling with Janette again in the future.
Both Janette and Claire as Photography Tutors were extremely helpful, in improving my Landscape Photography Skills. It was also most fortunate that the weather was kind, and the rain stayed away, for going to some great locations without getting wet. The accommodation was very good and the catering was excellent, and was never hungry. Also our work was discussed and viewed after the time spent at locations that day, to view each others shots, and comments discussed on what to improve upon if needed.
I would recommend this course to all keen Photographers, and can not thank both Janette and Claire enough for their helpful kind assistance. Although not as fit as I was for a 70 year old, it was not too tasking with my dodgy Knees getting around at the various locations. To sum up both Janette, and Claire are excellent Tutors and Photographers and would look forward to joining them again next year 2016 for one of their workshops.
We've made it easy to see our workshops mapped out, month by month in our brand new 'Workshop Calendar' feature! Click the button below to see more.
View Photography Experience CalendarWhy should I use Natural Wonders Photography?
We make every effort we can to make sure that your trip is enjoyable and fun. We want you to go away with fond memories and some great images.
What camera do I need?
Any camera! You can use a compact camera to an all singing and all dancing state of the art DLSR with lenses to match.
The aim of our tours and workshops is you to learn a little about the natural world and to ENJOY your photography without getting too bogged down in the technical side of photography.
All of our tutors are there to help you with all aspects of photography and will be on hand for you during each tour.
What about the weather?
We have no control over this! it is of course never 100% certain, so we do have alternative locations and things planned for such eventualities. It’s worth remembering though that sometimes angry skies give the most dramatic results!
What do I need to bring?
You will receive a full list of ‘essentials’ of both equipment and clothing when you sign up for a photo workshop or tour. It is all pretty standard stuff.
How do I book?
Please book by completing the booking form on the website. If you have difficulties please contact us and we can email a form to you.
How do I pay?
By Bank Transfer, Cheque or Paypal please. The links are shown on the booking form. We will let you know how much is due for payment and when it is due. You can pay by credit card via Paypal. Balance payments made through Paypal will incur a 5% surcharge.