About the Landscape and Nature Photography Course

This DPC workshop will give you the highest possible photographic experience in creating beautiful landscapes with or without wildlife or birds. We have a flair for finding photo-rich environments to photograph the most beautiful and unique landscapes at South African rates. In this workshop, you can expect a smaller group of photographers to keep the group intimate so that you can get the ultimate tutorship and attention from your host. We aim to enhance your experience and visual vocabulary, to create optical illusions instead of just capturing a good landscape photo. Your choice of focal length, viewpoint and foreground is essential to make a three-dimensional photograph. Let us teach you have to master these crucial aspects of landscape photography.

Course Details

• Five nights stay at Klein Bolayi Game Lodge. All suites have indoor showers located among the most breathtaking Baobab trees and rock formations in Limpopo. All meals included.
• Let’s talk photography sessions around a fire pit next to a massive boulder, with the most amazing Milky Way in the unpolluted bushveld sky, a place where you can still enjoy the fresh air, silence, absolute darkness and the sounds of the African bush
• We cover the most important aspects of landscape and nature photography, from creative to optimising your camera and settings.
• Class materials: Reference guide with cheat sheets.
• Extra Bonus: Guided tour with the owner of the lodge, Elmer Uys, who eagerly shares his vast knowledge pertaining, the heritage site, ethnic cultures, fauna and flora, as well as the most miniature baobab tree in the world.

Practical session

• The group will meet every morning and afternoon for a practical session, exploring the world’s largest concentration of Baobab trees, surrounded by fascinating granite outcrops in pristine bushveld vegetation. It is part of the Mapungubwe world heritage site and national park, one of the most important archaeological and historical sites, the Kruger National Park and many more.
• Sufficient time is given in each session to review materials and practise what you have learnt during our daily walks.

Photographic opportunities

• The smallest Baobab in the world
• Various; antelope, small mammals, raptors and birds as a point of interest
• Dramatic granite rock formations
• Baobabs and various other beautiful bushveld trees (Plenty Baobabs on the farm)
• Historical sights
• Open plains with mountains in the distant horizons
• Dramatic sunsets, lowlight, silhouettes
• Creative photography opportunities

Presented by

The course is presented by award-winning photographer, Bruna Mentrup-Nortje. Bruna is a professional wildlife photographer, traveller and adventurer. Her philosophy is that anyone can acquire technical skills but the prerequisite for becoming a wildlife photographer is a deep connection with nature.

What our students say about us…

Key aspects

The most important aspects covered in the Landscape and Nature Course:

• What makes a good landscape photo?
• Visual storytelling, visual vocabulary, creative use of perspective.
• Creating three-dimensional landscapes.
• Advanced composition techniques for impact.
• Understanding and optimising your gear.
• Accurate exposures, dramatic light, low light, silhouettes, wet weather or seasonal conditions: learn how to use these conditions to your advantage.
• Optimal camera settings for low light landscape photography.
• Focusing techniques and point selection.
• Capturing sharp landscape images – Focus stacking – Aperture – Camera Support
• Creative landscape photography, slow shutter speed.
• The use of artificial lighting, filling light.
• Exposure bracketing to create high dynamic range images.
• Creating presets in-camera.
• Capturing landscapes with a point of interest, such as animals, birds, flocks in flight, Baobab trees, rock formations, clouds or the African open fields of the bushveld.
• Dramatic angles for impact.
• Minimalistic landscapes.
• How to connect with nature to improve your images – power of observation.
• Traveling and logistics.
• Aspects regarding essential digital workflow for landscape and nature photographers.
• Learn more about Limpopo’s habitat, fauna and flora as well as ethnic cultures.
• Hands-on practical sessions (Bush walks).