Sapphire Coast Seascapes 2024

Location: Bermagui, NSW

Dates: December 6th-8th 2024

Instructor: Benjamin Maze

Physical Activity: Low-Moderate

Group Size: 4 (SOLD OUT)

Price: $1350-$1650

Join me on a 3-day weekend workshop exploring the rugged beauty of the Sapphire Coast!

Located about 5 hours south from the hustle and bustle of Sydney, the Sapphire Coast is home to some of the most dramatic coastline you'll find in the country. Included are the iconic drawcards Horse Head Rock and Camel Rock, which are a seascape photographer's delight in any conditions. Several more underrated locations and unique angles await too, which you'll be guided to and instructed in how to capture them at their best. To maximise our chances for good light, the yearly timing of early-December means the sun is as close as possible to being behind these icons at both sunrise and sunset.

Overview

You’ll learn how to capture dramatic, refined and unique images with personal instruction from myself every step of the way, as we explore creating engaging wide-angle compositions alongside the fascinating smaller scenes that can be found in nature. We’ll be keeping a flexible itinerary, with a range of possible locations in order to maximise our opportunities. I’ll be there to instruct you on capturing unique perspectives and what makes a compelling composition, full manual settings for maximum quality and creative control, what shutter speed looks best when capturing moving water, techniques for front-to-back sharpness, maximising dynamic range, reacting to conditions, and much more. Our small group size will ensure you receive plenty of 1-on-1 tuition.

Back at our luxurious private home in Wallaga Lake, we’ll be going through post-processing in Lightroom and Photoshop, covering the basics all the way to advanced editing techniques in order to bring the most out of your captured files. You’ll learn the proper editing application of the in-field processes you were taught, from focus stacking to exposure blending, as well as creative techniques and workflow tips that will result in natural yet striking images that stand out amongst the crowd.

Most of all, you’ll get to enjoy a fun 3-day weekend of nature photography led by a passionate photographer who has created internationally recognised imagery in the area and loves to guide people along in their creative journey!

If you’re unsure about the benefits of joining a workshop or want to learn more about my approach as a leader, you can read more about my workshop philosophy here.

By booking you acknowledge and accept our Terms and Conditions

Got questions? Read on for more info!

Accommodation

Our two night stay will be at a beautiful house in Wallaga Lake, a mere 1-minute drive from the car park of Camel Rock and Horse Head Rock. Freshly renovated, full of light and room to breathe, with beautiful finishes and comfortable spaces both inside and outside - you’ll be enjoying yourself just as much at the house as you do on-location. 

The house is well appointed with 4 bedrooms, 2 fully-equipped bathrooms, large living and dining spaces and luxuriously appointed outdoor spaces, as well as a large modern kitchen and a separate laundry room. 

Logistics & Itinerary

We will meet at Bermagui Beach Hotel for a welcome drink at 2:30pm on Friday afternoon before checking into our accommodation between 3:00 and 3:30. After settling in, we’ll get started with a presentation on capturing seascapes, exploring compositional theory, techniques and creativity. After dinner at the fantastic Camel Rock Brewery, with some fresh knowledge and skills to practice, we’ll be heading out to our first sunset shoot at either Camel Rock or Horse Head Rock (choice to be made depending on tide and swell levels). Driving to and from locations will involve carpooling. Our following two days will consist of more shoots at both of these classic locations, providing the chance to become familiar with them to allow for maximum creativity and good light. If we get lucky with conditions early on, we may also explore other less well-known (but just as spectacular) options along this amazing stretch of coastline. During the day back at our accommodation, we’ll delve into post-processing techniques in order to bring the best out of your files, with both a group demonstration from myself and 1-on-1 time working on your own images.

Commencement

• Bermagui Beach Hotel - Friday December 6th @ 2:30pm

Conclusion

• Wallaga Lake - Sunday December 8th @ 10:00am

Activity Levels

The workshop requires only a low-moderate level of fitness, with minimal distance to walk to our locations. Participants must be comfortable with traversing slippery and rocky coastal terrain over distances up to 100 metres in order to access Horse Head Rock, including with headtorches pre-sunrise or post-sunset. Shoes that have sufficient grip are a must. Participants must also have good situational awareness of elements such as waves while using the camera. Further information as well as a packing list will be provided upon booking. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. 

Inclusions

✓ 2 nights of Accommodation

✓ On-Location Coaching

✓ Image Processing Sessions

Exclusions

✖ Travel costs

✖ Food and Beverage

✖ Insurance

For questions & enquiries, get in touch below

Testimonials

“Ben's Sapphire Coast workshop was the best I've done. He is an incredibly talented photographer, but also a gifted teacher: patient, intuitive, encouraging and enthusiastic. He went above and beyond to ensure everyone got the help they needed; the schedule was flexible to made best use of weather and tides; he was well-organised and great company. Highly recommended and hope to do another workshop in the future.” - Kerry L

“This is the second workshop I have done with Ben. He is a passionate and focussed professional photographer. He is continually pushing participants the “raise” the bar with their photography. A great person." - Jim I

“Ben is so knowledgeable and is willing to share ideas on composition and processing. The workshop had a lovely blend of getting out to great locations and spending time learning new processing techniques. Ben’s help in the field gave me new composition options and things to consider: shapes, spacing and balance. And his help in processing gave me confidence to explore new techniques. Ben is very generous with his time and knowledge. I would recommend his workshops to anyone at any stage of their photography journey.” - Kate M

“Participating in the Sapphire Coast Seascapes workshop was a wonderful and extremely enjoyable way to improve my photography skills. The locations selected were beautiful and exciting and provided lots of opportunities to photograph coastal formations from different angles and with different light. Ben, our instructor, had carefully planned our excursions to take advantages of the tides and the morning or afternoon light and he provided one-on-one instruction to all the participants in a caring, thoughtful and skilled way. The editing part of the workshop was also very informative and provided opportunities for participants to develop their skills in either Lightroom or Photoshop. I would highly recommend attending one of Ben's workshops.” - Karen S

Sapphire Coast Gallery