NOTE: The $750 ticket price on Sony Scene does not include transport to and from each on-location workshop as well as accommodation. If you are visiting the South-West region, we recommend you arrange accommodation in Dunsborough or Yallingup to make travel more convenient!

Whale Watching Weekend in WA's South-West

Join Andrew and Lewis from Outbound Tours for an epic wildlife and landscape photography experience in WA’s beautiful south-west. Witness for yourself first-hand the awe-inspiring annual whale migration as these leviathans of the deep cruise past our rugged coastline on their way South - instructed by none other than 2023 Sony Alpha Awards wildlife category winner Lewis Burnett and Sony Digital Imaging Advocate Andrew J Clarke.

This will be also be an amazing opportunity to explore and photograph one of Australia’s most visually stunning regions, including sunrise/sunset landscape shoots, editing seminars and astrophotography!

The weekend will be packed full of events and includes: 

• A pre-workshop webinar covering things like equipment to bring and the use of filters.
• A selection of Sony’s extensive range of cameras and lenses to loan for the weekend.
• TWO whale watching wildlife cruises with the award winning Naturaliste Charters on the calm waters of Geographe Bay.
• An additional FOUR on-location practical workshops covering landscapes, long-exposure seascapes and nature/macro photography.
• A post-workshop webinar covering all things post-production, including editing in Lightroom and Photoshop and finalising your images for web & print.

This workshop is open to all levels of photography and you do not need to shoot on Sony to attend! Andrew and Lewis and will be on hand at each location to help you develop your camera skills and your eye for landscape photography. 

Itinerary

A full itinerary with meetup locations and times will be emailed to guests.

Pre-Event Webinar

Join us for an online presentation covering things like logistics, what to bring, and use of filters, and answering any of your questions. The session will be recorded and distributed to any guests that cannot attend.

Day 1 - Sugarloaf Sunset / Meet & Greet Dinner

The weekend starts on Friday afternoon with a golden hour / sunset shoot at Sugarloaf Rock. From there we’ll head straight to a group dinner, where Outbound will give a brief introduction presentation and outline what to expect from our whale watching cruises.

 

Day 2 - Shelley Cove Sunrise, Whale Watching Tour #1 & Sunset Shoot

Be prepared for a big day! We’ll start bright and early with a sunrise shoot at the gorgeous Shelley Cove. After sunrise, we'll grab a quick bite in town, before heading out to our first 2 hours whale watching tour with Naturaliste Charters.

In the afternoon we’ll reconvene at the coastal cliffs of Cape Naturaliste near Smiths Beach for a golden hour nature photowalk followed by sunset at the spectacular Canal Rocks.

Day 3 - Castle Rock Sunrise, Group Breakfast & Whale Watching Tour #2

We’ll be up early again for sunrise where we’ll have a choice of shooting the serene Castle Bay or taking the short hike closer to Castle Rock (instructors will be available at both locations!). After sunrise we’ll grab a quick breakfast in town before finishing up with our second whale watching tour. 

Fitness / Mobility

A reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required to make the most of the opportunities available during this workshop. You will need to be able to carry your backpack full of camera equipment and a tripod to most locations on this tour, with a handful of shooting locations requiring short hikes of 10-15 minutes in length.

Although the trails are well established and marked, some of the ground will be uneven and there are areas of loose gravel, sand or rocks that can be slippery (especially in the event of rain). If you have any questions about the physical aspects of this tour, please contact Andrew here.

Questions

If you have any questions or would like any additional information regarding the event, please feel free to contact Andrew here.

Terms & Conditons, Cancellation Policy

Terms and conditions for our workshops and tours (including our policies relating to Covid-19 guidelines, cancellations, refunds and health and safety) are set out here. Please read carefully before booking and contact Andrew if you have any questions or concerns!

• Essential equipment for wildlife / landscape
• The importance of light — how to recognise and plan for the best shooting conditions 
• Setting up your camera and customisation 
• Controlling exposure in manual mode 
• Focal length and its role in landscape photography 
• Using the histogram Compositional concepts and techniques 
• Long-exposure photography (including using lens filters) 
• Working with RAW files and post-processing in Lightroom + Photoshop 
• And more!

• Note: A full packing lilst will be emailed to guests
• Your mirrorless or DSLR camera (must have full manual controls) 
• Spare batteries for your camera 
• A standard focal length lens (in the region of 16-35mm or 24-70mm)
• Your longest focal length lens for the wildlife cruises (greater than 300mm recommeded)
• SD cards 
• A sturdy tripod 
• Microfibre cloth for cleaning 
• Either a camera rain jacket or a plastic bag to shield your camera from rain/sea spray 
• Warm clothes for wildlife cruises and sunrise shoots
• Wet weather clothes
• Enclosed sturdy shoes suitable for hiking 
• Snacks and water as required 
• Clothes and toiletries for 2 nights (3 days) 
• (Optional) Lens filters for long-exposure (we recommend at least a 6-stop neutral density filter (ND) and a circular polarising filter). Please contact Andrew in advance if you would like to borrow some filters to try. 
• (Optional) Remote trigger for your camera
• Laptop or tablet for editing