About the event
Join me on this epic two day Photography Tour focusing entirely on the breathtaking beauty of Waterfalls in the Blue Mountains. There are over 75 relatively accessible and stunningly beautiful waterfalls in the area between Hazelbrook and Mount Victoria, and although we won't be able to visit all of them in our two days, I have an itinerary that will ensure we get the chance to focus our attentions on five particular locations with over 20 different falls to photograph between them.
The environments we will visit take us deep into fern and moss lined gullies, and even down the side of one of the mountains most renowned staircases and aside from the epic photographs you will capture, you will be enamoured and awed by the scenery across this stunning World Heritage listed landscape. As your guide, I will also relay some of the incredible hidden history of the formation of the mountains and its waterways as well as its hidden industrial history spanning back to the late 19th century.
I have been photographing waterfalls in the Blue Mountains for over a decade, and will be on hand at each location to specifically help you to learn not just the basics and setups for waterfall photography, but also some of the secrets to the long exposure and advanced techniques that will take your waterfall images to the next level, while also imparting the knowledge necessary to ensure you keep yourself safe while working next to these often slippery and unforgiving environments.
Meeting at Katoomba Railway Station each day, you will be driven to each location in our tour vehicle, and safely guided on adventurous bush tracks to access each series of falls.
On our first evening, I will take you through some basic and more advanced image editing workflows for the waterfall images we have captured using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to help bring out the best of your shots from the day.
This tour is ideal for all experience levels. Our small group of 5 participants will ensure you get plenty of space to explore your compositions and plenty of help and assistance from me.
Fitness Requirements - Some bushwalks on this tour are considered Grade 4 - Hard - Steep Stairs Down and Up - Muddy, slippery bush tracks. You should be of good fitness and mobility to attend this tour. We will be traversing a number of Blue Mountains National Park bushwalks involving clambering up and down steep staircases and over varied rocky and muddy terrain. Each day will likely exceed 15000 steps on your step counters so be prepared for an adventurous few days of bushwalks :)
Accommodation - Accommodation is not included in your tour cost. Why not #goblue #stayanightortwo Due to the early start each day, we recommend you arrive the night before the tour commences and book into one of Katoomba or Leura's many guest houses or hotels for the duration. If you are looking for any recommendations, please contact me and I can discuss the options with you directly.
Meals - Meals are not included in your tour cost. Each day we will stop for breakfast, lunch and dinner at a number of outlets, cafes or restaurants around Katoomba, Leura and Blackheath. You are also welcome to bring your own food, or buy locally when you arrive. Katoomba has an array of grocery options including an Organic Co-Op, Woolworths, Coles and Aldi supermarkets. If you have any specific dietary requirements, please be sure to let us know before you arrive so we can ensure café choices will be able to cater for you.
Getting There - We will meet each morning in the commuter car park at Katoomba Railway Station off Goldsmith Place next to the old Gearin Hotel. If you are arriving by train and staying locally, we may be able to collect you from your accommodation each morning before meeting the rest of the group.
Jay is licensed to operate Photography tours and Bushwalk Activities in NSW National Parks under an Eco Pass License # LIC20/116.
We wish to ackonwledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the country we visit during our tours, the Gundungurra, Dharug, Wiradjuri, Darkinjung and Thawawal people and pay our respects to elders past, future and ongoing.
Techniques covered
- Bushwalking for Landscape Photographers
- Waterfall Photography Essentials
- Long Exposure Photography Techniques
- Using Filters and Circular Polarisers
- Advanced Waterfall Techniques
- Post Processing/Editing Your images using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
What to bring
- Mirrorless or DSLR Camera & Lenses Lens Choice - Wide Angle 16-35mm, Telephoto 24-105mm.
- Tripod & plates/mounts for your camera
- Shutter Remote
- Charged Batteries and empty memory cards
- Good Camera/Neck Strap
- Landscape filters inc Grad ND and CPL (if you own them)
- Comfortable Camera Backpack
- Good Hiking boots or Walking shoes (waterproof high ankle support boots are essential)
- Hiking clothing suitable for the weather
- Small towel, Rain jacket & Pack cover if rain is forecast
- Hiking poles if you use them
- Water bottle (750ml minimum main bottle recommended)
- Change of clothes for evenings
- Personal medications and toiletries
- OPTIONAL - Laptop for post processing
Event FAQs (For general FAQs, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page)
Apart from Landscape photography coaching & tuition from your highly experienced photography guide and tutor, your fee covers my business costs for hosting such tours in NSW National Parks, Council Reserves and Crown Lands which includes:
- Your National Park Entry Fees ($4.64 per person per day).
- NSW National Parks EcoPass License Fees
- Public Liability Insurance to cover Bushwalking and Wilderness Activities (a Requirement of my EcoPass License)
- An Experienced and Accredited Guide and Photography Educator with Remote Area First Aid Accreditation.
- Tour Vehicle Expenses, Fuel and Insurance
- Other Ancillary costs.
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Transport to/from the Blue Mountains
- Optional experience costs (where applicable)
Running Photography tours and workshops inside NSW National Parks is a costly business. To ensure I cover my business costs for these events, I charge a very low fee given the small number of participants on each tour. This fee is Non-refundable except in extenuating circumstances or in the case the event is cancelled due to bad weather. This fee covers:
- Your Blue Mountains National Park Entry Fee ($4.64 per person per day).
- NSW National Parks EcoPass License Fees.
- Public Liability Insurance to cover Bushwalking and Landscape/Waterfall Photography (a Requirement of my EcoPass).
- An Accredited Guide and Photography Educator with years of experience guiding in the Blue Mountains and with appropriate Remote Area First Aid Accreditation.
- Fuel & Vehicle Expenses for the event.
- Other Ancillary costs.
Jay and JAYDID PHOTO are one of few photographers who maintain EcoPass licensing with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service specifically to operate these types of tours.
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