Namibia Photographic Workshop - October 2021

NAMIBIA PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

October 1, 2021 — October 13th, 2021

Across the Namib Desert, Namibia

Deposit: $1,980 USD. Full cost: $7,000 USD

A photography workshop and safari of a lifetime awaits! Edward will be co-guiding a 12-day workshop in Namibia, partnering with Namib Adventure and local travel guide and photographer Richard Morsbach.

The experience photo tour is for all photography enthusiasts, experienced or amateur, who want to travel and experience nature at its best. You will visit and photograph the most beautiful places in Namibia at sunrise, sunset and at night, both on land, and even by helicopter!

We’ll venture from the mighty Atlantic Ocean and its Skeleton Coast, to the Earth’s second largest canyon with world famous quiver trees, through the vast heart of the Sacred Sand Dunes, proudly holding the title of being the oldest desert on the face of the Earth. You’ll be alongside 10 lucky people desiring to experience an adventure of a lifetime, photographing gorgeous landscape, night sky, and world-class wildlife—lions, giraffes, and more.

Bookings limited to 10 participants to maintain optimal teacher-to-student ratio.

[BOOK NOW]

What We’ll Learn

On the journey you will learn everything related to the landscape, wildlife, and night photography from the theory of image taking, and photo planning, to post-processing. We start with the theoretical and technical basics and apply them in the wonderful and breathtaking Namibia. We will also discuss various compositional theories expanding to critical knowledge for planning and capturing the galactic core of our Milky Way Galaxy.

We’ll even have an expert helicopter pilot for stunning aerial photography, who will take us above the oldest sand dunes on Earth, allowing us to capture views of Namibia few people have ever seen.

The goal of the trip is to return home inspired, with beautiful memories and excellent shots. The raw beauty of Namibia is guaranteed to leave an impact on everyone attending.

What We’ll See

• Beautiful lands
• Shipwrecks
• World class wildlife roaming free in the desert they call home
• Awe-inspiring stars, beneath one of the darkest skies on the planet

Perfect Conditions for Astrophotography

Namibia's climate offers the best conditions one could hope to find themselves in for learning astrophotography. Every step of this trip has been planned to occur alongside the last new moon of the 2021 milkyway season; giving the optimal conditions for learning the humbling and rewarding art of astrophotography.

This Experience Will Sell Out Quickly!

Secure your spot with a deposit today. Max 10 people, to ensure proper instructor-attendee ratio.

A tour organized by Namib Adventure, expert local travel guide and photographer Richard Morsbach.

[More details, and secure deposit here]

Photographic Tour/Safari Itinerary

• 1 Oct - Arrive Windhoek - Arebbusch lodge
• 2 Oct - Fish River Canyon - Fish River Lodge
• 3 Oct - Fish River Canyon - Fish River Lodge
• 4 Oct - Klein Aus Vista - Luderitz
• 5 Oct - Klein Aus Vista - Luderitz
• 6 Oct - Sossusvlei - Dead Valley Lodge
• 7 Oct - Sossusvlei - Dead Valley Lodge
• 8 Oct - Swakopmund - Delight Hotel
• 9 Oct - Swakopmund - Delight Hotel
• 10 Oct - Spitzkoppe - Spitzkoppen Lodge
• 11 Oct - Erindi Private Game reserve
• 12 Oct - Erindi Private Game reserve
• 13 Oct - Depart from Windhoek.

So, What Are You Getting?

Two persons per room (i.e., shared double occupancy), unless single supplement option is exercised and secured at the time of payment of deposit single supplement is US $705.

Ground Transport for the entire duration of the tour.

• All tourism taxes and park entry fees.
• All meals commencing with dinner 1 Oct and finishing with breakfast 13 Oct.
• All beverages excluding premium wines and liquors.
• All accommodation/lodging costs.
• Continuous assistance with your photography and image processing by the guide.
• The services of a professional and highly experienced local guide and driver.
• A professional photographer/tour leader with expert knowledge and experience in landscape and astrophotography.

Not Included

• Airfare to and from Windhoek, Namibia.
• Non-mealtime snacks and drinks
• Credit Card surcharges
• Any purchases of a personal nature.
• Tips and optional activity extras
• All premium wines and liquors.
• Travel Insurance

Workshop Itinerary Breakdown

1 Oct 2021

After landing safely in Namibia, you will be picked up by your tour guide in Windhoek and will receive a workshop briefing of what to expect for the upcoming adventure. We will then all check-in at the Arabusch lodge. You can spend the rest of the day for the purpose of leisure and relaxation. Dinner at the world-famous Joe's Beer House restaurant.

Click here to view lodge.

2 Oct 2021

Drive seven hours South to the Fish River Canyon. This is the second largest canyon in the World. Accommodation at Fish River Canyon Lodge.

Click here to view lodge.

3 Oct 2021

Spend the day relaxing at Fish River lodge, enjoying the incredible landscape, discussing any compositional, landscape or low-light photography questions you may have with Edward. Prepare your camera gear before dinner because, after dinner we will enjoy a lesson of truly world class Astrophotography under a breathtaking night sky with the world famous quiver trees.

4 Oct 2021

Three-hour drive to Klein Aus Vista which is on the edge of the oldest desert in the World

Click here to view accommodation.

5 Oct 2021

One hour drive to explore the old diamond ghost town of Kolmanskop. A magnificent European town build in the Namib Desert in 1905 by the Germans colonists, yet then totally abandoned a decade later. Evening relaxing, discussing the astrophotos that have already been captured and how to improve capturing the night sky milky way, discussions facilitated by Edward.

6 Oct 2021

Four-hour scenic drive to Sossisvlei park, book in at the luxurious Dead valley lodge. Enjoy an (optional extra) 1 hour helicopter flight over the desert to see the marvelous landscape from a birds point of view. Sunset in the middle of the Namib Desert.

Click here to view lodge.

7 Oct 2021

Night drive to Deadvlei (+- 3 hours before sunrise) for astrophotography and sunrise

over the gigantic Namib dunes. Hike up the oldest sand dune on earth to grasp the incredible vastness of the Namib Desert view. Dinner back in the luxurious Dead valley lodge.

8 Oct 2021

After breakfast we will take a five-hour drive to Swakopmund, the first town built in Namibia by German colonists back in 1892. Book into the Delight lodge, spend the afternoon relaxing before enjoying dinner at the Jetty restaurant, with a view over the Atlantic Ocean.

9 Oct 2021

Enjoy a off day of leisure, and relaxation. With many (optional extra activities) to choose from, ocean adventure boat cruise, 4x4 drive along the beach to Sandwich harborWhere sand dunes touch the ocean or just a stroll through

Click here to view lodge.

10 Oct 2021

After brunch Two-hour drive to the Spitzkoppe the Matterhorn of Namibia Accommodation in the Spitzkoppen Lodge to see the thousand-year-old rock paintings. Sunset and astrophotography on abstract rock formations including stone arches

Click here to view lodge.

11 Oct 2021

Three-hour drive to Erindi, Namibia's largest private game reserve. Time to capture the incredible African wildlife as they roam freely in their natural environment.

Click here to view accommodation.

12 Oct 2021

Enjoy the day relaxing as we take a game drive around to try find the Elephants, lions, Leopards, Giraffe, Zebra, Waterbuck, Kudu and many more wild animals. After dinner stay at the water hole to see the nocturnal animals come in for a drink, Rhino, hyena, bat-eared fox, owls and many more.

13 Oct 2021

After breakfast, three-hour drive in time to catch your departure flight back home.

Equipment

Camera Equipment

With the focus being on landscape and Astrophotography, you will ideally need to cover a focal length of 16-400mm. Bring your own DSLR or mirrorless camera, full-frame is ideal, but not necessary. The larger the sensor, the better the image quality.

Landscape

The landscapes on this trip mostly require mid- and telephoto focal lengths as a lot of it is vast, rolling dune landscapes, which look best when compressed with a longer lens. Expect to use your mid-range lens and a polarizer a lot.

Astro

This trip has been planned to fall perfectly around the winter solstice new moon - as most of the scenes face West, there are not many compositions that allow an astro shot with the evening milky way. For only this brief period of the year, one can shoot a bright galactic core setting on the western horizon in the early morning hours. Having a dedicated astro-lens with a focal length as wide angled (14mm- 24mm ideally) as possible with as fast of an aperture as possible (f/1.4- f/2.8 ideally) will make a huge difference to your low light, astrophotography images.

Shipwreck Seascapes

The shipwrecks will be a subject in what is a typical seascape shoot. Bring along your full filter kit including polarizer, ND's and grads. You will not only use it for this, but for most of the sunset/sunrise shoots.

Panoramas

This section of the desert is panorama paradise with its sweeping views. Make sure you have a solid tripod with a spirit level or leveling base.

Tripod

A lot of the shooting is done on sloping dunes, so it is critical that you have a tripod with some extra length.

Laptop to review and edit images.

Keeping Your Gear Clean

Expect a lot of sand and wind - keeping your gear clean in this environment can be challenging. We advise that you keep your bodies and lenses in individual dust bags within your camera bag to protect it from sand blowing into the camera bag. Bring a paint brush and be ready for a daily gear clean session.

What to Wear

Namibia has a semi-desert climate, hot during the day and cold at night. In view of this scenario, it is important to be prepared and bring cooler clothes to wear during the day and warm coats and clothes for the night photography sections. It is also recommended to wear clothing with sun protection, especially when staying in the Namib Desert.

Preferably, use medium / high boots to protect the ankle and prevent excessive sand from entering the shoes.

Required Documents

• Passport / identity card valid for international travel;
• Negative COVID PCR Test not older than 72 hours.
• The national currency is the Namibian dollar (NAD). It is recommended to take US dollars and make the exchange at the airport; Visa / MasterCard credit cards are widely accepted but it is good to have cash as well.

Refund and Cancellation Policy

If a participant decides to cancel his reservation, he/she can do so at any time by communicating this in writing as soon as possible to the official email address of the organizer. However, you should keep in mind that the cancellation of participation would create management difficulties in booking and organizing of tours.

For this reason

• If the cancellation request is submitted in writing more than ninety days before date of departure, you may receive a full refund of your deposit fee.
• If the cancellation request is presented less than seventy days before departure, you will receive a refund 30% less of the total amount paid for the tour. This is to cover the lodge, transport and other admin fees that need to be paid in full to secure the tour.
• If the cancellation request is submitted in writing less than sixty days before date of departure, it will NOT be possible to receive a refund of the full amount paid.
• Unless the customer that desires to cancel his/her booking brings in another client that is willing to take his/her place and pay the full amount due for the tour. This will only be accepted if submitted in writing Sixty days before date of departure.
• If you are not able to make the tour due to your country or region having travel restrictions. You will receive a tour voucher that will be valid for eleven months from the date of the first tour booked and paid for in full.
• Should the tour be canceled due to unforeseen restrictions or travel restrictions by the Namibian Government. You will receive a tour voucher that will be valid for eleven months from the date of the first tour booked and paid for in full, or the full amount paid will be refunded to you less 10% for admin fees.
• All bank charges in regard to any refund and transfer of money will be charged to the client. Exchange rate on day of refund will apply.

Your Local Tour Guide

RICHARD MORSBACH

My name is Richard, I had the privilege to grow up in the great desert country Namibia. Both my father and grandfather worked for nature conservation in southern Africa and gave me a lot of knowledge and passion for nature whenever we travelled to hidden places in Namibia. I have been involved in adventure sports and tourism for over fourteen years. For this reason, I have been working as a tour guide for almost 8 years. I started photography right after school and had the fantastic opportunity to take my camera on all my adventures. Yet as a photographer I still have a lot to learn and do not consider myself a professional photographer yet. All this led to my great passion for nature and the desire for adventure. Today it is my pleasure to lead people through this incredible country, I call home.

Your Photography Instructor

EDWARD EMORY FRYE

The world is infinitely beautiful.

When I was young, I felt the sense of adventure and travel just through others' photos. I hope today, mine can do the same for you. Photos remind me to look up, and slow down. I wish this for everyone, in today’s frenetic world.

Hello, I’m Edward Emory Frye, a professional photographer born, raised, and based out of Santa Barbara, California. I hope you enjoy this journey.

My Story

Growing up, we didn’t travel much, but we did go spend time in nature. Every summer, remote log cabins, giant sequoias, sheer faces of granite, and stars, infinite stars—became our haven.

I’d play around with my dad’s old Canon FTB, but when I received my very first film camera as a birthday present at 15, it turned into something special. Photos helped me connect to the world—to share moments of beauty with those around me.

This fire within only grew with time. I ended up leaving a degree in Neuroscience at USC to dedicate myself fully to photography— I ate, breathed and slept it. It wasn’t the easy choice, and I wondered many times if I was making a mistake. But the dedication started paying off. My photos started getting shown in local galleries, then globally. Now my photos have been on display in Washington DC, Athens, and twice in Barcelona.

I learned the techniques of, and became friends with, some of the greatest master photographers in the world, like: Albert Dros, Michael Shainblum, Elia Locardi, Ian Norman, Eric Paré & Kim Henry, Francesco Gola and more.

Have Camera, Will Travel

Camera and skills in-hand, I traveled the Northern and Southern hemispheres two and a half times over, hungry for what other kinds of beauty are contained on this magical rock, and what I could capture and share with my friends and family through photo work.

Other highlights include shooting icy Antarctic Pacific Ocean waters atop sand dunes in Concon, Chilé (while taking a break shooting a festival tour! It was a dream), and capturing heaven on earth while traversing the famous railways to the highest cities in the Swiss Alps.

All One Under That Dark Sky

An immense peace flows over me when I look at the stars—it reminds me we are all tiny specks, lost in galaxies on galaxies of other specks. Cosmic perspective. My favorite thing to capture in this whole world is the galactic core of our Milky Way.

I need dark skies for this. Sometimes, that comes with extreme climates. Ask me about how trickstery foxes can be (they pooped in my bag), and how fire ants, while small, pack a punch (like a lightning bolt). The Mojave Desert, the Antarctic tip of Chile—it’s all part of the glorious adventure for me.

I look forward to speaking, meeting, and collaborating with you soon. Let’s make magic together.