Kiama Coast | Ben Maze Fine Art

Kiama Coast Photography Workshop

Instructor: Benjamin Maze
Dates: 18th - 22nd May 2023
Location: Kiama
Participants: 5 (4 places left)

Interested in booking? Scroll down to secure your place!

What we'll be shooting

Join me at the beautiful Kiama for a stellar seascape photography workshop!

Located about 90 minutes from Sydney, Kiama is home to some of the most iconic seascape locations you'll find in Australia. These include the renowned Bombo Quarry and Cathedral Rocks, along with the nearby Minnamurra Headland. The selected time of year means our chances for good light are maximised, with great sun alignment at each coastal location. We'll also be able to enjoy the beautiful Carrington Falls, Fitzroy Falls and Belmore Falls during wet conditions and at sunset. There will also be stellar astrophotography opportunities should the skies remain clear. Our accommodation is conveniently located in Shell Cove, a mere 10 minutes from Cathedral Rocks and Bombo Quarry and less than an hour away from the inland waterfalls. The itinerary will remain flexible, utilising this range of possible locations to suit any weather situation.

Instruction 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. I’ll be there to instruct you on ...

capturing unique perspectives
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
using Photopills to read sun, moon and milky way alignment
slow and mindful photography
creating personally meaningful images
post-processing techniques for any skill stage

... and much more. Outside of group instruction, I'll be tailoring mentorship to suit your ability level to ensure you're taking on a constructive and digestible amount of information to put into practice.

My goal in teaching a workshop is always to have my participants leave as better photographers than when they started. Whether it’s technique, creative vision, more effective compositions, storytelling or post-processing, I’ll be working hard to ensure you’re developing your skills and having a good time while doing so. You as the participant are my priority, not my own photography, so you can be confident in knowing that I’ll be there answering any of your questions and needs. A small group size means you'll be able to get my help whenever you may need it.

Most of all, you’ll get to enjoy over 4 days of intensive photography instruction by a passionate photographer who has created internationally recognised imagery in the area and loves to guide people along in their creative journey!

Activity Levels

A low level of fitness is required for this workshop. Accessing or photographing some compositions may require scrambling, traversing slippery rocks or standing in moving water. Participants are responsible for their own ability and safety; footwear that is appropriate for traversing slippery rocks is highly recommended.

Sample Itinerary

While an accurate itinerary can't be provided beforehand since we'll be tailoring our shoots to suit the prevailing conditions, here is an example of what the workshop may look like.

Thursday: Participants arrive from late afternoon to evening, allowing people to work a full or half day before arriving if need be. We get to know each other, run through an introductory session on wide-angle seascape compositions, check out the weather for the week and head to bed early.
Friday: First sunrise shoot of the workshop. We head to Bombo Quarry due to this morning having the highest tide of the workshop, which suits Bombo well. After sunrise, we grab coffee and go through a presentation on creating abstract and intimate coastal imagery back at the accommodation, then allocate some time to personal editing instruction. We head to Fitzroy Falls for a relaxing sunset shoot.
Saturday: We shoot Minnamurra Headland for the second sunrise of the trip. It starts to rain, which promises good conditions for waterfalls. We dart inland to Belmore Falls and hike in there, capturing the swollen falls. We head home for a shower and food before leaving to shoot Carrington Falls for the rest of the day. It rains through the night, so we go to bed early.
Sunday: We head to Cathedral Rocks for sunrise, but the sun doesn't make it through the morning clouds. Everyone is a bit tired, so we spend most of the day running through more post-processing instruction. The clouds begin to break up later, so we head to Bombo Quarry for a reverse sunset and some astrophotography.
Monday: We revisit Cathedral Rocks for our last sunrise, tying in with a lower tide which works best for foregrounds at this location. We are greeted with better light, shooting both dramatic wide-angles as well as intimate and abstract images once golden hour is up. After a final cafe brekky (my shout), we head back to the accommodation to pack and leave by 10:00 am.

Details

What’s included:

• 4 night’s accommodation via a house in Shell Cove

• 4 days of experienced guidance to a range of locations along the South Coast of NSW

• Personal in-field photography instruction to develop vision and technique, including:

- Exploring a scene first to find images that you connect with

- Going beyond the trophy shot; exploring intimate and abstract nature images

- Exploring the use of every kind of light without relying on golden hour

- Top-to-bottom technical instruction to ensure you're capturing high-quality files

• Personal editing instruction

• Educational presentations on both dramatic wide-angle and intimate/abstract imagery

What’s not included:

• Meals, snacks & drinks

• Flights/transportation (though we’ll be carpooling to locations when necessary)

• Travel insurance

Group size

4 - 5 participants

When and where?

May 18th-22nd 2023, Kiama*

*accommodation address will be provided to participants closer to the workshop's commencement

What about COVID-19?

Due to the potential for disruption in travel plans, I highly recommend you purchase travel insurance in the case of an unavoidable last-minute cancellation. Please see the full terms and conditions for more information.

Price

Single Supplement: $1950

Twin-Share: $1650

As an f-stop ambassador, I can also offer all my workshop participants a 15% discount on f-stop gear! Shoot me an email if you'd like to take advantage of this offer.

Booking

Book your place with a $500 non-refundable deposit or by paying in full.

Final balance is required by April 18th (30 days prior to commencement).

By booking you acknowledge and accept the Terms & Conditions

Got questions? Get in touch via my contact page!

Testimonials

"A huge thanks to Ben for his hospitality over the weekend. He has a genuine interest in helping others improve on their photography journey and I’d recommend his workshops thoroughly. Ben, you did a great job ... I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and I learnt so much. THANK YOU!!"

- Oliver H

"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 make 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

"Fantastic experience. Getting tips and tricks from such a talented photographer like Ben is priceless and in such a relaxed and comfortable environment. No matter your level of experience Ben doesn't make you feel like you are being a hindrance and is willing to help with even the most basic of questions/problems and explains in a way that is easy to understand without getting lost in technical names/words/terms. The advice given on how to improve your steps, technique and/or style in capturing an image doesn't second guess anything that you currently do but expands on your current knowledge without trying to reteach and change. Any skill level will feel 100% comfortable on a workshop with Ben."

- Evan H

"The workshop was a great experience despite the very trying weather conditions with which you had to work. I know that running photographic workshops and tours is not easy and it takes a lot of background organisation and a unique set of skills – from interpersonal skills and people management skills, to technical photographic skills and knowledge, as well as being a weather magician! You managed to juggle all this and more! ... Your gentle and encouraging approach was greatly appreciated as you gave me time to try to dredge up and apply my skills and knowledge. It was great to know that support was there when it was needed. Your work is quite inspirational, and I look forward to exploring the world of intimate and abstract landscapes. Again, thank you for a wonderful experience."

- Debbie S

"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 the 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 advantage 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

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

- Jim I

"Ben is very organised, knowledgeable and generous with his time and expertise."

- Anita R