New Zealand Winter Mountains & Rainforests 2027

Locations: South Island, New Zealand

Dates: August 21st-29th 2027

Instructor: Benjamin Maze & Daniel Murray

Physical Activity: Low/Moderate

Places: 8 participants

Price: $9600-10600

Join me and Daniel Murray on an epic 9-day photography workshop exploring the incredible South Island of New Zealand!

New Zealand’s landscapes are world-renowned for good reason. Boasting some of the most stunning snow-capped mountains in the southern hemisphere, wild fiords full of towering waterfalls plummeting into the ocean, and some of the most lush rainforests you can imagine, it’s truly a photographer’s dream. In this workshop, we will be focusing on all this and more as we wind our way south, photographing the peaks, valleys and forests of the South Island.

Overview

You’ll learn how to capture dramatic, refined, creative and unique rainforest images with personal instruction from myself and Daniel Murray every step of the way, as we explore creating engaging wide-angle compositions alongside the fascinating smaller scenes that can be found in nature. Alongside location guidance to some of the South Island’s most spectacular scenery, we’ll be there to instruct you on capturing unique perspectives and what makes a compelling composition, 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 group size of no more than 8 guests between 2 instructors will ensure you receive plenty of 1-on-1 tuition.

The digital darkroom of course is an essential part of the modern landscape photographer’s skillset, so we’ll be spending a day partway through our time together to work through presentations on theory and editing to help you maximise your photography learning experience.

Time in the field is the priority, however, which is why every guest is entitled to a complimentary post-workshop 1-1 Online Tuition Session with me. In these we can run through your photos together and tailor a video call to help you get the most from your workshop photos. In these sessions, you’ll be able to learn the proper editing application of the in-field processes you were taught, 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 nine days of nature photography led by passionate photographers who have created internationally recognised imagery in these areas and love to guide people along in their creative journeys!

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!

Activities to expect

The workshop will feature a range of locations across Dorrigo National Park and New England National Park. While some require only minimal walking and are easily accessible, other days will feature longer walks up to 6km return with elevation loss/gain (such as the Dorrigo Wonga Walk or the Cascades Walking Track). Though we will not need to travel at a fast pace, a moderate level of fitness is required to do these walks whilst carrying camera gear and keeping with the group.

Photographers of any experience level are welcome. That said, in order to maximise your creative learning experience, it is recommended to have at least a basic working knowledge of your equipment.

Accommodation

For our first two nights, we’ll be staying at the wonderful Lookout Mountain Retreat, situated right on the edge of the beautiful subtropical Dorrigo rainforest and within walking distance of key trails. When we’re not out shooting or resting back in our private suites, we’ll have educational sessions in our private conference room to give you creative tools & techniques to take into the rest of the workshop.

Night three & four will be spent at Ebor Falls Hotel Motel. This is conveniently positioned for access to some of NSW’s best cool temperate rainforests, including the deservedly renowned Point Lookout, as well as close proximity to the dramatic Ebor Falls.

Flights & Logistics

It is highly recommended that your flights/travel to & from Coffs Harbour is at least one day before the workshop commences and one day after it concludes, respectively. This avoids any chance of flight changes or other unforeseen circumstances either rushing or delaying our schedule. Evening flights on the concluding day may be exempt; please check with Ben if this will be necessary. The meeting location will be provided during the information sessions. 

Commencement

• Coffs Harbour - Thursday February 25th @ 10:00am

Conclusion

• Coffs Harbour - Monday March 1st @ 2:00pm

Meals

During this workshop we will primarily be eating at local establishments or at restaurants attached to our accommodation. There may be days where it is recommended to bring a packed lunch to accommodate time spent in the field. Guests will not need to cook any meals. More details will be provided after booking; please get in touch with any questions you have about food on the workshop. 

For questions & enquiries, get in touch below

Testimonials

“Ben is a great teacher and creates an atmosphere where you can ask anything, and ask again if you need. The field tuition was great; learning how to create compositions, getting real time feedback; learning additional technical features of my equipment and so much more. The locations were stunning the accommodation and food were fantastic. The workshop was full on but at the same time relaxing. I look forward to my next workshop with Ben.” - Jenny H

“Amazing photographer, stunning locations and awe-inspiring instruction! Thank you Ben for your kindness and consideration towards all group members and for providing us with many memorable photographic experiences.” - Diny J

“Ben is a superb teacher who is always willing to provide help when needed. He provided an excellent mix of theory in his presentations with practice out in the field. He was patient and understanding, and was able to answer any questions asked of him. I would have no hesitation at doing another of his workshops, or recommending his workshops to others.” - Anne W

“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

“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

“Having done two other tours before, I cannot fault this one. The tutors were a delight, locations were nothing short of stunning and the option to provide your own food was very welcome and made timing of photoshoots much easier.” - Betty B