Why join a Ben Maze Fine Art photography workshop?
It’s a fair question - why should I spend my hard-earned money on a workshop with Ben Maze, when Google and YouTube exist?
As someone who never personally took workshops while I was learning photography, I definitely empathise with this frame of mind. The internet has so many resources for learning that it can be hard to justify the investment into your learning with a multi-day, in-field workshop.
Thankfully, the answer is rather simple:
TIME.
The internet has a lot of great resources, yes - however, it also has swathes of bad advice. Sifting through what is worth paying attention to, and what is just some over-confident charlatan who thinks they know all the answers because they bought the latest camera, can take years. Once you’ve found what’s worth paying attention to, learning & mastering it can take even longer.
It took me close to 6 years before I started consistently producing images that I am happy with and can still look back on with pride, rather than embarrassment. Of course, everyone is different, and some people will learn faster or slower than others; however, what is undoubtable is that investing in personal instruction from an experienced photographer will greatly accelerate that tedious learning process. This is where my workshops come in.
Prioritising YOU
As a workshop leader, I’m invested in making sure that you come away from your experience feeling more capable, knowledgeable and (most importantly) creative than ever before with your nature photography. These are not just location-ticking tours where we arrive and I tell you to start shooting before going off to do my own thing. My camera will only come out as an educational tool to illustrate my own processes and how you could interpret a scene differently. Small group sizes mean I’ll be alongside you every step of the way, giving you personalised attention. You’ll be learning from someone who’s been capturing the natural world for a decade, having already sifted through all the less-than-average advice out there for you.
2. Expanding your creative eye
Not only are my workshops about improving your technical skills, they’re also about cultivating an open mind and helping you see things differently. One of the most common takeaways from clients is how they come away feeling like they can now utilise even the most tricky or underwhelming conditions to their advantage. Whether it’s embracing harsh midday sun, strong wind or a flat & overcast sky, there is always something we can capture that leans into the prevailing conditions. Learning to push personal boundaries and create compelling images outside of brilliant golden hour skies mean more productivity, less frustration at the weather, and an expanded mindset towards capturing nature.
3. Location knowledge and guidance
Joining a workshop also means you can skip the hard yards of location research and scouting. Each workshop takes place in an area that either myself or a co-leader are deeply familiar with, and can take you beyond the busy tourist traps.
4. Connection to Nature
Not only do I focus on personal growth and education when it comes to your photography, I also advocate for a stronger appreciation and connection to the landscape. Whether it’s a weekend amongst the sea stacks of the Australian coastline or a week amongst the rainforests and mountains of Tasmania, we’ll take the time to slow down and absorb everything around us as we immerse ourselves in the natural environment. This approach means we’ll be able to practice mindful photography, taking in the details and vantage points that may not be immediately obvious, which is far more conducive for creativity. This also means that, alongside beautiful images and new skills, you’ll be coming away with more meaningful memories of the locations we photograph.
5. Community
Most importantly, we have fun on our workshops! Participants always come away with new mates in the nature photography community and bounce their knowledge off each other. It always warms my heart to step back at the end of a workshop and see everyone chatting and enjoying each other’s company. If time allows, we love to share some of our images at the end of each workshop to see what everyone has been able to capture.
Testimonials
“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 made 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; Sapphire Coast Seascapes 2022
“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; Tarkine Photo Adventure 2023
“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; Sapphire Coast Seascapes 2022
“This is a great opportunity for photographers at all levels. I am not that experienced but Ben and Paul took their time to encourage and teach aspects relevant to my level of experience. I learned heaps and have come away with new skills.” - Lou L; Tarkine Photo Adventure 2023
“Amazing locations, excellent accommodation & a great group of people to hang out with. Paul & Ben's passion for photography & education shines through, they were more than willing to help share their knowledge at any time & definitely helped me look at how to approach my own photography from a different point of view. I would highly recommend this workshop to anyone.” - Jim O; Tarkine Photo Adventure 2023
“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; Sapphire Coast Seascapes 2022
"I highly recommend their workshop. I think the energy and knowledge they both bring is invaluable. The workshop is great value for money. Ben is such a good instructor, and a master at finding small scenes and grand landscape. I learnt how and what to look for from a scene. The post processing session was very useful and learnt a lot. In short, if you want to take your photography to the next level, I would highly recommend their workshop" - Praveen S; Tarkine Photo Adventure 2022
"I would highly recommend … you will have a great experience!" - Valerie K; Tarkine Photo Adventure 2022
“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 advantages 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; Sapphire Coast Seascapes 2022
“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 hinderance 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; Blue Mountains 2022
“You did a great job … I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and I learnt so much. THANK YOU!!” - Oliver H; Kiama Seascapes 2021
“Ben is very organised, knowledgeable and generous with his time and expertise.” - Anita R; Blue Mountains 2022
“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, 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; Blue Mountains 2022