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South Africa

Betty's Bay

The Ultimate AI Editing, Upscaling, Penguin & Landscape Photography Workshop

Join us for a breathtaking nature photography experience in Betty's Bay, South Africa. Redefining the art of the possible in authentic AI editing and the fun that comes with it will allow you to see and photograph the beauty of the sea and landscapes and the playfulness and cuteness of the endangered Cape Penguin colony with new eyes.

You will be empowered to push the technological limits of your camera, no matter the brand of camera, and capture stunning photographs that you could not have imagined before. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced nature photographer, this workshop will allow you to not only 'see' differently, but you will leapfrog your previous photographic and editing results.

On this journey of 'Seeing Beyond The Obvious', you will learn to not only find beauty at your feet but also uniquely connect with Nature.

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Kicking You Out Of Your Nest (Lecture 1)

Editing and upscaling software’s capabilities have now surpassed camera sensor developments, making it easier to edit images faster.

Do you have images in your portfolio that you find difficult to edit?

Underexposed.
The subject is small in the frame.
High noise level.

You will learn how to:

See the potential of your old photographs for the first time.
Master a super-fast workflow in no time.
Learn the latest photo upscaling software in a few repeatable steps.

All this while:

Putting fun & enjoyment back into photographic workflow & editing.
Maintaining the natural history value of your photographs.

Taking Flight (Lecture 2)

Armed with a better understanding of the advantages that AI editing and upscaling bring to every camera owner's photography. We will now explore the new boundaries of bird action and landscape photography.

You will learn how to:

To 'See Beyond The Obvious'.
Customising all camera settings for success.
To freeze motion and shoot depth.
Maximising shutter speed and ISO capabilities.
Find beauty and subjects at your feet wherever you go!

All this while:

Shoot vast numbers of professional-quality photographs.
Learn how to deal with thousands of photographs in a super-fast workflow.
Edit hundreds of photographs to a professional standard in a short timeframe.

Soar - Practical Bird Photography

It is now time to experience the mesmerising Cape Penguins of Betty's Bay in a new way. The endangered Cape Penguins of Betty's Bay will supply us with endless action, interaction and an overdose of cuteness! There is hardly a better opportunity in bird photography to push photographers and equipment to new heights. Nothing less than world-class bird photography awaits you.

This will include how to:

Learn to set yourself up for success all the time every time.
Discover and push the sweet spot of your camera's ISO capabilities.
Position yourself for light, think exposure and depth.
Learn to see patterns in behaviour and detail in the landscape.
Use maximum shutter speed to freeze motion and shoot DOF.
Use minimum shutter speed to portray motion via blur and zoom.
Play the accordion between wide-angle and telephoto lenses.
Have lots of fun!

Note: The technology of Pre-Recording Photographs before shutter release, pioneered by Olympus in 2014, is now finding its way into all camera brands.

For those participants who might not have long enough telephoto lenses to exploit all the potential of photographing the cute African Penguins or whose specific cameras might not have this feature, OM System SA will make some OM System gear available for you to try out. Those photographers whose cameras are equipped with this magical feature expect to be blown away. Lou Coetzer will unlock this unknown feature for you in no time.

Soar - Practical Landscape Photography

Historically, a landscape photographer is pictured as logging a heavy tripod around, shooting longer exposure at low ISO's using small apertures resulting in low productivity. The consequences are that often only a few shots are captured in a session and many people swear off landscape photography. It doesn’t have to be that way.

We will cover:

Camera set up for success all the time, every time!
It is not about the mood of the photographer but seeing and chasing light!
Visualising the macro and micro compositions.
Use hyper-focal distance to dramatically increase your productivity.
How and when to use image stabilising to increase productivity.
Depth is the name of the game with Wide-angle and Telephoto lenses.
Understanding and using in-camera stacking modes (Selected camera brands and models).
This will give true meaning to the phrase "chasing light", a romanticised slogan that is hardly ever practised.

The Money-Back Guarantee

At the heart of my commitment to your growth as a nature photographer lies a simple yet powerful promise: a money-back guarantee that reflects my unwavering dedication to delivering measurable results. This guarantee underscores my serious commitment to your success. If I fail to deliver on my promise to elevate your nature photography and editing results, the time, effort, and resources I’ve invested cannot be recovered. That’s how deeply I believe in the value of this program.

Read more about the money-back guarantee on the Workshop page.

Workshop & Booking Details, Secure Your Spot

Pre-trip Zoom Meetings will be scheduled for destinations where we are only allowed access to our accommodation at around lunchtime. The 2 x 2 hours of theoretical sessions of Kicking You Out Of Your Nest and Taking Flight will be covered in these Pre Workshop Zoom Sessions.

Kicking you out of your Nest - Theoretical sessions

AI editing and upscaling old and new photographs.
Learn how a reinvented editing process becomes the base for “learning to see differently as if for the first time.

Taking Flight - Theoretical sessions

Determine the current status of top-end nature photography and editing.
Let us use all that we learned in 1-3 to innovate a new nature photography model that is like no other and that pushes our photographic envelope.

Soar - Practical Sessions - Photography and Editing

Day 1: Practical session after lunch + Bonus session – Get the workflow sorted.
Day 2: Practical sessions in the morning and afternoon.
Day 3: Practical sessions in the morning and afternoon.
Day 4: Practical sessions in the morning and afternoon.
Day 5: Final session in the morning.

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Note: We will do practical reviewing, workflow and editing sessions between the practical sessions on days two, three and four.

Workshop Fees:

2025 R 17 550 Photographer, or R12 500 non-photographer.

2026 R18 950 Photographer, or R13 750 non-photographer.

Note: these prices apply to the four-night, five-day workshops. Longer workshops and back-to-back workshop pricing will be adapted according to the length of the workshop.

Included: