WHY THIS SAFARI?
Uganda is truly Africa s lush, green and undiscovered gem. It is the only country in the world where you ll trek with wild Mountain Gorillas, saunter with chimpanzees and spot The Big Five in their national parks and sanctuaries. As twenty six percent of the country is made up of lakes and rivers, it has eleven percent of the world s birds and it is home to over half of the world s Mountain Gorillas. The Shoebill (Balaeniceps Rex), also known as Whalehead or Shoebilled Stork, is a very large stork-like bird. It derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill. The Shoebill population is estimated between 5,000 and 8,000 individuals - the majority of which live in swamps in Uganda. Although Uganda is easily accessible on a number of airlines, the country holds less tourist traffic than their East African neighbors. Uganda offers a real, once-in-a-lifetime, African experience without the crowds. On this safari we welcome photographers of all levels, as it will be conducive to learning from one another and offer an experience that will suit everyone s photographic needs. Non-photographer and travel companions alike will also love this safari, as the wildlife experiences on this trip will appeal to anyone with a love for animals and nature! Accommodation Mahogany Springs is the perfect base from which to begin our gorilla trekking or bird watching adventure. The gorillas have been known to the visit the lodge and coming face to face with one of these peaceful creatures is an indescribable experience. With more bird species per square kilometer than anywhere else in the world, Bwindi is often described as bird watchers paradise. The fact that Mahogany Springs is set back on an open piece of land by the river ensures we have many rare species visiting us every day. Mahogany Springs offers privacy and serenity, blended with optimal comfort in a spectacular setting. With some of the most luxurious accommodation in Eastern Africa, the sensation you ll experience when residing here is beyond compare. It is honestly the little touches that make the big difference at Mahogany Springs - from the tiny details in the design of the lodge through to the unrivalled service levels provided by the highly trained management team. For more information on Mahogany Springs visit their website www. mahoganysprings.com. Daily Workshops and Image Reviews We will include interactive workshops on photographic technique and post-processing in Adobe Light Room. We will also discuss creative photography techniques you can try on the trip such as: Freezing the action. Motion blur images. Zoom techniques & panning. Our goal is for you to make the most out of your experience, and assist you in getting the best possible shots for your portfolio. Photographic Vehicles Our new safari vehicles have open sides and also maximize the space and flexibility that a photographer needs. Each participant has a whole row of seats, as well as provisions for beanbags. Ground Transportation Due to weight restrictions on luggage of only 15 kg/person on the flights from Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable, we provide transportation for the rest of your luggage to the camp by road. Optional Excursions An optional half day excursion to the Ngamba Island on the 8th Day can be arranged. Page 3
COURSE CONTENT & PROGRAM Day 1: 29 April 2017 You will be collected from Entebbe Airport on arrival by your hotel driver, and transferred to the Lake Heights Hotel, where you will meet up with the icapture Photo Safaris team. For more information regarding the Lake Heights Hotel, please visit: http://www.lakeheightsentebbe.com. Arrival at Entebbe Airport. Included: Bed & Breakfast Day 2: 30 April 2017 After an early breakfast you will be collected at the hotel and transferred on a ferry across Lake Victoria to Mabamba Swamp for a Shoe-Bill Stork experience. Photography of other birds include the Black-Winged Terns and Lovebirds. After the excursion we will return to Lake Heights Hotel Entebbe. Included: Bed & Breakfast Day 3: 01 May 2017 After breakfast we will fly to Bwindi Impenetrable for either a nature walk to the water falls or a Batwa cultural / community walk. On this excursion you will see some beautiful landscapes and enjoy some breath taking views. You will also have the opportunity to do a sunset shoot. Bwindi Impenetrable is also a unique jungle with many monkey species. We will overnight at Mahogany Springs Lodge. For more information regarding the Mahogany Springs Lodge, please visit: http:// www.mahoganysprings.com Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4: 02 May 2017 After breakfast and a short briefing, we will bring you to the starting point of our gorilla trekking and photography experience. The bamboo forest will drip around us when we hear the breaking of bamboo signaling the arrival of the group of gorillas; bringing forward the opportunity to be face to face with these fascinating creatures of the world. Overnight at Mahogany Springs Lodge. Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Day 5: 03 May 2017 After breakfast we enjoy our second day of gorilla trekking and photography. Overnight at Mahogany Springs Lodge. Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Day 6: 04 May 2017 After breakfast enjoy we further delight in our third day of gorilla trekking and photography. Overnight at Mahogany Springs Lodge. Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Page 5
Day 7: 05 May 2017 After breakfast we will be transferred to the airstrip for our flight back to Entebbe. We will again be collected and transferred to Lake Heights Hotel where we will have the opportunity to visit the education center where pairs of Shoe-Bill Storks are looked after in a natural environment similar to their own. This would provide the opportunity to get a lot of close up pictures of this rare bird. Included: Bed & Breakfast. Day 8: 06 May 2017 Should there be any interest or time, an optional half day excursion to the Ngamba Island on the 8th Day can be arranged. Transfer to the Entebbe Airport for your outbound flight. Uganda s nickname is the Pearl of Africa - 26% of the country is made up of lakes and rivers, it has 11% of the birds found in the world and it is home to over half of all Mountain Gorillas in the world 480 of them out of 880. Page 7
WHY JOIN THE icapture TEAM? 1. We are passionate and dedicated to our craft. Our team of photographers have medical and corporate backgrounds with a great passion to serving and working with people. With an added touch of professionalism and ethics, we are dedicated to our craft in assisting you to develop your photography skills and niche. 2. We have guided many photographers. We are well respected in the photography industry and have conducted numerous workshops and personal mentoring sessions to many other local and international photographers. 3. Our team offers a wide variety of skills. Our team of photographers have different genres and specialties covering not only wildlife- and bird photography, but also macro-, landscape-, animalscape-, cultural- and night photography. This offer our guests the opportunity to improve their photography skills on a wide variety of genres and levels on only a single photo safari. 4. We believe in continuous growth. We take our own technical development very seriously! We therefore regularly participate in seminars & attend workshops in order to continuously further our craft and know-how. We keep up with international trends and weekly experiment with a new photography techniques and gear. 5. We believe in the results of great teamwork. Our dedicated team of photographers live in the same city, which makes it very easy for us to daily share and learn from each other s experiences or exchange knowledge. We enjoy regular getaways together where we will discuss and consider every aspect of each safari very critically in order to provide you with a photographic experience which is both exclusive and unforgettable! 6. We have strong relationships with our suppliers. We highly value our professional and resilient relationships with our hosts and suppliers. This way the icapture team ensure that we can offer you the most competitive packages of high caliber. 7. We create memories. Our dream is to make your photo safari dreams a reality by creating opportunities where you can realize your full photographic potential. To us there is no greater delight than having you as a fellow photographer and together experience the same enthusiasm and excitement for parttime photography. Uganda has more butterflies of every color than any other East African Country! Page 9
icapture PHOTOGRAPHER PROFILES Helene Wiggett Camera: Nikon Full Frame (Fx). Favourite lens: Nikon 28mm 300mm. Favourite genre: Wildlife & Bird Photography; Night Photography (Landscapes). Favourite wildlife subject: Elephants. Most memorable experience: We were photographing at Etosha National Park in Namibia, and a herd of approximately 60 elephants came for a drink at the Rietfontein waterhole. They were playing bathing, running and dusting for hours at end. I had camera shakes of excitement. Anna-Mart Kruger Camera: Nikon Full Frame (Fx). Favourite lens: Sigma 150mm 600mm. Favourite genre: Wildlife & Bird Photography; Macro Photography; Landscape Photography. Favourite wildlife subject: Lions. Most memorable experience: Hide photography at Zimanga Private Game Reserve. To get this up close and personal with nature and wildlife is an exquisite experience on more than one level.
Estelle Ackermann Camera: Nikon Full Frame (Fx). Favourite lens: Nikkor 80mm - 400mm. Favourite genre: Wildlife & Bird Photography; Landscape Photography. Favourite wildlife subject: Rhino. Most memorable experience: We went to Madikwe Game Reserve for Petri s birthday in 2014. A herd of 40 elephants crossed the river literally 10 meters away from our front porch. We could not believe our luck, and saw this as the best birthday present ever. Petri Ackermann Camera: Nikon Full Frame (Fx). Favourite lens: Nikkor 55mm - 300mm. Favourite genre: Wildlife & Bird Photography; Landscape Photography; Animalscapes Photography. Favourite wildlife subject: Leopards. Most memorable experience: My best memory was at the Kruger National Park. Twelve years of constant searching for wild dogs finally paid off when I saw a pack of 25 wild dogs right in front of me in the road. My heart was racing for hours thereafter. This was just the adrenaline rush needed to have me hooked on nature for life! Page 11
COSTS
Package rate per person sharing: U$6,410 / 5,609 / 4,274 *subject to exchange rate upon booking. Deposit: Bookings are secured with a 50% deposit per person, with the outstanding balance being required 12 weeks before. Payments to be made in US$. Single supplement: A single, optional supplement is available at an additional cost, as indicated above. Single supplements are optional for single travellers who want their own room. Otherwise single travellers are paired with another single traveller of the same gender. Includes: Meet and greet services on arrival - visa and customs. All domestic flights as per the Itinerary. Airport and airstrip transfers. Transport of excess luggage via road. Accommodation - with meals mentioned for each establishment mentioned above. All transport in a 4x4 custom built safari vehicle with an English speaking guide. National park entrance fees. Three gorilla permits per person. Mineral water. Excludes: International flights to and from Uganda. Tourist visa for Uganda. All optional activities. All meals not mentioned. Gratuities. Personal items like laundry, tips and items of personal nature. Gorillas are very intelligent. They can use simple tools and learn sign language. Page 13
ADDITIONAL INFO Equipment & Clothing We certainly advise packing a light kit bag and hiring a porter for your days of gorilla trekking, as the trekking could be quite exhausting. The perfect lens for this trip would be a 70-200mm lens, as we are allowed to come as close as 7 meters from the Mountain Gorillas. Keeping in mind that the light in the deep forest can be very poor at times; a 2.8 lens are strongly recommended. A 300mm 2.8 is also a good option, however there may sometimes be little room to reposition yourself. As support a monopod is definitely the best (and only) option. We are travelling in the rainy season with the hope to do get some rain which could increase the vibrant colors, lessen the contrasting light, and also add texture to the gorilla s fur. This requires good rain gear for both your camera and bag. No flashes will be allowed at our gorilla sightings. Please ensure you allow for plenty of spare cards and batteries. You will be able to charge equipment from after 5pm in your rooms. Lightweight clothing with a waterproof top and bottom layer is advised. A long sleeved top and trousers are best to stop insects crawling up your arms or legs whilst you are taking that very important shot. Good hiking boots are essential as well as long socks that you can tuck into your trousers - those fire ants can give an exasperating bite! A hat, sunglasses and SPF sunblock are also recommended. A good tip is to bring along some gardening gloves. The route to the Mountain Gorillas may be steep at some points the gloves will protect your hands when you may be grasping for any spikey root to hang onto. Page 15
CONTACT DETAILS For more information on your photographic guides and their photo safari experiences and to book, please contact:
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