You see many people carrying items on their
heads, often without using hands. |
We wanted to offer you the
very best VIP+ photographic experience, the very best training, and photo
opportunities, with a lot of support. With this unique course we have managed
all of this and more besides.
The chance to quickly become
a master photographer and get some great photos, while having an experience you
will never forget.
Ghana is a great country for
photographers, its politically stable, safe and its people extremely friendly.
Its official language is English and it is widely spoken. It provides most of
the flavours of Africa, with coastal, wildlife, heritage, waterfalls, and people
to photograph. Colour is everywhere from street side to markets. It offers
beaches, lakes, and inland opportunities.
On this
course you learn photography and get to practice it. You see wildlife,
photographing three types of monkeys, baboons, crocodiles, maybe elephants, if
it’s the right time of year (not 6 day course), with a lot more besides. You see
a slave castle, walk across the top of a rainforest, photograph on empty
beaches, by lakes and get to see far more.
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The
stars of your photographs however will be the people, from street sellers with
items balanced high on their heads to children playing. There is a complete
cross section of environment from some Accra streets that are similar to modern
houses anywhere, to northern round hut villages, with a wide range in between.
Generally prices are very reasonable and our pound will go a long way here,
allowing us to put this exceptional course on at an affordable price.
This
exceptional one to one course includes everything except your flight, and you
have Camera Images’ most experienced Tutor with you throughout the course,
complete with his lenses, filters and other items. Plus you have an air
conditioned 4 wheel drive vehicle complete with driver/guide. At many locations
we also use local speciality guides, again in some cases on a one to one basis
so you can progress at your own speed rather than with a group.
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3 Training
Options
We
have 3 training options available:-
a) HNK modified
b) Masterclass and
c) Photojournalism/Travel photography.
a) Our popular Hands on a Nikon course (HNK) slightly modified. The HNK
course starts at the beginning quickly going through the theory of
photography, over the controls of the camera, and through its menus,
applying each area, and understanding what each facility is for. You get
to look through a range of lenses, understanding camera angle, depth of
field and perspective, moving on to white balance, exposure and more. All
of this is very hands on and at the speed you can fully understand and can
apply it, most is used and reinforced within this course.
b) Within the Masterclass option, this time is used to go over some
points, including colour management, white balance, depth of field and
looking at skills that you will use within this course. This location also
allows filters and many other topics to be explored. The level this is at
will depend on your existing knowledge and experience, but everyone will
make giant steps forward, and have award grade photographs they have taken
to show after.
c) The third option is to concentrate on either photojournalism or travel
photography, fine tuning the skills and building a body of work with help
and support. Perhaps you could create a photo book or portfolio.
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Kumasi has the largest market in West
Africa, some say the largest in the world. |
Supported photography continues, with your tutor able to assist you, but you
still have complete freedom to select your own photographs, for example at the
waterfall you get to photograph it a number of ways. You also get to use the
wide range of lenses and filters we have with us. Being one to one, the
concentration is on you getting the knowledge and experience that you want.
We
suggest that allowing for the road conditions and potential problems you allow
at least one day after the course before your flight. To make this easier we
have structured the week course to 6 days instead of 7, the 2 week to 13 rather
than 14 days. But in each case we have included an extra day’s accommodation
the night before the courses. Extra nights after, and the use of the 4WD and
driver or driver/guide, can also be arranged.
The Atlantic coast, with the aid of a sunset
filter.
Having
a guide with us allows you to discover far more about the country, its culture
and the places we visit, plus he is able to advise you on what you can eat and
drink, while allowing you to gain new experiences. Not everyone can speak
English and you may not understand all that do, plus there are some who would
ask for money if he was not with you. Driving in Ghana is an experience, they
call it defensive driving, there is no complete map of roads and the more remote
roads, which are really tracks don’t generally have signposts.
Each
day you have breakfast with your tutor, looking at what you are going to see and
photograph in the day ahead, and each evening an evening meal with both the
guide and your tutor, often in places to reflect the culture of the country. As
we progress through the day in addition to the planned stopping points you can
ask that we stop at other places of interest, although you will also become an
expert at photographing from the vehicle using stabilised lenses.
We have
the choice of 3 course lengths 6, 10 and 13 days, three topic choices HNK,
Masterclass, or photojournalism/travel photography, and variations to the
programmes to suit your specific interests and the season of the year.
Over 40 metres, or over 120 foot up,
looking down on the rain forest tree canopy.
Variation from the
programme
There
are other attractions, and some that are more interesting at some times of year
to others. Once you have booked and we know your interests and the dates you
would like, we may suggest changes to the programme to better suit you, usually
at the same price.
Hotels
used have air conditioning many also have ceiling fans, and are chosen to
represent character and opportunity. None are standard business hotels. If any
hotel does not have air conditioning we will tell you and offer you the chance
of an alternative if you want one. Maintenance of some hotels and other
buildings are not to the standard we expect within the UK, but are the standard
found in the region we are in, and a part of the flavour of the area. We book
double, ensuite, rooms for single occupancy, to give you more room.
The
price includes hotels, breakfast and evening meal, the 4WD vehicle, fuel,
driver/ Guide, entry fees and specialist guides at some locations, local VAT and
taxes, and gratuities and your photo tutor on a 1 to 1 basis. It also includes
bottled water, some soft drinks, and snacks.
The
cost of this course is:-
6 days £6,187
10 days £9,730
13 days £12,436
2nd
person sharing the same room plus 35%, with own room plus 50%
Please note - VIP plus
courses cannot be currently booked using training vouchers
It does
not include air transport that is available from under £200 plus taxes,
alcoholic drinks, souvenirs, transfer to and from the airport (about £10 each
way).
For
extra days at the Afia Beach hotel allow about £70 a day including meals, where
you can spend as many days as you like outside this programme.
Prices
may be modified from time to time to reflect currency changes and changing
costs, but we will keep the website price up to date.
The oldest Mosque in Ghana
After the course
We can
arrange the booking of extra night’s accommodation, and pick up and delivery to
the airport, and other additions to the programme.
Local expertise
We are
assisted with this by a travel company within Ghana that makes all the
arrangements for us, and is in touch with the driver/guide and us throughout the
course to provide any other assistance we need and generally provide other
support. The individual programme for you is modified and worked out after
looking at your interests and with both the travel company and the guide, who
makes individual local enquires for us and makes bookings and local
arrangements.
Course schedules
These
can be modified
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6 Day Programme
Training and experience
4WD, driver/guide and photography tutor
Day
0 Night in beachside hotel nr airport
Day
1
am drive to Bosumtwi Lake (crater lake)
HNK Lakeside location (part 1)
Day
2
am HNK (part 2) at lake
am Kumasi highlights
Day
3
Fiema monkey sanctuary
Kintampo waterfall
Kenti cloth weaving and cocoa
Return to Kumasi
Day
4
To coast
Kakum
Crocodiles
Stay at location to see crocodiles at night
and birds in the morning
Day
5
Coastal area
Elmina coastal slave castle
Stay beachside location in this area
Day
6
am Returning to Accra
pm Accra (car and driver is available for the
rest of this day)
Night back to 1st hotel
Where you could spend as many days as you like outside this programme.
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One of 3 types on monkey
I photographed, I am sure I will find some more on another trip.
Baboon, within feet of me, as were other
animals, there are no fences here. Lions footprints were nearby. |
10 Day Programme
Training and experience
4WD,
driver/guide and photography tutor
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Day
0 Night in beachside hotel nr airport
Day
1
am Drive to Bosumtwi Lake (crater lake)
HNK lakeside location (part 1)
Day
2
am HNK (part 2) at lake
pm Kumasi highlights
Day
3
am Kumasi
And drive north to near monkey sanctuary
Day
4
Fiema monkey sanctuary
Drive to Mole Park
Stay at Mole Motel
Day
5
Mole walk
Afternoon drive in park
Stay at Mole Motel
Day 6
North Village, old mosque etc
Kintampo Waterfall
Day 7
Kenti cloth weaving and cocoa
Return to Kumasi
Kumasi
Day 8
Drive towards coast
Kakum
Crocodiles
Stay at location to see crocodiles at night and
birds in the morning
Day 9
Elmina coastal slave castle and area
Drive back to Accra
Night back to 1st hotel
Day 10
Accra
Night back to 1st hotel
Where
you could spend as many days as you like outside this programme.
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The largest of three waterfalls at this
location
A slave
castle on the coast - and we get to explore inside as well. |
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13 Day Programme
Training and experience
4WD,
driver/guide and photography tutor
Day 0
Night in beachside hotel nr airport
Day 1
am drive to Bosumtwi lake (crater lake)
HNK lakeside location (part 1)
Day 2
am HNK (part 2) at lake
pm Kumasi highlights
Day 3
am Kumasi
And drive north to near monkey sanctuary
Day 4
Fiema monkey sanctuary
Drive to Mole Park
Stay at Mole Motel
Day 5
Mole walk
Afternoon drive in park
Stay at Mole Motel
Day 6
Drive further north to photograph hippos
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Day 7
North Village, old mosque etc
Day 8
Kintampo Waterfall
Kenti cloth weaving and cocoa
Return to Kumasi
Kumasi
Day 9
Drive towards coast
Kakum
Crocodiles
Stay at location to see crocodiles at night and
birds in the morning
Day 10
Elmina coastal slave castle
and area
Day 11
Visit to Nzulezo stilt village
Stay near castle
Day 12
Drive back to Accra
Accra
Night at 1st Hotel
Day 13
Accra
Night back to 1st hotel
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Remember this is the outline, you get to see more besides, and we will tailor
this to better suit your needs, interests, and time of year.
Best
times of year
To see
elephants January to June.
Climate: Northern Ghana, dry October
to March, mixed from April to October. Southern Ghana, Rainy seasons are
April-June and September-October. The rains are usually restricted to specific
times each day, they are not continuous.
Talk to
us about your preferred dates and programme.
To find out more
Call and talk to to us about this.
PDF files that you can print out:-
Handout
containing text similar to the above, on 2 sides of A4 paper
Front page
of A4 colour
photo page (large quality print file)
Back page
of A4 colour
photo page (large quality print file)
More images and articles on trips to
Ghana see the Ghana section within Photographers Resource. See also newsletter
edition 2nd January 2009. You can contact
Camera Images by going to their
website or by calling 0845 094 2487 (local rate)
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Go on guess what I am?
I am not a chimp. or a
monkey. |
