Taste of the Goldfields Photography Tour

■ Shooting the action at Goldfields & Kalgoorlie Race Cup day

■ Explore the saltpans of Lake Ballard to discover the Antony Gormley statues

■ Cool beverages at the iron clad Broad Arrow Tavern

■ Bush Two-Up at its best

■ Portrait and street photography of the locals, landscape photography at Lake Ballard and the Menzies Cemetery

■ Drone and video photography techniques at Lake Ballard & other locations

■ Heritage and Architectural photography in the many iconic buildings in Kalgoorlie-Boulder

 Sports & action photography in Lancelin

■ Shooting pristine white sand dunes, sand boarding, wind surfing, kite-boarding and surfing  

■ Pinnacles Nambung National Park: these eerie yellow sandstone outcrops are best shot at dusk

■ National parks renowned for its incredible diversity of endemic wildflowers

■ Capturing the Spanish style of architecture of New Norcia - architecture, food and wine :

■ Photographing one of the greatest wildflower shows on earth

 

Timed to coincide with the start of the annual Kalgoorlie Race Round, this 3 days of photography & fun will include capturing the characters and cowboys of the region, Anthony Gormleys iconic iron statues on the saltpans of Lake Ballard, munch on a "broadie burger" at Broad Arrow Hotel... famous for its proliferation of graffiti in the form of signature tags covering every inch of this colourful corrugated building & perhaps play a game of Two Up. Back in Kalgoorlie we discover the fabulous street art of the HeArt Walk, the photogenic fun Beaten Track Brewery and the Super Pit Lookout with building-sized trucks zigzagging up and down the huge hole and looking like kid’s toys. We will shoot the Questa Casa (the last of the gold-rush-era brothels) and on Saturday relish and capture the Kalgoorlie Cup race day. Here the locals and a huge influx of visitors dress up to watch horses race over a week of festivities.

The weekend will include photographic tutorials and workshops focused around the action of the Goldfields & Kalgoorlie Race Cup day, portrait and street photography of the locals, landscape photography at Lake Ballard and the Menzies Cemetery and drone and video photography techniques.

■ Suitable for amateur photographers right through to semi-professionals 

■ Learn how to use your digital camera & your gear to its fullest potential.

■ Practical workshops over 3 days covering: What gear, camera handling, food, architecture, landscapes, portraiture,  photography, action & motion, lighting, composition, nature, wildlife, editing, Lightroom 6 classic, output for screen & print and more   * we vary the workshops according to the weather conditions and other factors

■ Photo reportage, food & wine, landscapes, portraits, action, Lifestyle, nature, architecture, image display

■ Complete understanding of your DLSR, compact or film camera functions
■ Accessories such as tripods, Speedlites and filters
■ An overview & demonstration of drone and video photography
■ Composition, light, viewpoint, angles, lens perspective
■ Aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, ISO setting, white balance, exposure compensation
■ Portraiture, landscapes, macro, reportage, still life, action, motion, architecture
■ How to shoot landscapes and sunset shots
■ Nature, flowers and macro photography
■ Photo reportage shots of the local characters, cowboys and fillies
■ Facades of buildings demonstrating perspective control
■ Use of your flash & portrait shooting techniques
■ Interior low light, photography in historic pubs
■ Showing motion and panning on the rodeo shoots
■ Architecture photography techniques
■ Editing software and knowledge of the digital workflow
■ An insight into photographing for personal, stock, editorial and commercial use

■ Use of light on water, clouds, silhouettes, shadows, twilight

■ Post production tips for screen and print usage

■ Notes, critique & ongoing networking, advice and technical support

■ Learn shooting modes including Aperture, Shutter speed, Program, Auto, Pre sets, raw vs jpeg, metering  & focusing modes, white balance , ISO, picture style & control, exposure lock & compensation, adding light into shadows  

■ Lighting:  - natural & artificial light, white balance, time the light 

■ Composition: leading & converging lines,  the rule of thirds, framing, reflections, colour, star bursts,  showing motion, viewpoint, selective focus, vertical vs horizontal, aspect ratio

■ Practical workshops covering  - architecture, landscapes, portraiture, street photography, action & motion, lighting, composition, nature, wildlife, editing, Lightroom 6 classic, output for screen & print, food and more   * we vary the workshops according to the weather conditions and other factors

■ No prior photography experience needed

■ Any Digital DSLR, mirrorless, quality compact , smartphone camera

■  Film Camera's are catered for (Having bothDigital & a film camera is preferred as it allows for on-location photo critique)

■ At least one quality lens such as a Nikkor 18-200mm or a Canon 17-85mm and other lenses that you ow

■ Min 4GB card per day of shooting

■ Any camera accessories - such as a tripod, and polarising filter

■ Instruction booklet, sense of humour

■ Fitness Level / Difficulty 

■ Moderate. Some easy-pace walking required at various locations.

■ Every course participant gets custom tailored advice on their gear, what / where to buy, destination shooting tips, knowledge on cameras, lens, accessories and the best deals. Detailed notes give tips on etiquette, security, the best time to go, image storage, battery life, camera care, security issues and much more. We are strong advocates of using an image capturing device to suit the location, your mood and objectives.

What is your photography tour philosophy ?
■ As Australians are currently unable to travel overseas we are lucky to have a great range of Australian tours on offer

■ We take you on a personal journey of discovery, where life and the traditional cultures remain relatively unspoilt, where the wildlife viewing is spectacular, where the scenery is breathtaking.

■ A Focus 10 photography tour reflects our fascination and love for interesting cultures, great architecture, the world's great cities and the natural world. These tours are not just for expert photographers.

■ In fact, we attract an eclectic mix of people who blend other interests with photography - the lover of wildflowers, the birder, the naturalist, the antiquities buff, the painter, the wine and food lover, the avid traveller looking to expand their horizons.

■ Using professional operators companies such as World Expeditions and Utracks who look after the logistics, transportation, accommodation and food, leaves us free to concentrate on the photography.

■ Small groups & journeying to unusual and 'off the beaten track' places

■ Destinations & activities specifically chosen for their photogenic nature

■ Itineraries tailored to take full advantage of photographic opportunities

■ Friendly tuition by master trainers and professional photographers

■ On-location analysis and critique of images after each days shooting

■ Detailed pre-departure and on-location notes to fast track your skills

■ Travel with interesting, fun loving, like-minded individuals

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Do we handle all logistics or work with Travel Companies or local operators?
■ Focus 10 only operate its own tours in Australia and in areas we know intimately through running our huge variety of courses in each area. We also shoot commercially in these areas for local Tourist boards, for other travel companies and local tourist business ranging from restaurants, tourist activities ecetera . In other words- we know what works photography wise!
■ Almost all our tours are centred in one area with a minimum of driving . In fact often the participants had their own vehicles and prefer to drive themselves to the various locations we photograph at

■ Using professional operators companies such as World Expeditions and Utracks who look after the logistics, transportation, accommodation and food, leaves us free to concentrate on the photography.

■ Over 30 years as a photography leader with companies such as World Expeditions teaches you many things! Your job as an instructor is to do just that - to instruct your fellow travellers and impart as much of your professional knowledge to achieve the end result - brilliant , memorable photographs that your guests have taken themselves.

■ You also have to be an opportunist. To create opportunities.To be pro-active, energetic and committed.

■ It helps if you have been in the country, area or region before so you understand the customs, the light and the boundless opportunities to take amazing photographs

■ It's also a huge help to use highly reputable travel companies preferably with their own operations on the ground. Having a local when things go pear shaped, and a deep understanding of local customs and protocol is essential. It allows for a division of labour; the local guide can go ahead and check the group into a hotel while the group continues to shoot a beautiful sunset.

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What sort of insurance cover do you and the tour operators your represent have?
■ Focus 10 Pty Ltd has full insurance to run our own tours. It it however mandatory that you also have your own insurance policy. We will not accept anyone on our tours without having a copy of your insurance.

■ We use the reputable PIPP brokers for our camera gear insurance
www.photoinsurance.com.au
www.wscbrokers.com.au
Contact : nancy@wscbrokers.com.au for a quote

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What is our guest to Instructor ratio?
■ All our dedicated Focus 10 tours have small groups of up to 8 persons . This ensures a highly personal training experience with lots of individual attention to each photographers needs. Everyone has their own ideal when it comes to instructor-to-guest ratios. We prefer a small group of
up to eight.

■On other photography tours where we are acting as the photography host and the company runs all the tour logistics such as transport, accommodation, food etc the ratios can be higher

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What is the difference between your photography tours and courses?
■ A tour is a chance to be guided through an area typically rich in photographic content. There is less direct hands-on instruction, moment to moment, and the subject matter can cover a large spectrum.

■ A course by contrast, is usually more hands-on and directed to a specific goal. An example of this is a one day workshop on street photography. Your instructor will be close at hand to make all those small course corrections and critiques needed for improvement.

■ Photography courses and workshops tend to have a more structured atmosphere with assignments and critiques. Really good courses and workshops are taught by professional photographers and tutors.

■ Our Photography tours are more casual in nature and the instruction isn’t as intense. More emphasis is placed onexperiencing and photographing a bucket-list of great locations, activities and so forth. On our tours we never dispense assignments. We put a high emphasis on having fun.

■ Depending on the tour photographer, you should have the opportunity to get some one on one tuition. We provide that with detailed reference notes and the opportunity to perhaps do one of our 'online' or 'on location' Travel Photography courses beforehand.

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Has the photographer leading the trip been to my destination before?
■ One of the many great things about photography tours is that you don’t have to worry about wasting time scouting locations yourself.

■ Ideally, your leader has been there before and knows what looks best at certain times of the day. They know where the hidden gems are in addition to the tourist hot spots.

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Is it safe to travel and book a photography holiday right now?
■ Western Australia remains one of the most desirable destinations in the world, Business wise, adventure wise, lifestyle wise - it is a fabulous place.

■ For the latest travel status, we recommend checking the official page for Australia.
https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert

■ Straight from www.wa.gov.au website
'Travel is now permitted throughout all regions within WA, except for entry into remote Aboriginal communities.
Western Australians are encouraged to ‘Wander out Yonder' and take a different kind of holiday, enjoy a staycation in Perth or travel to new places, and seek out new experiences across the state'

■ We whole heartedly agree! Western Australia is incredibly vast and diverse; as the largest state, it covers nearly one-third of the country. Its the size of Western Europe ... From baffling rock formations and ancient Aboriginal sites to sweeping green vineyards of world-class wineries and unbelievably clear ocean waters, Western Australia is the land of endless exploration. Because of its location so far away from the likes of Sydney and Melbourne, its far less touristy and much more laid-back. WA locals know they reside in the best state in Australia, but you won’t catch them bragging about it, because they wouldn’t want the secret to get out. In the current nasty virus pandemic ravaging the world , we urge everyone in Australia to consider one of regional photography tours around Australia.

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AT A GLANCE

Tour Dates: 2, 3, 4 Oct 2021

Tour Cost: $1490* (4 days - see inclusions & exclusions)

Tour Style: Easy, You must be able to walk 2-4 km per day

Tour Host: Andrew Thomasson and Serena Pearce

Operator: Focus 10 Pty Ltd and Code Lime Photography

ITINERARY

Day One 

08:30: Depart from your chosen accommodation and travel to Menzies

10:00: Arrive at Menzies & visit the Achievable Outback Café for a Barista Coffee stop before making your way to the Menzies and we visit the iconic Menzies Cemetery. Ute Muster.
We then drive to Lake Ballard and spend the entire day walking and exploring. Be sure to bring your hat and sunscreen. Each sculpture is unique and the scene from the top of Snake Hill is awesome. Lake Ballard is north east of Menzies and famous as the location of the 'Inside Australia' sculpture display commissioned by the Perth International Art Festival in 2003 as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations. The UK artist, Antony Gormley, has had many worldwide exhibits all featuring statues of humans in one form or another. He is the artist that created the 'Angel of the North' statue alongside the motorway in Newcastle, UK. Antony scanned 100 naked local Menzies residents. He then processed the digital files by applying some software that reduced their body width by two thirds and 51 individual moulds were produced and placed over 10 square kilometres in Lake Ballard. The result is a representation of the inner core of each person, set in the inner core of Australia. The sculptures display man in this harsh environment and their relationship to the landscape. See http://lakeballard.com/
Option of camping at Lake Ballard or staying in Menzies

Day Two 

08:00 : Breakfast & Lightroom session

10:30 : Depart Lake Ballard for Broad Arrow Hotel for a cool beverage and maybe a "broadie burger". This is an iconic outback pub is a must for the tourists with graffiti across its corrugated walls encouraged by the owners https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g255366-d487037-Reviews-Broad_Arrow-Kalgoorlie_Boulder_Western_Australia.html

13:00 : Return to Kalgoorile-Boulder where we will discover the fabulous street art murals of HeART Walk including one by Stormie Mills. See StreetArt - http://www.heartwalkcbd.com/. Being Sunday we can be guarateed of clear photography viewing.

15:00 : Join the Race Week celebrations in historic Burt Street, Boulder with its fantastic heritage buildings

17:00 : We finish day 2 at the Historic Recreation Hotel in Boulder where a cold beverage awaits! http://www.therechotel.com/sheffields-food

Day Three 
Entire day shooting the world famous Goldfields & Kalgoorlie Race Cup day

Boulder Town Hall – open Tues/Thurs 10-3pm only http://www.boulder.com.au/attractions/town-hall/
Superpit tour – 1.5 hrs $45 pp see http://www.kalgoorlietours.com.au/tours/super-pit-tour-1-5-hours/
We reserve the right to change the itinerary to reflect availability of locations, weather conditions, group decisions etcetera.

Day Four ( Optional)
Editing session on Lightroom. Critique of everyone's images. Lunch and an early finish

Inclusions:
Transportation in our Toyota Prado 4WD or similar or a minibus (depending on numbers) for the weekend.
You of course are welcome to use your own vehicle for transportation throughout the weekend
Water for travelling between locations
Entry fees into the Race Day
Camping fees for one night in Menzies or Lake Ballard
Comprehensive photographic instruction from 2 professional photographers

Not Included:

Accommodation: This is a busy time due to the events happening over this Race Week event and accommodation books out quickly! Due to the early start on Day 1 it is recommended that accommodation be booked for the night before (Wed 2 October) and the last night (Sat 5 Oct October). We will be camping out at Menzies or Lake Ballard on the Thursday night (cost included in your booking). We do have a couple of large tents and a few air mattresses and sleeping bags spare, but bring them if you have them.

Accommodation options:

■ The Albion Hotel (also in Boulder) with ensuite bathrooms for approx $155-$200/night per room. http://www.albionshamrock.com.au/accommodation
■ The Rydges Hotel - approx $200/night per room https://www.rydges.com/accommodation/regional-wa/kalgoorlie/
■ Contact the Kalgoorlie Visitors Centre on http://www.kalgoorlietourism.com/accommodation

Other exclusions:

■ Meals are not included with the exception of chilled bottled water over the 3 days
■ Insurance - it is strongly recommended that you have an insurance policy in case of accidents
■ Items of a personal nature and alcohol
■ Transport to/from Kalgoorlie-Boulder before and after the tour dates
TRANSWA offers a great daily train service to Kalgoorlie from Perth (7 hrs) with return tickets starting at approx $90 on the Prospector Train. Visit their website http://www.transwa.wa.gov.au/Plan-your-journey/The-Prospector
VIRGIN and QANTAS both have flights to/from Kalgoorlie-Boulder

Have a beer with a horse name Willie in Kookynie.
In the bustling town of Kookynie, population 13, there is a bar called the Grand that has quite possibly the cutest patron – Willie the horse! Everyday, Willie visits the local pub to greet customers and get some pats. Its an expected treat to share a pint with this local.

Gander at the world’s largest bottle collection
The famous Waghorn Bottle collection is one of the largest and most comprehensive antique bottle displays in Australia. It includes bottles and glassware dating back as far as 300BC through to the present day and is on display at the Coolgardie Museum.

Take in the colours on the Heartwalk
This colourful grassroots public art project has transformed the Kalgoorlie CBD with over 60 contemporary murals by local and visiting artists. It’s a 4km self-guided tour of all the street art with plenty of cafes to have a coffee or enjoy lunch.

Try your luck at two up
Are you feeling lucky? Try your luck with Two Up! This iconic pastime originated in an iron shed just 10 minutes from Kalgoorlie. It’s the only place where you can legally play this traditional gambling game year-round. Will you have a go? It takes place every Sunday at 2 pm at the Two Up Shed.

Visit the Museum of the Goldfields
Feast your eyes on WA’s largest display of gold bars and nuggets! You’ll get the full experience of what it was like to live back in the day with numerous interactive and engaging re-enactments that so many endured in the hopes of striking it big!

Take a tour of Australia’s oldest brothel
Questa Casa, also known as the Pink House, has been in operation for 115 years and is possibly the world’s oldest working brothel. They offer tours daily where you can view history from a different perspective – learn about the “old” Kalgoorlie, the stories of the ladies that kept the lonely miners company

Leave your mark at Broad Arrow Pub
Head to this quintessential Aussie pub for an ice-cold beer and try their famous Broady Burger! Don’t forget to leave your mark before hitting the road – this pub encourages its patrons to sign their names on its walls. Once you step inside, you may recall it from the 1977 movie The Nickel Queen. Well worth the trip!

Explore Gwalia ghost town
This living ghost town is your doorway to a unique experience of WA’s rich mining history. This little settlement was once one of the largest gold mines in Australia, but the abandoned homes and businesses give us a clear snap shot of what daily life used to look like back in its heyday. You might be interested to know that the first mine manager was America’s 31st president, Herbert Hoover. Today, his home is a luxury Bed and Breakfast where you can spend the night in his personal room, tour the museum and enjoy coffee on the veranda overlooking the vast open pit.

Follow the Golden Pipeline Trail
Opened in 1903, the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme was once criticised as ‘a scheme of madness’ but it is now internationally recognised as a grand engineering feat. This trail starts in Perth and ends in Kalgoorlie – with plenty of stops along the way with museums, signage, and walkabouts all detailing the pipeline’s history and significance.

inclusions
Inclusions:
Transportation in our Toyota Prado 4WD or similar or a minibus (depending on numbers) for the weekend.
You of course are welcome to use your own vehicle for transportation throughout the weekend
Water for travelling between locations
Entry fees into the Race Day
Camping fees for one night in Menzies or Lake Ballard
Comprehensive photographic instruction from 2 professional photographers

Not Included:
Accommodation.
This is a busy time due to the events happening over this Race Week event and accommodation books out quickly! Due to the early start on Day 1 it is recommended that accommodation be booked for the night before (Wed 2 October) and the last night (Sat 5 Oct October). We will be camping out at Menzies or Lake Ballard on the Thursday night (cost included in your booking). We do have a couple of large tents and a few air mattresses and sleeping bags spare, but bring them if you have them.

Accommodation options:

■ The Albion Hotel (also in Boulder) with ensuite bathrooms for approx $155-$200/night per room. http://www.albionshamrock.com.au/accommodation
■ The Rydges Hotel - approx $200/night per room https://www.rydges.com/accommodation/regional-wa/kalgoorlie/
■ Contact the Kalgoorlie Visitors Centre on http://www.kalgoorlietourism.com/accommodation

OTHER EXCLUSIONS
■ Meals are not included with the exception of chilled bottled water over the 3 days
■ Insurance - it is strongly recommended that you have an insurance policy in case of accidents
■ Items of a personal nature and alcohol
■ Transport to/from Kalgoorlie-Boulder before and after the tour dates
TRANSWA offers a great daily train service to Kalgoorlie from Perth (7 hrs) with return tickets starting at approx $90 on the Prospector Train. Visit their website http://www.transwa.wa.gov.au/Plan-your-journey/The-Prospector
VIRGIN and QANTAS both have flights to/from Kalgoorlie-Boulder

Payments
Paying for your tour in full upon booking will confirm your attendance. Places are limited on all courses.

Insurance
You are required to have general travel insurance for all our tours

Refunds
We reserve the right to cancel and reschedule any course, due to inadequate enrollment, bad weather, instructor illness, or an 'act of God'. We also reserve the right to cancel any course if there is insufficient demand, especially if it means that our costs would be higher than our income. Please therefore do not leave it until the last few weeks if you are interested in a particular date, as you may find that it has been cancelled. As our costs for each training event remain the same no matter how many delegates attend, like any pre-booked tickets for the theatre, concert, flights etc, we are unable to give a full refund in the event of non-attendance, regardless of the circumstances. If withdrawal occurs within the 14 days before the course starts we will try to put you on an alternative date if places are available. Please note that we cannot be liable for any other costs incurred by yourself, so please check with us before booking any non-refundable accommodation or transport.

Workshop Photography
We reserve the right to take photographic, (both still and video) records of any of our workshops/courses which may be used for promotional purposes, submissions, advertising and records. We grant permission for participants to use any images captured by them during this workshop for self-promotion only. Participants may not make any financial gain from any images captured during this workshop/course.