Mindful Photography Retreat - September 27-29, 2019 - Litchfield National Park
Photography Litchfield National Park

Mindful Photography Retreat – September 27-29, 2019

from $680.00

Immerse yourself in a weekend of learning, exploring and sharing creative energy in landscape, photography and mindfulness.

The Northern Territory landscape has been inspirational for many pioneering artists due to the backdrop of the vast landscape that is the Northern Territory.

Looking through the lens brings you close to a whole new world of colours, textures and shapes. The canvas is limitless as we focus on techniques that help you create and frame visual compositions through landscape photography and mindfulness techniques.

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  • Reviews 1 Review
    5/5
  • Vacation Style Holiday Type
      Culture, Guided Tours, Photography, Retreat, Short Breaks
    • Activity Level Moderate
      3/8
    • Group Size Small Group
      10
    All about the Mindful Photography Retreat – September 27-29, 2019.

    The emphasis of this retreat is on the quality of landscape and how to use it to your advantage. Also how light effects colour, texture and definition. We’ll be looking for unusual angles and leading lines, natural framing and how to problem solve harsh sunlight and shadows.

    We also explore some basic camera techniques and make the creative process fun and easy. All the while honoring the sacred landscape we immerse ourselves in and connecting with our inner creative.

    We will be running this workshop over two days – Saturday and Sunday.

    Lake Bennett where we will be staying is on the edge of a magnificent freshwater lake an hour from Darwin and is the gateway to Litchfield National Park. A serene, tranquil, peaceful paradise for Territorians, Aussies and our world friends to come an relax, replenish and rejuvenate.

    Arrive Friday afternoon, enjoy a home cooked meal, good company, a million stars and wake up to call of birds and the subtle sounds of the lake.  Photography workshops will be run Saturday in the morning and afternoon in the cooler parts of the day and will finish at 10am on Sunday.

    If you wish to book an extra nights accommodation to make the most of the weekend please let us know.

    Lake Bennett is surrounded by 4.45 square kilometres of tropical wilderness. The private property borders Litchfield National Park. Both Litchfield National Park and Lake Bennett provide a variety of dramatic settings for both budding and established photographers.

    Catering includes breakfast, lunch and dinner (you may wish to bring your own snacks). Workshops are approx 1/2 hours sessions dotted through the retreat with a professional photographer and/or mindfulness practitioner. A material and equipment list will be sent out for each class advising what you will need to bring. Accommodation options are provided on site at Lake Bennett.

    WORKSHOP FORMAT

    DATE: 27th-29th September 2019

    LOCATION: Lake Bennett, Northern Territory (an hour south of Darwin)

    GROUP SIZE: Minimum 6 – Maximum 10 participants.

    WORKSHOP INVESTMENT

    · Weekend for $680 inclusive of 2-day accommodation, all meals from Friday night to Sunday breakfast, and tutor fees.

    . Deposit option is available of $200 on booking with full payment required by June 1st 2019 (preference given to full upfront payments)

    · Extra nights accommodation are available and can provide details upon request.

    PREREQUISITES

    To join this workshop you need to have basic camera handling, operations and processing skills. If you’re not sure if that’s you, please email us: Louise@louisedenton.com. This weekend centres on developing your artistic skills and developing your creative ideas in photography in addition to mindfulness techniques.

    ACCOMMODATION

    Lake Bennett is a place of relaxation and retreat. Enjoy your weekend in complete comfort, with uninterrupted picturesque views, incredible wildlife and spectacular Top End sunsets.

    Accommodation is a mixture of twin share and single rooms (with a queen size bed). Costings are as follows:

    Single rooms: $680 per person

    Shared rooms: $550 per person

    If you are a couple or you would prefer to pitch a tent/swag request more information in regards to reduced rates.

    Lake Bennett has cabin style accommodation and rooms off the main living area. The cabins are amazing all situated around the lake with a pontoon and access to kayak or take out a tinny (small boat). All accommodation has shared bathrooms – 1 shared bathroom per 2 rooms.

    MEALS

    Breakfast, lunches and dinner are provided by Danyelle.

    We can cater to dietary needs such as gluten, diary free and vegetarian, please let us know in advance.

    TRANSPORT

    Car: Make your own way directly to Lake Bennett, Northern Territory.

    From Darwin take Tiger Brennan Dr to National Highway 1 in Holtze
    17 min (19.2 km) merge onto National Highway 1 38 min (60.0 km) then drive to Cadogan Rd and arrive in Lake Bennett.

    Most of our clients prefer to have their own transport for this retreat, so that they can come and go from Lake Bennett depending on their time frame.

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    The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance
    What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.

    WHAT THE
    WORKSHOP COVERS

    Landscape photography as a whole including:

    • Composition and considerations
    • Creative camera controls
    • Creative development
    • Using light
    • Focus
    • Meditation for photographers
    • Mindful techniques to use in practice
    • Creating a habit of harmony with the landscape

    WHAT’S INCLUDED?

    ·      All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

    ·      Accommodation

    ·      One-on-one instruction and guidance from landscape photographer
    and tutor Louise Denton

    ·      Mindfulness workshops and activities from Danyelle Kelly trained in Masters of           Spirituality in California

    ·      Plenty of time to shoot and learn

    ·      Free time to relax and enjoy the beauty and sacredness of the surrounds

    ·      Calm, relaxing atmosphere, encouraging engagement and connection
    with the landscape

    ·      Suitable for amateurs to professionals

    ·      A positive environment, which encourages group learning,
    advice-sharing and support

     

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    Whats not included in this tour.Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.

    ·      Transport

    ·      Photographic equipment (cameras, lenses, tripods etc.)

    ·      Weather-specific clothing

    ·      Alcohol & soft drinks – BYO

    WHAT TO BRING

    ·      Camera equipment – camera, lenses.

    ·     Tripod.

    ·      Laptop with your chosen software if interested in learning a small amount of post             processing.

    ·      Comfortable bag to carry your equipment as there will be a small amount of walking.

    ·      Jacket for early morning adventures

    ·      Sturdy footwear

    ·      Hat

    ·      Sunscreen

    ·      Day pack/camera pack

    ·      Torch

    ·      Water bottle

    ·      Swimwear

     

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    1. Day1 Friday afternoon - evening

      PROGRAM

      Friday 27th September, 2019

      Arrive anytime from 1pm onwards. Relax and settle into your accommodation. We will discuss the weekend and enjoy a reflection on landscape photography. Please bring in some of your landscape works that we can review and discuss.

      Once settled we’ll have a few ice-breakers for the group to get to know one another and then we will have our first mindful workshop.

      Then it’s off to self-drive to our first Litchfield National Park stop: the magnificent Wangi Falls. Here you will have direct instruct from Louise in regards to capturing the falls and landscape. Dany will prepare the evening BBQ meal here and once nightfall hits we’ll head back to the bungalow.

      For those keen after dinner, we’ll have an optional mindful workshop to end the evening or alternatively, you can retire to your room for the evening.

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    2. Day2 Saturday

      Saturday 28th September, 2019

      Optional -Rise with the sun (or maybe before!) to capture the gorgeous early morning light and shifting mists that surround Lake Bennett. Then return to the homestead for an exquisite breakfast.

      After breakfast till early afternoon we will explore photographing two more stops at Litchfield National Park: Florence Falls and Buley Rockhole. Follow along in your own car as we head from Lake Bennett to the National Park for more photography workshops at these stunning locations. A boxed lunch will be provided a Buley Rockhole. Be sure to bring your swimwear and towel in case you’d like to jump in!

      Lunch is served and then take a couple of hours and explore Litchfield National Park on your own or head back to the bungalow tor some downtime.

      The afternoon to evening photography session will commence at 5pm as a sunset kayaking tour. This is an opportunity to practice the theory and techniques covered during the day.  As the light changes through the afternoon into twilight we ensure we are ready for the golden and blue hours.

      Optional: if you choose to forgo the sunset kayak photography session you can stay back at the Homestead with Dany and participate in mindful cooking and prep for dinner.

      Relax and review your images and we’ll use the evening to rest, reflect, dine and enjoy the peaceful environment. We will have a  review of your top shots taken from the weekend.

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    3. Day3 Sunday

      Sunday 29th September, 2o19

      Be adventurous and rise early for another great sunrise kayak photography shoot on the property.

      Enjoy a hearty breakfast at 8am – 9am.

      We will then pack and prepare to leave. We will finish at 9:30am with a final closing circle.

      Those who have decided to extend their weekend can relax and enjoy the afternoon.

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    Upper Cascades
    Florence Falls
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    023-270318
    Lake Bennett Bungalows

    Blue Haven is one of the crowning Jewels of the Lake Bennett Bungalows, a very spacious 3 bedroom 3 bathroom property with both an indoor & outdoor living & dining area. There is an undercover deck & BBQ area & our own private pontoon and back yard.

    Blue Haven is one of the largest Bungalows on Lake Bennett it was built by the original owner of the Lake Bennett Resort for himself & his family to live in. It is a set in a secluded part of the lake with only 2 neighbours who are permanent residents.

    Blue Haven can comfortably sleep up to 8 adults and is right on Lake Bennett which is 1 hour south of Darwin’s rural hub. It boasts a private pontoon right on the lake equipped with a 4mtr Boat (& elec motor) & 2 Kayaks & ample space if you want to bring your own tinny or sailing boats (only electric powered boats are allowed on the lake). There is a large air-conditioned kitchen & living area & huge indoor dining room overlooking the lake with a massive 8 seat dining table all fully enclosed & air-conditioned. The bedrooms are fully air-conditioned, 2 bedrooms with ensuite & there is also an additional toilet & hand basin for the 3rd bedroom. The living area & master bedroom opens out onto your own secure deck with outdoor seating for 8 people & 6 burner BBQ & bar fridge, the deck area is enclosed via pool fencing & has a gate to access a ramp down to your private pontoon & the lake.

    There is good Telstra phone reception but there is no wifi so you can enjoy a technology free break & pretend to live like we did back in the 80’s & 90’s, you will find it is surprisingly relaxing ;).

    There are life jackets provided & a water filter jug in the fridge. As it is surrounding a lake please keep in mind where there is water there will be mosquitos and bugs. As such we recommend you bring personal insect repellent as well.

    Linens & bath towels are provided but we suggest bringing your own beach towels. Guests are required to clean up after themselves & leave the bungalow as they found it. Please wash & put away your dishes & please strip the beds of all dirty linens & leave them on the floor in the master bedroom. Additional guests are not permitted unless you have the owners approval prior to arrival.

    Lake Bennett is a remote rural area and as such there can be a lot of bugs after dark at certain times of the year so it is a good idea to keep the windows, doors & curtains & blinds closed at night.

    The property is a home away from home it is aimed at the people who want to escape all the technology & mod cons & get back to basics for a few days & just simply RELAX.

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    A camera: DSLR preferred, or a mirrorless system. A lot of higher end compact cameras have great capability too. This is not a workshop suitable for iPhones!

    If you have interchangeable lenses, a wider angled lens will be most useful to you (i.e. smaller focal lengths). If you have other lenses you like to use then bring those too!

    There will be opportunities for bird and other nature photography, for which a telephoto (zoom) lens would be most useful.

    A tripod will be required to be able to get the most out of the manual settings. We will be shooting in some low light circumstances where a tripod will be essential.

    Ensure that you have a comfortable backpack or bag to carry your gear in, with space for a bottle of water as well.

    There is no set equipment list – bring what ever you are comfortable using, or what ever gear you’d like to practice with more! Think about the images you might like to create and about what gear would be best to do that with!

    If you have any questions, get in touch with Louise on louise@louisedenton.com

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    This workshop is suitable for all levels of photographer.

    For beginners, we can ensure you have a handle on the basic functions of the camera – getting the camera off auto for more creative control over your resulting images.

    For beginners to intermediates, gain a deeper understanding of composition and balance in your images; how positioning of the elements impact on the final image. Learn about using long exposures and how different settings create different results.

    For all; learn how to become more aware of your surroundings and how to use this in your photography. We will be visiting the iconic Litchfield waterfalls at the best times of day for photography.

    There is something for everyone, but if you have specific aims or queries, you’re welcome to bring a list or notebook to ensure you achieve your goals!

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    The accommodation for this retreat is equipped with a TV which we can use to share images and discuss post processing at the end of the day.

    If you have editing software on your laptop you are welcome to bring it along and learn how Louise edits her images using Adobe Camera RAW and Photoshop CC.

    The focus of the workshop as a whole is shooting and capturing the images, but the evenings are a great time to recap and ask any questions about processing.

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    es.

    On Friday (day 1) you’ll be provided with dinner.

    On Saturday (day 2), you’ll be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

    On Sunday (day 3), you’ll be provided with breakfast.

    You’ll have access to water but if you’d like soft drinks, alcohol or snacks you’ll need to bring these along with you.

    Please get in touch for any dietary requirements.

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    No. This is a “drive yourself” retreat. We will meet at the various locations listed in the itinerary, starting at Lake Bennett.

    All roads are bitumen.

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    On Saturday afternoon you will have a couple of hours free to either explore the park yourself or have a couple of hours relaxation time.

    Some people may wish to extend their stay either at Lake Bennett or Litchfield National Park. We will be visiting the main waterfalls, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more to explore!

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    We do offer reduced rates for couples who can share a room. Get in touch to discuss your requirements.

    For any other queries, please get in touch!

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    Overall Rating
    5/5
    Sanjeev Jha
    Reviewed On 19/06/2016
    5/5

    This tour has everything one would expect from a paradise. We were really fortunate to be a part of awesome tour group operated by best tour travel company ever.

    LEAVE YOUR COMMENT