RANTHAMBHORE ROYALS

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    Experience Ranthambhore, which has one of the highest density of Tigers in India and its amazing wildlife together with Sudhir Shivaram.

    Ranthambhore’s habitat is an interesting mix of terrain ranging from hill slopes and valleys to plains and plateaus interspersing with water bodies – all contributing to the thriving tiger numbers. Relics and ruins dating to its royal past dot the landscape at regular intervals. 

    Ranthambhore is a good place to polish your portrait photography skills. The animals here are rather unfazed by human presence. Poignant close-up portraits of mammals are a real possibility here. The most common subjects shine through with utmost beauty, frame after evocative frame.  

    Why do this photography learning tour with SSP?

    • On field guidance from Sudhir during the field outing to help you get the best images.
    • On field review of images and feedback.
    • Get the best drivers and guides/naturalists trained to position the vehicles from a photographers point of view.
    • Healthy photography competition among participants where you will be the judge. You will learn the parameters used to judge images and will understand what it takes to participate in a real world competition.
    • We choose the best season to maximise the photography opportunities.
    • Whatsapp group of the participants will be formed 1 month prior to the workshop dates so that your learning starts much in advance and you are well prepared for the tour.

    Who should attend this tour?

    • Quite simply, this tour is for anyone who wants to be an awesome wildlife photographer.
    • You can be a rank beginner or have some experience wielding the camera, either way, SSP’s photography learning tour is bound to enhance your skill and knowledge.
    • This is the ideal tour if you are looking to move to next level in wildlife photography, as we always plan Ranthambhore to make the best use of the opportunities available.

    What can you expect from this tour?

    • Practical on-field learning from Sudhir.
    • Understand the various challenges of wildlife/bird photography and learn how to arrive at the correct camera setting for a particular situation.
    • Understanding the advanced focusing features of different AF area modes, AF cases (in Canon) and learning when to use what.
    • Pre-visualising your images in the field and how to arrive at the camera setting for that.
    • Discussions back in the camp as well to ensure all doubts are cleared for your next field session.
    • At the end of this tour, gain enough practice and confidence to put your camera to optimal use – with respect to basic and certain advanced camera settings.
    • Move away from taking images to making images.

    Beyond Learning

    Nothing gets in the way of our photography learning/teaching. Until it’s time for lunch, that is. And dinner. And breakfast. During which time, nothing comes between us and the food. As for the fun part, when we do what we love, fun just happens. Just as polite hellos turn to boisterous fist bumps; quiet handshakes turn to backslapping bear hugs; acquaintances become friends for life… 

    AIRPORT/RAILHEAD

    Jaipur is the nearest airport, around 3.5-hr drive. Sawai Madhopur railway station for trains.

    IDEAL FLIGHT TIMINGS

    Book your first flight to Jaipur on day 1 of the workshop so that you are at the resort by 12 noon. Plan to take any flight after 6pm from Jaipur on last day of the workshop.

    LAST MILE

    We will coordinate with you for your pickup/drop from/to airport/rly station. We generally do car pooling of participants arriving at around same time.

    RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

    2 camera bodies. 1 full frame and the other crop sensor is recommended. For wide angle shots, you will need a 16-35mm and 70-200mm range lens. Then you an have the 100-400 or the 200-500/150-600 zoom lens and finally you can get the 500/600/800mm biggies.

    DURATION / STAY

    3 nights / 4 days @ Ranthambhore Regency

    CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT

    Check-in: Anytime on day1 of the workshop and Check-out on last day after morning safari.

    SAFARI

    Total 6 safaris. Morning safari from 6:30am to 9:30am and evening safari from 3:30pm to 6:45pm.

    WEATHER/TEMPERATURE

    Max temp: 40°C and Min temp: 27°C

    KEY SPECIES

    The key species we can sight during the workshop are Tigers, Leopards, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Wild Pig, and other common bird species.

    THINGS TO CARRY

    The recommended Camera gear, Binoculars, Hat, Sunglasses, Essential medicines

       OVERVIEW

    Here’s a complete overview of what happens in the SSP Photography learning tours.

    1.Photography learning through indoor / outdoor sessions:

    Sudhir will have interactive classroom photography sessions followed by hands on outdoor sessions to help the participants have a practical approach to the learning. These sessions help you pick up the basics and advanced concepts of photography and you can start applying them in the field.

    2.Photography learning in the field during the safari:

    Once you have understood the concepts in the indoor/outdoor classroom sessions, it’s time to implement them practically in the field. During the safari Sudhir will guide you with the camera settings and composition based on the challenges in the field. He will also give you few assignments to help you understand the concept of pre-visualization.

    3.Healthy photography competition among participants:

    This is a new concept introduced in SSP tours. Each participant submits 2-3 images shot during the tour. You will then be taken through the entire process of judging an image, where you will learn the key parameters(around 6-8 of them) used to evaluate an image. You will then rate each of these parameters between 1-10 for all the images. Once you spend evaluating around 25-30 images for more than an hour, you will automatically become an expert on what it takes to judge an image and set the foundation for you to participate in any competition, where you will know what the judges expect. This has been received very well in the previous tours by the participants.

    4.Fun Times:

    While we are extremely serious about our photography, we never play down the importance of some good old-fashioned fun and some great food. Breakfast during the safaris is a great time to share, interact and know each other. Last night of the workshop is official party night where we match steps with the local tribal folk over a celebratory dinner. So, what do we celebrate? Good times, great food, awesome friends. And of course, photography!!

    The teaching and learning will not stop after the workshop. In fact this is just the starting point. You will be part of the SSP community of the SSP website where your learning and interactions with fellow photographers continues.

       STRUCTURE

    Before the Workshop
    We will ask you for:
    – some basic information about your equipment
    – your photos/portfolio
    – your expectations from the workshop
    – Whatsapp group of the participants will be formed 1 month prior to the workshop dates so that your learning starts much in advance and you are well prepared for the tour.
    Communicating your expectations beforehand will ensure that Sudhir addresses them during individual interactions with you.
    During the Workshop
    – Sudhir will demonstrate the best way to approach and shoot the subjects and give deeper insights on their behavioural aspects.
    – He will introduce the advanced custom function settings of your camera. A firm understanding of these settings will be your first step toward shooting like a pro.
    – In the park, he will continually guide you based on the field conditions and subjects.
    – Knowledge sharing and image review will continue through the evenings as Sudhir interacts with you with focused inputs to reinforce the day’s learning.
    – You will have assignments to complete, giving you ample scope to assimilate and apply all that you have learnt.
    After the Workshop
    Your pursuit of photography knowledge doesn’t end with the workshop. The SSP Community is your gateway to continued learning and interaction, apart from being the ideal platform to showcase your best images. In addition to image review and critique by Sudhir and his team, you also gain the perfect peer group interaction to grow as a photographer. Theme-based assignments, healthy discussions, candid feedback, equipment reviews and resale are the other great perks of being part of this community.
    *The below topics will be covered and the participants will learn how to apply these concepts in wildlife photography.
    Fundamental and Advanced Concepts of Photography:
    – Manual and advanced autofocus (focusing points, autofocus lock, single or continuous focus, Focusing Sensors, AF cases, Advanced AF settings of camera)
    – Manual exposure (ISO, shutter speed, Aperture)- We will use theory of reciprocity to arrive at the combination.
    – Metering modes (evaluative, matrix, spot metering) – Practically understand when to use what metering.
    – Motion (freezing, blurring and panning) – Creative area of photography
    – Understanding exposure – the 18% concept
    – Composition (framing) – Create story telling images.
    – Elements of design (seeing v/s looking)
    – Pre-visualization
    – Completing the story
    Post-Processing:
    During the course of the workshop, you will be taken through the advanced concepts of image processing and the following topics will be covered:
    – Working with RAW files
    – Levels, curves, contrast, saturation adjustments (All through layers and masking)
    – Image sharpening, cloning, dodge and burn
    – Noise reduction.
    – Saving for web/ printing
    During the Field Outing:
    During the field outing, your mentor Sudhir Shivaram will help you make memorable images. Inputs provided on the field will enable you make the most of the opportunity.
    The teaching and learning will not stop after the workshop. In fact this is just the starting point. You will be part of the SSP community of the SSP website where your learning and interactions with fellow photographers continues.

       ITINERARY

    The actual day today itinerary may vary depending on the flow of the workshop. All updates will be regularly communicated at the venue via the Whatsapp group formed.

    Day 1:

  • Arrive and check in to Ranthambhore Regency based on your travel schedule.
  • Lunch by 1pm and we meet for a quick round of briefing, preparing for the afternoon safari.
  • We leave for the afternoon safari and come back in the evening.
  • Interact with your mentor Sudhir, as he primes you with some basic concepts of photography and also helps you understand about the expectations of the workshop. This will set you up for the ensuing safaris, where you will delve deeper into the core principles, tips, and tricks of photography.
  • Dinner and lights off.
  • Day 2:

  • Wakeup call at 5:30am and we leave at around 6am for the safari.
  • Return from safari, have breakfast, rest for 1hr before we meet for hands on photography sessions
  • Hands on photography session – We will go through advanced concepts of exposure triangle parameters and see how it applies to wildlife photography
  • Lunch / rest and afternoon safari. We return in the evening, 45 mins rest and we meet for the photography session.
  • Photography session – We look at all the various aspects of composition and see how it applies to our subjects at Ranthambhore.
  • Dinner and lights off.
  • Day 3:

  • Wakeup call at 5:30am and we leave at 6am for the safari.
  • Return from safari, have breakfast, rest for 1hr before we meet for hands on photography sessions
  • Classroom session – We will go through advanced concepts of auto focusing and see how it applies to wildlife photography
  • Lunch / rest and afternoon safari. We return in the evening, 45 mins rest and we meet for the photography session.
  • Later in the evening we meet for a presentation on advanced post processing. We also review the work given for assignment.
  • Dinner and lights off.
  • Day 4:

  • Wakeup call at 5:30am and we leave at 6am for the safari.
  • Return from safari, have breakfast and leave for our destinations
  •    STAY

    Ranthambhore Regency, Sawai Madhopur

    Located at a very short driving distance from the national park, is just one of the great things about the Ranthambhore Regency. The amazing ambiance, great food, super comfortable rooms and a host of other amenities add up make your stay pleasant and memorable.

       COST

    Workshop Cost:
    INR 47,500/- (plus 5% GST) – For Double Occupancy
    INR 58,000/- (plus 5% GST) – For Single Occupancy

    Inclusions:
    – All costs are ex-Ranthambhore. However, at an added cost, we can arrange for transportation.
    – Accommodation and all meals for 3 Nights / 4 Days stay at Ranthambhore Regency.
    – 6 safaris (4 participants per vehicle), forest entry fee/camera fee/guide charges.

    *Any other expenses outside of the above will have to be borne by the participants.

       TERMS

    Terms and Cancellation Policy:
    INR 35,000 is non refundable once the payment is done.
    75% of the remaining amount will be refunded if cancellation is done 45 days prior to the workshop start dates.
    No refund if cancellation is done between 0-45 days of the event.

    Payment Terms:
    Full amount to be paid 60 days prior to the workshop starting date.

    Please note: The date of written (email) communication of intent to cancel is the date considered for calculation of the cancellation fees.

    Testimonials

    What our students say about Sudhir Shivaram.