South Africa: Environmental & Travel Photography Programme

Introduction

Join a leading wildlife media training company for a month-long immersive experience designed to launch or advance your career in wildlife and travel photography. This hands-on programme blends expert instruction with practical fieldwork, helping you develop the technical skills, creative eye, and professional mindset needed to succeed in a competitive industry.

Based in the scenic coastal town of Mossel Bay, you’ll receive comprehensive training in key areas including composition, lighting, camera settings, post-processing, and ethical field practices. Field excursions along South Africa’s stunning Garden Route will offer unique opportunities to photograph iconic African wildlife in their natural environment, including a week at their exclusive safari camp on a private game reserve. You may also take part in live client projects, contributing to marketing and social media content while gaining real-world experience working to brief.

The programme also equips you with essential business skills to build a sustainable photography career. You’ll learn how to market your work, price your services, create a basic business plan, and build multiple income streams. Training is interactive and practical, with personalised guidance from experienced wildlife photographers who teach by doing – not just telling.

Whether you’re an aspiring photographer or looking to refine your existing skills, this course provides the experience, mentorship, and industry exposure to elevate your craft and expand your opportunities in wildlife photography.

Daily Life

As part of this programme, you’ll receive in-depth training in both foundational and advanced aspects of wildlife photography, along with a working knowledge of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. You’ll join our team on a series of field trips (see below), gaining hands-on experience in authentic shooting environments. Strong partnerships with wildlife organisations along the Garden Route offer unique access to real-world scenarios – giving you the opportunity to learn the key principles of photographing wildlife, and how to begin building a sustainable career in the industry. Each day is divided between focused tutorials with practical fieldwork, guiding you step-by-step as you produce your own wildlife photography portfolio.

In addition to your training, you’ll take part in a variety of excursions designed to enrich your storytelling skills and deepen your connection with the environment and local communities. These include:

• A 7-10 day stay at their exclusive safari camp on a private game reserve, home to lions, elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebras, and a wide range of other wildlife
• A day trip to Plettenberg Bay, with visits to renowned wildlife sanctuaries including Monkeyland, Birds of Eden, and Jukani Wildlife Park
• A guided elephant walk experience
• Visits to local game reserves for additional wildlife encounters
• A day trip to Cango Caves, Cango Wildlife Ranch, and Oudtshoorn meerkat experience
• Opportunities to film local people and communities through collaborations with partner organisations and institutes
• A hike along the famous St Blaize Trail, capturing dramatic coastal cliffs, caves, and surfers riding waves
• Night shoots to capture star trails under clear, dark skies
• Magical sunrise and sunset shoots in breath-taking locations

The programme runs Monday to Friday, giving you weekends free to relax or explore the surrounding area at your own pace. You can choose to unwind or take advantage of a wide range of optional activities available locally (not included in the programme), such as:

• Skydiving
• Cage diving with sharks 
• Scuba Diving or snorkelling
• Surfing
• Ziplining
• Bungee jumping
• Paragliding
• Horseback Safaris
• Wine Tasting
• Visiting local Markets

Travel and Accommodation

The programme is based at their studio in Mossel Bay, a vibrant coastal town nestled between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean, around 400 km east of Cape Town. You’ll fly into George Airport, where a member of the team will meet you and provide transport to your accommodation. All programme-related transport is included.

You’ll stay in comfortable, self-catering dorm-style accommodation located on-site at the studio, creating a seamless and immersive learning environment. Centrally located, the accommodation is just a short walk from beaches, shops, restaurants, and the harbour. Private rooms are available at an additional cost.

While at the private game reserve, you’ll stay at their newly built, exclusive safari camp. The camp offers comfortable dorm-style lodging with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities, placing you in the heart of the reserve with direct access to daily game drives – providing a unique opportunity to experience and photograph African wildlife in its natural environment.

Requirements

• Minimum age: 18 years
• Minimum commitment: 1 month
• Basic English proficiency (spoken and written)
• Valid passport, visas, and return flights to South Africa
• Comprehensive travel and medical insurance (full assistance available if you opt for our Premium Support service)

Participants usually bring their own camera gear, including a camera body, lenses, and a tripod. If you require any of these, a selection is available for rental – pre-booking is strongly recommended to ensure availability. While additional lenses are provided for tutorial use, these are limited and not intended for personal fieldwork. Please contact us directly for rental options and pricing.

Each participant must also bring a laptop pre-installed with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, as these are used extensively throughout the course. Finally, please bring an external hard drive with a minimum capacity of 500GB to accommodate your photos.

Costs

$4,500 USD per month

Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 USD is required to secure your place.

Payment Fees: Please note that all payments are subject to a 5% bank transfer fee.

Currency Conversion: For the latest exchange rates, visit xe.com.

What’s Included:

• Airport Transfers (on programme start and end dates only – 1st and 28th of each month; a $40 USD surcharge applies for transfers on alternative dates)
• All programme-related transport for scheduled field trips and activities
• Shared dorm-style accommodation (gender-separated); private rooms available on request at an additional cost
• All practical and theoretical training, including tutorials, fieldwork, and guided sessions
• All trips and excursions listed under the Daily Life section (subject to availability)
• Unlimited Wi-Fi (reliable by South African standards, but may be slower than international norms)

What’s Not Included:

• Accommodation outside of official programme dates
• Meals and groceries (self-catering facilities are provided)
• International and domestic flights to and within South Africa
• Optional tourism expeditions / activities
• Rental of high-end DSLR cameras and lenses
• Laundry services
• Bank or PayPal fees incurred during payment transfers

Depending on your lifestyle and personal spending habits, an additional R4,000–R6,000 (approximately $300–$500 USD) is recommended for souvenirs, additional activities, entertainment, and other daily expenses during your stay.

Due to high demand and limited spaces, cancellations or date changes are not permitted after final confirmation and deposit payment. A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 USD is required within 7 days of booking to secure your place in the programme. Please note that all bank or PayPal transfer fees are your responsibility.

The remaining balance must be paid in full at least 30 days prior to your arrival in South Africa. In the event of a date change request, the team will do their best to accommodate a change to a future month, but refunds on deposits cannot be offered under any circumstances.