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PHOTO TOUR LEADER

WHY TRAVEL WITH ME?
​In today’s digital world, millions of photos are taken every minute, but few are seen by anyone other than the photographer’s family and friends.

That’s why my safaris are all about taking your photography to the next level, both professionally and personally.

Together Neil Aldridge and I will give you the practical and philosophical tools to take pictures and photo stories that make a difference.

Then, with insider knowledge and professional advice, we will help you to fulfil your goals as a photographer – whether that means getting published, getting your work seen more widely or achieving recognition in competitions.

Join me on the holiday of a lifetime.
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OKAVANGO DELTA
BOTSWANA
SEPTEMBER 2022


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conservation & photography safari
september 2022

 IN ASSOCIATION WITH C4 PHOTO SAFARIS

Botswana’s Okavango Delta is the closest thing to Eden left on the planet. For photographers, the opportunities to capture the best images you’ve ever taken are incomparable – vast skies, flaming sunsets, a jaw-dropping diversity and abundance of wildlife found nowhere else... and not another vehicle in sight.

Join award-winning photojournalist Neil Aldridge and I on this unique safari to experience the Delta as never before, take your photography to the next level, and make a difference to local wildlife charities with your images.

Stay at the exclusive and secluded Mokolowane Tree House camp, with superb views over the Matsebi River and literally no one else around for miles. We'll take you to all the best vantage points, special places and secret spots in the area, coach you in how to get the best shots and help you to think about your images differently.

At Mok, we'll be joined by legendary safari guide and rhino expert Map 'Martin' Ives. Map's infectious passion for the Delta and unsurpassed knowledge of its wildlife – from soil to sky – will help you see this watery wonderland with new eyes. Learn about Botswana's ambitious reintroduction of wild black and white rhinos to the Delta and the challenges the species face today.

Every day will be full of making beautiful and powerful images in one of the most beautiful places on the planet, and every evening will offer lively discussions about how to take them to the next stage. I'll reveal the secret ingredients of award-winning photos, and what competition judges look for in a winner.

We’ll discuss how you can increase your potential of being paid for your photography, through exhibitions, books and magazine commissions. And Neil ​will guide you in crafting powerful conservation photo stories and how you can use your images to support the good causes you care about.  

Next we will take to the skies to see the Delta from a totally new perspective – the air. A helicopter flight with the doors taken off is the perfect way to capture picturesque vistas of the waterways and lagoons that make up this beautiful wilderness, and a fluid and unobtrusive way of getting artistic and imaginative shots of wildlife in the environment. Experienced and knowledgeable specialist pilots will enable you to capture the unique images you’ve dreamed of. 

From Mokolowane Tree House camp, we will move to the luxurious Little Pan private camp to start putting all we have learned into action. From this base, we'll be working closely with two local charities based around Maun, the gateway to the Okavango. One focuses on protecting Botswana's wildlife by providing veterinary care to local communities and their domestic animals, while the other rescues and rehabilitates abandoned and orphaned elephants.

With the support of these amazing projects, we will practice everything we've learned about how to take award-winning photos of conservation in action. At the end of the trip, we will donate the best images we've taken to the charities to use in the support of their mission. So we'll not only have a good time, we'll do good too.

This new, unique and exclusive trip is an extraordinary opportunity to make your next holiday count – go deeper, learn and grow as a photographer, and make a difference.

HIGHLIGHTS

Have the Okavango Delta all to yourself at the exclusive and secluded Mokolowane Tree House camp, with superb views over the Matsebi River
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Learn new skills in image making and storytelling, thanks to tuition from award-winning photojournalist Neil Aldridge
 
Go deeper and see the Okavango Delta as you’ve never seen it before through the eyes of legendary safari guide and rhino expert Martin 'Map’ Ives 
 
Capture the perfect shot of this watery wonderland and its spectacular wildlife from a unique perspective on a photographic flight in a helicopter
 
Take your photography to the next level, discover how to achieve success in competitions and stand out in a crowd, thanks to industry insights from Sophie Stafford
 
Make a difference with your photography by capturing the work of local charities for wildlife and communities
 
Witness the tender care of an elephant matriarch for the young orphans in her care at an orphanage
 
Learn how to take powerful images while working with live action, people and animals
 
Join veterinarians on the frontline of conservation, helping local people to keep their hardworking domestic animals fit and well and protect wildlife from diseases
 
Give something back by sharing your best shots with these great charities.
Discover the secrets of the Okavango Delta, fast-track your photography and make a difference to wildlife.
Follow me on Twitter @strictlysophie or connect with me on LinkedIn