MAYAKOBA RESORT PARTNERS WITH AWARD-WINNING PHOTOJOURNALISTS FOR
WILDLIFE PHOTO MASTERCLASS WEEKENDS
Travel “On Assignment” With Acclaimed Photographers
at Eco-Luxury Resort in Riviera Maya
Riviera Maya, Mexico–August 24th, 2013 – Mayakoba, an eco-resort on the shores of the
Caribbean in Mexico, has partnered with three of the world’s most respected names in wildlife
photojournalism – National Geographic contract photographers Steve Winter, Tim Laman and
Brian Skerry – for a new series of “Wildlife Photo MasterClass” weekends. The intensive threenight program lets photographers of all levels – from the novice enthusiast to the advanced –
step into the role of a nature photojournalist as they capture some of the more than 200 species
of birds and native wildlife within the protected sanctuary of Mayakoba’s exotic mangrove
forests and waterways.
MasterClass students will receive one-on-one and group guidance on all aspects of photography
from Winter, Laman or Skerry, who have captured some of the world’s most recognized wildlife
images for magazines from National Geographic, to Time and Esquire. Through comprehensive
lectures and daily hands-on field excursions with the photographers, as well as their personal
company during meals, the workshops provide an opportunity for nature enthusiasts to sharpen
their technique with the industry elite.
Guests will stay at Banyan Tree Mayakoba, a five-star luxury hotel built around Mayakoba’s four
carefully conserved ecosystems: mangroves, dunes, low forests and coral reefs. An ecoconscious development, Mayakoba has been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler, the United
Nations World Tourism Organization and Rainforest Alliance as a world leader in sustainable
tourism. Six miles of crystal clear waterways flow throughout the resort while more than 148
acres of protected mangrove forests along the coastline provide an important habitat for more
than 200 species of tropical flora and fauna.
The “Wildlife Photo MasterClass” Package Includes:
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Three-nights accommodation in an exclusive Garden Pool Villa at Banyan Tree
Mayakoba
One-on-one guidance and review from professional photographers on composition,
lighting, metering, equipment and how to achieve the “wow factor”
Welcome conference, photography workshops and closing lecture where students can
showcase their work from the weekend
Daily waterborne and walking excursions through the waterways and mangrove jungles
of Mayakoba
Excursions to nearby reserves and heritage sites providing opportunity to photograph
the iconic ‘Mot-Mot’ bird as well as Mayan ruins
Daily breakfast, a lunch and two dinners at Banyan Tree Mayakoba’s award-winning
restaurants.
Dates: December 6-9, 2013 and January 24-27, 2014, with additional 2014 dates to be
confirmed shortly. Reservations are extremely limited.
Price: Packages start at $4,158 for three nights, plus taxes and fees. Rate is per Villa and based
on double occupancy. A minimum stay of three nights is required.
Instructors:
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Steve Winter has been shooting for the National Geographic Society since 1991.
Specializing in wildlife, he has produced stories for Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Natural
History, Audubon, BusinessWeek, Scientific American, and Stern, among other
publications. His nonprofit and commercial clients include UNICEF, Merck
Pharmaceuticals, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, among others.
Tim Laman is a field biologist and wildlife photographer. A regular contributor to
National Geographic magazine, he has published more than 20 feature stories. He is the
first person to photograph all 39 unique species of birds of paradise - some of which had
never been photographed in their natural habitat. The resulting book, Birds of Paradise:
Revealing The World's Most Extraordinary Birds was released in 2013 by National
Geographic and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Tim has published more than a dozen
scientific articles related to rainforest ecology and birdlife, and is a research associate in
the Ornithology Department at Harvard University.
Brian Skerry is a photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater
environments. He has been a contract photographer for National Geographic
Magazine since 1998 and has been published in magazines such as People, Sports
Illustrated, US News and World Report, BBC Wildlife, GEO, Smithsonian, Playboy,
Esquire, Audubon, and Men’s Journal. He is the author/photographer of five books, with
his latest work, Ocean Soul, released in 2011 to worldwide acclaim.
Joining the Masterclass weekends will be Riviera Maya-based professional wildlife
photographer, Ivan Gabaldon. Ivan is a regular guest speaker at regional bird and conservation
group meetings and a passionate advocate for nature and bird related tourism to the Yucatan.
Originally from Venezuela, Ivan is bilingual (Spanish and English) and will provide an important
local ingredient to the Mayakoba weekends. His website about bird photography in the Yucatan
Peninsula, www.rideintobirdland.com, is a useful primer for visitors and tourists alike.
Location: Mayakoba is a 40-minute drive from Cancun International Airport and 10 minutes
from the town of Playa del Carmen.
For more information or to reserve a spot on an upcoming Wildlife Photo MasterClass Weekend,
please visit [NEED LINK TO WEBSITE] or call [NEED RESERVATION NUMBER]. For more
information on Mayakoba, please visit www.mayakoba.com.
About MAYAKOBA: Located in the Riviera Maya just 15 minutes from Playa del Carmen, Mayakoba is an
eco-friendly resort development on the shores of the Caribbean in Mexico. Surrounded by natural beauty
in its lagoons, pools and sugar sand beaches, Mayakoba is home to three luxury hotels – Fairmont
Mayakoba, Rosewood Mayakoba and Banyan Tree Mayakoba. The resort also offers a spectacular 18-hole
course designed by renowned architect and PGA legend Greg Norman. The signature course is home to
the OHL Classic at Mayakoba – the only PGA TOUR event in Mexico. Six miles of freshwater lagoons that
lead to a white sand beach with turquoise waters on the Caribbean Sea connect all of the hotels. Guests
are transported in boats via canals made exclusively for the resort, which have led to Mayakoba being
called “the Venice of the Yucatan.” Mayakoba is an eco-conscious development and has implemented
significant practices to encourage sustainability. For more information, please visit www.mayakoba.com
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kyra Lausmann Dauer
Castillo & Ruig Communications
310.664.8836
klausmann@discovercrc.com
TO VIEW IMAGES OF BIRDS AT MAYAKOBA:
Visit the Flickr site “Birds of Mayakoba”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesbatt/
Images include many of the species guests may
encounter during their visit to Mayakoba