Distinctive Journeys
Celebrating Our 10 th Anniversary
INVITES YOU TO JOIN
Nature Photographer
JEFF FOOTT
Photography Tour
East Africa and Gorillas of Rwanda
September 1-18 2011
Limited to 8 Participants
(3 Photographers Per Vehicle)
Copyright Jeff Foott 2010
Copyright Jeff Foott 2010
MobileMe Gallery - Gorilla
http://gallery.me.com/jefffoot#100167
Distinctive Journeys (www.distinctive-journeys.com) specializes in small
customized trips for photographers. We recognize that smaller groups are more
productive for participants. Distinctive Journeys is a proud member of Virtuoso
(www.virtuoso.com). Our agency has access too many unique travel "hidden gems"
around the world. Our groups allow ample opportunity to learn techniques from our
valued instructors. We feel that this approach will produce tremendous photographic
opportunities for photographers of all levels.
Our photography trips are designed to give you the best opportunities to
photograph the area’s animals, plants, and unique cultural aspects. Our
professional photographer(s) who have complete experience of the area
accompany the participants. While on safari, they will share with participants the
technical and artistic aspects of their profession. This safari is great for anybody
who wants to learn about photography or get great photos.
Jeff Foott
www.jfoottphotography.com
“I came to art through the backdoor. I am a marine biologist escapee.
“Having had the good fortune to work and play in nature most of my early life, it
became obvious to me I had to spend my life outside. After working as a National
Park Ranger, a mountain climbing guide, ski patrolman and a few other lesser jobs,
I went back to school in marine biology – doing research on sea otters – which at
the time were in trouble. I had come to love these creatures and set out naively
thinking that if I could only portray to the public how they survived the ocean
storms, raised their young and the danger of extinction they faced, then the otters
would be saved.
“This was my entry into photography. I first took still pictures for lectures and
magazine articles, and then started a film about this unique creature. The film was
eventually shown in over 100 countries to an estimated 100 million people. I had
found a platform to speak from. Forty-five films later, some, for National
Geographic, Discovery, PBS, BBC, etc., I am still working to portray what we have
in the natural world, and its importance to our spiritual direction in a time where
the calm of nature is less reflected in our beings than at any other time in the
history of man.
“Along the way, I added art to the biology. My last film for The Living Eden series,
Patagonia, was a finalist for an Emmy for cinematography. I have continued to
shoot still pictures, now often focusing on the simple beauty and design of nature.
I have changed mediums to large format 4x5, for the landscapes I find drawing me
into the wilds. I have never lost touch with the original motivation of using the
photography medium to show people the wonder and beauty of nature, and
making a plea for sanity in dealing with our natural environment. Pristine natural
environments provide optimum opportunity for each of us to experience the calm
and wholeness of our being, which is really our natural state. While searching for
photographs, I rely on what touches my center, and then with logic and camera I
make the effort to pass on to the viewer the original feeling that drew me to
scene.”
Copyright Jeff Foott 2010
Copyright Jeff Foott 2010
Copyright Jeff Foott 2010
Copyright Jeff Foott 2010
Our Photographic Workshop
Our unique photographic workshop to Africa with Jeff Foott for the nature
photographer to photograph in a small, intimate setting. Participants should be
familiar with their camera gear. Jeff will assist our participants with composition
and techniques to capture the best possible wildlife images.
Our Day by Day Itinerary
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Depart the USA
Friday, September 2, 2011
Arrive Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi Serena Hotel
P. O. Box 46302
Nairobi, Kenya
(0)20 22822000
www.serenahotels.com/serenanairobi
You will be met on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as you exit the
aircraft and assisted with immigration and customs formalities and with collecting
your luggage. You will then be transferred to your accommodations at the Nairobi
Serena Hotel. This well known hotel is warm and inviting, reflecting the richness and
beauty of the African Continent. Our group will have non smoking rooms, with all the
comforts of home. All the rooms are appointed to the highest international
standards and have been individually interior designed along pan-African themes.
Our group will meet Jeff Foott tonight for an informal session . Jeff will share his
vision for capturing dynamic images throughout our Photo Tour. Jeff will assist our
participants with Lightroom and have some informal critiques during the Photo Tour.
Our group will have sufficient time to download images during the Tour. We will
provide a specific Photographic Equipment for the tour. Our camp guides will be
specifically prepared for the special needs of the Nature Photographer.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Nairobi/Amboseli National Park
Amboseli Serena Lodge
Tsavo National Park
Tel: (+254) 202842000 or 45622361-4
Fax: (+254) 202718103 or 45622430
www.serenahotels.com/serenaamboseli
You will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to
Amboseli National Park. You will be met at the airstrip and transferred to your
accommodations, enjoying a game drive en route. After lunch the afternoon is a
game drive with a maximum of three participants per vehicle to optimize
photographic opportunities.
Amboseli Serena Lodge is overlooking the saltlick and floodlit waterhole. The
verandah also offers guests exceptional game viewing. Inspired by local Maasai
architecture, the design of the lodge is in total harmony with the environment. Each
guest room conveys a distinctive Maasai Manyatta mood and is furnished with
authentic African murals painted by a local artist
With Mount Kilimanjaro’s 6,000-meter-high snow-capped peaks in the background,
we will have a chance to photograph big mammals, including buffalo, hippo, giraffe,
eland, zebra, wildebeest, lion, leopard, cheetah, and a multitude of birdlife. Amboseli
is most famous for its elephants. The setting is nothing short of magnificent!
Sunday, September 4 - 5, 2011
Amboseli National Park
Amboseli Serena Lodge
Location
Amboseli is located on the Tanzanian border in the
imposing shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. At 19,341 ft
(5895 m) it stands proud as the highest mountain in
Africa. Game abounds on the mountain, mainly in the
dense, lower forests though some climbers have seen
herds of eland as high up as the saddle between the
two peaks, Mawenzi and Kibo.
The 390 sq. km Amboseli National Park is based
around a series of swamps, all fed from Kilimanjaro’s
melt-water, which are lush, green and provide a lifeline to the wildlife of the area. In
comparison, the surrounding land is all part of an ancient lake bed and there still
remains an area on the western side of the park where a perfectly flat dry lakebed is
the backdrop for mirages and spectacular scenes as animals cross in search of water
and grazing..
Amboseli is home to an astonishing amount of wildlife – big mammals include
buffalo, hippopotamus, giraffe, eland, zebra, wildebeest, lion, leopard, cheetah and a
host of birdlife – but it is most famous for its elephants. For over 35 years the
Amboseli Elephant Research Project (AERP), established and still run by celebrated
conservationist Cynthia Moss, has been monitoring individuals and family groups
and, in the process, has created a safe haven for these giants. There are now over
1,400 recorded individuals within the Amboseli ecosystem and sightings for tourists
are amongst the best in East Africa.
Monday, September 6, 2011
Amboseli/Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy
Sweetwaters Tented Camp
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Tel: (+254) 202842000 or 6232409
Fax: (+254) 202718103 or 6231965
www.serenahotels.com/serenasweetwaters
Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip for your flight to Nairobi.
Here you will connect with your flight to Nanyuki where you will be met and
transferred to your accommodation, arriving in time for lunch and afternoon safari
activities.
A sheltered oasis, clustered around a waterhole and set in the pristine calm of a
private wildlife conservancy, Sweetwaters Tented Camp is in a class of its own.
Abounding with wildlife, unfettered by the more rigorous strictures of the Kenyan
National Parks and designed to offer a charming blend of under canvas ambiance and
uncompromising luxury, it has long been the preferred retreat of wilderness and
safari lovers alike. One of only four private game reserves in Kenya, Ol Pejeta
Conservancy excels in the provision of privileged seclusion and private game
viewing.
Accommodation is provided in nicely appointed tents, set under thatch, with en-suite
facilities and private verandah. 25 of the 30 tents overlook the waterhole. Some of
these tents are built on stilts to gain a better view of the waterhole. Within the
quaint, original farmhouse is the dining room, bar and reception with its superb
accommodation, personal service, first class cuisine and outstanding array of
activities. There is also a swimming pool for cooling off during the mid-day heat.
The camp enjoys spectacular views over the alternately lush and golden plains
towards the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya. With this camp we will maximize
our photographic opportunities with Mt. Kenya as a background. Because the Camp
has its own private waterhole and saltlick, guests may enjoy unprecedented close
encounters with the wildlife in the sanctuary of their natural habitat.
Wednesday/Thursday September 7 - 8, 2011
Old Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy
Sweetwaters Tented Camp
Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the closest place from Nairobi to see "The Big Five" (lion,
leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo). It is also the Largest Black Rhino Sanctuary in
East Africa, boasting a population of 78 black rhino! Its other wildlife includes white
rhino, giraffe, zebra, eland, oryx, waterbuck, Grant’s gazelle, Thompson’s gazelle,
cheetah, silver-backed jackal, hartebeest and baboon. The conservancy also boasts
several hundred bird species. Ol Pejeta Conservancy has the highest ratio of game to
area of any park or reserve in Kenya.
This park is one of the few parks in East Africa that allows night game drives, and we
have the chance to seek out the elusive nocturnal wildlife or behold the thrilling
world of predators stalking their prey. A night game drive is a must!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Old Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy/Maasai Mara National Reserve
Mara Serena Lodge
Masai Mara Game Reserve
Tel: (+254) 202842000 or 5022253
Fax: (+254) 202718103 or 5022382
www.serenahotels.com/serenamara
Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airport to board your flight to the
Maasai Mara National Reserve. You will be met at the airstrip on arrival and
transferred to your accommodations, arriving in time for lunch and afternoon wildlife
activities. One of the Classic Mara Safari Lodges, set high on a bush-cloaked hill,
embraced by arcing vistas and washed by a sea of richly rolling grasslands The Mara
Serena Safari Lodge is our next stop.
Daily game drives (each drive is accompanied by knowledgeable guides and
equipped with full safari picnics). We will have
Optional Balloon safaris over the Mara followed by a
champagne breakfast (at additional expense). This
camp has Short Nature walks surround the safety of
the lodge with Great opportunities to see and
photograph birds. We will also have an opportunity
to photograph Tribal dancers at night.
Saturday/Monday September 10 - 12, 2011
Maasai Mara National Reserve
The Maasai Mara is located in south-western Kenya, along the Tanzania border,
which forms its southern boundary with The Serengeti. The 1,510 sq. km Maasai
Mara Reserve is managed by 2 different authorities under 2 different names – ‘The
Maasai Mara Game Reserve’ to the east of the Mara River and ‘The Mara
Conservancy’ to the west of the river.
In addition to the Maasai Mara Reserve, the northern and eastern borders of the
reserve are made up of Community Conservation Areas. As the reserve is not fenced,
there is free movement of wildlife between these areas as well as into Tanzania’s
Serengeti, creating one of the largest wilderness areas in East Africa.
Often described as 'the most famous game reserve in East Africa' or 'the greatest of
nature's stages', the Maasai Mara forms the northern end of the vast Mara-Serengeti
wilderness area, home to the Great Wildebeest Migration. Each year, between midJuly and the end of October, almost 2 million wildebeest, zebra, Thompson's gazelle
and other plains game move en-masse into the Mara in search of fresh grazing – at
times the columns of rant animals stretch from horizon to horizon.
During this period the Mara contains the densest predator and scavenger populations
in Africa – they follow the migrating herds, picking off the weak, injured, young and
old. One of the greatest spectacles occurs when the huge herds must cross swollen
rivers to reach new grazing areas. Many do not make it - some drown, others are
taken by crocodiles and many fall prey to predators waiting on the far banks.
The reserve and surrounding conservation areas have a sedentary resident of
approximately 500 lion, 3,000 elephants, 50 cheetah, 100 leopard, 30 black
rhinoceros and 2,500 buffalo. There is always some action going on and we will have
many photographic opportunities.
Tuesday September 13, 2011
Maasai Mara National Reserve/Nairobi
Nairobi Serena Hotel
P. O. Box 46302
Nairobi, Kenya
(0)20 22822000
Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip for your flight to Nairobi.
You will be met at the airport and have a vehicle and driver at your disposal for a
half day. You may wish to do some shopping and arrangements have been made for
you to enjoy lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant.
Location
Situated 4 kilometres from the city center, ‘The Carnivore’ opened its doors in
September 1980 to instant success. The food, service and atmosphere are strikingly
different from anything ever seen in Kenya. The Carnivore is a meat specialty
restaurant and it is justifiably referred to as 'Africa's Greatest Eating Experience'.
Twice voted amongst the world’s 50 best restaurants by an expert panel in
‘Restaurant ‘magazine Carnivore is described as ‘amazing’.
The Food
Every type of meat imaginable including a selection of exotic meat is roasted over
charcoal and carved at your table. Delicious side dishes and an exceptional array of
sauces complement this fixed price feast that also includes soup, a selection of
desserts and Kenyan coffee. Set in attractive tropical gardens, the service and the
décor are outstanding.
‘ ‘The Carnivore’ is also home of the Simba Saloon, a delicious a la carte restaurant
by day and Nairobi's most popular nightclub. The informal indoor/outdoor
atmosphere, exceptional snacks and the pulsating rhythms of Africa combine to
ensure an exciting ambiance.
Wednesday September 14, 2011
Nairobi/Kigali, Rwanda/Parc National des Volcans
Gorilla’s Nest
P.O. Box 79
Ruhengeri, Rwanda
Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airport to check in for your flight to
Kigali, Rwanda. You will be met on arrival and set off for Parc National des Volcans
and your accommodations. Once we have settled in our rooms, the group will meet
for a brief gorilla slide show and tips as to how to photograph these magnificent
primates for the next two days
Gorilla’s Nest Lodge is conveniently located near the park’s headquarters. The rooms
are nestled in a lovely rural setting, which have views of the Eucalyptus forest and
farmland beyond. On the lodge grounds, semi tamed Crowned Cranes are often
available to photograph. Depending on the gorilla scheduling, we may have time for
short side trips and more intensive Lightroom and composition instruction.
At the Gorillas Nest they will have tribal dancers , giving us this additional
photographic opportunity.
Thursday September 15, 2011
Parc National des Volcans
Gorilla’s Nest
After a hearty breakfast, we proceed to the park headquarters where we are
assigned to a group of gorillas. We then drive to the point nearest to our group and
waiting for us are guides and porters. The porters are available for a minimal charge
to carry our camera gear to the location of our Rare Mountain Gorilla group. On our
walk to the gorilla groups, here are numerous stops to discuss gorilla habitat. Our
guide is a highly trained naturalist, who will discuss gorilla behaviour and food
sources of the gorillas.
The rainforest is also home of and countless colourful birds. This will be one of the
most SPECIAL days of your life.
Friday September 16, 2011
Parc National des Volcans
Gorilla’s Nest
P.O. Box 79
Ruhengeri, Rwanda.
Today you will enjoy a second adventure to the magnificent Gorillas. We will have
side trips and photographic instruction depending on our available time.
Saturday September 17, 2011
Parc National des Volcans/Kigali
Following breakfast you will be transferred back to Kigali. Time permitting we will
visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre
We go to the Kigali International Airport where you may check in for your flight to
Nairobi, and then onward to International Flights.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Arrival in USA
WELCOME HOME!!
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Included within Workshop Price
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Meet and greet facilitation
Full board accommodation at Amboseli Serena, Sweetwaters Tented Camp,
Mara Serena Lodge and Gorilla's Nest
Bed & Breakfast accommodation at Nairobi Serena Lodge
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All Safari activities as mentioned
All transfer routings as listed in the itinerary above
All park entry and conservation fees
Photographic Instruction By Jeff Foott in a small intimate group
Flying Doctor's cover for one Emergency evacuation per person whilst on
safari
Two gorilla permits per person. The cost is based on $500 a day
This could change if the price increases to $750 before purchased
H/D disposal of vehicle for lunch and shopping on 13 September
All scheduled flights within Kenya
Extra freight seats for air transfers (exact weight to be announced)
Exclusive use of vehicle while on safari - 1 vehicle per 3 Photographers
Excluded from Workshop Price
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International Flights & Visas Cost to be Advised
Items of a personal nature
Gratuities
Drinks unless otherwise included above
Travel Insurance for Medical and Emergency Evacuation-Mandatory
International Flights –Contact Distinctive Journeys before purchasing
Round trip Kigali Scheduled Flights (approximately $500 per person)
Pricing:
$13,778.00 per person based on double occupancy
$ 1,600.00 Single occupancy
Deposit of $4500 per person (includes two day gorilla passes) is due in order to
reserve your space. The deposit is non refundable December 20, 2010. The final
payment is due on April 1, 2011 and is non refundable. Credit cards are only
accepted via Paypal via www.distinctive-journeys.com. Click under Make a Payment.
For Paypal payments add 3%.
Mail payments to:
Distinctive Journeys
270 Mars Hill Rd.
Powder Springs Ga. 30127
To Reserve Your Space Contact:
JANIE BULLARD
Janie@Distinctive-Journeys.com
Janie Bullard
Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Agent
Janie can send you to Space! Or Other Worldly Destinations!
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Distinctive Journeys
A Virtuoso Travel Company
www.virtuoso.com
www.distinctive-journeys.com
janie@distinctive-journeys.com
770-888-6677 - local phone
888-419-6677 - toll free
270 Mars Hill Rd.
Powder Springs, GA 30127
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