Description
Our Big Cats photography day is held at a superb private, charitable, breeding collection in the heart of theKentcountryside. For those particularly interested in seeing and photographing these amazing creatures this venue is unrivalled for the breadth of cats you will see on the day. With special access close to the landscaped enclosures you will be assured of some great personal encounters and picture opportunities.
From arrival at the centre in the morning you will be escorted around the site by an experience Wild Arena photographic guide and one of the parks cat keepers. This should ensure you will not only get to learn lots about the animals that you see but also get good advice on making the most of the picture opportunities. The keeper will do their best to encourage the cats into good positions for shots whilst the guide will advise of the best angles, equipment and techniques to use. During the day we will visit each of the species in turn and take time to watch them and capture any interesting behaviour in pictures.
The cost of running this wonderful venue is high and by attending our workshop you will not only have a great day with superb opportunities to photograph these magnificent Big Cats, but you will also be helping to support a significant element in the international breeding program for several endangered species.
This venue currently offers a wonderful range of big cats to see and photograph including; Amur, Bengal and Sumatran Tigers, African Lions, Cheetah, Amur, Black, Chinese and Clouded Leopards, Pallas Cats, Serval, Lynx and Puma.
• Fitness
This event is suitable for guests of all levels of fitness and involves moderate walking over made up pathways.
• Photography Level
This event is suitable for all levels of photographic experience and good images should be achieved with all cameras equipped with telephoto lenses. The Wild Arena guide will also be on hand throughout the day to support and advice those guests new to this style of photography.
• Disability Access
This venue is accessed via good made up pathways from the gravel car park and entrance gate. The site has disabled toilet facilities and the main building is equipped with access ramps.
Wheelchair users or those guests with specific needs are advised to contact us before booking and we will do our very best to accommodate you.
• Group Size
The normal group size for this event is 12 photographers
Itinerary
10:00: Arrive at Big Cats collection
10:15: Introductions and safety briefing, with light refreshments
10:30: Session One
African, Lions Bengal Tiger, Snow Leopards, etc
13:00: Buffet Lunch
14:00: Session Two
Cheetah, Amur Leopard, Amur Tiger, Sumatran Tiger, etc
16:00: Summary and Close
Please note: The itinerary is provisional and subject to change depending on weather conditions and the availability of the exhibits. Start and finish times are fixed to enable transport planning.
What’s included
Tea/coffee on arrival
Sandwich Lunch with tea/coffee
Full photographic tuition and venue guide
Entrance to the venue
Venue
Kent
Our Big Cats day is held at a private location inKent. This amazing site is run as a charitable trust with the goal of becoming one of the biggest centres for breeding endangered big cats inEurope. The experienced and caring staff are willing to share there knowledge of the animals and explain the circumstances of each cat on site.
Facilities
Tea/Coffee
Toilets
VisitorBuilding
Mains Power
Additional drinks and snacks are available to purchase
Public transport links for the venue are good with a mainline station just a few miles away.
A detailed map, with full directions, will be sent to all delegates before the workshop and a mobile telephone number will be provided in case of any difficulties on the day.
What to bring
- You will be outside for much of the day so you should be dressed to suit the season and weather.
- We suggest you have a water-proof coat in case of rain and waterproof trousers for kneeling down on wet ground. Shelter is available but you should note that all exhibits are outside and hence can not be viewed while using the shelter.
- You are welcome to bring whatever photographic equipment you believe may be suitable. There is some walking involved and you will not always be very close to your vehicle so please ensure you can comfortably carry all your equipment.
- Fill in flash might be useful in some conditions e.g. where the subject is backlit.
- A SLR camera together with standard, wide angle and telephoto lens would be ideal. A zoom lens covering the range up to 300mm will be ample for most situations and shorter focal length lenses will be suitable for close-ups. The layout of the collection even means non-SLR users are able to get good opportunities.
- A tripod or monopod is suggested for use with long focal length lenses.
- Make sure your batteries are charged and ready for action before you arrive but we can access power points for additional charging throughout the day.
- Bring plenty of memory cards or the facility to download cards as its surprising how many pictures you can take in one day.
