Description
Join Wild Arena for exclusive access to Marwell Wildlife Park. Our day will begin with a behind the scenes encounter with the Giraffe and Lemur with the keepers on hand to encourage them into good positions with food. For a more unusual view of the Giraffe we will photograph from a platform bringing us to head height with these majestic animals. After our time with the Giraffes we will split into groups of 3 to go inside the Lemur enclosure and get close up unobstructed views of the Lemurs jumping around in their enclosure. After a brief break for a buffet tea we will head over to the Tropical house as it closes to the public, in here we will have opportunities to photograph the smaller creatures including the popular Leaf cutter ants. A keeper will be on hand to help us with the enclosures and your guide will be able to assist with flash and studio lights during this session.
Our day ends with a sunset safari around the closed park, where we will have access to all the usual animals with no members of the public present, our keeper will still be on hand to help us encourage the animals into the best positions for good pictures. The day promises to give some great opportunities with a real variety of animals and the chance to learn and experiment with new techniques.
• 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 10 photographers
Itinerary
14.00 Arrival
14.15 Refreshments and briefing
14.30 Session 1 Giraffe feed, Lemur feed, Monkey Feed
17.00 Buffet Tea
17.30 Session 2 Meerkats, Oryz, Rhino, Zebra and Kudu
18.30 Tropical house and sunset safari
20.30 Summary and Close (The finish time may vary depending on the time of year but the latest departure will be 20.30)
Please note: The itinerary is provisional and subject to change depending on weather conditions and the availability of the exhibits.
What’s included
Tea/coffee
SandwichBuffet
Full photographic tuition and venue guide
Entrance to the venue
Venue
Hampshire
Marwell Wildlife situated in the heart of Hampshire has a wealth of animals and informative, experienced keepers. Marwell has become well known venue for photographers and is always striving to improve its enclosures for better viewing and natural backgrounds.
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 only 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.
- Refreshments will be provided on arrival and during the afternoon. There is some opportunity to purchase additional food and drink; but it is suggested that you bring anything specific you require.
- 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 digital camera 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.
