Carnarvon Gorge Photography Tours
Hone your camera and processing skills while exploring Carnarvon Gorge with Nathan White Images and Carnarvon Gorge Eco Tours
Explore one of Queensland’s most awe-inspiring landscapes and lift your photography game at the same time! In the company of local naturalists, gain an intimate understanding of what makes Carnarvon Gorge so special. At the same time, learn how to capture it through your lens with expert photography guidance to ensure you go home with some incredible images.
4 Day All Inclusive
$1575 per person
If you want us to handle everything (transport, accommodation, and catering at Carnarvon Gorge) this workshop will look after you from Day 1. We’ll book your accommodation, prepare all meals and snacks, and shuttle you around the Gorge as needed.
2pm July 27th – 10am July 31st, 2024.
2pm August 2nd -10am August 6th, 2024
4 Day Self-sufficient
$660 per person
If you intend on traveling to Carnarvon Gorge already and don’t need accommodation or catering, this is the one for you! We’ll still shuttle you around the Gorge so the group stays together, you look after your own accommodation and catering.
3.30pm July 21st- 5pm July 24th, 2024.
3.30pm August 10th – 5pm August 13th, 2024.
1 Day Intensive
$180 per person
Explore three of the Gorge’s major sites with expert photography tuition and an experienced nature guide for a jam-packed day up the track. You get yourself out here and sort out your own accommodation and catering, we handle the rest.
7am – 4pm on April 19th, 20th, or 22nd, 2024.
7am – 4pm on May 10th, 11th, or 13th, 2024.
7am – 4pm on July 26th, 2024.
Meet your photography instructor...
Hi there!
My name is Nathan and I specialise in travel, landscape and commercial photography.
I have been working as a photographer for the past 12 years servicing clients throughout Central Queensland in a variety of industries including building and construction, tourism, tertiary education, small business, hospitality, events and agriculture. My work has been featured via inflight magazines, billboards, state-wide tourism marketing campaigns and various other publications.
While I enjoy working in the commercial photography industry, my true passion lies in photographing landscapes and wildlife. I love being outdoors exploring the natural world, and I especially love passing on the knowledge that I have gained over the years to others that are just starting out in photographic journeys.
I look forward to meeting you on tour and I hope that I can inspire you in your learning and help you to capture some incredible images of Carnarvon Gorge.
4 Day Photography Workshop: All Inclusive
We supply the lot! Transfers around Carnarvon Gorge, all accommodation, food, and complimentary drinks. All you have to bring is yourself and your camera gear.
Highlights.
- Towering sandstone cliffs.
- Learn how best to use polarising filters.
- Photograph iconic locations like the Moss Garden and the Amphitheatre.
- Understand the cultural and ecological significance of the Gorge.
- Explore moss covered side gorges only an arm span wide.
- Witness a pastel coloured sunrise from Boolimba Bluff.
- Editing and post processing tutorials.
- Encounter and photograph wildlife up close.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival and Welcome. Check in is from 2 pm. Once you have arrived, feel free to relax and enjoy your room and the park facilities. At 3 pm we will all meet so that you can spend the afternoon getting to know the team and the other participants while discussing the exciting days ahead and covering some photography basics
- Day 2: Explore and Photograph the Lower Gorge. Today on our 14 km round trip we’ll visit three of Carnarvon Gorge’s most diverse and well-known sites.
- The Art Gallery; our first major stop. We’ll introduce you to some of the world’s most significant stencil rock art and the scientific and cultural meanings behind some of the 2000+ motifs created by Karingbal and Bidjara people at this important ceremonial site.
- The Amphitheatre; stop number two takes us into the cliff through a narrow fissure which opens out into a geological marvel. Here we can focus on a variety of photo compositions ranging from the dramatic entry, narrow passageway and the incredible vertical shaft inside. All great opportunities to work with wide angle compositions and high dynamic range lighting.
- The Moss Garden; hosts the largest spring in Carnarvon Gorge. Learn how the local hydrology drives the permanent springs and the cultural significance the location holds for both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Photographically, this is the perfect location to work with polarising filters to cut through glare and increase saturation and contrast. There are also numerous spots along the walk to capture cascading streams surrounded by moss covered rocks and delicate ferns.
- Back to camp; we’ll keep an eye out on the last leg home for wildlife as the golden hour approaches. Once we are back, you’ll have time to relax and rest your weary legs. For those with a bit left in the tanks, we’ll head over to the platypus viewing area late in the day to see if we can capture this elusive aquatic mammal on camera.
- Day 3: Side Gorges, Stars and Post Processing. Today we’ll head into two narrow canyons, learn the ropes on sprucing up images digitally, and then head out for some night photography.
- Mickey Creek and Warrumbah Gorge each have their own character. Mickeys is more open, while Warrumbah turns into a slot canyon not far from its mouth. Here we’ll find plenty of opportunities for macro work, wide angle shots and polarising filters.
- After lunch it’s time for some editing and post processing. We’ll review the images we’ve captured so far and use Adobe Lightroom to learn how to get the most out of our RAW files using various editing tools and techniques.
- After dinner, we’ll head out for some astrophotography, if the weather is fine, learning the settings and techniques for capturing a great shot of the Milky Way. If the skies are cloudy, our backup option is to head into Warrumbah Gorge and practice light painting techniques.
- Day 4: Boolimba Bluff, wildlife and wrap up. For those that don’t mind waking up before the birds chirp, we’ll set of to capture the sunrise from Boolimba Bluff. This 6.4 km return walk has many stairs as it takes us up to the top of the northern cliffs via a steep, water-worn gully. The reward for all that hard yakka is watching the early morning sun light up the southern cliffline and the Great Dividing Range.
- In the afternoon we’ll stay on top of our post processing and use the Nature Trail and Day Use Area to search for wildlife to photograph. Birds, wallabies, kangaroos, echidna, and platypus are some of the usual suspects. There are two stepping stone creek crossings to deal with of a similar standard to those encountered up the Main Track on day 2.
- Day 5: Breakfast and check out. After a hearty breakfast it will be time to say goodbye and start the drive to your next destination (with a swag of cracking images on your hard drive).
What to Bring
- Your camera – a DLSR or mirrorless camera is recommended.
- A range of lenses; e.g. 16-35mm/24-70mm/100-400mm or a travel zoom such as 24-105mm.
- Lens filters if you have any. A circular polariser is recommended.
- Spare camera batteries and memory cards.
- A lightweight tripod.
- A comfortable, weatherproof camera bag/backpack with rain cover.
- A laptop/tablet for post-processing.
- Outdoor clothing suitable for a variety of weather conditions (sturdy boots, hat, warm clothing and rain jacket/poncho) and a water bottle.
- A moderate/high level of fitness. You will be hiking with a camera bag/backpack. Day 2 involves 14 km of walking and Say 4 involves hiking up to a lookout. However, we will be moving at a leisurely pace with plenty of stopping to appreciate our surroundings (and to photograph them, of course).
Accommodation – Studio Cabin
4 Day Photography Workshop; Self-sufficient
We supply the Photography Instructor, transport around the Gorge and the Guide. You get yourself out here and organise your own accommodation (options below) and tucker. The itinerary remains the same for the 4 day all inclusive workshop.
We Supply
Photography Instructor
Nature Guide
Transport to and from accommodation
You Supply
Transport to Carnarvon Gorge
Accommodation at Carnarvon Gorge
Food and Drinks
1 Day Intensive
These intensive one day courses will help you build new skills and polish the ones you already have, using one of Australia’s iconic landscapes as your subject. Michelle or Simon will help you understand the Gorge and its natural and human history while Nathan helps you capture its essence on camera. The itinerary is the same as Day 2 of the 4-Day Workshop, visiting the Art Gallery, the Amphitheatre, and the Moss Garden.
We Supply
Photography Instructor
Nature Guide
Transport to and from accommodation
You Supply
Transport to Carnarvon Gorge
Accommodation at Carnarvon Gorge
Food and Drinks
Accommodation Options:
Big 4 Breeze Holiday Park – Carnarvon Gorge
Cost: $$$-$$$$$
Options: Campsites, powered and unpowered caravan/tent sites, permanent tents, a range of cabin options.
Open: All year.
Notes: Breeze has the greatest range of accommodation options in the Gorge. Early in the 2024 season they will complete a significant upgrade with new cabins and a bistro next to Reception.
Carnarvon Gorge Wilderness Lodge
Cost: $$$$$
Options: En-suite Safari cabins.
Open: Seasonal.
Notes: The Lodge restaurant is back in 2024, prioritising in-house guests first and then public bookings second (call a few days beforehand and try your luck if not staying in-house). There are also communal kitchen areas where you can store food and cook. Basic cooking equipment is supplied.
Sandstone Park
Cost: $$
Options: Large unpowered sites with the world’s cleanest portaloos.
Open: March 20 to Sep-Oct school holidays.
Notes: Sandstone Park is all about space. The sites are large. Each has its own fire pit and the cleanliness of the shared portaloos consistently rates in their online reviews and feedback. Oh, and the elevated location offers magnificent views without the need to walk, if you wish.
National Park Campground
Cost: $
Options: unpowered sites suitable for tents, off-road campervans, and campertrailers. Communal toilet block. No showers.
Open: QLD School Holidays except Dec-Jan. Online bookings only.
Notes: If you don’t mind being self-sufficient and the opening times suit your travel plans, this spot is right in the mouth of the Gorge. You won’t need your car to access the Main Track.