In the Land of the Long White Cloud

Breathtaking views, inspiring instructors and workshop comrades combine to make a fun and unforgettable art and learning experience in New Zealand. Incorporating some of the best landscape photography scenes in the world - beautiful lakes and snow capped mountains to glaciers and ice cliffs - these dramatic New Zealand landscapes will offer you new vistas while you develop useful skills. 

Whether you are a passionate artist who works just for your own satisfaction or a professional who is planning to launch or further develop your photography career, you will find enormous inspiration here.  

Like all PODAS workshop events, this workshop is carefully planned to provide the optimal learning experience; the combination of place, people and high-performance photography gear combine to create an environment guaranteed to inspire and delight.

We start our journey in Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand. You will spend the first four nights at the new 5-star Hilton Hotel on Lake Wakatipu, just minutes from the airport and nestled close to Deer Park where Lord of the RIngs was filmed. Deer Park's alpine views have also been part of advertising shoots and films such as Wolverine (X-Men) and Walt Disney's The Rescue.

PODAS instructors
Each of our PODAS instructors is an award-winning, professional photographer who has developed a unique style, a successful practice, and can guide you through many stages of photography - from visualization to workflow processes and various digital imaging techniques.

Mike Langford has lived and worked out of Sydney Australia for twenty years and now lives in Queenstown New Zealand. He is the co-director of the Queenstown Centre for Creative Photography along with his partner and professional photographer Jackie Ranken.

Jackie Ranken is a multi award-winning landscape art photographer who has established herself as a master photographer with her unique black and white aerial imagery. In addition to their individual talents, Mike and Jackie’s extensive local knowledge make them excellent guides to the best of what the region has to offer.

Christian Fletcher, recipient of the 2011 AIPP Australian Landscape Photographer of the Year award, has more than 20 years of professional photography. Trained in traditional photo techniques, he has evolved with the digital revolution, and is able to offer the skill and understanding required to master the craft. His expert knowledge of digital file processing for example, will be an invaluable aid for participants who want to extract the greatest level of image quality from Phase One images.

The legendary panoramic landscape photographer Ken Duncan will share with you his years of shooting experience - including and offer insights regarding how to market your own work and, if you wish, to publish books of your own. Recognized internationally as a gifted and prolific landscape photographer, Ken still chooses to describe himself as "... an average photographer, with a great God - merely an interpreter of God's creation". The art, he says, is in seeing, capturing and presenting these images to others. And this Ken does with his own unique style and his exceptional ability to capture the very spirit of a place at a given moment in time.

Agenda (TENTATIVE)

Day one
Pickup at airport, receive camera kits, intro, test shoot.

Day two
Sunrise shoot at Coronet Peak, world-renowned Ski Slopes. Classroom sessions by Jackie Ranken on the Art of Seeing and Capture One processing techniques Sunset. Sunset shoot at Bennetts Bluff.

Day three
Sunrise shoot at Crown Range for Sunrise. All day shooting in picturesque Rees Valley. Sunset shoot over Queenstown.

Day four
Late start to paradise on the other side of Rees Valley. Up the Ernslaw Burn (via helicopters), a unique valley with cascading waterfalls, ice cliffs and alpine views. Shooting at Glenorghy, known from the Lord of the Rings movie. Afternoon session with Ken Duncan and after dinner session with Mike Langford.

Day five
Depart Queenstown for Crown Range through Wanaka and the Lindis Pass to Mount Cook. Location shooting at Lake Pukaki. Check in to the famous Hermitage Aoraki Lodge where all 5 star rooms have a view of the mountains and Mount Cook. Download images and work on our images. Sunset shoot from the Hermitage area. 

Day six
Sunrise shoot. Depart for the Glacier where we will be met by glacier explorer boats. Travel up the glacier lake through ice flows for some amazing shooting opportunities. Christian Fletcher will guide guide us through his unique imaging techniques. Work on images to prepare for the next night’s presentation.

Day seven
A special morning’s shooting in the upper reaches of the Tasman Glacier. We are met at the airport and split into groups. We will be flown up to the top of the mountain by ski planes. Together with Alpine guides, we will explore the glacier. Each group has time to shoot and return by helicopter to the airport and from there to the hotel. Return camera kits and finish processing image files.

Grand Farewell dinner, during which there will be an audiovisual presentation of all the work done by participants during the workshop.

Day eight
Depart to Queenstown for departure from airport or personal travel arrangements.

What to bring
Once you are registered we will stay in touch with you preparing you for the workshop. Your fee covers everything: transportation to and from photographic locations, instruction, hotel room, meals, beverages.

You will receive a Phase One 60-megapixel IQ160 camera system to use throughout the workshop (system comprises a Phase One 645DF camera body, IQ160 back and lenses). Phase One will also provide you a free licensed copy of Capture One Pro and Media Pro, a camera bag that is yours to keep, 2 cps. 30 x 40 prints from the images of your choice and an assurance of great photographic fun! All you need to bring is a sturdy tripod, CF cards and your computer.