August 1st begins with a quick Orientation in Cusco and bag-packing for the jungle – we’ll help you sort through all the items you brought into one neat bag (medium sized) with our camera gear separate. We’ll be able to leave our mountain clothes and hiking gear in Cusco at our B&B. Packing is a crucial exercise in order for us all to be comfortable yet keep things conveniently accessible throughout the 6 day expedition. We’ll head into town for a great meal prior to hitting the sack early for the 25 minute flight down to the Amazon.
We’ll arrive in Puerto Maldonado (PM), hop onto our own comfortable motorized canoe and head straight to our first overnight at Tipishca Lodge – along the way, our guide Oliver will orient us with talk of animals, birds, history and safety. At the lodge, we’ll unwind with some delicious local delicacies and an afternoon de-briefing with Florian’s photographic tips. We’ll prepare for the first photographic excursion with a camera-trap demonstration which we’ll leave at a carefully selected spot while we move on to other camps. Who knows what we’ll capture after three days and nights….we’ll pass this first night here before we head further up river, but will be back for another night on the return from ARCC.
Thus, we push on up-river to Amazon Rainforest Conservation Center (ARCC) Lodge at Lake Soledad - a conservation and development center of sustainable projects with more than 6500 hectares in concession. They develop responsible tourist activities for the benefit of the natural resources the local villages located in the neighborhood. The rich fruit laden forests around Lake Soledad support the highest mammal densities; one can see 6-8 monkey species, huge flocks of White-Lipped Peccaries, Tapirs and Macaws. Within the forest bird diversity reaches its peak – sightings might include Bluish-Fronted Jacamars, Striated Puffbirds, Cream-colored Woodpeckers, Rufous Motmots or Pale Winged Trumpeters.
Along the course of the river Las Piedras, you can expect to see Red and Green Macaws, Squirrel Monkeys, Spectacled Caiman, Side-Necked Turtles, Capybaras, Black Skimmers, Horned Screamers, Amazon kingfishers and many other riverside birds. There are several macaw and parrot clay licks, abundant wildlife - notably the Capybara, Howler monkeys, Capuchin and Squirrel monkeys are also common along the river edges.
We’ll pass two nights and three full days around the ARCC and Soledad areas, while the flora and fauna keep us amazed, we’ll be hard at work on some jungle basics such as flash photography in the jungle darkness. This is one reason why night photography can be so effective – we have most of the ideas already built into our working process. Flashlights and on-camera flash are essential for this night-time activity.
Another demonstration will be the mini-studio – maybe an amphibian, maybe an insect or a plant – we’ll gather our models, create a basic background and set up our lights. Truly hands-on imaging.
Each of these exercises will be demonstrated and then we’ll push off as a group, but work independently within the group to create our own images. Each evening we’ll review our favorite edits and discuss ways to refine our work and create a cohesive body to present at the end of the workshop. Some direct-partner time with Florian and Adam will be available to each workshop participant through the course of the trip.
While the jungle is most suitable to the 35mm system, medium and larger formats are perfectly adaptable and welcomed. Our checklist in FAQ section recommends camera and lenses - essentially you could bring any type of camera which describes your personal vision effectively. We are familiar with most of the formats and can offer insights into working conditions with these systems as well as the basic 35mm set up while in the jungle and the Cusco area.
We will celebrate our week’s work with a slide show and festive peña of live music, drink and traditional food at the Weintraub compound prior to heading to The Sacred Valley and then the optional excursion to the monumental Machu Picchu.
