Brochure of our South African photo safari hosted in Kwa-Zulu Natal from 19 - 24 June 2016

1. © iCAPTURE Photo Safaris

2. WHY ZIMANGA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE?
© Zimanga Game Reserve

3. Zimanga, in KwaZulu Natal, is the first reserve, in Africa, designed
to specifically satisfy the needs of today’s wildlife photographers and
enthusiasts, as well as safari clients who have a deeper appreciation
for the bush. iCapture Photo Safaris offers all guests an unhurried and
exclusive experience.
Spread over 6000 hectares of pristine bushveld, fever tree forests and
rolling hills, Zimanga Private Game Reserve is bisected by the Mkuze
River and home to a huge variety of animals and birds.
From rhinos, leopards to wild dogs, lion, elephants and cheetahs - nearly
every sought-after sighting is accounted for. There are over 400 bird
species recorded at the reserve.
Zimanga Private Game Reserve has been nurtured and developed by
the Senekal family over the last decade and now opens its gates as
Africa’s first photographic reserve which offers unique features that will
be music to the ears of wildlife photographers and enthusiasts alike.
Zimanga Private Game Reserve offers traditional game viewing, with
no more than two clients per row and is home to several state of the art
photographic hides built under the guidance and supervision of “The
Invisible Wildlife Photographer”, Bence Mate.
These hides are unique in their design and execution in Africa and are
already producing potentially award-winning photographs.
It is the intention of Zimanga Private Game Reserve to become Africa’s
premier photographic reserve, as the owners are committed to the continual
development, and will strive to push the boundaries of photographic hide-
design. This ensures that clients of all levels of photographic experience
and ability leave with imagery that they will treasure forever.
This photography workshop appeals to both
photographers and non -photographers alike!
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4. PHOTOGRAPHIC HIDES
© iCAPTURE Photo Safaris

5. There are currently three photographic hides on Zimanga, including
two Bird Bath Hides or Reflection Hides, called the Mkhombe and
Bhejane hides named after the isiZulu words for white and black rhinos
respectively.
The larger Lagoon hide recently opened its doors to photographers.
These hides have been designed and built by the owners of Zimanga
Game Reserve and Bence Mate who is not only a former winner of the
coveted BBC wildlife photographer of the year award in 2010 but is a
world authority in hide design, construction and photography.
Bence has previously built hides on his farm in his native Hungary as
well as Costa Rica and South America, but these are his first hides
in Africa. Planning and building hides of this caliber is an exhaustive
process. First a location is selected from an extensive short list before a
mini hide (or test box) is installed and used for several months allowing
the design and positioning to be adjusted, sometimes by the tiniest
degree, to ensure that the lighting, focal lengths, backgrounds and
animal behaviour all fall in to place so that the photographers produce
images of startling quality and originality.
Each of the hides is designed for its potential subject whether it is a large
mammal like a giraffe or elephant or the smallest of birds like waxbills
and twinspots. The photographers are invisible to their subjects behind
specially imported one-way glass so as not to startle the subject with
any movements or sounds.
Photographers are seated on comfortable executive-style chairs, which
glide effortlessly and quietly on across the wood laminate flooring.
A solar-powered air conditioning unit situated in the roof of the hide
controls the temperature and humidity within.
The hides are spacious and soundproofed with carpet on the walls to
muffle the sound. The carpets themselves are inlaid with a fine silver
thread to eliminate mildew growth in such close proximity to a water
source.
The hides allow photographers a non-intrusive method of wildlife
photography and although the subjects are free-roaming, and hence
no sighting is guaranteed, the hides tip the balance heavily in favour
of the photographer to get that amazing shot.
Please note the following important factors when deciding to visit the
hides at Zimanga Game Reserve:
• Be aware of minimum focal distance limitations on your lenses,
Mkhombe’s drinking edge is 6m away and Bhejane’s 4.5m.
• Tripods, Benro gimbal heads and mounting brackets are provided
to guests at no charge.
• There are no toilet facilities close by so please limit your intake of
fluids and coffee during the hide sessions.
• The hides are dark to minimise reflections from inside, and are
mostly underground. Please be aware of this if you suffer from
claustrophobia.
The Overnight Hide: Umgodi Hide
Umgodi means Warthog burrow in isiZulu. The hide is newly build for
capturing animals such as giraffe, buffalo, rhino and elephant from
ground level as they drink from, and occupy, a waterhole. This hide
will present photographers with opportunities for three hide sessions in
one, starting with a late afternoon backlight session, to using adjustable
lights for night photography and lastly an early morning session as the
sun rises over the Lebombo mountains behind the hide.
Semi-permanent Bee-Eater Hide
This hide has been built as a mobile hide capable to being moved
from one location to another, enabling viewing from the best seasonal
locations within the reserve. For these reasons, the hide is only erected
once every few months. The semi-permanent hides can accommodate
up to 2 photographers.
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6. GAME DRIVES

7. Game drives on Zimanga Private Game Reserve are in a converted
Toyota Land Cruiser with three rows of seats behind the driver. As a rule
the Game drives on Zimanga Private Game Reserve guarantee every
guest a window seat. This allows for more room for kit as well as the
ability to shoot from both sides without anybody sitting directly next to
you. This is ideal for photographers and non-photographers alike who
enjoy a bit more space and freedom of movement.
As a reserve Zimanga Private Game Reserve encourages clients to
spend as much time as they like at any particular sighting. Due to the
very low number of vehicles on the property at any one time you will
never have to abandon a sighting to make room for another vehicle.
The game drive guides that we use are all highly experienced as well
as accomplished photographers in their own right, so they will be able
to position the vehicle in the best light as well as anticipating any action
that is about to occur.
You will also be accompanied at all times by an iCapture photographer
who will be able to assist with any photographic queries, and offer onsite
advice. iCapture photographers are also available for any photographic
related queries and workshop content ahead of time.
Should a subject be inaccessible from one of the tracks then Zimanga
Private Game Reserve game viewers are permitted to off-road to get
you into that perfect shooting position. This is particularly important
when following a predator on the hunt! With most of Africa’s larger
predators in residence as well as plenty of various prey species, this
is a common occurrence on Zimanga Private Game Reserve.
During each game drive there will be an opportunity to stop for
refreshments. In the morning tea and coffee are served with rusks
and in the afternoons cool drinks, beers, wine or selected spirits are
served shortly after sunset allowing photographers to make the absolute
most of the last of the Sun’s rays in the Golden Hour. Start times vary
according to the seasons.
Wildlife photography at Zimanga Private Game Reserve Private
Game Reserve
Using the specially designed photographic hides and iCapture
photographers, this course will give clients the skills to take excellent
wildlife photographs and make sure they return home with pictures
worthy of their trip of a lifetime. The whole course is designed to be
as practically applicable as possible so that clients can improve their
photography while on safari and enjoy the experience at the same time.
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8. COURSE CONTENT & PROGRAM
10:00 Departure from Durban Airport to Ghost Mountain Inn lodge.
For more information about your accommodation please visit
their website www.ghostmountaininn.co.za or contact our
booking agent Desert Ace Tours & Charters.
15h00 High Tea.
15h30 Game drive.
20h00 Dinner.
Day 1: 19 June 2016
Day 2: 20 June 2016
05h30 Morning tea and meeting for morning game drive
or hide session.
10h00 Breakfast.
14h00 Workshop 1: Presentation on Wildlife
Photography Techniques.
15h00 High tea.
15h30 Game drive.
20h00 Dinner.
Day 3: 21 June 2016
05h30 Morning tea and meeting for morning game drive or hide session.
10h00 Breakfast.
14h00 Relax.
15h00 High Tea.
15h30 Game drive.
20h00 Dinner.

9. 05h30 Morning tea and meeting for morning game drive
or hide session.
10h00 Breakfast.
14h00 Workshop 3: Image discussions.
15h00 High Tea.
15h30 Game drive.
20h00 Dinner.
Day 5: 23 June 2016
Day 4: 22 June 2016
05h30 Morning tea and meeting for morning game drive or hide session.
10h00 Breakfast.
14h00 Workshop 2: Importing & editing your images in Lightroom.
15h00 High Tea.
15h30 Game drive.
20h00 Dinner.
Day 6: 24 June 2016
05h30 Morning tea and meeting for morning game drive or hide session.
10h00 Breakfast.
11h00 Transfer Back to the Durban Airport.
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10. WHY JOIN THE iCAPTURE TEAM?

11. 1. We are passionate and dedicated to our craft.
Our team of photographers have medical and corporate backgrounds,
which makes us passionate about people and our craft, with an added
touch of professionalism.
2. We have guided many photographers.
We are well respected in the industry and have conducted workshops
& personal mentoring sessions for many other local and international
photographers.
3. Our team offers variety.
Our team of photographers have different qualities and specialties
covering not only wildlife and bird photography but also macro and
landscape photography. This gives our guests the opportunity to improve
their skills on a variety of levels.
4. We believe in personal growth
We take our own constant development seriously, and regularly
participate in seminars & workshops to continue to develop our craft,
and experiment with a variety of techniques.
5. We believe in teamwork
As a dedicated team of passionate photographers, we all live in the same
city, which makes it easy for us to share and learn from each other’s
experiences and constantly exchange knowledge. Every detail of each
safari is discussed and planned in detail to provide you a photographic
experience which is exclusive, and of high quality.
6. We have a strong relationship with our suppliers
As a team we ensure that we build a strong relationship with each
of our hosts and suppliers, in order to ensure we offer you the most
competitive packages of high caliber, in order for you to experience a
memorable safari.
7. We create memories
Our reward is seeing that you get the shots and capture images you
can cherish for many years to come. We hope that you can join us on
this journey.
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12. iCAPTURE PHOTOGRAPHER PROFILES
Camera: Nikon Full Frame (Fx)
Favourite lens: Nikon 28mm – 300mm
Favourite genre: Wildlife & Bird Photography; Night Photography (Landscapes)
Favourite wildlife subject: Elephants
Most memorable experience: We were photographing at Etosha National Park in Namibia, and a herd
of approximately 60 elephants came for a drink at the Rietfontein waterhole. They were playing bathing,
running and dusting for hours at end. I had camera shakes of excitement.
Helene Wiggitt
Anna-Mart Kruger
Camera: Nikon Full Frame (Fx)
Favourite lens: Sigma 150mm – 600mm
Favourite genre: Wildlife & Bird Photography; Macro Photography; Landscape Photography
Favourite wildlife subject: Lions
Most memorable experience: Hide photography at Zimanga Private Game Reserve.
To get this up close and personal with nature and wildlife is an exquisite experience on
more than one level

13. Camera: Nikon Full Frame (Fx)
Favourite lens: Nikkor 55mm - 300mm
Favourite genre: Wildlife & Bird Photography; Landscape
Photography; Animalscapes Photography
Favourite wildlife subject: Leopards
Most memorable experience: My best memory was at the Kruger
National Park. Twelve years of constant searching for wild dogs
finally paid off when I saw a pack of 25 wild dogs right in front of me
in the road. My heart was racing for hours thereafter. This was just
the adrenaline rush needed to have me hooked on nature for life!
Petri AckermannEstelle Ackermann
Camera: Nikon Full Frame (Fx)
Favourite lens: Nikkor 80mm - 400mm
Favourite genre: Wildlife & Bird Photography; Landscape Photography
Favourite wildlife subject: Rhino
Most memorable experience: We went to Madikwe Game Reserve
for Petri’s birthday in 2014. A herd of 40 elephants crossed the river
literally 10 meters away from our front porch. We could not believe
our luck, and saw this as the best birthday present ever.
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14. COSTS
© iCAPTURE Photo Safaris

16. ADDITIONAL INFO

17. Important Notes
• If you can, please bring with your laptop with Lightroom installed
for the practical workshop sessions. It’s not a necessity, and you
are welcome to take notes during the workshop.
• Please bring a memory stick or external hard drive for the workshop
notes.
• We will have 3 double rooms and 4 single rooms available. Room
upgrades are available at additional costs. Please inform our
booking agent, Desert Ace Tours & Charters, of your upgrade
request when making your booking.
• Should you rather want to fly in to the close-by town of Mkuze- it
can be arranged and you will be supplied with the necessary info
and cost breakdown.
• As previously mentioned, travel insurance can be arranged
through Desert Ace Tours & Charters.
Most of the hides are equipped with a top
quality tripod but is also set on wheeled dollies,
so switching photographic direction is easy!
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