2020/21 Dates coming soon
For Tour Fee please contact us.
This is an opportunity to witness and photograph what is often called “the greatest wildlife show on earth.” Kenya is a country that keeps giving, with its stunning array of animals living in a huge territory that allows them to roam freely. The diversity of wildlife is vast, and seeing them in this habitat is much like going back in time. Add to that the land of the Maasai, ancient and fearless warriors who live in harmony with the wildlife as if there were no other ways to live. See and photograph a ‘morani,” or warrior wearing an enkuraru, an ostrich feather headdress that in earlier days was worn during raids and wars to intimidate and give psychological advantage by its added height. Learn about the mandatory circumcision ceremony that all men must endure without anesthetic and without crying out, or shame would befall them.
We will advise you on which equipment is best to bring and work with you to get the most out of your experience. Lessons will be given daily on a wide range of topics to inform and help you reach your goals. We believe that lessons combined with field experience is the best way to learn and we will challenge you to raise your game. Do you want to make a book? We will help you with your capture, then teach you the software.
We are photographers, so we understand what you want to see. The unusual. The extraordinary. That right moment with the best light. That incredible image that tells a special story that will live in your portfolio for years.
ITINERARY
Day 1 Nairobi
Arrive in Nairobi. Our guides will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel, Serena Nairobi, well known for its exceptional standards and five-star hospitality.
Overnight at Serena Nairobi
Day 2 Nairobi-Maasai Mara
After breakfast, we will have a brief orientation meeting. Then we will drive to the local airport for a short flight, approximately 45 minutes, flying over and to the Maasai Mara. Upon arrival, we will have a quick lunch and then immediately head out for our first game drive.
We will be staying at the Mara Bush Camp, a mobile camp that is tucked away in a forest on the banks of the Olare Orok River, situated in the heart of the Maasai Mara. This tented camp is small and offers personalized service to make you feel at home. Your walk-in tent will overlook the seasonal Olare Orok River and its numerous hippos. The camp is for the visitor who appreciates simplicity and privacy away from mass tourism and wants to enjoy an authentic “safari” experience rather than a large, crowded lodge with a swimming pool and entertainment.
Since we will be spending 3 days here, we will have access to an adjoining lounge tent if you want to work on your images, talk tech with your fellow photographers or just relax with a book. The camp is fully solar powered with a back-up generator to keep your equipment fully charged. All meals at the camp are freshly prepared by the camp’s head chef. If you want to sleep under canvas in the real African bush with Maasai men as your company, then this is the place for you.
Accommodation: Mara Bush Camp
Day 3, 4 & 5 Maasai Mara
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a large game reserve which is technically an extension of Tanzania’s renowned Serengeti National Park. It is named in honor of the Maasai people and their description of the area. “Mara” means “spotted” in Maa, their language, which was their interpretation of a land covered with trees, scrub, savannah and shadows of clouds across an endless sky. It is well known for its exceptional population of Maasai lions, leopards, cheetahs, and the annual migration of zebra, Thomson’s gazelles and wildebeest to and from the Serengeti every year. All members of the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and black rhinos) are found here. In addition, it will not be unusual to see giraffes, hyenas, hippos, gnu, jackals, topi and hartebeest. We will be near the river so our location will give us quick access if a crossing begins.
Day 6 & 7 Maasai Mara-Mara Serena Lodge
We will rise early to take an early morning game drive to catch the best light, then take a break for breakfast. Afterwards, we will drive across the Mara River to Mara Serena Lodge, which was designed to simulate the Maasai manyatta circular home, blending international sophistication with raw African beauty. Each room has its own view of the Mara River, well positioned to experience “the greatest wildlife show on earth.”
The lodge sits up high above the savannah, giving us the opportunity to get first notice if a crossing of zebras or wildebeest is imminent. Mara Serena is situated so that the herds will be coming toward us, giving us a fantastic angle to work from. Since we are close, we can get to our best spots quickly to capture the amazing action that will be happening.
Accommodation: Mara Serena Lodge
Day 8, 9 & 10 Maasai Mara-Entim Camp
Entim Camp will give us a unique and private perspective on crossings of the Mara River since tourists who are not staying here will not be allowed in this area. This tented camp sits very near the Mara River with a vista of a favorite crossing point. This is the main artery of the great herds crossing over from Tanzania. The plains will be filled with wildlife, some moving on within a great migration and others as predators, looking for an opportunity to hunt.
Day 11 Entim Camp-Nairobi
Early in the morning and with the best light, we will take one more game drive to capture the beauty of this country. We will then take a short flight to a private airport in Nairobi. Our guides will transport you to Ole Sereni Hotel, which sits alongside Nairobi National Park and is conveniently located between Nairobi’s international and regional airports. Here you can relax for the rest of the afternoon by the pool, dine overlooking the park and spend the overnight in preparation for your flight the following day.
End of Tour
Please Note: Some changes may occur to this itinerary based on weather conditions or new opportunities that may arise. We will make every attempt to keep our tour as close to the original itinerary as possible
For Tour Fee and more details please contact us at info@internationalphotocenter.com
About the Instructor
John Rizzo is an award-winning photojournalist and educator. He has produced large projects for commercial clients such as the New York Mercantile Exchange, Corning Inc. and Pfizer. His photographs have been published in The New York Times, Newsweek (US, China, Japan, China, Korea and Espanol, The Overseas Press Club, Bloomberg, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Fortune and Money Magazines. He has covered the events of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, The Russians of Brighton Beach, The Maasai of Northern Tanzania, The Joplin Tornado and many others. He has been the principle at John Rizzo Photography since 1984.