Far North Queensland
Confident Landscape Photographer Retreat
A small-group photography journey in tropical Far North Qld
Over several days, this retreat blends iconic landscapes, relaxed learning, and personal guidance — without pressure or rush.
Is this retreat right for you?
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Confident Photographers
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You want to better understand your camera and composition techniques
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You enjoy learning in small, supportive groups
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You want iconic locations without pressure
Your Photography Journey:
Cairns - Cape Tribulation - Port Douglas - Atherton Tablelands & beyond
Day 1 | Arrival Cairns and transfer to Port Douglas
• Pick up from Cairns airport / accommodation and minibus drive to Port Douglas
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• Check into Port Douglas Hotel (min 4 star) Hotel for 3 nights .
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Pre dinner intro meeting and discussion of camera gear and settings as per below. No such thing as a silly question! Topics covered include...
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• camera settings / menu settings / lenses / manual settings / focusing methods / tripod setup / memory cards / remote triggers / white balance / light meter ruler / long exposures / shutter speeds / aperture settings / the exposure triangle / composition /camera sensors / monitor settings for editing / Apps that assist with planning Milky Way shots and more…
• Evening meal
Day 2
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5am start heading to waterfalls on the Atherton tablelands. A leisurely full day getting ones feet wet learning composition and focusing. Breakfast picnics or lunch all included as is all dinners at the hotel. Alcohol excluded.
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On this session you will shoot in full manual mode and begin the process of being in control of your camera.
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Evening editing session after dinner in hotel where you are taught the importance of workflows (importing, folder setup, Lightroom and Photoshop, basic editing and exporting parameters for web and print)
Day 3
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5am start heading to Cape Tribulation for a day of shooting beaches, mangroves, rainforests and wildlife. Breakfast and picnics and lunch included .
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Dinner at hotel then evening / night workshop at local high viewpoints to teach night sky shooting and focusing techniques. Hopefully Milky Way will be visible depending on cloud cover. All of these retreats are set around new moon phases to take advantage of dark skies.
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Finish 10pm or earlier / later depending on group consensus (fatigue) or individuals can be ferried back to the hotel if they wish to finish earlier than other students.
Day 4
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5am start for a more local day at Mossman Gorge and surrounds. We will be creek shooting with emerald green water plus wandering off to local beaches and cane fields.
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Night shooting workshop back near Port Dougls till 10pm or later depending on Milky Way position and intro into timelapse photography using intervalometer on camera.
Day 5
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7am start.
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Checkout of Port Douglas Hotel and journey to Chillagoe for a day of shooting caves and red dirt. Shooting the Milky Way and local mining smelters at night.
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Stay in Chillagoe overnight and continue shooting landscapes and birds for those who have long lenses.
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Check into Chillagoe Motel / Hotel - Not guaranteed 4 star due to location.
Day 6
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6am - Dawn shoot Caves with Indigenous rock art. Continue exploring and shooting Chillagoe and surrounds.
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Return to Cairns after Chillagoe for drop off or evening meal to conclude retreat.
Inclusions
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All pickups and drop-offs
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All transportation in minivan / SUV (hence baggage limitations for 5 passengers)
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All hotel fees (minimum 4 star in Port Douglas) and meals excluding any alcohol
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All tuition – Photography and Editing
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In cases where hikes mean we are away from a café or restaurant then snacks / lunches / water / soft drinks are included.
Unlock The Basics
This photography tour is for confident photographers who are wanting to further push their knowledge and skills and practice other techniques not learnt yet. This includes timelapse, focus shift / stacking, zoom compression, interval timer shooting and how to stitch photographs together to take wide panoramas.
Skills You’ll Master
By the end of this week tour you will be able to:
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Set your camera correctly for shooting RAW
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Shoot manually / shoot using Aperture Priority
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Set your camera shooting profiles correctly
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Change lenses
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Understand what different lenses do
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Understand F stops and Aperture and focal lengths
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Understand and be able to focus correctly
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Correctly expose a shot
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Understand exposure compensation
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Understand white balance
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Understand a cameras dynamic range capability
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Understand camera sensors
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Import images from camera to laptop and desktop
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Download editing software and install
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Understand computing requirements
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Import images into Lightroom and create catalogues
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Edit RAW images
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Export images for print use and web use
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Understand monitor settings for editing
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Understand night time focusing techniques for Astro photography
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Understand long exposure photography and settings
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Understand timelapse settings and camera positioning for star spirals
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Know which app to download to assist with Milky Way / other star positions
Confident Photographers Equipment list
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Tripod with level (ball head tripod recommended with bubble level on legs anda separate bubble on ball head (not critical for two bubble levels) – Manfroto are a good entry level Tripod
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A DSLR or mirrorless camera (cropped sensor or full frame) that has full manual capability (M) on dial
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Any lenses you have for the camera (Prime, zoom or telephoto)
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Any lens filters (ND filters) if you have any
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128GB Memory card
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Camera to laptop data cable OR memory card reader
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Camera battery charger
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2 batteries (minimum)
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Remote trigger (if you have one)
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Good walking shoes
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Sand Fly repellent
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Lightweight jacket (evening shooting)
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Lightweight warm jacket (evening shooting)
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Lightweight trousers for outdoors
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Head torch
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Hat
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Sunglasses
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Laptop (if you have one) if not don’t worry you will be shown
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Lens wipes or old soft T-shirt for cleaning lenses
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Clean camera sensor (you can ask a camera shop to do this for you prior to your tour)
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Clean (no mould on lenses) Lenses. You can ask a camera shop to check this for you prior to you tour
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Mobile phone to download free version of Camera / Star locations App
Gallery of Previous shoots of Far North Qld
 Don’t Miss Out!
Book Your Spot In the Far North Qld Confident Landscape Photographers Retreat today!
This is the perfect opportunity to unlock your potential as a photographer. Whether you’re new to the world of cameras or looking to enhance your skills, this beginner's tour will set you on the path to capturing stunning landscapes. With expert guidance and hands-on tuition, you'll leave with more than just beautiful photos—you'll gain the confidence and skills to pursue photography independently. Spots are limited, so book now to secure your place!