There's no other place in the world like New Zealand. It is a land of enchantment filled with incredible beauty north to south. We'll photograph striking coastlines, electric blue lakes, snow covered mountains, lush rainforest, soothing waterfalls, and so much more!

There is no shortage of iconic scenery on the southern island of New Zealand! Over the course of eleven days we'll drive around the entire island to photograph it's best sights. New Zealand is known for its dramatic weather, but don't let that scare you because dramatic weather often leads to dramatic photographs! It is very common to see spectacular dappled light as the clouds dance across the sky.

After countless hours of research and over a month of shooting on the south island we have compiled the best locations into an unforgettable workshop that will have your jaw on the floor the entire time as we drive the circumference of the island. Seriously, this place is amazing!

Although, this trip is obviously geared towards photographers, we think that nature loving (and patient) spouses will have a good time on this trip as well since the scenery is constantly changing and the views are spectacular.

We're excited to see you in the southern hemisphere!

Day 1: We will meet for orientation as well as go over the specifics of the workshop. We'll depart Christchurch in the early afternoon in order provide plenty of time to arrive at our first sunset location. The Moeraki Boulders resemble massive dinosaur eggs on the beach and a few of them are cracked open revealing interesting textures.

Days 2 & 3: We'll get up early for sunrise to shoot the Moeraki Boulders one more time before traversing to the the west side of the island. This drive is rather long so we'll stop for lunch along the way. When we arrive on the west shore we'll drive through Fiordland National Park to the famous Milford Sound. If the light is good we'll make stops along the way to help break up the drive. Since our lodge is located in Milford Sound, we'll get to experience it after most of the tourist have gone home for the day!

On the following morning we'll rise early to take a cruise through the entire Milford sound. Here, we'll have the opportunity to photograph waterfalls that are only accessible by boat. Sometimes dolphins and seals are visible in the sound too! We'll take a midday break after our cruise and then chase the light throughout Fiordland National Park for the rest of the day.

Day 4: We'll shoot one last sunrise in Fiordland before packing up and taking a rather leisurely drive to the beautiful town of Wanaka. Along the way, we'll stop for some great views of lake Wakatipu before continuing on to our destination. Wanaka is famous for its lone tree that grows out of Lake Wanaka. It's an incredible scene and one that cannot be missed when visiting the south island.

Day 5 & 6: Waking up before sunrise, we'll head to the lakefront to shoot the Wanaka Tree one more time. After the morning light fades, we'll get breakfast and drive to Mt. Cook National Park. This area is a jaw dropper and that is why we'll be staying two nights here. First we'll see the electric blue waters of lake Pukaki. Then we'll head into Mt. Cook National Park. If weather permits we'll do a hike to one of two glacial lakes that often have icebergs floating in them! The hikes can be a little on the long side for some folks, but it is possible to sit them out and still shoot incredible images from behind the hotel simply by taking a short hike that leads to a fantastic view of Mt. Cook.

The following morning we'll take a 20 minute hike to shoot sunrise by beautiful Mueller lake with mountains in the backdrop. After sunrise we'll have a bit of break for breakfast and catch up on any sleep that is needed. In the afternoon we'll head over to Alexandria Lake and Lake Tekapo. Depending on weather conditions, we'll either shoot Lake Tekapo or Mt. Cook for sunset.

Day 7: One week in and there's still so much to see! We'll shoot one more sunrise in Mt. Cook before heading north to the Fox Glacier area. Here we'll photograph lush rainforest and Lake Matheson which often has mirrored reflections of the southern alps!

Day 8: We'll shoot sunrise in the Fox / Franz Josef Glacier area before continuing up the coast to Hokitika Gorge. The water in the the gorge is so incredibly blue that it has to be seen in order to be believed! From here we will head a bit further north to shoot the coastline of Moutukiekie.

Day 9: Instead of eating pancakes for breakfast we'll be shooting a place called Pancake Rocks. Sometimes when the surf is high, water will splash out of a rather large blowhole adding even more drama to the scene. After shooting we'll get some breakfast (pancakes if you like) and continue north to one of the most incredible and overlooked locations on the island. Wharariki Beach has a very gentle slope that creates excellent reflections of two massive rocks out at sea. For folks who rather not take the mile walk to the beach there is another incredible spot called Cape Farewell that is only about a three minute walk from the vehicle and is equally as impressive.

Day 10: We'll shoot sunrise at Wharariki before making our way to the edge of Abel Tasman National Park. Here, you'll have a bit of downtime to relax and enjoy the sights before we head out to shoot our final sunset of the trip at the Janie Seddon Shipwreck in Motueka.

Day 11: Does it have to end? We'll pack our bags early and shoot one last sunrise at the Janie Seddon Shipwreck before we drive back to Christchurch. It is a bit of a drive so we'll make a stop midway for some lunch and stretching which will put us back into Christchurch around 2pm. Here we'll say our goodbyes and make sure everyone has had a chance to share their contact info with one another.

The Milford Sound Lodge is just one of the many beautiful locations we have chosen for lodging.

As we do with every workshop we teach, lodging is chosen with utmost care to maximize your workshop experience.

Meet our master instructors and learn what qualifies them to give you a great experience during your workshops! While you're joining us, you will receive comprehensive digital photography instruction and tutoring by our team of award-winning photographers.

My name is Mike Wardynski, AKA Nature Mike.

I’m a landscape and travel photographer based out of Oakland California. Although the city is where I live, nature is where I feel at home. Growing up in rural Michigan, I had the desire to travel and document my adventure along the way.

After graduating with a broadcasting degree and realizing I was a much better photographer than musician, I packed up my van and headed out west to a little park known as Yosemite. There I would spend the next three and a half years working in the wilderness department for The Yosemite Conservancy. It was during those years that I deliberately made the decision to dive headfirst into the photographic rabbit hole for good. While working in the park, I spent much of my time lugging camera gear around the high country and hanging out with my friends at the Ansel Adams Gallery.

I currently reside in the SF Bay Area where I work as a photography instructor. My travels have given me the opportunity to photograph the erupting Kiluaea volcano from air, as well as document dolphins in the Pacific Ocean. I’ve witnessed unbelievable light unfold before me and in an instant disappear. Those are the moments that I live for. I love sharing my passion for photography and nature with others and I’m grateful for the path that has lead me here.

Since New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, November is spring time there. This time of year was deliberately chosen because the mountain peaks will still have most of their snow and we will be there before the hoards of tourists. (Not to mention airfare is less expensive in the off season).

We'll be shooting many of the locations at both sunrise and sunset to increase our odds of getting good light. Most days will have some midday travel time. Some of the drives are short while others are a bit on the longer side. If the light is looking good when we are traveling we will do our best to stop and shoot if there is interesting scenery around us. Since we'll be in New Zealand, the odds are pretty good for both of those situations to align. New Zealand roads are anything but straight, so If you get motion sickness, it is very important to bring along medication that you have tried in the past.

The weather in New Zealand can be quite dramatic, but it will vary depending on where we are on the island. The rainforests can receive thirteen feet of rain annually, while there are other parts of the island that receive less than two feet of rain per year. Dramatic weather means dramatic images! We'll do our best to shoot even if the weather is not on our side. Don't let this worry you too much though, instructor Mike Wardynski spent one month straight on the island with only two days of heavy rain. In November, the average daily temps can range from the low 40s to the the mid 70s. (Fahrenheit) Night temperatures may dip below freezing when we are in the southern alps. Needless to say it is very important to bring layers.

There is a fair amount of walking on this workshop, but the good news is that you can opt out of anything that you do not feel comfortable doing and there are easier locations to shoot from when it comes to the longer hikes that we'll be doing. Below is a list of most of the locations that we'll be shooting that require some hiking.

As stated above, It is very important to bring layers. We recommend bringing the following.

• A light jacket that can be worn by itself or under a heavier jacket.
• A warm winter jacket for cold days and shooting in the Mt. cook region.
• If you get cold easily, you may want to bring long underwear.
• It's a good idea to bring at least one pair of shorts in case we have some warm spells.
• A rain jacket that is large enough to fit over your other jackets.
• Rain pants
• Stocking hat and gloves
• Good hiking boots that are waterproof. (It's no fun having wet feet all day)
• Headlamp
• Umbrella
• Rain sleeve for your camera
• Rain cover for your camera bag
• Some people like to use lightweight trekking poles on longer hikes.
• Hip Waders (Not required, but there are more than a handful of places where they'll help you get a much better shot) Please refrain from bringing chest waders because they are bulky and take up too much space.
• Lastly, bring your swimsuit if you want to take a dip at one of the lodges that we'll be staying in.

• DSLR or mirrorless camera
• Sturdy Tripod. Trust us on this, you're going to want a good one.
• Wide lens 16-35 or similar
• Mid range lens 24-70 or similar
• Telephoto lens 70-200 and or 100-400mm
• 6 stop solid ND filter and potentially a 10 stop solid ND (Breakthrough photography makes some great ones) http://bit.ly/2W2l5eO
• 3 stop graduated ND filter. Both hard and soft can be useful. http://bit.ly/2W2l5eO
• Plenty of memory cards
• Laptop for post processing
• Polarizer filter
• A small towel to wide off gear

Always feel free to contact us at info@apertureacademy.com. We'll do our best to answer all your questions.

The workshop fee is $7,995.00. A $2,000.00 non-refundable deposit will secure your space. On May 1st, 2020, 50% of the remaining balance will be due. On August 1st, 2020 the final remaining balance will be due. Due to the exclusivity of this trip, and the limited number of seats available, refunds are as follows:

• 100% refundable: 180 days (six months) or greater (Minus the non-refundable deposit)
• Seats are transferrable

The workshop/tour price includes:

• Transportation during the course of the workshop
• Professional photography instruction
• Lodging based on double occupancy. If you would like your own room, there is a single supplement charge of $2400.

The workshop/tour price DOES NOT include:

• Transportation to/from New Zealand
• Meals
• Alcoholic beverages
• Instructor gratuities
• Travel insurance (Highly recommended)