Namibia Safari Photo Workshop
- 13 Days
From $13,995 - Interests
- Culture & People, Landscape, Night Sky, Wildlife
- Activity Level
- Easy
- Group Size
- 5
The Complete Namibia Photography Experience — Limited to Just 5 Photographers, with serious teaching and better timing at the key locations
Namibia gives photographers an incredible amount to work with—wildlife, enormous desert landscapes, abandoned towns, night skies, and opportunities to photograph the Himba people. But getting to these locations is only part of a successful photography workshop.
Our Namibia workshops are intentionally limited to just five photographers so we can be beside you when it matters. At Deadvlei and Sossusvlei, we’ll help you find compositions as the first light reaches the dunes. At Kolmanskop, we’ll work through rooms together and look at how changing light, shadows and perspective can completely change an image. On safari, we’ll help you anticipate wildlife behavior and make decisions before the moment disappears.
Our job isn’t to build our own portfolios while you’re photographing. We’re there to help you build yours.
You can read our past Namibia trip reports to see what it’s like to be with us in Namibia.
Highlights
- Just 5 Photographers – More room in the field, more one-on-one help, and a better overall experience.
- A Complete Namibia Photography Experience – Photograph Deadvlei, Etosha, Ongava, Kolmanskop, the Himba, and Namibia’s night skies in one carefully designed workshop.
- Three Nights Inside the Park at Deadvlei – Be in position for the best light without losing valuable time driving in from outside the gate.
- Wildlife, Culture, Landscapes, and Night Sky – Create a more varied portfolio while learning how to handle very different photographic situations well.
- After-Hours Access and Hands-On Teaching – After photographing Namibia for over ten years, we’ve learned how the light moves through the buildings and which rooms become interesting at different times. We’ll help you work with leading lines, shadows, color, depth, and the shapes created by the moving sand. We’ll also encourage you to move beyond the compositions you’ve already seen online and find images that feel like your own.
- Smooth Logistics and Upgraded Lodging – Namibia covers a lot of ground, but the trip itself is designed to feel smooth, organized, and well supported from beginning to end.
What You'll Learn
- Wildlife: anticipating behavior, shutter speed, autofocus, subject separation, and environmental wildlife compositions.
- Landscapes: lens selection, foregrounds, visual balance, simplifying compositions and working with changing light.
- Kolmanskop: lines, shapes, shadows, perspective and controlling highlights inside dark buildings.
- Night skies: exposure, focusing in darkness, foreground planning, and Milky Way composition.
- Culture: respectful interaction, environmental portraits, available light, and telling a story rather than simply making a portrait.
- Post-processing: reviewing what worked, understanding what didn’t, and developing the images once the photography is finished.
Your Guides
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Kevin Lisota
Aug 21–Sep 2, 2028 -
Mike Wardynski
Aug 18–30, 2027
Activity Level
You will have a 30-minute hike on sand dunes when walking into Deadvlei, and when walking around Kolmanskop. There will also be some long days in dry heat.
This tour has an activity level of Easy. Read more about the Activity Levels for our trips.
Itinerary
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This tour offers opportunities to photograph wildlife. We'll maximize our chances of encountering wildlife, but we want to remind you that we don't control wildlife and cannot guarantee encounters with particular species. Itineraries for wildlife trips are subject to change based on wildlife activity.
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Day 1: Arrive in Windhoek
Arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) before 1:00 PM on this day. Air travel delays are possible, so please consider arriving early, possibly the day prior. We don't want you to miss out on trip activities. Airport transfer is included on arrival.
You will be transported by private car to our lodge in Windhoek, and we will enjoy our first meal together in the beautiful surroundings.
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Day 2–4: Etosha National Park and Ongava Private Game Reserve
We will be on safari in Etosha National Park and Ongava. These parks offer the widest variety of wildlife in Namibia. Etosha is known as the “great white area” because of the tremendous dry pan in the park’s center. The pan forms a unique backdrop and offers terrific contrasts in color. Ongava is renowned for its intimate encounters with some of Africa’s most sought-after wildlife.
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Day 5: Ongava to Spitzkoppe
After a morning game drive, we will head towards Spitzkoppe. Along the way, you will visit a Himba village. You can meet and photograph some of the local community, who will happily demonstrate elements of their traditional lifestyle for compelling environmental portraits.
Spitzkoppe’s distinctive shape has earned it the nickname “Matterhorn of Namibia.” This area offers photographers some of the best night sky and Milky Way photography opportunities.
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Day 6: Walvis Bay
After a sunrise shoot and breakfast, we drive further to Walvis Bay. The main attraction here is Sandwich Harbor. We’ll finish the day with a sunset drive through the rolling dunes of Sandwich Harbor. Overnight at a hotel in Walvis Bay.
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Day 7–9: Sossusvlei and Deadvlei
From Walvis Bay, we travel to Sossusvlei. We stay inside the national park for three nights, giving us access to Deadvlei at dawn to photograph the iconic camel thorn trees in silhouette against the red dunes.
We’ve photographed Deadvlei many times, so we already know where we want to be as conditions change. And because there are only five photographers in our group, we’re able to move between everyone and help while the light is happening—not discuss what we should have done after it’s gone.
We will also have photo sessions of the surrounding dunes in Sossusvlei, the iconic area you frequently see in photographs. Optional helicopter flights above the dunes are available this day.
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Day 10: Sossusvlei to Kolmanskop
Today we will head south towards Lüderitz, passing through the spectacular scenery of the Tiras Mountain Conservancy and a section of the NamibRand Nature Reserve. We’ll spend the afternoon and early evening photographing the famous ghost town of Kolmanskop.
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Day 11: Kolmanskop to Quiver Tree Forest
It’s up early this morning for another visit to the historic ghost town of Kolmanskop. We’ll then travel to the Quiver Tree Forest for sunset and night photography. The quiver tree is one of Namibia’s most fascinating and characteristic plants. Quiver tree refers to the traditional use of the branches by Bushmen and Hottentots tribes to make quivers for their arrows.
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Day 12: Quiver Tree Forest to Windhoek
We will have a morning shoot before returning to Windhoek, with photo stops and lunch. We should arrive in Windhoek before dinner. Group dinner is at a favorite local restaurant where we’ll celebrate an amazing safari.
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Day 13: Departure
We’ll be transferred to the Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) in time for our onward international flights.
Departure from Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH). You can book your return flight for anytime this day. Airport transfer is included on departure.
Accommodations
We choose accommodations for two reasons: comfort and photographic advantage.
In a destination like Namibia, where distances are long and the days can be full, where you stay matters. We select upgraded lodges and guesthouses that help the trip run more smoothly, keep you closer to key photography locations, and give you a more comfortable place to recharge at the end of the day.
Our preferred accommodations may vary by departure, but typically include places such as:
- Olive Grove Guesthouse for a welcoming start and finish in Windhoek
- Andersson’s Camp for comfort and strong access to wildlife areas
- Spitzkoppe Lodge for dramatic scenery and night sky opportunities
- Dead Valley Lodge for the major advantage of staying inside the park near Deadvlei
- Ongava Tented Camp for the strong access to wildlife in a reserve we love to visit
- Sossus Dune Lodge for faster access and later nights inside the park
- Timbala Game Reserve for access to the wildlife
These are not random choices. They are part of how we make the photography and the overall experience better.
Why Travel With Us
Our small-group trips are designed for photographers, with guides who know the best locations and offer instruction to help improve your photography. Read more about why you should travel with us.
Testimonials
My first photography workshop was with Kevin Pepper in 2014; Nova Scotia. I knew I made a good decision when he rescued a very expensive lens that I let roll out of my camera bag into a puddle of water at Peggy’s Cove. Kevin’s patience, a great sense of humour and excellent technical and composition tips made for me, an inexperienced landscape photographer at the time, a memorable workshop. Since then, it’s been workshops in Newfoundland, the Yukon twice, Mongolia, Namibia and Paris; all with Kevin. His knowledge of these and other locations and with his local contacts, means a key understanding of the best locations and also the ability to make quick changes due to weather or other conditions. Logistics with regard to accommodation and meals have never disappointed; even a last-minute birthday cake when it came up it was a client’s birthday on a particular day, demonstrates his level of care.
The amazing Kevin P, who never sleeps. Our fearless tour leader herding and organizing us cats, added incredible value in finding just the right spot at just the right time for dynamic photos including recommending camera settings for the best shot. Also wandering ahead to find new and interesting things to photograph. Encouraging and helping us to improve our photo skills. Kevin P has been to Namibia so many time he knows all the good spots and what to do.
The remarkable local guide, Mr. T is unbelievably dedicated, attentive, helpful, an eagle eye spotter, talented and knowledgeable who enlightened us by imparting his vast and insightful knowledge of animals, Namibia history and customs.
Akari's Namibia tour is packed with a wide variety of photographic opportunities from safari wildlife, to unique and surreal landscapes, to historic architecture. This was our fifth African safari. Although we saw many of the same animals on this trip as on other safaris, we came back with "dream" images that we previously never had the opportunity to take. We have been on pro photo tours on 7 continents. We never had anywhere near the guiding, instruction, real-time feedback, and post-processing expertise that Kevin Pepper and his support team provided.
Dates & Prices
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Aug 18–30, 2027$13,995 USD Per PersonDouble Occupancy$1,750 USDSingle SupplementRegister3 Spots LeftGuides: Mike WardynskiGroup Size: 5Payment Terms: Deposit: $2,000 USDBalance Due: Apr 20, 2027
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Aug 21–Sep 2, 2028$14,995 USD Per PersonDouble Occupancy$1,925 USDSingle SupplementGuides: Kevin LisotaGroup Size: 5Payment Terms: Deposit: $2,000 USDBalance Due: Apr 23, 2028
All of our standard Terms & Conditions apply. Be sure to read our Cancellation Policy.
What's Included
- Double occupancy lodging. Single lodging is available with payment of a single supplement fee.
- All transportation during the tour.
- Airport transfers at arrival/departure.
- All meals, soft drinks, water, and snacks during the tour.
- English-speaking local guides.
- All permits and entry fees.
- Instruction, guidance, and image reviews from our expert photography guides.
- Personal pre-trip phone consultation.
What's Not Included
- Airfare to and from destination, airport taxes, and excess baggage fees.
- Passport and visa fees, if applicable.
- Travel medical & evacuation insurance (required).
- Trip cancellation insurance (optional but recommended).
- Optional helicopter flight.
- Gratuities for local guides & crew.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Any accommodations or meals before or after the tour dates.
- Items of a personal nature.
Prepare for Your Trip
Please review our photography travel resources, including know your camera and our camera gear list, to help you plan your trip. Before your trip, we’ll contact you with more detailed gear recommendations specific to your trip.
Also, get a head start on your workshop learning experience with our wildlife photography tutorials and night sky photography tutorials.