- WILD AFRICA -

Instructors: Mital Patel & David Erichsen

Group Size: 12 - 2 Spots Open!

Dates: July 28-August 6, 2026

Tuition: $12,000 (Payment plan information below.)

If you’ve ever wanted to photograph some of the most amazing wildlife this world has to offer, while feeling like you’ve stepped into a real world version of the Lion King, then look no further! Come join our photographer guides, David Erichsen and Mital Patel, for an amazing 10 days in Africa! We will be taking 12 lucky participants with Sunworld Safaris through Nairobi National Park, Samburu National Reserve & Masaai Mara National Reserve to photograph all the wildlife one can handle. From lions to elephants, hyenas, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, leopards and so much more, you better empty those memory cards and charge those batteries, because your camera is going to be hard at work!

We will also take a day to visit with and learn about the culture of the Maasai Tribe! Oh and did I mention that we will be timing this workshop with the migration of the famous wildebeest? From July to September, nearly 1.5 million wildebeest, zebras and topi, travel from the Serengeti to Maasai Mara in search of food and water. With some luck on our side, we will be able to photograph this magnificent migration as they cross the Mara River.

Alright, we’re almost done with discussing the awesomeness of this trip, so here’s just a few more details! We will have four amazing safari vehicles set up for these excursions, with each participant having their own row. This allows for flexibility to photograph wildlife from both sides of the vehicle. Mital and myself will rotate our time with participants in each vehicle throughout the workshop. So, what do you say? Ready to witness the beauty and amazingness of Africa?!

What You Will Learn:

• How to create stunning and emotional wildlife imagery.

• How to discover and utilize your camera to its fullest capabilities.

• How to create a variety of scenes with multiple lenses and how to think “outside the box.”

• An understanding for light and how to take advantage of it in all conditions.

• How to bring your wildlife imagery even more to life through post-processing.

• An introduction to black and white photography for wildlife photography.

• How to pick your jaw up off the floor because you’re experiencing the real life version of “The Lion King.”

What You Will Need:

• A DSLR or mirrorless camera body.

• An assortment of lenses. NOTE* - It is HIGHLY recommended to have at least a 400mm or longer lens for this tour. If you need help renting a lens, please contact us and we will be more than happy to help. Recommended focal lengths are: 24-70mm, 100-400mm, 600mm.

• A circular polarizer for your mid-zoom.

• At least the trial version of Lightroom or Photoshop on your laptop.

• Multiple batteries and required power converters for Africa (Type G).

• A valid passport, visa and required vaccinations for Africa.

• A desire to learn, have fun, be flexible, and experience some of the most breathtaking wildlife in the world!

What's Included:

• Accommodations based upon double occupancy.

  • Single occupancy rooms available for $1650.

• Transportation within the workshop, including domestic flights, and transfers to and from hotels.

• Photo safari jeeps for every excursion with a local park guide.

• All meals and filtered water.

• Bean bags for lenses and cameras.

• On-hand post-production and critique sessions.

• Post-processing video set.

• Wifi at the hotel.

• Access to our brains 24/7.

Itinerary:

DAY 1 (July 28): Nairobi National Park
Our first together in Kenya will begin with a meet & greet brunch at 11:30 A.M. at our host hotel in Nairobi, the Crowne Plaza. We will all get to know one another, discuss our itinerary and plan our photographic goals for our workshop! We will then depart after to Nairobi National Park, the only National Park in the world within a city, in search of black and white rhinos. This will be a great opportunity to get your cameras warmed up for the week ahead!

DAY 2: Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve
After breakfast, we will depart for our short flight out of Nairboi to Samburu National Preserve. Once we land, our guides will pick us up, help us get settled into our amazing lodge, and then shortly after, we will head out for our first of many game drives in Samburu!

DAYS 3-4: Samburu National Reserve
Each day, we will have morning and afternoon game drives in search of incredible wildlife. Samburu has some unique wildlife that only resides here, for example, the grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx and the Somali ostrich.

DAY 5: Samburu National Reserve & Maasai Mara National Reserve
After a final morning game drive, we will head to the airstrip for a quick flight down to Maasai Mara National Reserve. When we land, we will head on over to the Mara Serena Lodge, get settled in, have lunch, and then head right out for our first game drive in the stunning Maasai Mara. While staying at the Mara Serena Lodge, we will be focusing on documenting the iconic great wildebeest migration! This lodge puts us within a short drive of some of the most iconic crossing regions of the Mara River.

DAYS 6-9: Maasai Mara National Reserve
We will have morning and evening game drives each day, filling our memory cards with wonder scenes! Halfway through, we will swap over to the a different area of the reserve, staying at the Mara Bush Camp. Once on this side of the park, we will begin our focus on the big cats!

DAY 10 (August 6th): Maasai Mara National Reserve to Nairobi

On our last day of this amazing expedition, we will have a final morning game drive in Maasai Mara. After breakfast, participants will transfer to the airstrip for flight to Nairobi departing approximately 11 A.M. Our workshop will officially wrap after breakfast.

If you are joining us on our additional Amboseli National Reserve expedition, we will depart from Maasai Mara Airstrip to Amboseli at approximately 11 A.M.

Where Will We Be Staying?

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World - The Great Wildebeest Migration

Experience the African Culture

During one of our workshop days, we will have the opportunity to visit with the Samburu Tribe and to learn about their culture and way of life in Africa. We will get to tour their homes, chat with them about their day-to-day lives, sing, dance, learn how to create fires and more! Of course, there will be time for portraits as well!

Physical Requirements:

There will be minimal hiking involved in this workshop and we will be in safari jeeps for our excursions. The ride on the safari jeeps can be bumpy. Those with back or neck injuries should consult with their doctor prior to registering. Restroom breaks can be minimal while on game drives due to safety reasons with leaving the vehicles.

Where To Fly Into:

You will want to arrive and depart from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. It is highly recommended to arrive a day or two prior to our workshop start to avoid any issues with travel delays. There are a variety of airlines that fly to this airport including American Airlines, British Airways, Qatar Airlines, United Airlines, Emirates and Lufthansa.

Workshop Start & Wrap:

Our workshop will begin with a meet and greet lunch in Nairobi at our host hotel at 11:30 A.M. on July 28th. We will conclude our workshop on August 6th at the air strip in Maasai Mara around 11 A.M. Please note, you will have an approximately 60-90 minute flight back to Nairobi from Maasai Mara which is included in the workshop. We will then have a driver ready for you at Wilson Airport in Nairobi upon your arrival who will take you to your required destination (hotel, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, etc.). We recommend booking a late evening flight back home if you plan on starting your journey back on the final day to allow for possible flight delays / traffic.

Additional Amboseli National Reserve Expedition - August 6-9th - $3500

Minimum of 3 participants required.

If you have Mt. Kilimanjaro and some of the last big tuskers in the world on your photo bucketlist, we invite you to join our Amboseli National Park extension. Amboseli is home to some of the last big tusk African elephants, and we will be putting forth all the effort we can to document them in this location. We will have six (three sunrise, three evening) game drives in Amboseli where we will focus primarily on photographing these incredible animals and their herds. This will include keeping an eye out for the infamous, Craig. Craig is considered a “super tusker”, and is one of the few remaining elephants with tusks that weigh over 110lbs, so if we come across him, that is the icing on the cake!

Included in this package extension:
- Flight from Maasai Mara Airstrip to Amboseli.
- Flight from Amboseli to Nairobi.
- 3 nights stay at the beautiful Ol Tukai Lodge.
- Safari jeeps and local park guides.
- Unlimited duration daily game drives.
- All meals and filtered water.

About Your Instructors:

Payment Options:

We want nothing more than you to come join us for this incredible workshop in Africa, and that’s why we are breaking down our tuition payments into increments that we feel will make this workshop affordable for all!

Payment 1 - 25% of total tuition - Due upon registration

Payment 2 - 25% of total tuition - Due by July 31, 2025

Payment 3 - 25% of total tuition - Due by November 3, 2025

Final Payment - 25% of total tuition - Due by February 3, 2026

*Please note that each deposit is non-refundable unless we can fill your spot. It is highly recommended to obtain travel insurance in case of an emergency and you cannot attend the workshop.

Significant Others:

If you’ve ever been on one of my workshops, you know that I truly support that these moments should be shared with your significant other. Due to the limited availabilty of seats within the safari vehicles, spouses (photographer or non-photographer), must register as a participant.

JOIN THE ADVENTURE!