DCP Expeditions - Natural History, Wildlife and Conservation photography and film-making from India

Overview

4 nights 5 days of Wildlife Photography Masterclass Expedition to the mystic mangroves of Sundarbans National Park.

DCP Experts

DCP Safety

Entry fees

Meals

Stay

Transport

About The Tour

The Sundarbans National Park, a Biosphere Reserve, is one of the largest mangrove forests in the world, lying on the Delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal. Sundarbans South, East and West are three protected forests in Bangladesh. Described as a World Heritage Site in 1987, this region is densely covered by the mystic mangrove forests, has a complex network of tidal waterways and mudflats, and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. Apart from tigers, Sundarban has an amazing avian biodiversity and some threatened species like estuarine crocodiles and the king cobra.

Quick Information

Route:

Kolkata – Sundarban – Kolkata

Start Point:

Kolkata

Duration:

4 nights 5 days

End Point:

Kolkata

Inclusions

A wildlife photographer's paradise
A forest extremely rich in biodiversity
One of the largest reserves of Bengal Tiger
A/C accommodation for 4 nights and 5 days.
Veg and non-veg breakfast, lunch and dinner during the stay.
Pick and drop from and to Kolkata
All park charges, entry fee etc.
DCP Panel Expert for 5 days.
Local Guide charges

Experts

Ripan Biswas

Masterclass Mentor - Wildlife Photography

Ripan Biswas, has a Masters degree in Environmental Science, is a school teacher by profession and a Wildlife Photographer par excellence by passion. Apart from innumerable awards and recognitions, he is is twice winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Natural History Museum, London. Ripan specializes in macro photography. However, he is extremely passionate about all genres in wildlife photography. He carries with him a rich experience of many years travelling in the forests of North Bengal. He is a magnificient photographer and has a great teaching acumen. He is a trainer, biodiversity expert, a story teller and a Masterclass Mentor for Wildlife Photography for Team DCP, Bengal.

The nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. From there take a cab to reach the Godkhali, which will take approximately 3 hours.

The nearest major railway station is the Sealdah Railway Station and the nearest local railway station is Canning Railway Station. Reach Sealdah railway junction from other cities and then reach the Canning railway station by using the local trains. Further take a private cab to Godkhali to board the boat for the safari.

We will have a pick and drop service from Kolkata. Meeting point will be coordinated by our team eventually.

Getting Ready

Things to carry:

Telephoto lenses – preferably above 300 mm
Carry fully charged batteries for your camera / flash.
Carry battery charger. Carry extra pack of camera batteries
Carry backup memory cards / HDD storage drives, Laptop
Carry a bean bag to stabilize your gears while shooting from safari vehicle
Carry a big towel / cloth to protect your gear from dust
Carry a big cloth / bandanna / scarf to protect you from the dust
Carry good sun glasses to protect your eyes from heat
Sun screens (above SPF 30) are very important
It is advisable to carry basic first aid along with you.
Please carry Odomos to keep you protected from mosquito bites.
Carry a pair of good binoculars

Equipment available on rental - please mail us at rentals@dcpexpeditions.com.

Itinerary

Day 1

We would advise all participants to reach Kolkata on previous night as we depart early by 8:30 am to ensure that we maximize our time in the wild. There are several flights which arrive Kolkata early in the morning. We will arrange for your pickup from airport and we will all travel together via TATA Winger. It will take approximately 3 hrs to reach Godkhali (Gateway to Sundarban). Breakfast will be enroute. This is only a transit and our expedition starts once we leave the jetty. We will be doing photography all the way through the mangroves. Lunch will be served on the boat. We will reach Sundarban Tiger reserve by late afternoon. We will anchor for the night. Night stay will be in A/C accommodation in a hotel. Our expert will have an informal discussion over the photographs taken during the day.

Day 2 - 4

We will leave early in the morning by 5 am for boat safari. Full day photography. All meals on boat. In the evenings, our mentor will have image review sessions, guidance on framing and composition and digital image processing tips and tricks.

Day 5

Full day photography. Return to Godkhali by 3:00 pm and drop to airport by 6:30 pm for departure.

Field Learnings

On field learning from the experts is said to be one of the best methods of improving your skillsets. Our Wildlife Photography Expert will hand hold you at every possible step for a better understanding of perspectives, camera controls and how to make use of the best opportunities to get better images. The training will focus on the following

How to approach Wildlife in the field
Different modes of shooting (Av / A, Tv / S, M and P)
Exposure control in field under difficult light conditions
Mastering metering techniques (Spot, partial, center weighted, evaluative)
Mastering auto focus, focusing points, AF locking and focus tracking for moving subjects
How to get sharp images of moving subjects
Framing and composition in the field
Ethics in Wildlife Photography

Image processing workshop

To maximize and complete your photographic learning, join our evening session of informal discussions on digital image processing. Our Expert will work on few of his own images or a few of yours (which you have clicked during the day) and demonstrate various techniques of image processing to give a final shape to your artwork. The following will be discussed

RAW files processing
Histogram and exposure control
Colour correction methods
Cropping and image resizing
Sharpening, cloning, dodging and burning
Noise reduction
Composition

Package Cost

Rs 30,000 per head inclusive of all taxes
*To know charges for foreign nationals please write to info@dcpexpeditions.com

Cost includes

Accommodation for 4 nights and 5 days
Veg and non-veg breakfast, lunch and dinner during the stay.
Pick and drop from and to Kolkata
All park charges, entry fee etc.
DCP photography expert for 5 days.
Local Guide charges
All taxes and service charges

Cost does not include:

Mineral Water, Soft Drinks, Laundry Charges, Phone Calls, Tips etc.
Any kind of insurance, Medical or/and Emergency Charges.
Any extra meals not included in the above itinerary.

Map

Sundarbans National Park

Policies

Cancellation policy

All cancellations before 30 days of the event date - 100% credit
All cancellations between 20 - 30 days of the event date - 50% credit
All cancellations within 20 days of the event date - No credit possible

FAQ's

Can I get a single room accomodation?

Yes, if available. Then you have to pay some extra charge.

Can a non-photographer join the expedition?

Yes certainly. However, the cost will remain the same

Sundarban National Park – Wildlife Photography Masterclass Expedition

₹ 30,000₹ 36,000

₹30,000₹ 36,000