2024 ICM Sydney Cityscapes & Seascapes Photography Retreat

Come join Judy Stokes for our annual Australian ICM Photography Retreat based at Sydney and timed to coincide with Sydney’s Vivid Festival of Lights and Australia’s Kings Birthday Weekend.  Note that this is a mixed gender photography retreat.

We are extremely fortunate to have collaborated with Judy Stokes – global photographer, intentional camera movement (ICM) mentor to lead out Australasian ICM retreats and workshops.   Judy is recognised across Australasia as a leader in ICM photography.   

This four day, four night photography retreat focuses on cityscapes, seascapes and lights as mediums for you to learn how to create abstract expression ICM images.  

A selection of Judy’s images from our 2023 ICM Sydney Photography Retreat are below – read more about  here

HIGHLIGHTS:

• On arrival Thursday afternoon, begin your ICM workshop with Judy, exploring the ICM concept and  methodologies
• Manly seascapes workshop – capturing images of surfers in action
• Sydney’s laneways and cityscapes workshop
• Early morning sun rise across Lavender Bay, capturing images of the moored boats with Sydney’s Harbour Bridge as the backdrop
• Vivid dinner cruise
• Sunset shoot photographic session
• 2 days of image processing workshop – learning how to edit and preparing your images for printing
• Printing two of your images in A3+ and packaged for you to take home
• Lots of on-location image reviews

This will be a great learning environment with expert guidance, instruction and personal attention. This photography retreat caters to all levels, from beginners to advanced photographers, but you should have a basic understanding of your camera’s settings. 

• A laptop or SurfacePro type device will be required which has Adobe Cloud Photoshop subscription registered and loaded, Lightroom Classic is beneficial to have – if you use different editing software, please reach out to Judy to ask questions
• iPad/tablet with the mobile (free) versions isn’t suitable due to the workflow editing you’ll be learning.
• Your level of Photoshop understanding can at beginner level as Leanne will assist you with gaining confidence

You will leave this photography retreat with new skills, new friends, inspiration and some really, really, stunning photos to show off with two of your favourite images printed in A3+ ready to frame.

Itinerary:

Thursday 6 June

Meet in the foyer of North Sydney’s View Hotel at 3pm.  Once everyone has arrived, you’ll begin with an ICM workshop with Judy,  You’ll also receive your Opal card with lanyard which is topped up with $50 for all your train & ferry trips over this retreat, a beautiful A5 photo diary to take this with you for all our outings and jot down the settings you’ll need.  You’ll also look at the range of professional photographic paper that can choose from to print your finished images on.

Tonight we walk the local Greenwood Hotel for dinner and continue getting to know each other more.

Included: Dinner & accommodation

Friday 7 & Saturday 8 June 

Over the next couple of days, you’ll be departing from North Sydney’s View Hotel each day, there’s lots of places to visit with Judy & Leanne:

• Circular Quay
• Manly for seascapes
• Lavender Bay to capture the sun rising over the moored boats against the backdrop of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge
• Sydney’s laneways and streets
• Queen Victoria Building for amazing architectural photographic opportunities
• Redfern’s Eveleigh railway workshop
• Bangaroo

NOTE: As you’ll be out most of the day, it’s best to have at least 3 batteries for your camera

Included: Breakfast, dinner & accommodation

Friday night – three hour VIVID Harbour Cruise

Sunday 9 & Monday 10

Over these two days you’ll be learning how to take the photos you’ve captured – merging and blending to create the most amazing ICM images.

Monday: On checkout, bring your bags to the workshop and we will aim to finish the day around 2pm/3pm to allow you to travel home late afternoon.

Included: Saturday – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & accommodation

Included: Monday – Breakfast & farewell lunch

What’s included:

• Accommodation – share twin (own room available at additional cost)
• Cooked and continental breakfast daily at View Hotel – coffee station coffee included
• Working lunch Sunday
• Working lunch Monday with Prosecco
• VIVID evening dinner harbour cruise & dinners on other nights
• Transport to all activities outlined using train & ferry.  Some locations are walking distance
• On location ICM photographic mentoring while out and about
• Two day photographic & print preparation workshop using Photoshop
• Lots of photography mentoring by Judy & Leanne
• Printing of two of your favourite images on Epson P706 SureColour photo printer.  Printed in A3+ on professional photographic paper, includes tube and acid free paper to transport your images home without being damaged
• A5 photo diary which is invaluable for making notes on where you’ve visited.

What’s Not Included:

• Travel to North Sydney
• Meals (except where noted)
• Speciality coffees not provided at View Hotel’s coffee station

Cost & Other Stuff

• Share Twin room – NZ$4,300 per person
• Own room – NZ$4,950 per person
• No accommodation – NZ$3,400

Other information

• All prices quoted are NZD
• Camera gear & equipment list available here
• Limited to a maximum of 12
• NZ$500 deposit secures your place
• Book now by paying your deposit – balance of payment is due 6 weeks prior to departure.

CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS APPLICABLE FOR THIS PHOTOGRAPHY RETREAT

• If you choose to cancel your booking, your deposit is non-refundable unless we fill your place
• If we have to cancel we will give you a full refund or you can have your deposit transferred to any of our other events
• Full payment is due 6 weeks before the commencement date and is thereafter non-refundable in the event of your choosing to cancel, unless we are able to re-fill your place.
• We recommend you purchase Travel & Pandemic Travel Insurance to provide cover should you not be able to travel.