Lembeh May 2024. This workshop is organised by Scuba Travel. Contact Caroline@scubatravel.com for waitlist places. FULLY BOOKED

Dates: 29th April  to 10th May 2024 (11 nights).

Scuba Travel are excited to announce that Alex Mustard will be running a fantastic macro photography workshop at the wonderful Lembeh Resort, in Sulawesi, Indonesia. “I don’t think there is another destination or workshop that is as photographically productive as Lembeh,” says Alex. “Add to that the beautiful Lembeh Resort as a base, surely one of the world’s very best dive resorts, and I am certain this will be a very special workshop. As I am only running a single workshop, we’ve extended it slightly, it is a couple of days longer than I’ve previously done in Lembeh, as I know many of you asked for this.”

The Lembeh Strait is one of the world’s most celebrated dive destinations. This 10 mile long sliver of sea is less than a mile wide, constrained between the forested volcanic landscape of Lembeh Island and North Sulawesi, yet is home to 60+ dive sites . Despite its fame and popularity, it is important to stress to those who have not been that Lembeh is not for everyone. Lembeh may be bathed in equatorial sunshine, but this is not a classic beach holiday and tropical reef destination. This is the world’s most famous spot for muck diving, where beautiful reefscapes and clear water are not the priority – people come to Lembeh for the amazing marine critters. And like many of you – come back again and again. The chief attraction in Lembeh is photogenically bizarre marine life. If you have ever thumbed through page after page of a marine life ID book filled with bizarre fish and peculiar beasts that you have never seen underwater, Lembeh is the place to change that. A-list animals such as flamboyant cuttlefish, hairy frogfish, pygmy seahorses and mimic octopuses are seen daily.

Alex says, “I know that many of you will scroll straight past this to the booking info, as Lembeh resort, Lembeh diving and my workshops there are all a well-known quantity! But to give you the details: the package is 11 Nights in Lembeh Resort, with unlimited diving (within the resort’s schedules, over 40 dives), which can include day, night, mandarin, blackwater and bonfire dives. Diving will be with the expert guides from Critters@Lembeh, with one guide to each pair of photographers. We don’t allow photographers to book private guides, so that we have all the very best guides focused on the group. We will rotate guides every 2 days. We don’t take over the whole resort and the group size is limited to 16 divers and we will be split across multiple boats. I will coordinate the diving schedule for all the boats in collaboration with the guides. Our aim is a strong focus identifying and repeating the richest sites, so you have extended opportunities to photograph the best subjects. Putting lots of high quality guides into the water allows us to quickly identify the most productive sites, and with so many expert eyes we turn an average site into a good one and a good site into a jaw-dropper! I’ve never had a Lembeh trip that hasn’t been excellent for critters, and I think that this approach is central to the success. The workshop package also includes transfers from Manado airport, Nitrox, laundry, 1 hour spa treatment etc.”

The workshop will focus on the techniques of macro and critter photography. The lectures are not random talks, but are planned as a complete course on this style of photography, starting with fundamentals such as gear selection and optimisation, covering techniques for focusing and framing, then discussing high quality and creative lighting techniques, wide angle macro and many more innovative approaches. Alex typically gives an illustrated talk each morning after breakfast to provide you with the advice and ideas you need just before you go diving – the perfect chance to put it into practice. In the evenings after dinner, Alex conducts image review sessions where we will analyse the strengths and areas for improvement in the days’ images “it is a great chance to see what others have produced and get inspiration and suggestions for your own images,” says Alex.

Alex has been diving in Lembeh since the 1990s and has been coming to Lembeh Resort for most of the 20 years it has been open. “Lembeh Resort gets better and better each time I visit, and it is always a total pleasure being here and seeing so many friends still amongst the staff. The rooms are amazing and the food is always a real highlight of staying here. The dive operation Critters@Lembeh is brilliant and the Backscatter run Photography Centre is the best in resort facility of this type I’ve seen in the world. As you can tell I love the place.”

VITALS

Dates: 29th April – 10th May 2023 (11 Nights, in resort, Unlimited diving).

Prices vary on room type (price based on double occupancy):

  • Garden Room £5325 GBP
  • Premium Luxury Cottage (cottages on right as you approach the resort): £6430 GBP
  • Cliffside Villa: £7960 GBP
  • Single occupancy rates for those three rooms types are: £6395, £7760 & £10085 GBP
  • Room options will based on first come, first served.

The package includes:

  • Alex Mustard Photography Workshop
  • Unlimited guided boat dives (typically 4 per day, so 40+ dives) – with Nitrox
  • Unlimited guided house reef dives with Nitrox (typically 7am-10pm)
  • 2:1 Photographer to Critters@Lembeh dive guide ratio
  • Manado Airport transfers
  • All meals, snacks etc
  • 1-hour spa treatment and free laundry service

BOOKING

Please contact Caroline@scubatravel.com for waitlist reservations and further information. A deposit of £1500 GPB is required to secure your spot, with the balance due 100 days before departure.

 

QUICK NOTE ABOUT WETPIXEL/LEMBEH

My last few Lembeh workshops have been run with Wetpixel. Unfortunately Adam’s health problems are still not allowing him to work, I know we all hope he gets better as soon as possible. Please note that the workshop above is a totally separate event organised by Scuba Travel. I am well aware that there remain some outstanding payments from the last pair of Wetpixel trips. I have been assured that Adam will sort these out as soon as he is well enough. And I hope there will be future Wetpixel/Lembeh trips, which I know many of you have greatly enjoyed.