Acclaimed Wildlife Photographer

About me

Born in Polokwane, North-South Africa, on the outskirts of town on a farm, we witnessed the most beautiful bushveld sunsets in the evenings, which I eagerly awaited for every evening. I will never forget, I asked my dad one evening still as a small child, where the sun came from, his answerer to me, the sun and the moon is made in a factory in Johannesburg. Looking at the sunset the following evening, I thought; it must be a giant factory. When I asked my dad where the stars came from, I was surprised to hear that even the stars came from that unique factory in Johannesburg. And that is how my love for the shades of nature started.

I could describe my childhood years as a creative dreamer and a quiet observer. I would find form in things like clouds and colour where no one else saw it, the domain of an imaginative child, so I was told.

My earliest memories are of the African Bush, her magnificent landscapes and the beating heart of any country privileged to have wildlife. My heart has always belonged to the great outdoors, and I am at my happiest immersed in capturing light as it plays itself out across the landscape and bathes my wildlife subjects, bringing them to life and showing their sheer perfection to my Lens.

I started my wildlife photography journey with nothing but a passion for capturing what I had seen unfold before me for years.

Determined I could achieve that, I set out with the most basic equipment, and eventually, my efforts were rewarded.

I, fortunately, love travel and being in my own company, so I spend months on the road in perfect partnership with the animals, great light, and the

landscape. My confidence grew, and my images started to speak for themselves, so too did my range of equipment, as did the awards.

My proudest moment was, being made a Licentiate by the Photography Society of South Africa. I take so much pride in the steps

I have taken, and it gives me such joy to see my work in magazines and hanging on walls of game lodges across Africa.

My philosophy is that anyone can acquire technical skills in photography. Still, you need heart, passion and a deep

connection with what is around you to capture the finest of what Mother Nature has on offer.

 Essentials to Become a Great Wildlife & Bird Photographer

                      We are excited to announce our " Essentials For Great Wildlife And Nature

Photography 104 Course". This course consists of a 5-day online Zoom

training session. Presented by Bruna Mentrup.

As a  wildlife photographer, I'm always asked what equipment I use

and which accessories I rely on most in the field. I usually carry

many odd bits and bobs that can help make life easier. In our session, we will discuss

all aspects of what a wildlife photographer will need. I am starting with photography

equipment and ending with technology, pushing your images to the next level.



                   2024 Online Zoom Courses       

                   @ 18h00 to 20h00

                      The course consists of  Five  Two-hour online sessions/

              First Course Starting February 2024

                   Day 1   -  08th February

                      Day 2 -  15th February

                      Day 3 -   22nd February

                      Day 4  -   29th February

                      Day 5 -   07th March

                   Cost Per Person: Vat included.

                                                   * Individual sessions only: R2100.00 per session per person

                                                   * For the complete package of 5 sessions: R5000.00 per person

                                                 (You choose the sessions to attend)

       Zoom Sessions Times: @ 18h00 to 20h00

      Presented by:   

        Award-winning photographer Bruna Mentrup presents the course.  

         Bruna is a professional wildlife photographer,  traveller and adventurer.         

         Her philosophy is that anyone can acquire technical skills, but the prerequisite

         for a wildlife photographer, it is a deep connection with nature and a good

         understanding of how your camera works.         

About the Online Course

        The most important aspects covered in the Course:           

• Ethics and philosophy of wildlife photography.
• What makes good wildlife photos.
• Visual storytelling in wildlife/nature photography.
• Photography equipment like cameras, lenses and tripods.
• Understanding and optimising your gear.
• Accurate exposure to wildlife photography in various settings.
• Depth-of-field for different focal lengths and subjects.
• Optimal camera settings for speed, focus in low light
• Focus point selection and focusing modes.
• Capturing fast action
• Panning and tracking techniques.
• Simplification in wildlife photography.
• Creative wildlife photography: Composition, impact, drama, action, storytelling and lighting techniques.
• Photographing wildlife with artificial lighting (Off-camera Flash)
• Creating pre-sets in-camera for moving and static animals, small, medium and large
• How to deal with busy backgrounds and dark shadows when capturing wildlife and birds.
• Gear, travelling and logistics.
• Essential digital workflow aspects for wildlife and nature photographers.

Online classes for seasonal, professional, or absolute beginners

The most important aspects covered in the Course:

• A complete overview of the interfaces, menus and modules.
• Setting up Editing preferences.
• Importing, image culling and selections.
• Sorting and finding your images.
• Advanced workflow and backup.
• Managing and showing off your portfolio by using Lightroom Classic and Lightroom together.
• Retouching: Travel, Landscape, and Wildlife.
• White balance and working with colour.
• Creating and working with Lightroom presets.
• Preparing your images for output: Printing, and social media.
• Q&A session.                                                                               
  

About the Online Course:

We are excited to announce that our Wildlife & Nature Lightroom course now consist of 2-Day online training, presented by by Bruna Mentrup-Nortje.

We cover all the most important aspects of editing wildlife, digital workflow and portfolio management, from importing, sorting, managing and retouching to exporting images for print and online applications. Lear how to edit different types of wild animals and bird species without making your image look artificial. ,

Course details:

Small classes with a maximum of 8 people.

Learn how to use Lightroom, from top to bottom, left to right on your own computer, step by step and under the guidance of an expert.

Course duration:

The course consists of two three-hour online sessions.

Presented by:

Award-winning photographer Bruna Mentrup presents the course. Bruna is a professional wildlife photographer, traveller and adventurer. 

Her philosophy is that anyone can acquire technical skills, but the prerequisite for becoming a wildlife photographer is a deep connection with nature.

DATES 2024

13th November

14th November

Zoom Sessions @ 18h00 to 21h00

Cost: R 2100.00 incl. per person

International: USD 226

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