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Cairns & Tablelands Photography Tour

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Upcoming Tours

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Tour Details

Now this photography tour is EPIC!  Not only will you have the chance to see some of the top instagram photography locations in Cairns and learn about your camera, you will also get to learn a great amount of history and ecology from your ecologist & photographer guide.

A great way to get outdoors and see animals you’ve never seen before AND learn how to photograph at the same time!  These tours are run once a month.

Our tour truck can take up to 15 people and we visit several locations with a variety of photography:

• People & portraits
• Infrastructure

The full-day photography tours begin at 6am to make the most of the morning light and run until late afternoon.  Meeting at Centenary Lakes, we hit the road straight away for some action!  We’ll spend most of the day up the tablelands to photograph some of the most stunning local locations, with a chance of seeing wildlife on the way! We break for lunch at a suitable location.

We will drop you back at your vehicles at Centenary Lakes between around 5-530pm.

You will need to bring:

• Camera with spare cards and charged batteries
• Camera accessories including tripod
• Shoes, hat & sunscreen

All itineraries are subject to change due to weather, road conditions, unexpected circumstances or driver’s decision based on what is best for the group.  This itinerary is ONLY a guide.  Whilst an itinerary is important, at Cockatours, we believe being flexible and having the ability to explore and deviate is also incredibly important. 

Departure & Return Locations

Price includes.

• Morning & afternoon tea, lunch and coffee/tea
• Transport for the day
• All entrance fees to parks
• Sunrise Photography: Esplanade Lagoon
• Theory Lessons inc. Exposure Triangle & Histograms
• Real Wildlife Photography!
• Waterfall & water blurring photography
• Macro photography
• Snacks, lunch, coffee & tea provided!

What to expect

Our photography tours are one of the best ways to learn about your camera while exploring some stunning locations in the region. We mix the day with theory and practice in an incredibly fun way, throw in some local history, culture and ecology information, and relax with some food and a swim! 

Clients are shocked at how much they learn in a day.  They always say they wished they’d done one sooner as they would’ve learned so much more and that while YouTube videos were helpful, they didn’t progress their knowledge much.

Your Guide & Teacher

• Your teacher is Cockatours owner, Rossy. Rossy is an ecologist, photographer & speaker. He has been into photography since a young age. He has developed his skills over the years, particularly in wildlife, travel and macro photography. He was the event photographer for local fight shows and has taught many how to use their camera properly. You can read more about him in our 'About Us' section.

Note: This itinerary may change.  If it does, it will be an improvement on the existing.  We are constantly on the lookout for new places to take a break or photograph!

Our 18-seater tour truck,  Zeus , takes us on all our adventures. He is equipped with very comfortable seating perfect for off-road driving, a sound system with microphones for those who love karaoke and plenty of storage. The air-conditioning works extremely well and the tinted windows in the cab help keep the glare & heat out!

Photography courses, tuition, tours and workshops in Cairns & North Queensland

Photography courses, tuition, tours & workshops in north queensland, australia.

• Discover Digital SLR Photography

Waterfalls Tour

• Sunrise Tour
• Half Day Tour
• Full Day Tour
• One-on-One Tuition
• Northern Beaches
• Port Douglas
• Mossman & Daintree
• Atherton Tablelands
• Islands & Coral Cays
• Testimonials
• Terms & Conditions

Capture some of tropical North Queensland’s waterfalls and rainforest areas with this nature-based photography tour. Starting early, we will head up to the Atherton Tablelands to explore some of the region’s iconic falls, as well as some less visited, but equally scenic waterfalls and rainforest areas.

With a duration of approx. 6-7 hours, the Waterfalls Photo Tour allows you to capture waterfall images just like the postcards, with guidance from a professional photographer. It caters for all levels of photographer, and whilst the tour is designed with Digital SLR / Mirrorless camera users in mind, other types of cameras are more than welcome.

Waterfalls Tour Pricing One person                    $395 Two or more people    $295 per person

Note*    Prices are for departure from Cairns and northern beaches (price for tour departing Port Douglas:  add $50 per tour)

Have a friend or partner who isn’t a photographer? Bring them along for $125 per person (up to 3 additional places available).

The Waterfalls Photo Tour takes in the waterfalls and rainforest of the Atherton Tablelands, which is 1 – 1.5 hr drive from Cairns. We can also offer an option that takes in areas closer to Cairns (1/2 drive from the Cairns city centre) if you prefer to spend more time shooting and less time travelling. To get a feel for the region, you can check out the Locations section. Please note that certain locations are best photographed at certain times of day (or in certain weather conditions), and this will be taken into account when we put together your itinerary. Please also note that possible locations may vary depending on whether you are taking the tour departing Cairns or Port Douglas.

The tour has a focus on helping improve your landscape and nature photography skills and knowledge. Whether you know a little or a lot, we will happily assist you in:       • Camera set up and the best settings for waterfalls photography       • Using manual exposure for long exposure shooting       • The use of circular polarizer and neutral density filters       • Using movement and motion blur       • Compositional techniques, using different lenses and incorporating people in your shots       • Creative tips and techniques for waterfall & rainforest photography

Tour Inclusions:   – Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation   – A tailored itinerary of 3-4 locations, dependent on proximity, weather and shooting conditions   – Personalised tuition, tips & advice from a professional photographer   – Breakfast / lunch (depending on tour times), tea, coffee, water and light refreshments

Tour times and what to bring       • The tour times very much depend on your chosen itinerary and the time of year. This will be confirmed at the time of booking.       • Bring your camera equipment: camera, lenses, filters & sturdy tripod (we do have tripods to borrow) and a backpack or camera bag.       • A pair of aqua-shoes, with soft grippy soles (we do have some pairs you can borrow – enquire about sizing).       • Also bring: rain jacket, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, good walking shoes and possibly a change of clothes.

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Beautiful Places to Photograph in Cairns

Perfect white sand beaches, warm tropical water and palm trees, all merging in with lush tropical rainforest clad mountains. This is what Cairns in tropical North Queensland has to offer to travellers. Its abundance of natural beauty makes Cairns the perfect destination for photographers, with everything from palm fringed beaches to idyllic waterfalls surrounded by rainforest. If you’re into your photography, you are sure to leave Cairns with some fantastic shots. Here are some beautiful places to photograph in Cairns.

Cairns Esplanade

A great spot to start is right in the heart of Cairns. The Cairns Esplanade stretches along the seafront where you will find the picturesque Cairns Esplanade Lagoon – a huge public pool which overlooks the water. The esplanade is also home to some amazing restaurants and is one of the best places in the city to eat seafood. It is also close to some of the best hotels in Cairns , making it a nice place to go out at night for dinner. A great time to take photos is around sunset, when the soft light reflects off the water and the sky displays some beautiful colours.

Located around 20 minutes north of Cairns, the small beach town of Palm Cove is the place to go for those idyllic palm fringed beach photos. Palm Cove is a resort style town, with lots of cafes, bars and boutique style shopping. All of this sits next to a stunning white sand beach which drops slowly into the warm waters of the Coral Sea, and coconut palms line the shore, leaning out over the beach for those perfect shots. Sunrise is a fantastic time for photography here as the sun rises up over the ocean, but sunset will also provide you with some great shots with soft light.

Millaa Millaa Falls

One thing that the mountains around Cairns have in abundance is waterfalls. In fact, there are so many amazing waterfalls that you could head out on an exclusive waterfall photography trip. If you were only to go and see one, however, I would have to recommend Millaa Millaa Falls . Located near the town of Millaa Millaa, around 2 hours south of Cairns, this beautiful waterfall is actually part of the Waterfall Circuit, so you could visit the other waterfalls in the area at the same time while driving through stunning rainforest scenery. Millaa Millaa Falls is one of those perfect waterfalls that just drops over the edge of a cliff into a beautiful pool below, all surrounded by lush tropical rainforest. Use a longer exposure to get one of those perfect smooth waterfall shots.

Fitzroy Island

The Great Barrier Reef is a huge draw card for visitors coming to Cairns and the reef is dotted with picture perfect islands, all making great destinations for photography. One of the closest islands to Cairns, which you can reach in only half an hour, is Fitzroy Island. This beautiful tropical island has amazing white sand beaches, coconut palms and a forested interior, all surrounded by the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef. There are lots of great photography options here, from those perfect tropical beach shots to underwater reef photography.

Mossman Gorge

Located north of Cairns is the ancient rainforest of Daintree National Park. This beautiful forest is full of amazing photography opportunities, but one great place to start is Mossman Gorge. Here you’ll find the crystal clear mountain water of the Mossman River cascading over giant boulders, all surrounded by lush tropical rainforest. There are several short walking tracks that meander through the forest, and you can take a dip in the cool waterholes and enjoy the peacefulness of this beautiful place.

Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight

The Great Barrier Reef is a true natural wonder and provides some amazing photo opportunities for photographers. One of the best ways to view and photograph the reef is from high up above it, by taking a scenic helicopter flight over the reef. The flight provides you with a unique perspective of the vastness of this huge reef system, stretching out in all directions, dotted with little islands and cays and surrounded by stunning water of different shades of blue and green. Helicopter flights can be booked in Cairns and can last from a short 10 minute flight over the reef, to an ultimate experience of landing on a sandy cay or pontoon to explore all that the reef has to offer.

The incredible natural beauty of Cairns makes it the perfect destination for photographers. Even if you’re new to photography, you are sure to go home with some amazing shots from this beautiful destination.

Article from K Omoro

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Cairns Birding Tours

By birdwatching tropical australia, lose   |  yourself, discover  |  yourself.

FULL DAY BIRDING TOURS 

ex Cairns & Port Douglas

FULL DAY BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR

EXTENDED CAPE YORK BIRDING TOURS

Iron Range, Cape York

EXTENDED WET TROPICS BIRDING TOURS

Cairns, Queensland

TAILOR MADE BIRDING TOURS

TAILOR MADE BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS

Birding Tours

Excellent  bird guide.

I visited Mt Lewis and several other locations in the Julatten area guided by Doug. He is an excellent guide and was able to show me all my target species including Golden Bowerbird, Blue-faced Parrotfinch and Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher. I've been birding in many countries, with numerous guides, and I have no hesitation in recommending him as an excellent bird guide.

Michael Szabo, Wellington, New Zealand.

28th March 2023.

Bird Guides

Best birding guide ever.

I have hired many birding guide all over the world. Doug was the best (so far)! He was very professional yet fun to be with. We birded a long day, saw over 100 species, and I was left exhausted and satisfied. (Kind of wish I was describing a date.) If you are a serious birder, this is your guide for Northern Australia.

Wanderwoman - Virginia USA - December 2018

Wonderful Trip

Seven memorable days birding cape york.

Thank you Doug for a wonderful trip! Without your expert knowledge we wouldn't have seen half as many birds - Red Goshawk, Palm Cockatoo, Yellow-billed Kingfisher and so many other memorable birds. We enjoyed ourselves immensely!

Patrick & Joanne Diment

NSW - Australia

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Picturesque 

Photography Cairns Pty Ltd

We are a family-owned, boutique photography business located in Cairns, Queensland. We pride ourselves on the effort we  put into both the shoot, and the post-shoot editing.  

Our Photographer

Hi my name is kelly, and i'm a photographer living in this beautiful part of the world we call fnq. as you can see, i specialise in photographing architecture, but i also love portraiture and weddings. i love my job, the people i get to meet, and the interesting places i get to go to.  thanks for stopping by. please take some time to view my gallery. i hope you enjoy.

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