Todd Gustafson and I are looking for a few
experienced, personable photographers to join us on a
photography trip to Tanzania. We already have our airline tickets
and will be going alone if that’s how it plays out. We will be
flying to Amsterdam on Wednesday January 22, 2003. (My Orlando
flight arrives at 7:25 am on the morning of January 23.) Todd and
I will be on the same flight to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) on
Thursday, January 23. This will be KLM flight 571 departing
Amsterdam at 10:55 am and arriving in Arusha, Tanzania at 9:30 pm
on the same day. If you would like to join us, you will need to
either be on that flight or arrange to be in Arusha no later than
that evening.
We will be photographing at various hotspots
from Friday, January 24 until and flying back to Amsterdam late on
the evening of Friday February 7 on KLM Flight 569 (which connects
in Dar es Salaam) and arrives in Amsterdam at 8:20 am the next
morning. This will give us 14 ½ days of solid photography. On
our first morning, we will photograph at Arusha National Park.
Then we shall visit Ngorongoro Crater, the areas around Ndutu
Safari Lodge, and Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks. All
accommodations will be first class/luxury.
"Lion King"
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanznia Copyright 2002 Todd Gustafson
After the first day, we will (barring any
unforeseen happenings) be staying at each spot for three or
four nights; there will be none of the usual pack and
drive shenanigans that one often encounters on safaris designed to
“show you everything and every place.” There will be no firm
itinerary for this trip as with Todd’s intimate knowledge of
Tanzania and with his local and United Touring Company
connections, we will be fine-tuning our travels to maximize the
photographic potential (which, I have failed to mention so far,
will feature dozens of great bird species including lots of
raptors, as well as the usual assortment of African mammals…)
Todd was born in Tanzania, and has visited
each of these spots at least five times. His familiarity with the
peoples and culture of Africa makes traveling with him a breeze.
After a brief 7-day visit last year he chose 40 images to be duped
to 70mm and placed in his “Family Jewels” file. The United
Touring Company (UTC--the one with the zebra-striped vans) will
provide all ground transportation, lodging, meals, park entry
fees, tented camp & hotel fees, and guide services. There will be
a maximum of 3 photographers per vehicle. Please understand that
though Todd and I will be glad to answer all of your photography
questions and guide you in making great images, this is not
a formal tour.
Long-crested Eagle
Copyright 2002 Todd Gustafson
The cost of the ground portion of the trip
will be approximately $6,300. (Non-photographer spouses or
companions may join us for the same cost.) As the cost of the
flights is rising quickly (as the two JRO flights fill up), it
will be best to act quickly if you do wish to join us. If you are
serious about coming, but wish to learn more about the specific
bird and animal species that are likely to be encountered, feel
free to e-mail Todd at
Gustaphoto@aol.com
Todd is a dear friend, a wonderful husband
and father, a BIRDS AS ART student, and despite being both a
world-class trumpet player and an incredibly skilled carpenter, is
an accomplished professional photographer as well. In his second
year of selling images he grossed more than $125,000… He has
seven photographs in a permanent slide exhibition in the
Smithsonian. Again, we are looking for a few experienced,
personable photographers to join us on this incredible
adventure. If you are seriously interested, please check out the
flights first and then
contact me.
