Balingup Heights Photography Weekend

Level: Intermediate
Dates: 15 – 17 May 2026
Instructor: Seng Mah
Location: Balingup Heights Hilltop Forest Cottages
Cost: $780 (Note: this is the price for the workshop only. It does not include accommodation. For accommodation at Balingup Heights, please contact the property — a range of cabin and room options are available)
Maximum participants: 8 participants

Join us for a splendid weekend of great photography in the beautiful, autumnal setting of Balingup! Sunrises, sunsets, landscapes, location portraits and more, as you learn how to see the light, to compose your images, to get creative with exposure and to create stunning images all using available light!

The weekend comprises of a number of workshops that run from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. You’ll be shooting and learning with other like-minded photographers and having the time of your life.

Highlights

Golden Valley Tree Park Landscapes – Join Seng for a session of photography in the beautiful Golden Valley Tree Park, where you’ll learn to find the light for beautiful landscapes. Learn about light and colour, and the impact they have on creating stunning landscape images.

Dawn and sunrise shoot – Take advantage of living at the highest point in Balingup to photograph the dawn and sunrise over the valley. Fingers crossed, we will have the iconic mist that often blankets the river valley below Balingup Heights!

Farm and Shearing Shed Portrait Shoot – Experience a change of pace and scene as we shoot portraits in sheds and the environment of a local farm. You’ll discover the joy of looking for directional light and positioning your portrait subjects in this light to create stunning, dramatic portraits.

Outdoor Portraiture at Golden Valley – Learn how to make use of the great outdoors as a setting for natural light portraiture!

Wetland dawn shoot – Embark on a trip to a mysterious local wetland to photograph it in the eerie light of pre-dawn and dawn. Dramatic and haunting images, for sure! Discover how to look for and shoot minimalist scenes. Who knows what you will find there…

It’s going to be a totally, photography-packed weekend!

Thank you once again for another unique photography experience with Venture Photography.  Both the locations you sourced in and around Balingup and your in-situ tutorials were invaluable and inspirational. Can’t wait for my next photography adventure with Venture Photography. (Julie Hilin)

What you need

To get the most out of this experience, we recommend that the following equipment:

• Your digital camera (we recommend a DSLR or mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with fully manual controls) with a variety of lenses ranging from wide angles (eg. 24-70mm) to mid-range telephotos (eg. 70-200mm). Fast lens (eg. f/2.8 or wider) will also be useful for our portrait shoots.
• A sturdy tripod (we recommend tripods with thick, sturdy legs and with heads that will lock your camera firmly and allow you to tilt and pan easily).
• Spare batteries, battery charger, lots of spare memory cards.
• A large plastic bag to protect your camera gear from moisture or drizzle.
• Lens cleaning fluid and cloth.
• Warm, weatherproof clothing.
• Flashlight and insect repellant.
• Sturdy, comfortable shoes suitable for walking in wet grass.

Where to stay in Balingup

This weekend workshop is based at Balingup Heights Hilltop Forest Cottages at 65 Nannup Road, Balingup. Pia, Bruce and Maddison, owners of Balingup Heights, have a number of cottages available for this weekend. Note that accommodation in Balingup is not included in the price of this weekend event.

The cottages at Balingup Heights have already been pre-reserved for the workshop weekend, so all you need to do is contact Pia, Bruce or Maddison at 0447 189 998 or 9764 1283 or email info [at] balingupheights.com.au to reserve your place to stay for the 16 – 18 May 2025.

The fine print (please read):

• You will need to organise your own travel to and from Balingup and the photographic locations during the retreat (we will car pool as much as possible to reduce the number of vehicles taken to the locations).
• You will need to cover the cost of your own meals and refreshments during the weekend.
• The workshop organisers reserve the right to change sessions, venue and locations during the workshop (subject to weather, access and availability).

Safety points (please read):

Your safety is our concern, but it is your own responsibility, so please read the following safety points that will give you a better picture of the types of terrain we will be exploring at this retreat:

• You are fully responsible for your own safety and the safety of your equipment during the workshop, and should always observe your own health and safety first.
• Some photographic excursions will require physical travel on sloping or wet surfaces including gravel trails, steps and walking through wet grass and on river banks. You will need to have a fairly good level of mobility in order to participate in this workshop.
• Each participant will be required to sign a standard waiver at the beginning of the workshop.

Testimonials

Had a great weekend with Seng from Venture Photography on the Balingup weekend workshop. Great small group of guys. Seng gave advice on natural light portraits and landscape photography. We also discussed other issues regarding photography and Seng shared his knowledge with us. Seng also made sure everybody in the group understood the information prioritised our photo taking rather than his. (Wayne Morrow)

Thank you for such a fun and informative Photography Workshop at Balingup Heights Hilltop Forest Cottages on the weekend. I learnt so much and tried some photographic genres that I had never previously considered, such as portraits. I am absolutely delighted with my photos from the “ Natural Lighting” Portrait Photography session. Having never taken a portrait, I was quite apprehensive. However, in just 3 hours you taught us how to capture the true beauty and personality of our model Kirra. (Rom Nocum)

We recently attended the weekend workshop at Ballingup Heights. It was an epic weekend. We had loads of fun trying out new techniques. Thank you for your teaching Seng, you have an amazing way to make people feel at ease and your presentation made it so easy for us to understand! An awesome weekend away for us and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves (rain or shine)! And oh! what a hidden gem Ballingup Heights is! Thank you for introducing us to this piece of paradise! (Mary-Jo and Ron Jackson)

Book me in!

Please complete and submit the form below to reserve your place in this weekender. For information on refunds and late cancellations, please refer to our Workshops Terms and Conditions.