Macro Magic & Wide Wonders
June 2 - 13, 2025
11 nights & 27 boat dives
Join me on an exciting 11-night underwater photography workshop in Lembeh, North Sulawesi, Indonesia! Immerse yourself in the mystical waters of Lembeh and embark on a journey to capture the awe-inspiring beauty of the underwater world through both your macro and wide-angle lenses.
Lembeh Strait is celebrated globally for its “muck diving,” where the seemingly barren black volcanic sand reveals an astonishing variety of marine creatures. There are also several beautiful coral reefs which provide excellent wide angle and close focus wide angle opportunities. Photographers can expect to encounter countless species of nudibranchs, frogfish, cephalopods like the enigmatic mimic octopus, and a plethora of invertebrates. With over 60 dive sites to choose from, each dive promises new discoveries and the potential to capture rare and unusual critters.
This workshop is designed to take your creative macro and wide-angle underwater photography to new depths. It is ideal for intermediate underwater photographers who are comfortable with their setups and are looking to learn new skills, as well as those who have previously joined my Macro Underwater Photography Workshop.
You will be able to practice and further enhance your snooting and shallow depth of field techniques, as well as learn more advanced macro underwater photography techniques as well as spend time with your wide angle equipment.
If you would prefer to concentrate on macro underwater photography and, amongst other techniques, learn snooting, do shallow depth of field, get bokeh and black backgrounds, how to get crisp macro photos and use a diopter, check out my Macro Mastery Workshop taking place at the same location from 21 to 31 May 2025 – or heck, come join us for both!
Your workshop begins even before you leave home with a 30-minute one-on-one Zoom coaching/Q&A session with me. I want you to be as prepared as possible so that you arrive feeling confident and ready to immerse yourself in your underwater photography adventure!
Throughout the workshop, I will present daily sessions that build progressively, offering valuable advice and fresh ideas for you to try out on your dives. Daily image review sessions provide an invaluable chance to see the incredible work produced by others and gain inspiration and suggestions for your own images. This collaborative and supportive environment fosters growth and creativity.
Three daily boat dives will provide us access to diverse sites, and the option of night dives adds a thrilling dimension to the underwater experience. With the convenience of returning to the resort after each dive, you can review and adjust your camera gear, ensuring you are always ready to capture the next incredible shot.
To ensure a personalised experience, there will be one guide for every two photographers. These dedicated guides will use their expertise to seek out the most sought-after and wonderful macro life that Lembeh is known for.
There are some beautiful coral reefs such as Angel’s Window, California Dreaming and Aw Shucks close to the resort, which will give us the opportunity to practice our wide angle and close focus wide angle underwater photography.
We will be staying and diving with Dive Into Lembeh, a tranquil and picturesque dive resort perfectly situated to offer an unparalleled underwater photography experience. This serene retreat is renowned for its beautiful surroundings and convenient access to the world-famous house reef dive sites, “Hairball” and “Aw Shucks,” accessible daily between 08:00 and 18:00.
The fully equipped dive centre at Dive Into Lembeh is a haven for underwater photographers. It features a spacious camera room and dedicated camera rinse tanks, ensuring your equipment is always ready for the next dive. The guest dive gear locker room is equipped with gear rinse tanks and showers for your convenience. All dive guides are expertly trained in camera handling and specialise in navigating Lembeh’s unique underwater environment, ensuring you have the best possible experience capturing the extraordinary marine life.
These stand-alone bungalows boast their own private Japanese-style onsen (hot tub) on the balcony, perfect for unwinding after a day of diving. Inside, you’ll find spacious rooms equipped with TV, air conditioning, a ceiling fan, minibar, safe, and an ensuite, semi-open western-style bathroom with a walk-in shower. Drinking water is conveniently provided in the form of a five-gallon hot and cold-water dispenser, with tea and coffee facilities available for your use.
Reserved for single travellers, these rooms provide a more affordable option without a TV or hot tub. They still have air conditioning, minibar, safe, and an ensuite bathroom with shower.
Whether you are an aspiring underwater macro photographer or a seasoned enthusiast, this 11-night workshop in Lembeh promises an unforgettable experience filled with stunning macro and wide-angle underwater photography opportunities, and the chance to connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to elevate your macro, close focus wide angle and wide-angle underwater photography skills and create a remarkable portfolio of Lembeh’s mesmerising macro life. Reserve your place now and embark on a journey that will forever transform the way you capture the minute and not-so-minute wonders beneath the waves.
How to Book:
I had been wanting to do a workshop with Kate for a long time, and ever since we came back from Romblon, this has been in the plans.
I joined the workshop with absolutely no clue on how to use my mirrorless camera on manual settings, and I learned so much during the workshop, and my photography has improved tremendously.
I can’t wait to put what I have learned into practice where I live and to join the next workshop, and take it to the next level.
I started following Kate on Instagram around 18 months ago and found her tutorials a breath of fresh air. She was kind, patient, and really good at what she does!
So when the opportunity came to join her in person in tropical Bali, it was a no brainer.
We met with a group from all over the world, at various stages of learning. I for one, have not been able to dive for 2 years! My husband has only ever done dives for his Open Water. But Kate was able to provide support for this and we started in the pool then graduated to the sea.
The course guide was clear, definitions were provided on day 1 so we had the same understanding of terminology.
We were able to practice our skills over 2 days for each skill, and the last 2 days be creative about it!
At the end of each day there was a constructive image review of one photo we each took. As we get to know everyone over the course of the week, we had more courage to put “bad” photos instead of the best we had, as it was a safe space for learning.
Well done Kate and Deon! It was a long 10 days of work for you, organising some 20 of us. Thank you for your patience and kindness. We are looking forward to the next course! 🪸💕🙏🏻
This fabulous workshop exceeded every expectation I had!
A stunning location with world class macro dive sites, Kate is a highly skilled teacher who is also very practical and generous with sharing her expertise.
The local team could not have done more to look after us, I’ve learned so much and feel very privileged to have spent time with a wonderful group of like-minded divers at all levels of experience.
Thank you Kate, as a relatively new underwater photographer I felt very well catered for. I’m now looking forward to applying what I’ve learned at home and continuing to improve my photos!
Dear Kate,
Thank you so much for your extraordinary dedication and desire to teach.
It was a truly productive, creative and educational workshop for me. I really feel like I learned much in last two weeks.
Having a booklet about the course content and being able to use it whenever I want is a great benefit.
On the other hand, the training session on Lightroom was more useful than I thought.
Looking forward to join you in another workshop of yours.
Thank you very much again.
My first workshop, and an exceptional experience.
Very good pre-Workhop communication with extensive information, 2 Zoom-Meetings and always a kind and helpful answer to all my questions. Thoughtful pre-travel information and very well organised transport from/to airport.
Excellent choice of divesites and diveguides, everything was very well organised. Very nice resort.
I found the mentoring well prepared, very personal and extremely helpful.
The atmosphere with Kate and Deon and within the group was very nice.
I would definitely like to participate in a workshop with Kate again!
I absolutely loved the Bali Macro Underwater Photography Workshop. I really enjoyed every aspect of the course, from the one on one online session before the trip, where Kate helped me set up my camera and strobes to the detailed image review sessions at the end of each course day.
The workshop sessions each morning before the dives were very informative and a quick reminder of the objectives and techniques we had to implement during the dives. Having two days to practice each of the techniques allowed me to apply the learning and play around with the camera settings and develop my own style. The Image review sessions were particularly useful with regard to composition and learning from other participants on the course.
Fantastic course Kate, you are an inspiration! Thank you for sharing, and cannot wait for the next workshop. – Hesma
First and foremost, Kate and Deon are genuine, friendly and engaging.
Kate quickly assesses and realises the skill levels of each participant in her group and is able to tailor her approach, and enthusiam, effectively to assist and encourage each individual.
Do not be daunted or doubt you will fit in. You will. We had a mixture of beginners, like myself, to others who were already accomplished underwater photographers. Everyone, bar none, benefitted.
My goal was to make a quantum leap in my underwater macro photography, to understand the impact the different settings on my TG6 make, and to start exploring composition and creativity.
Kate has turbo-charged my abilities to a level my friends, family and myself are, to put it mildly, surprised by.
Kate gives so much of her time, really cares that you achieve your goals and encourages you to keep pushing your boundaries.
I am so pleased I signed up for her underwater macro workshop, and so very appreciative of Kate’s amazing expertise.
Waiting for your next workshop Kate.
A very informative, well-structured and organized workshop. Kate has an extensive background on almost all cameras’ techniques & underwater photography tricks. Loved every bit of this workshop & yesss I am in in any future ones. Thank you Kate 🙏
I recently attended an underwater macro photography workshop in Tulamben, Bali with Kate Jonker.
Kate was extremely approachable, helpful and knowledgeable and worked with each participant at their skill level. Her passion for underwater photography and her ability to simplify things, provided opportunities for learning and growth for all participants. The theory and photo review sessions were helpful and fun and Kate made herself available for one-on-ones, so no questions went unanswered.
One critical element of a workshop is the people and I must say that I enjoyed meeting and getting to know fellow participants from a multitude of countries around the world.
The venue, Utama Villa was also lovely and met all our needs. The dive guides – an essential part, were enthusiastic and helpful and looking to keep us safe at all times.
Thanks to Kate and Deon for all the hard work that went into making this a successful workshop.
Kate is an amazingly knowledgeable and patient instructor! Her workshop helped me learn so much about underwater photography techniques and how to make best use of my equipment (TG6 with Backscatter Mini Flash 2/ Video light/ Snoot).
The workshop daily format included a well organized presentation of specific techniques with examples, practice in the water for several dives, individualized feedback as needed, and an anonymized photo review session at the end of the day to learn from each other’s experiences. We covered a lot of topics in a short amount of time, and I could see my photos improving from dive to dive.
The location was also very well chosen. Tulamben is macro heaven and the guides were eagle-eyed so they could spot even the tiniest critters (which I love. They were knowledgeable about photography so they could help with snooting or trickier setups if you needed it. Though the black sand has its challenges, there was little current or surge which was helpful. The guides also helped with dive equipment and entry/exit, making the dives very smooth.
The villas we stayed at were absolutely gorgeous, and very well maintained. Each villa had AC, high speed internet, and a million plugs for all the equipment charging. The food was tasty and there were many options for each meal. The staff was extremely pleasant and courteous, doing their best to help with every need. We even had a dance show at the end of our stay!
But of course, the best part was the knowledge and practice that Kate helped us gain. It’s been an amazing experience and I honestly didn’t want to leave 🙂 Highly recommend Kate’s workshops, as well as her online TG6 course. You can find no better teacher.
Ha sido una experiencia maravillosa. Aun con la dificultad del idioma, he aprendido muchas cosas a practicar. Excente nivel profesional y calidad humana. Lo recomiendo.
It has been a wonderful experience. Even with the difficulty of the language, I have learned many things to practice. Excellent professional level and human quality. I recommend it.