Macro Mastery Workshop – Anilao

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.