Overview

Whether you're just starting on your astro journey or have never taken a photo of the stars, this is adventure is tailor made for beginners with a good understanding of their camera to learn how to shoot the rising Milky Way core, pictured above

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We'll be based at Riverstone House situated on the banks of the Taramakau River halfway  between Greymouth and Hokitika, owned and operated by yours truly. You'll have your own private king or queen bedroom with access to a full kitchen stocked with all the essentials, including continental breakfast supplies that you can help yourself to.

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The workshop commences at 3pm Friday 25th April and concludes Sunday 27th April at 11.00am.

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The exact schedule will be determined according to the whole group’s photographic objectives and the weather. I keep a flexible itinerary to accommodate this.
Places we may visit are some of my most beloved haunts close by such as the Kapitea Reservoir just out of Kumara with the most epic reflections on a still night, Lake Kaniere which is the most compositionally perfect lake in all NZ, Lake Mahinapua also with beautiful reflections and the Taramakau River and bridge which is just a short walk out the back door. We'll shoot the rising Milky Way which is not only a beautiful composition, but also perfect for beginners.

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       What you can learn:

• How to shoot the rising Milky Way

• How to plan your compositions using apps such as Photopills 

• How to focus at night

• Settings and methods specific to your gear and skill level

• Single frame exposure techniques 

• Blended exposure techniques 

• Stacking 

• Vertoramas (vertical panoramas)

• Post processing using Photoshop, Lightroom, plugins, PTGui, Auto Pano Giga,  Sequator and Starry Landscape Stacker.

• Specific topics discussed and tutored will depend on group ability, skills and understanding.

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What to bring

• Mirrorless or DSLR camera

• Ideally a fast, wide, prime lens; - f/1.4 through to f/2.8, 16mm through to 24mm for the best results, although up to f/4 is fine if your camera has high ISO capabilities. 

• Spare camera batteries and SD cards

• Sturdy tripod (essential)

• Lens heater (not essential but very helpful if you have a bulbous lens that is prone to fogging up)

• Remote shutter/intervalometer (again, not essential but very helpful)

• Laptop or desktop with Lightroom and/or Photoshop installed.

• Thermal base layers

• Warm jacket*

• Gloves

• Sturdy and warm footwear

• Hat, hood or beanie

• Head torch with a red light

• 2-3 lens cloths*

• Water bottle

• Snacks

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*The high humidity on the West Coast causes dew. If bringing a puffer jacket, please bring a waterproof jacket to go over top. This also is why we need plenty of lens cloths in case your lens starts fogging up.

Whats Included