Photography
When: May 15 - 18 | 2026
Where: Riverstone House | West Coast
Group Size: Maximum 4
Photography level: Any
Cost: $2875.00 | 20% deposit required
Overview
Join me for three nights as we capture the rise of the Milky Way’s galactic core from the wild and beautiful West Coast. This time of year offers some of the best conditions for nightscape photography, with the core rising above reflective lakes, winding rivers, dramatic canyons and waterfalls. We’ll also head out late afternoon to capture the spectacular sunsets the West Coast is famed for, making the most of the golden light before transitioning into nightscape photography under the stars.
Over the course of the workshop you can learn:
How to plan and shoot the rising Milky Way core in alignment with striking natural landscapes.
Techniques for capturing sharp stars and balanced foregrounds.
The best settings suited to your gear
The essentials of panoramas, star tracking, and exposure blending.
My full post processing workflow in Lightroom, PTGui and Photoshop.
Daylight hours will be spent in the classroom, where I’ll guide you step by step through editing your nightscapes.
We’ll be based at Riverstone House, my home on the banks of the Taramakau River between Greymouth and Hokitika where you will enjoy your own private king or queen bedroom.
With a flexible itinerary shaped by the group’s goals and the weather, we’ll aim to visit some of my most beloved locations close by, including Lake Kaniere, Coal Creek Falls and the Great Coast Road.
What to bring
Mirrorless or DSLR camera
Ideally a fast, wide, prime lens; - f/1.4 through to f/2.8, 16mm through to 40mm for the best results
Spare camera batteries and SD cards
Sturdy tripod
Leveling base (essential for panoramas) example
Indexing rotator (essential for panoramas) example
Lens heater (not essential but very helpful if you have a bulbous lens that is prone to fogging up)
Remote shutter/intervalometer if not inbuilt into your camera
Laptop or desktop with Lightroom and Photoshop installed and a minimum of 16GB RAM
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
If you are missing any of these items, please speak to me about borrowing equipment.
Whats Included
3 nights of nightscape tuition in the field
2 post processing tuition sessions
Small group size ensuring plenty of 1:1 tuition and uncrowded shoots
Accommodation with your own private king or queen bedroom
Travel during the workshop in a comfortable 4WD Landcruiser
Daily continental breakfast supplies that you can help yourself to each morning.
A selection of hot and cold beverages, and homemade baking will also be available throughout the workshop, along with hot drinks offered out in the field under the stars
Riverstone has a full chefs kitchen with all the essentials provided for self catering, to maximise shooting time
DOC concession fees
Comprehensive Safety Management System
Pick up/drop off at Hokitika airport if flying
Digital workflow sheets spilling all my secrets on how I plan, shoot and edit an image from start to finish.
Whats not Included
Flights
Visas
Personal, equipment and travel insurance
Lunch and dinner
Snacks
Alcohol
Physical Difficulty
A reasonable level of fitness is necessary to enjoy this workshop as we will be standing for long periods at night, in the cold. All locations we shoot will be within a short walk along bush tracks or the coastline. These are sometimes uphill, over uneven, icy ground, uneven steps, or rocky beaches and you will be responsible for carrying your own equipment. There may be a couple of longer walks (30-45 min one way) depending on the whole group fitness level. If your fitness or mobility is an issue, please let me know in your application form.
