Milky Way Panoramas
When - August 30 - 2 September 2024
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Accommodation - Riverstone House
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Locations - The many bays and beaches of the Great Coast Road, Lake Kaniere, Taramakau River, Kapitea Reservoir
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Cost - $1,990 including accommodation (20% deposit to secure your spot)
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Maximum Participants - 4
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Skill Level - Any!
Overview
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On this adventure we'll be focussing on the setting Milky Way arch and create panoramas but the workshop is open to all levels of photographer.
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 12pm Friday 30th August and concludes Monday 2nd of September at 12pm.
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.
The Great Coast Road is ranked one of the top 10 drives in the world and also happens to be my most favourite place in the world to shoot. Places we may visit include the Pancake Rocks, Constant and Joyce Bay, The 14 Mile Bluff, Motukiekie, The Pororari Lagoon, and Woodpecker Bay.
Other spots we may visit include the compositionally perfect Lake Kaniere, the still waters of the Kapitea Reservoir and the Taramakau river and mouth, which is a short walk from the house.
You'll learn;
-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
-Milky Way panoramas (mosaics)
-Stacking
-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.
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
-3 nights of landscape Astrophotograhy tuition in the field
-Accomodation at Riverstone House with your own private king or queen bedroom
-2 intensive post processing tuition sessions to make your images pop
-Travel during the workshop
-Daily continental breakfast supplies to help yourself to
-Full kitchen with all the essentials to cook and prepare your own meals should you wish to dine in
-DOC concession fees
-Comprehensive Safety Management Plan
-Pick up/drop off at Hokitika airport
-Digital workflow sheet spilling all my secrets on how I plan, shoot and edit an image from start to finish.
Whats not Included
-Personal, equipment and travel insurance
-Meals except continental breakfast supplies
-Snacks
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