About Ari Rex
Award-Winning Photographer & Educator
Nature • Night Sky • Photography Education
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10+ Years Teaching Photography Workshops • Mentoring • Competition Judging
Ari Rex is an award-winning photographer and photography educator based in Canberra, Australia, known for his distinctive approach to nature, landscapes and the night sky.
Best known for his Milky Way and astro-landscape photography, Ari is equally drawn to the drama of natural phenomena and extreme conditions — from lightning and unusual atmospheric events to the raw power of the Australian landscape. His approach begins in camera, using carefully developed techniques to capture moments that are technically challenging and often impossible to repeat. Combined with advanced post-processing skills, his aim is not simply to record what the camera sees, but to bring an image to life in a way that reflects what the eye sees and the body feels in that moment.
This approach has earned Ari international recognition across nature, landscape and astrophotography, including Nature Photographer of the Year at the International Photography Awards and representing Australia at the World Photographic Cup.
A graduate of the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) with an Advanced Diploma of Photography, Ari has spent more than a decade sharing his knowledge through photography workshops, field instruction and one-on-one mentoring. His teaching focuses not only on camera settings and technique, but on understanding why an image works, helping photographers develop the skills, confidence and creative vision to create images of their own.
From Passion to Profession
Ari's connection to photography began long before it became a profession. Growing up in Vlorë, Albania, he spent time hiking in the high mountains with his father and four older brothers. Looking up at the dark skies above the Shushicë mountains, he became fascinated by the Milky Way, a sense of wonder that has stayed with him ever since.
At home, an old Zenit film camera kept in his father's closet held the same fascination. At a time when photographic equipment was difficult to own in communist Albania, it seemed like a rare and almost magical object. Ari was captivated by it, even though photography was not yet the future he imagined for himself.
His childhood dream was to become a professional footballer, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Arben. Ari played for his hometown club, Flamurtari, with Arben guiding and supporting his training, and went on to represent Albania at youth level. For many years, football not photography was the path he believed he would follow.
Life eventually took Ari away from Albania and in a very different direction. The fascination with nature, light and photography, however, never disappeared.
When Ari moved to Canberra in 2011, photography gradually shifted from a lifelong passion into a profession. Australia's landscapes and extraordinary night skies brought him back to that childhood sense of wonder beneath the stars, while the camera that had fascinated him as a boy became the tool through which he could finally express it.
What followed was a career built around curiosity, persistence and being willing to chase extraordinary moments from the Milky Way and dramatic landscapes to lightning, rare atmospheric phenomena and some of nature's most powerful events.
Today, that journey continues through Ari's photography, fine-art prints, workshops and mentoring sharing not only the images he creates, but the knowledge, experiences and stories behind them.
More Than a Photographer
For Ari, being part of the photographic community also means giving something back.
For nearly a decade, he has been a major annual sponsor and supporter of photography at Canberra Institute of Technology, where he originally completed his Advanced Diploma of Photography. Maintaining that connection with the next generation of photographers is something he values deeply.
Ari has also contributed to the wider Australian photographic community as a mentor and photographic competition judge, including serving as a judge for the Australian Photographic Prize, where he has helped assess and celebrate the work of photographers from across Australia.
Beyond awards and recognition, Ari finds some of the greatest satisfaction in seeing other photographers grow — whether that's a student creating their first successful Milky Way image, developing their own creative style, or simply gaining the confidence to try something they once thought was beyond them.
Photography has given Ari an extraordinary journey. Sharing some of that experience with others is his way of giving something back.
Awards & Recognition
Ari’s photography has received more than 150 awards, distinctions and international recognitions across professional, landscape, nature, macro and astrophotography competitions.
These highlights represent a broader body of recognition built over more than a decade of professional photography.
Photography Education
Teaching has become an important part of Ari's photographic journey.
Through small-group Milky Way workshops, immersive two-night experiences and personalised one-to-one mentoring, Ari helps photographers understand not only how to create an image, but why the techniques work.
From photographing the Milky Way for the first time to advanced panoramas, star tracking and post-processing, the goal remains the same: to give photographers the knowledge and confidence to create images for themselves.
Explore Milky Way Workshops →
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Looking for Ari's commercial photography?
Explore corporate events, professional portraits, architecture and commercial photography at Ari Rex Corporate →