TWO NIGHT MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

A full weekend immersion with astrophotographer Ari Rex

Small group, dark skies, and the time to actually master what you learn.

All levels welcome

Award-Winning Astrophotographer · Max 4 Participants · Two Full Nights of Shooting · All-Inclusive Weekend

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OVERVIEW

This immersive weekend runs from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning at Ready Cut Cottage, a carefully chosen dark-sky escape from everyday routine. With no television and no internet, it is a chance to slow down, reconnect with nature and the universe, and spend a weekend doing something you love: photography. Unlike a single-night workshop, you have two nights to photograph the Milky Way — giving you better opportunities for clear skies and time to apply what you learn.

Days are spent on practical Lightroom Classic and Photoshop lessons, using an easy-to-understand approach to editing, workflow and creative techniques. Ari is not only an experienced Milky Way educator, but a professional photographer across portrait, landscape, macro and commercial photography. Alongside astrophotography, you will gain valuable lessons that strengthen your photography more broadly. With only four participants, you receive genuine, sustained one-to-one guidance throughout the entire weekend — not just during the night shoot.

Hear from past participants about their Two-Night Milky Way Workshop experience.

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OUR LOCATION

Ready Cut Cottage, Namadgi National Park

We've been running this workshop from Ready Cut Cottage for nearly a decade, and it's easy to see why photographers keep coming back. Built in 1927 as one of the region's earliest prefabricated homes, this historic cottage sits deep in the Gudgenby Valley within Namadgi National Park — remote, beautifully secluded, and a world away from city lights.

The wildlife here is part of the experience. Kangaroos, wallabies, and native birds are a common sight around the property, often coming remarkably close — a real drawcard for our overseas guests who rarely get this kind of encounter at home. Between the wildlife by day and the Milky Way by night, it's a setting our participants consistently fall in love with.

We hold secured permits and booking rights for this property through 2029, along with $20M public liability insurance — so you can book with confidence, knowing the location and coverage are locked in for years to come.

WHAT MAKES THIS WORKSHOP DIFFERENT

Learn from an award-winning teacher. Ari is a national and international award-winning astrophotographer whose simple, approachable teaching method makes Lightroom, Photoshop and night photography easy for complete beginners — while still going deep enough to sharpen advanced technique.
A genuine 4-person cap. Real individual coaching across the whole weekend, not just a few minutes per person.
Full post-processing included. Structured Lightroom/Photoshop training with hands-on editing exercises — you leave with a edited portfolio by you, not just raw files.
Everything's covered. Tuition, accommodation, food, water, and fire — one price, nothing extra to plan
Free interstate/overseas pickup. Flag it at booking and we'll arrange transport to and from your hotel.

TWO-NIGHT WORKSHOP ITINERARY

FRIDAY

14:00 — Check in and settle into Ready Cut Cottage
15:00–16:30 — Camera basics: essential settings and hands-on practice

16:30 — Coffee and hot chocolate
17:00 — Dinner
18:00 — Milky Way photography workshop
22:30 — Relax by the fire and settle in for the night

SATURDAY

08:00 — Breakfast and coffee
09:00–12:00 — Post-processing workshop: workflow, editing techniques and practical exercises
12:30 — Lunch
13:00 — Rest and recharge
14:00–16:30 — Advanced post-processing: blending techniques and practical exercises
16:30 — Coffee and hot chocolate
17:00 — Dinner
18:00 — Hands-on Milky Way photography session (Advanced techniques)
22:30 — Relax by the fire and settle in for the night

SUNDAY

08:30 — Breakfast
10:00 — Wrap-up and Q&A
10:30 — Check out and return home

GEAR

Essentials

DSLR or mirrorless camera and lens
Tripod
Extra batteries
Headlamp with red light
Remote control or intervalometer
Warm clothes

Any DSLR or mirrorless camera made after 2010 can photograph the Milky Way — image quality depends mostly on your lens. A lens with an aperture of f/2.8 or wider performs best for this genre.

Nice to have

Laptop (with Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, if you'd like to follow along on your own files)
Fast wide lens with at least a f2.8 aperture
Smartphone
Hiking boots
Beanie and gloves for the cold at night

Want to try Lightroom Classic? Download the free trial a few days ahead — no obligation to keep using it afterward. You're welcome to use your own editing software too; the techniques taught apply broadly.

NO CAMERA? NO PROBLEM!

Hire a full Astro Camera Kit for just $300 for the whole weekend — everything you need, ready to go. Prefer to hire individual pieces instead? That's available too, ahead of the workshop.

Astro Camera Kit includes: