A day of learning, insights, successes and Becoming Nightwise

When I first envisioned Becoming Nightwise, my aim was to create something other than a conventional night photography workshop. I wanted it to be an experience defined by learning, insights and successes – learning the process of photographing in low light, insights that deepen understanding of how to work with your own camera and successes that grow from applying those skills when the right moment arrives.

But more about that later.

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A month after the first Becoming Nightwise workshop, I was thrilled to receive an email from a shutterbug guest, Nessie

While doing “a lap” of Tasmania I had the opportunity to join Coreena’s Becoming Nightwise photography workshop. I have for a long time had an interest in astro photography but really had little knowledge or confidence how to go about achieving the pictures I wanted. The afternoon/evening was so informative and with easy-to-understand explanations of how these complicated, backwards numbers came together. I felt after the few hours listening, asking questions, then taking pictures experimenting with different settings… WOW! I think maybe now I can start to take the type of pictures I want. A few weeks later, an Aurora! And here are some of the pictures I took. I was experimenting with different settings - no editing, as I have yet to learn how to do that.

© Nessie Hicks

© Nessie Hicks

© Nessie Hicks

"My first Aurora. 4.30am Sept. 3rd. At Cloudy Bay... This is why a Queenslander spent 2 months in Tasmania in the middle of winter!"

📸 Nessie H, Sept 2025

In another email received from Nessie just days before she departed on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry for the mainland, she shared this sentiment:

"Mission to Tasmania accomplished!"

While on this occasion photographing an Aurora wasn’t my personal mission, I can wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment. My own mission was to succeed in the tutoring I provided – and in seeing Nessie’s learning and results, I feel that mission was accomplished too.

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What 'Becoming Nightwise' is all about

The workshop was designed with two guiding purposes in mind. The first was to share the technical know-how needed for low-light and night photography in a way that felt approachable step by step without overwhelming anyone. The second – and perhaps even more important – was to give participants the self-assurance to take what they learned and apply it independently in the future when the sky and the conditions aligned just right.

On the day itself, we began indoors, easing into the foundations of night photography before heading out into the evening for our guided photo shoot by the river. My hope was that participants would leave not only with new skills but also with a sense of readiness: that they could stand under a starry or aurora-filled sky, adjust their settings with intention and trust in their own ability to make the shot.

What made the day especially rewarding was the mix of cameras that were brought along. Four participants, four different systems – a compact point-and-shoot, a micro four-thirds, a DSLR and a mirrorless. Each person was learning the same foundations, applying them in ways that suited their own camera.

Of course, different sensor sizes and settings meant their results varied. Some images held more detail, others carried more noise. But that wasn’t the focus. The real value was in understanding the process – knowing how to approach a night scene, what adjustments to make and why. For many, the evening felt insightful, inspiring and full of learning – a reminder that it was less about the immediate results and more about the journey of becoming nightwise.

And that focus on process soon proved its worth. A few weeks later later, when the Aurora lit up the sky, one of the participants put her learning into practice. She set up her camera with confidence, adjusted her settings with intention and captured her much-desired photographs of the dancing lights. When she shared her images with me she included a heartfelt testimonial saying how the workshop had given her the knowledge and courage to succeed on her own.

So even though an aurora didn't light up the sky on the night, the experience prepared her – and all the participants – to be ready for when it did. For me, that is the true learning, the most valuable insights and the many successes of Becoming Nightwise: not just to chase a spectacle but to equip people with the skills and confidence to make their own photographs when nature reveals its wonders.

With my full attention on teaching and supporting the group throughtout, I didn't take any snapshots myself. But one special moment was captured - Nessie's partner kindly snpaped a photo as the workshop came to a close. 📸

Are you on a mission to photograph an Aurora while travelling around Tasmania?

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Our small group workshops – like Becoming Nightwise – are scheduled seasonally to align with our other commitments through the year. If you are not able to join a scheduled workshop, you might like to learn nature photography through private tuition, available year-round. Get in touch if you’d like to know more.