Lake Toolondo & Grampians, Australia

Learn to take stunning night photographs against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of Lake Toolondo, Victoria.

Dates: August 21st - August 26th 2025

Price: $3000 AUD

Duration: 5 nights

Group size: up to 5 people

Skill level: All skill levels welcome

Status: Guaranteed Departure

Be mystified by the night sky at Lake Toolondo.

Welcome to the Lake Toolondo and Grampians National Park astrophotography workshop. Allow me to be your guide as we capture the stunning Milky Way over some of Victoria’s most breathtaking landscapes over 5 nights.

We will explore Lake Toolondo, the eerie and beautiful dead trees rising from the water provide a moody and atmospheric foreground for your night sky images. After which we will trek through the rugged beauty of Grampians National Park, offering you unique and diverse photo opportunities. This workshop is designed to immerse you in some of Australia’s most awe-inspiring scenery, where every night promises unforgettable moments under the stars.

Located in Victoria’s west, Lake Toolondo is a spot I’ve consistently returned to because it never ceases to amaze me. Widely known as a popular trout fishing spot, Lake Toolondo provides one of the most breathtaking backdrop for night photography. For this tour, you will be shown a comprehensive introduction to Astrophotography. This will include everything from camera settings, scouting locations and my unique compositions.

This workshop provides an in-depth masterclass in advanced editing techniques over 5 days to produce stunning nighttime photographs.

The itinerary balances hands-on shooting experiences combined with educational workshops and exploration of diverse astrophotography locations. You will gain valuable skills and memorable experiences throughout the tour.

Come with me to capture the magic of the night sky like never before!

Reserve your spot

What you’ll need.

To gain the most out of my workshops, I do recommend that you have the following:

Camera- DSLR or Mirrorless, wide angle lens with fastest aperture you have
Tripod with camera mount
External plug in or emote shutter release/Intervalometer (for long exposures, stacking, and time lapse photography)
Laptop (PC or Mac) for the editing porting, with basic Adobe Photography suite (Lightroom & Photoshop) installed
Stacking program like Sequator (PC) or Starry Landscape Stacker (Mac)
Warm, comfortable clothing and gumboots
Good hiking boots

The following are recommended but not critical:

Filters for sunset/sunrise photography
Lens warmers
Small Plastic bags to protect tripod feet from water or mud

What is included in the workshop:

Accommodation - private rooms with your own private bathroom for 5 nights
5 night of photo guide services from a professional and award winning photographer
Instruction in a small group of 5 participants
Night photography session throughout the entire photo tour
Editing & post-processing sessions during the photo tour
Transportation for the full duration of the photo tour

What is not included in the workshop:

Airfares and any associated travel to get to the accommodation
Meals, drinks, and snacks
Visa or passport fees (if applicable)
Health/travel or equipment insurance

Itinerary.

Weather conditions can be unpredictable so I like to have a plan but keep it flexible. My tours balances out hands on and in-field experiences with educational workshops. Below I’ve outlined what we will cover.

Arrival and Orientation at the Best Westlander Motor Inn where we will have a brief introduction and overview.
In the evening we will jump right into it, focusing on capturing the Milky Way and practice basic night photography skills.
Techniques and Practice.
In the morning we will do an advanced photo processing session to refine the images from the previous night.
We will then scout around Lake Toolondo for potential shooting locations. When evening comes we will focus on capturing stunning celestial scenes using focus stacking and panoramic photography.
Photographing wildflowers under the night sky in Grampians National Park.
The morning will be spent processing the images captured from the night before.
We will spend the rest of the day scouting locations and learning composition strategies. At night we will have our photography session within the beautiful canola fields.
Hollow Mountain in Grampians National Park.
After reviewing and editing images from the night before we will travel to Hollow Mountain in the Grampians.
The remainder of the day will be spent on scouting and capturing natural features of the landscape into astrophotography compositions.
Final Night at Lake Toolondo.
After editing photos of Hollow Mountain, we will have a group lunch at a local cafe before heading out for one last opportunity to capture the beauty of Lake Toolondo at night before concluding the tour.

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Reviews

“Jason's Lake Toolondo workshop was an amazing way to learn how to capture the night sky. It was a mix of adventure and beautiful locations in nature, plus practical camera and photoshop skills. Totally worth it and I look forward to next time at a new location.”

Laura M
“I really enjoyed attending the workshop with Jason. I'm only a beginner and he has a lot of knowledge to teach me. The workshop locations are so exclusive! I can’t wait to go hiking again when these is something like that available with Jason! I highly recommend this workshop to anyone as you surely will learn a lot!”

Henry N