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Upcoming Events

Astrophotography at Bombo

Astrophotography at Bombo

Friday the 19th of August
Bombo, near Kiama - 7.00pm - 2 hours
Bombo Quarry is a renown geological feature which provides a sheltered location from the urban lights for night photography. We can use the towering rocks to add some special interest to our night sky photos, or aim our cameras to the east to capture our Milky Way Galaxy as it rises above the horizon. Please be aware that this session will be subject to suitable weather and ocean conditions You will need a tripod, torch and be able to navigate the path down into the quarry.
book now
$39pp     only 1 place left
Capturing Star Trails in the Night Sky Class

Capturing Star Trails in the Night Sky Class

Saturday the 27th of August
Stanwell Park (may be changed due to conditions) - 6 pm - 3 hours
In this 3hr class you will learn how to plan, map and set-up your camera to capture multiple timed images of the night sky creating a circular star trail around the south celestial pole. You will be provided with some tasks to complete prior to the class. While the cameras are recording the images, we will be able to further discuss techniques or if you have a second camera - take other night sky photographs. This class includes a complimentary Zoom session to help you with post-processing your images. Location: Stanwell Park - note location may change or be postponed at the last minute depending on the weather conditions. Details will be provided to participants
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$125pp     only 1 place left
Nan Tien Temple - Add emotion and storytelling to your photos

Nan Tien Temple - Add emotion and storytelling to your photos

Sunday the 4th of September
Nan Tien Temple, Berkeley - 9.30am - 2 hours
Enjoy the morning exploring the Nan Tien Temple gardens in early spring. We will try to capture the feeling of calmness and mood using light, focus and movement, adding emotion and storytelling to our photos.
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$39pp     9 places left
Abstracts in Nature

Abstracts in Nature

Saturday the 17th of September
Macquarie pass - 2pm - 2 hours
Explore different methods of creating abstracts in the living world. You will explore the concept of natural abstracts while walking the Cascade Falls Walk Macquarie Pass. We will use techniques such as macro, selective focus, shallow depth of field, in-camera movement, and multiple exposures to create artistic interpretations. These techniques have wider applications in many other genres. If you want to expand your creative side - this meet-up will challenge your imaginative thought process.
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$39pp     7 places left
Introduction to Astrophotography

Introduction to Astrophotography

Friday the 23rd of September
Maddens Plains - 8 pm - 2 hours
Maddens Plains north of Wollongong is a large natural bushland with a low density of urban lights, making it an ideal location for night sky and astrophotography. The dark sky will allow our Milky Way Galaxy to be visible as it rises above the horizon, the clear horizon views will enable wide-angle landscape and if the atmospheric conditions are suitable, and you have a telephoto lens, we could try to image some deep sky objects. The moon will rise during the last part of our session. Please be aware that this session will be subject to suitable weather. This site has easier access than Bombo, although it still requires walking in the dark it is on level ground.
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$39pp     only 2 places left
Bass Point Coastal Walk Meet-Up

Bass Point Coastal Walk Meet-Up

Saturday the 22nd of October
3 pm - 2 hours
Join us for a relaxed walk along the beaches, rocky shore, and bush tracks of Bass Point. Starting from the gravel loader car park, we walk past sandy inlets, explore rock gutters and wander along sandy trails to the end of the point and return. The Bass Point Nature Reserve supports coastal vegetation, a wide variety of birds, seashore life and on a lucky day at this time of the year, migrating whales returning to the southern oceans are a regular sight along with this point. 3 km return length with an easy grade.
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$39pp     11 places left - requires 3 bookings to proceed
Sunset from Maddens Falls

Sunset from Maddens Falls

Saturday the 29th of October
Maddens Falls Dharawal Nature Reserve - 6.00pm - 2 hours
An easy walk to the Maddens Falls Lookout, where we will be photographing the waterfalls, birds and bush flowers. The walk consists of raised boardwalk and dirt track. It is not difficult but be prepared for some rock hopping. We will walk a short distance to a couple of spots for a different perspective of the falls and Maddens Creek.
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$39pp     11 places left - requires 3 bookings to proceed
Photograph the Milky Way Galaxy from Maddens Falls

Photograph the Milky Way Galaxy from Maddens Falls

Saturday the 29th of October
Maddens Falls Dharawal Nature Reserve - 8.00pm - 2 hours
Watch our galaxy the Milky Way set from the top of Maddens Falls. Using the head of the falls and water pools as foreground this will be one of the last chances to photograph the galactic core before it is no longer visible at night. We will also have a thin crescent moon to compliment the stars. It will be an easy 10 to 15-minute walk to the falls, on a dirt track and raised boardwalk. Please note the risks of walking on a bush track and over rocks at night. This meet-up is subject to weather - it will not be rescheduled due to the timing of the Milky Way position
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$39pp     10 places left - requires 3 bookings to proceed
Beginners and Intermediates – Getting off Auto and more

Beginners and Intermediates – Getting off Auto and more

Sunday the 6th of November
Port Kembla Heritage Park - 9.00 am - 3 hours
The Port Kembla Heritage Park, the site of the original harbour master facilities offers an interesting collection of marine and military-related artefacts, along with head views and rock pools. We will cover the fundamentals of manual camera settings for correct exposure, and practice different compositions, focus and depth of field. We will also discuss different lens and their applications plus camera care and maintenance. Techniques will be adapted to your skill level.
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$125pp     only 6 places left - requires 2 bookings to proceed
Light Painting and other Light Effects at Night

Light Painting and other Light Effects at Night

Saturday the 19th of November
Sandon Point - 7.30pm - 2 hours
Have some fun and unleash your creative side!. Using a suitable and safe location at Sandon Point, we will experiment with burning steel wool, sparklers, torches and coloured lights to create special effects using long exposure camera settings. We will also paint the Sandon Boat Sheds with light- creating a magical nighttime landscape. Learn how to control the amount of light and choose the camera settings. Come early before the session to photograph the coastline as the sunsets. Ideally, you will have some knowledge of using your camera in manual mode to get the most out of this meet-up.
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$49pp     8 places left
Cascade Falls, Macquarie Pass at Night

Cascade Falls, Macquarie Pass at Night

Saturday the 3rd of December
Cascade Falls, base of Macquarie Pass - 8.00pm - 2 hours
Fancy a walk at night by the light of the waxing almost full moon (about 80% illumination). We will venture along the Cascade Falls Trial, listening for night wildlife and ending at the falls under moonlight. Hopefully if luck is on our side we may find some bioluminescent life. Please be aware of the potential risks of walking along a bush track at night and the potential for trip hazards, slippery rocks, mosquitoes and leaches!. 2km return trip.
book now
$39pp     11 places left - requires 3 bookings to proceed
Cathedral Rocks and Seacape at Sunset

Cathedral Rocks and Seacape at Sunset

Sunday the 29th of January
Catherdral Rocks, Kiama - 6.30pm - 2 hours
Enjoy a summer sunset at Cathedral Rocks Kiama. The monolithic basalt rock formations, gutters and cave provide a stunning foreground for the dusk and sunset sky colours. We will use long exposure to create milky water movement and enhance the sky colours. Meet at the carpark North Kiama Drive, northern end of Jones Beach and walk to the location as a group; Be aware that we will be walking across the rocks at low light.
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$39pp     9 places left
Sunrise at Sandon Point

Sunrise at Sandon Point

Sunday the 12th of February
6.00am - 2 hours
Begin your morning early by photographing the sunrise at Sandon Point. We will start at the iconic boat sheds to capture the sunrise as the warm light highlights the rocks and wood textures around the sheds. We will then make our way around the rock platform finding lots of macroinvertebrates around the rock pools, shore birds and seascape photo opportunities.
book now
$39pp     12 places left - requires 3 bookings to proceed
ABOUT WOLLONGONG
PHOTOGRAPHY
GROUP
Come along to our photo sessions to dust off your camera and get snap-happy with a professional photography instructor.
Brush up on your camera skills and learn new photography techniques whilst on a photo walk class with other local keen photographers!

We run two hour photography sessions based on a photography theme/technique/style and they take place in various locations across the region.
New to photography? We also run a popular 3 hour Beginners Guide to Photography Class once a month.
And once in a while we will run special niche 3 hour classes, for example, Astrophotography - so do subscribe to our newsletter to know when the next on is!

Who can attend? Open to all skill levels, from beginners to keen amateurs. The photography instructor is there to help you with camera settings and provide any advice you need.

What to bring? We recommend bringing a camera that has full manual mode or semi-manual modes (Aperture or Shutter Priority). Compact cameras and smartphones also welcome!

The meeting point and full details for the day are sent in the booking confirmation email to the email address you provide at time of booking.

Join the Wollongong Photography Facebook Group here to share your photos after the session.



We ask that everyone attending a meetup follows social distancing guidelines:

Stay home if you're sick.
Keep 1.5 metres away from others.
Don't make unnecessary physical contact with others. Avoid physical greetings, such as handshakes, hugs and kisses.
Wash your hands regularly with alcohol-based sanitiser.
Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Use a flexed elbow or a tissue; if you use a tissue, dispose of it immediately and appropriately.
REVIEWS
I really enjoyed the information given and being in a small group with others
5/5
Kyah Goodlet
July 26th 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to the astrophotography workshop. The location was fantastic, going to three spots to have different photo opportunities. Information handouts were provided to the group to take home to refer back too. Sue Curtis is a wonderful teacher, Sue shares her wealth of knowledge,making sure everyone has the right camera settings,ensuring she goes to every person to see how there going with their photography, she provides helpful tips along the way, encouragement as well as keeping everyone safe. Highly recommended Sue and the Astrophotography workshop.
/5
Maree Babis
July 24th 2022
The venue was good and there were plenty of subjects to see and take photos. Sue Curtis made herself available and it is through her that I'm feeling better about using my camera on manual settings.
5/5
Carmen Morrison
July 10th 2022
Great location and as always Sue is fantastic with her knowledge and tips
5/5
Patricia Maher
July 9th 2022
Really enjoyed the astrophotography outing. It was a good sized group and Sue the instructor was clear and helpful setting up our cameras before we set out. She also handed out information to process later on but we got straight into it once we found a good spot. Sue set us up with glow sticks on our tripods so she could keep an eye on everyone to be safe and also to walk around and help people. I love these outings and always find they’re helpful, instructive, I learn a lot and always come away with some great photos.
5/5
Donna Dickson
June 21st 2022
I loved it. Sue was wonderful and I've learned heaps - all the stuff I've been needing to know. It's a start on my journey to being a better photographer.
5/5
Catherine Jaye
June 12th 2022
I love seeing all the sights in our area and the suggestions given to take photos.
4/5
Carmen Morrison
June 2nd 2022
Excellent afternoon with Sue the instructor at Windang Island, learnt new tips and definitely achieved better results, the group was a great bunch of photographers and all easy to get along with. Had Fun.
5/5
Craig Doyle
May 30th 2022
Great location. Sue Curtis was very knowledgeable about the area, and her handout notes were helpful.
5/5
Franki Pinkerton
May 29th 2022
It was a great afternoon walk starting with Sue introducing herself and handing out some information sheets that also contain ideas and challenges for the walk. I liked that I also got feedback on photos and also got to use previous techniques I’d learned on other walks.
5/5
Donna Dickson
May 29th 2022
Sue is great as always, location, informative and creates a great atmosphere.
5/5
Patricia Maher
May 29th 2022
I thought this session showed me that there is a lot to learn about macro photography and that I need to practise if I want to do this type of photography for myself. It also gave me a new respect for any macro photography that I see in the future.
4/5
Carmen Morrison
May 16th 2022
INSTRUCTORS
Sue Curtis
Sue has enjoyed more than 30 years of photography experiencing a wide range of techniques and subjects, including nature subjects landscape, astrophotography (with a telescope), plant macro and birds, and award-winning underwater photography. She likes to integrate the technical aspects of photography to pursue unique effects and ideas. Sue's long time career in scientific research and diagnostics has progressed to providing 15 years of education at TAFE and University. The opportunity to combine teaching and share her love of photography with other people has been a rewarding experience with Wollongong Photography Group. Sue has a side photography business operating as Sue Curtis Photography with a focus on Pet and Family session photography as well as Junior Sport Teams and Portraits. Websites www.suecurtisphotography.com.au (Pet and Family Photography) www.suecurtis.com (Sport Photography) Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sue.curtis.75286/ https://www.facebook.com/suecurtisphotos Instagram @suecurtisphotography @sue_curtis_pet_photography