Ari Rex

07/09/2026

🔭 I THINK THIS LITTLE THING MAY HAVE CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT DEEP-SKY ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY… 🌌

I’ve always loved photographing nebulae and galaxies, but my heart is still with wide-field astro-landscapes — being outside, under the stars.
Then the DWARF Mini arrived at my door. 😁
Think of it as a second camera. I set it up, point it at a galaxy or nebula and let it track and collect images for hours while I continue doing my normal photography.

And the funniest part?
The other night I set it up in my backyard… then went inside and controlled the whole thing from my lounge-room couch. In the warm. 😂🔥

First impressions? This tiny thing has blown me away.
I’ve put some of my first images together with my thoughts — including what I love and the downside — on my Recommended Gear page.

🎁 SAVE 5% ON DWARF LAB PRODUCTS
Use code ARIREX

👉 See my images, review & discount link:
https://www.arirex.com.au/recommendedgear

Deep-sky astrophotography from the couch… I could get used to this. 😂🌌

06/09/2026

🌌 WHO SAID LAST NIGHT WAS GOING TO BE TERRIBLE FOR ASTRO? 😄
(Looking at you, weather forecast man… 👀😂)

We were blessed with clear skies for almost the entire 5 hours of last night’s Advanced Milky Way Workshop.

And the sky after rain… wow. ✨
The rain had finished just before we started, washing much of the dust, pollen and other particles from the atmosphere and leaving us with a beautifully clean, transparent sky.

The stars were absolutely sparkling. 🌠

Abhik couldn’t resist posing like a champ for 25 seconds 😁 while Somna was busy capturing a full Milky Way arch panorama behind us.
Can’t wait to see that one! 🙌

There’s a little lesson here too: some of the most beautiful astro conditions can happen immediately after the rain clears.

Sometimes the weather app says stay home…

The sky says otherwise. 😉🌌

📸 Two-shot panorama stitched | 25s | f/2.2 | ISO 6400

02/09/2026

🌠 NO, THIS ISN’T AI… AND I WASN’T TRAVELLING AT LIGHT SPEED. 😁🚀

Sometimes the most interesting astrophotography happens when you stop trying to freeze the stars… and deliberately make them move.
The crazy starburst you see here was created entirely in-camera, using a long exposure while changing the focal length during the exposure — transforming thousands of stars into what looks like a journey straight through the Milky Way. 🚀

And that little person standing beneath it?

Yep… that’s me. 😁
The final image combines two photographs — one exposure for the starburst effect and another for the foreground — brought together in Photoshop.

No AI-generated sky. No artificial stars.
Just a camera, a dark sky, a little experimentation… and Photoshop to bring the two exposures together. 🌌✨
That’s what I love about astrophotography. It doesn’t always have to be about creating the technically “perfect” image.
Sometimes you break the rules, experiment… and see where the universe takes you.

🌌 WANT TO LEARN?

There are still 5 Milky Way Workshops remaining this year, but most are already booked or close to it.

🔥 Only TWO October workshops still have a few spots available.
After that… you’ll be waiting until 2027.

Come learn how to capture the Milky Way, star trails, creative techniques like this and much more.

The universe is calling. 🌌✨

👉 Book your spot:
https://www.arirex.com.au/bookings

27/08/2026

🌌 KISS 358 — 358 YEARS IN THE MAKING. ✨

The light from those bright stars in Rho Ophiuchi travelled 358 years through space before reaching my camera… and in this image, it looks like it’s finally kissing the land. 💫

Look closely and you can even see the sheep on the hill. 😉

🖼️ Want KISS 358 on your wall?
Explore the Wall Art Collection
https://arirex.pixels.com/featured/kiss-358-ari-rex.html

🌌 Want to learn how to capture images like this?
Only 3 Milky Way workshops remain for 2026.

Book your workshop
https://www.arirex.com.au/bookings

22/08/2026

🌌 **WHEN THE MILKY WAY MEETS HISTORY… ✨**

There’s something special about photographing the Milky Way with a natural foreground of ancient trees and a beautiful man-made subject like this.

The challenge is bringing it all together — **capturing the stars while carefully lighting the building to reveal its colours, textures and character without overpowering the night sky.**

Many of you will recognise this beautiful old church. ❤️

But seeing it in a photograph is one thing…

**Standing here beneath the Milky Way and learning how to capture it yourself is something completely different.**

And if you’ve been thinking about joining me, there are now **ONLY 3 WORKSHOPS LEFT FOR 2026** — two Advanced and one Standard.

🌌 The next one is **Saturday 5 September** and there are **ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT.**

After these three workshops, that’s it for 2026.

**Your next chance might be 2027.** 😉

If you want to learn how to capture the Milky Way, create images like this and take your astrophotography to another level…

**now is the time.**

👉 Book your spot:
https://www.arirex.com.au/bookings

Award-Winning Photographer & Educator 🌌
Immersive Milky Way Workshops • Commercial Photography • Fine Art Prints
Trusted by brands & students worldwide
🏆 IPA Nature Photographer of the Year

19/08/2026

🌅 CANBERRA, AT GOLDEN HOUR… AND THEN THE LIGHTS COME ON. ❤️

There are some places you photograph because they’re beautiful.

And then there are places that feel like home.

This is Canberra’s iconic National Carillon, captured across the lake as the last light of the day faded and the tower lit up in brilliant red.

The still water, the evening sky, the reflection and those beautiful winter flowers in the foreground all came together for one of those moments that makes you stop and think:

Yep… this is Canberra. 🇦🇺❤️

And if you love Canberra as much as I do, you don’t have to keep the image on your screen.

🖼️ Want it on your wall?

This photograph is part of my Ethereal Canberra Collection, available in any size and on a range of beautiful mediums — perfect for your home, office or as a unique gift for someone who loves Canberra.

🎁 And yes, shipping is available worldwide. 🌏

👉 Explore the collection and choose your favourite:
Ethereal Canberra / Wall Art Collection

https://www.arirex.com.au/prints

Bring a little piece of Canberra home. ❤️

17/08/2026

⚡ WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVOURITE? 1, 2 OR 3? 🌩️

I honestly can’t wait for lightning season to return to Canberra… and I have a feeling we might not have to wait much longer. 👀⚡

From this selection of 10 of my favourite lightning photographs from the past few years, I’d love to know:

🥇 Which one is your #1?
🥈 Which is your #2?
🥉 And which makes your top 3?

There’s something addictive about watching a storm build in the distance, waiting for that split second when the sky suddenly EXPLODES with light. ⚡

And I’m thinking of doing just ONE Lightning Photography Workshop this season.

It’s a 3-hour hands-on workshop where I’ll show you how to photograph lightning safely and effectively — not during a live storm, so we can concentrate on learning the techniques without standing out in the weather waiting for a strike. 😉

If you’ve ever looked at a lightning photo and thought,
“How the hell do they capture THAT?” ⚡📸

This might be your chance.

⚡ Interested in joining this year?
Send me a message and I’ll put you on the expression-of-interest list for the date.

And first things first…

Which photo gets your 🥇, 🥈 and 🥉?

16/08/2026

🌌 WE’RE ALL SPINNING… AND WE DON’T EVEN FEEL IT! 🌍✨

Look closely at these circles.
They aren’t the stars moving around us — they’re the result of Earth rotating.
Imagine a giant invisible axis running straight through the Earth, from the North Pole to the South Pole. As our planet spins, the stars appear to circle around the celestial poles.
And here in the Southern Hemisphere, we get this incredible view of the Southern Celestial Pole at the centre of the rotation.
To create a star trail like this takes hours of shooting and a lot of patience… but the result is pretty spectacular. ✨
And just think — while you’re standing there watching the stars move, you’re travelling through space on a spinning planet. 🌍
Gravity is the only thing stopping us from flying off into space… so perhaps give gravity a little thank-you next time you’re under the stars. 😂

And now, some exciting news for those wanting to take their astrophotography further:
🔥 ONLY ONE SPOT LEFT in my September Advanced Astrophotography Workshop!
And because of the demand, I’ve just released ONE LAST ADVANCED CLASS FOR 2026 — Saturday 3 October.

After that… you might have to wait until 2027. 😉

Learn how to capture the Milky Way, star trails like this, advanced night-sky compositions and much more.

🌌 One September spot. One October class. Then that’s it for 2026.

👉 Book now:
https://www.arirex.com.au/bookings

12/08/2026

☄️ A METEOR. A MILKY WAY. PURE COSMIC LUCK. 🌌

…Talk about being in the right place at the right time!
I was out testing a composition of the core of our galaxy when THIS METEOR suddenly blazed across my frame. 🤯

The funny part? I didn’t even see it.

I was so deep into setting up the shot that the meteor streaked in behind me. One second I was adjusting settings, the next I was casting a shadow and hearing this eerie crackling sound.
My first thought?
“Okay… aliens?” 👽😂
Then I checked the playback.
There it was. Bright as day. Burning across the Milky Way.
Cue the solo victory dance in the dark. 🕺😂

And this Saturday, you have the chance to be out there when the Perseids light up the sky. ☄️

You can’t predict exactly which meteor will cross your frame.

But you can be in the right place, under a dark sky, with the knowledge to capture it when it happens.

🌌 PERSEIDS METEOR NIGHT — THIS SATURDAY

If you’ve ever wanted to photograph a meteor streaking through the Milky Way, this is the night you don’t want to miss.
And who knows… perhaps we’ll even get some solar activity joining the party again, like last Saturday, and make things even more interesting. 😉✨
Because you can always look at the photos afterwards… but you can’t go back and be there.

👉 Book your spot:
https://www.arirex.com.au/bookings

Award-Winning Photographer & Educator 🌌
Immersive Milky Way Workshops • Commercial Photography • Fine Art Prints
Trusted by brands & students worldwide
🏆 IPA Nature Photographer of the Year