Starbright Wonderland

14/09/2026

CHEELA PLAINS TECHNIQUE SERIES | 1. SINGLE EXPOSURE

We’re starting with the foundation of astrophotography: the single exposure.

One shot. No stacking. No fancy techniques. Just you, your camera and the night sky.

The goal is to capture enough light to reveal the stars and Milky Way without making the exposure so long that the stars start trailing.

You’re balancing:

- Shutter speed: long enough to capture light, short enough to keep stars sharp.
- ISO: high enough to reveal the sky, without introducing unnecessary noise.
- Aperture: wide enough to gather light, while watching for stretched stars and lens distortion.

And don’t forget your foreground. A wide aperture means a narrow depth of field, so focusing becomes critical.

I teach the theory behind all of this, so you understand why you’re choosing your settings, not just memorising them.

Master the single exposure and you have the foundation for everything that comes next.

This image is from Lake Campion sometime around 2018 - I never shoot single exposures anymore so needed to head back in time to find an example. Whilst I cannot remember the exact settings I used I am guessing around 15 seconds, f2.8 ISO 4000.

Next: PANORAMAS.

10/09/2026

4 WEEKS TO GO!

We are officially just four weeks away from the Cheela Plains Astro Retreat, and I’m getting VERY excited to head back into the Pilbara for five nights under some of the darkest skies in Western Australia.

If you’ve been thinking about joining us, now is the time to book, because I’ll be closing bookings very soon!

This isn’t just an astrophotography workshop. It’s five nights immersed in the incredible Pilbara landscape, with time to explore during the day and four dedicated nights learning to capture the night sky.

Over the retreat we’ll cover:

• Astrophotography fundamentals and camera settings
• Capturing the Milky Way and stunning night sky landscapes
• Star trails, panoramas and image stacking
• Light painting and creative techniques
• Timelapse photography
• And, importantly, how to turn your captures into beautiful finished images through editing

Each morning we’ll spend around two hours working through the editing process, because taking the photograph is only half of creating a stunning astrophotograph.

And then there are the skies...

Cheela Plains Station is surrounded by spectacular Pilbara landscapes, including the Beasley River Gorge, with incredibly dark skies and very little light pollution.

There’s something pretty magical about sitting outside after dark and looking up at a sky that feels almost impossibly full of stars.

The retreat is intentionally kept to a small group so I can give everyone plenty of individual help with their photography and editing.

Bookings are closing soon!

So if you’ve been sitting on the fence, consider this your little nudge.

I’d absolutely LOVE to have you along for this one.

Come and spend five nights in the Pilbara, learn to create incredible astrophotographs, and experience some truly spectacular dark skies.

https://www.starbrightwonderland.com.au/astroretreats

Questions? Send me a message or comment below. I’m very happy to help work out whether the retreat is right for you and your camera.

See you under the stars,

Suzy

08/09/2026

I am returning to Visit Mandurah this upcoming school holidays - this time talk talk excitedly about the geology of WA! Get in quick as these sell out quickly :)

Explore 4.5 billion years of WA’s geological history through rocks, fossils and landscapes in this fascinating family-friendly talk for ages 8–13.

07/09/2026

That other time astro foolishness cost us...

A few years ago, probably around 2023, my friend and I headed down to the southwest for an evening of astrophotography.

This was before the recent solar maximum, before the incredible run of Aurora we've had over the past few years.

We spent the afternoon photographing Injidup Natural Spa, then headed to Sugarloaf Rock to photograph a meteor shower.

We'd brought our cameras, camp chairs, some Margaret River wine and nibbles and plenty of time to catch up.

Now picture this.

Two Pommie women, sitting at Sugarloaf Rock in the dark, slightly tipsy, having a lovely evening.

We were facing north because that's where we expected the meteor shower.

We reminisced about photographing the Aurora and how much we wanted to see it again.

"Imagine if we got an Aurora alert tonight!"

Eventually we went to sleep, woke the next morning and watched dolphins playing in the surf below us. Beautiful.

One important detail: we had no mobile phone service.

We packed up and headed towards town.

And then…

My phone found service.

PING. PING. PING.

Notifications started flooding in.

Aurora alerts. Photos. Messages.

That's when we discovered we'd had a massive Aurora.

The Aurora we'd been saying we desperately wanted to photograph again.

Had been happening behind us.

The entire time.

Two astrophotographers talking about how much we'd love to photograph the Aurora…
..while the Aurora was literally happening behind our backs.

There was a lesson in it.

Now I always look all around me when I'm stargazing.

Sometimes the universe puts on the show behind you.

Somewhere, there is a cosmic blooper reel containing footage of two Pommie women at Sugarloaf Rock, drinking wine and discussing how much they want to see the Aurora again…

whilst sitting underneath the bloody Aurora.

31/08/2026

The time I accidentally terrified some backpackers at the Pinnacles…

I was at the Pinnacles getting ready to photograph the Milky Way. I arrived before sunset, planned my composition, set up all my equipment while I could still see what I was doing, then settled into my camp chair to enjoy the sunset and wait for the stars.

A few hours later, most people had left. A handful of astrophotographers remained, but I was pretty much on my own.

Or so I thought.

A group of young backpackers had arrived after dark and were up at the viewing platform. They were chatting, playing music and having a lovely time. They hadn't driven past me, so they had absolutely no idea I was there.

Then it was time for my shot.

I put on my giant white dress, walked out into the darkness and got into position.

Camera ready.

Lights ready.

FLASH!

I heard a scream.

Now imagine you're a backpacker in a remote, eerie Australian landscape. It's pitch black. You think you're completely alone.

Suddenly, a mysterious woman in a huge white dress appears in a flash of light among the Pinnacles.

I mean… I would have screamed too.

They turned off their music.

I moved to my second location.

FLASH!

Another scream.

Poor things.

Eventually they packed up, got into their cars and slowly drove around the Pinnacles, presumably trying to work out what the hell was going on.

I actually expected to find a post on one of those *Strange Encounters in Perth* Facebook groups the next morning:

“GHOSTLY WOMAN APPEARS IN FLASHES AT THE PINNACLES!”

Alas, no such post appeared.

So here is the photograph that caused all the trouble.

To those poor backpackers, wherever you are…

I'm sorry.

I promise I wasn't haunting you. I was just taking photographs.

13/08/2026

Sometimes in astrophotography a composite is the most honest way to show what a place will look like. At Cheela Plains in July, the cave I love faces west, while the Milky Way core was high in the east. Waiting until midnight wasn't an option as I had my girls with me and they do need to sleep (however much they protest bedtime!)

So to show what we'll realistically see during the October retreat, I carefully blended a foreground frame from that cave with a sky frame from an earlier date. Accurate direction, just a different night and different time.

In October, the core sets to the west. So this composite is approximately what participants will see, and it's a technique we'll cover together alongside in-field options like light painting.

If you're curious about the Astrophotography Retreat this October, I'd love for you to join us. Details below.

13/08/2026

Trucks! An icon of the Pilbara - I didn't actually find out the story of why these HUGE trucks are parked at but luckily for us they make a fantastic foreground for astro.

It really is hard to comprehend the size of these machines until you stand beside them.

I lit these vehicles using a soft light painting technique I teach in my Astro Retreats and will be using this incredible foreground during the upcoming retreat at Cheela Plains. We couldn't ask for better really with such great details and structures to illuminate.

08/08/2026

I just got home from four weeks on the road in the Pilbara and Midwest and oh boy, it was an adventure!! I have spent hours downloading SD cards and started to edit images now - I have a lot to do.

A fair deal of our trip was around the full moon so I could only shoot the first half. Not to worry, we spent all that other time exploring the landscape and geology of the area.

This first image from the trip is the rock arch at . My lovely friend Maighread was slightly concerned when I set up my camera at around 8pm and left it there overnight while we camped a short drive away. I am not concerned about some random stranger turning up to steal my gear in a remote location. Honestly, I am more concerned that I may inadvertently capture something supernatural..oOOoooOOOhhhhHHH...

Not long until I return to Cheela Plains to my next Astro Retreat! Limited tickets remaining.

24/07/2026

Incredible image from my dear friend Kathleen! If you were at the Carnarvon Space and Tech Museum workshop recently you would have met Kathleen there. Please congratulate her on this stunning capture

Introducing our 2026 Image of the Year - Squadron of the Deep

Captured by Kathleen Elizabeth, who now holds bragging rights for the next year. Kathleen shares the story behind the winning shot:

“During a beautiful Friday night dive with friends, we explored Port Beach after dark. We entered the water just in time to catch a stunning sunset before slipping beneath the surface into a whole new world of marine life.
We were greeted by an incredible variety of animals, including seadragons, squid, fish, and even a shovelnose ray. On our swim back, we came across a shoal of squid moving incredibly fast. I managed to take a couple of shots and hoped for the best, never expecting to get a keeper.
I was pleasantly surprised when I viewed the images on my computer and found that all seven squid were in sharp focus and looking directly at the camera at the same time.”

📸 Sony A6000, a 30 mm lens, and two Sea & Sea strobes.
Aperture f/7.1, shutter speed 1/160 sec, ISO 320.

02/07/2026

The first stop on our great Pilbara/Gascoyne school holidays road trip. Come along and say hi

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐲?
🔭✨
Join Suzy Jones from 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺 for a fun, hands on workshop to discover what we can see in the sky after dark, how the sky changes through the seasons, and enjoy stories, science activities, and more.

🕰 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 10am-12 noon
🗓️ 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: Saturday 11 July
👤𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐬: Ages 8-12
🎫 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭: Free
📍 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Carnarvon Library & Art Gallery
📞 𝐑𝐒𝐕𝐏: Limited places ~ rebrand.ly/CLAGsky
For more information (08) 9941 3727