Overview
This workshop offers a fundamental and inclusive entry point into photography—designed for both children and adults focusing on seeing, light, and composition. It is a practical, hands-on session using iPhones (or any phone camera), aimed at shifting perception, not just improving technique.
The goal is simple:
To awaken participants to the magic of light, and empower them to make compelling images—regardless of their equipment.
October 12th
(Adults Workshop - 1-3pm with a complimentary glass of wine included)
Image: Asher Milgate
Why This Matters
Too often, photographic education starts with settings, gear, or genres. This workshop strips that back and returns to what matters:
Light. Attention. Visual intuition.
By learning how to see how light falls, shapes, and reveals participants will gain tools to create stronger images with the devices they already carry every day. This is not a “do you shoot weddings”conversation. Aligned to visual communication, self-expression, and perception.
what to expect:
By the end of the session, participants will:
Understand natural light and how to recognise key lighting conditions (soft, harsh, sidelight, backlight)
Learn to observe and respond to their environment through the lens
Apply one or two simple, timeless compositional techniques (e.g., framing, leading lines, negative space)
See examples of light mastery from renowned photographers
Walk away with new confidence in their ability to “see” and shoot, anywhere, any time
Inspiration and Visual Examples
The workshop will reference the works of:
Max Dupain (The Australian light and its stark honesty)
Trent Parke (Light and shadow as emotional narrative)
Olive Cotton (Quiet brilliance through subtle illumination)
Vivian Maier (Observational depth through everyday encounters)
Ansel Adams (The relationship between landscape and tonal light)
David LaChapelle (Colour, drama, and light as theatre)
Ren Hang – (Flash, intimacy, and unapologetic presence)
Participants will see how each photographer uses light differently and what is possible even without a studio or fancy camera.
Facilitation Approach
I bring a warm, inclusive, and grounded teaching style that encourages curiosity over
perfection. With experience across documentary, fine art, and commercial
photography, I translate complex ideas into simple and accessible experiences -
especially for those who may not see themselves as “photographers”
.
Outcomes and Impact
Participants will walk away with:
A deeper appreciation for light
A practical skillset they can use immediately
A richer visual language
A creative spark re-ignited
Artist Bio:
Asher Milgate
Asher Milgate (b. 1982) is a multidisciplinary artist working across photography, video, sound, and installation. Raised in Wellington, New South Wales and now based in Melbourne, Milgate’s work centers on quiet observation, memory, and the material traces of place. His photographic process often begins with analog black-and-white prints-fragile and imperfect-that he transforms through tearing, stitching, and chemical intervention, creating evocative visual narratives that resist closure and embrace reflection . A guiding principle in his practice is: “to listen and feel before capturing. ” Rather than resolving meaning, his imagery invites deeper seeing-allowing light, memory, and cultural responsibility to converge in a still encounter . Milgate’s work reflects long-standing creative relationships with First Nations communities, notably through collaborative and ethically-informed engagement. Far from symbolic, these relationships actively shape how he sees, listens, and responds to place. His exhibitions include the recent immersive series The Sun … Is My Religion, which dialogues with Hans Heysen’s reverence for sunlight and landscape. Milgate constructs fragile, stitched photo-collages that reveal light not as a romantic symbol but a structural force - one that discloses absence, history, and emotional resonance.
Asher Milgate has exhibited widely in institutional and independent spaces across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, engaging audiences in contemplative experiences that bridge artistic inquiry, cultural memory, and community connection