Upcoming workshops
Want to learn how to create jaw-dropping light painting photos and have fun doing it? Of course you do!
Lumina Trails host immersive light painting photography workshops and tours throughout New Zealand at epic and atmospheric locations.
Our sessions are jam-packed with hands-on learning and nighttime creativity.
What You’ll Learn & Experience:
Master the Tools - Get hands-on experience using a specialized toolkit, including RGB flashlights, fiber optics, and light tubes to sculpt your own custom shapes and effects.
Long-Exposure Execution - Learn the exact camera settings, focusing techniques, and ambient light management required to execute complex light-painted designs flawlessly.
Composition & Framing - Discover how to integrate your light designs seamlessly with New Zealand’s dramatic natural and historical backdrops.
Post-Processing Techniques - Learn easy Lightroom and editing workflows to bring out the vibrant contrast and hidden details of your original RAW files.
Take a look at the current workshop and tour options below and book your spot!
Location: Mangara Eco Lodge, Hawkes Bay
Dates: 22 April - 25 April 2027
Light Painting & Astrophotography at Mangarara Eco Lodge, Hawke’s Bay.
Step away from the ordinary and into the darkness.
Nightfall Expedition is an immersive three-night photography adventure designed for the photographers who want to experience the night in a completely different way. Based entirely at the stunning Mangarara Eco Lodge in Hawke’s Bay, this intimate workshop combines light painting, astrophotography, wildlife and adventure in an environment far away from the crowds and distractions of everyday life.
Across the expedition, you’ll learn the fundamentals of light painting, develop your skills through creative sessions with models, explore the techniques behind capturing the night sky and Milky Way, and create dramatic light-painted wildlife images.
But this isn’t a workshop where you simply stand beside your camera all night.
We’ll venture out on foot into the surrounding landscape, searching for the best locations and compositions as darkness falls. Some hiking will be involved, so an intermediate level of fitness is required. The reward is the opportunity to create images that feel cinematic, adventurous and completely your own.
Whether you’re picking up light painting for the first time or already have experience shooting at night, all skill levels are welcome. The workshop is deliberately limited to just 5 participants, allowing for a relaxed, highly personalised experience with plenty of hands-on guidance.
What you’ll experience:
Light Painting Fundamentals - Learn the essential techniques, equipment and camera settings needed to create compelling light-painted images.
Light Painting with Models - Work with models to create dramatic, cinematic portraits and learn how to control and shape light around your subject.
Astrophotography - Capture the Milky Way and night sky while learning practical techniques for focusing, exposure, composition and working in the dark.
Light-Painted Wildlife - Create unique wildlife imagery using controlled light painting techniques to bring animals dramatically out of the darkness.
Night Exploration & Hiking - Explore the Mangarara property after dark, searching for compositions and discovering what the landscape has to offer beneath the stars.
Small-Group Experience - With only five places available, you’ll receive plenty of individual guidance and time to experiment.
Daily Editing & Live Feedback - Step out of the dark and into the digital studio. Utilize dedicated daytime hours to process your images, receive direct portfolio reviews, and get live feedback to improve your technique for the next night’s shoot.
Scouting & Free Time - Build confidence by scouting locations during the day so you know exactly where to step at night, while still enjoying personal downtime to relax and recharge.
Your Base: Mangarara Eco Lodge
The entire expedition takes place at Mangarara Eco Lodge, giving us the freedom to immerse ourselves in the environment rather than spending the workshop travelling between locations.
Shared accommodation is included, with the lodge capable of accommodating up to 17 guests, but the workshop itself is strictly capped at 5 participants.
Food & Getting There
Food is not included in the workshop. Rather than providing a fixed meal package, we’ll make the most of Hawke’s Bay’s local food scene, visiting local eateries and supermarkets throughout the expedition.
If required, transport to and from Napier Airport can be arranged at no additional cost, making it easy for participants travelling from outside Hawke’s Bay to join the expedition.
Who is it for?
Everyone.
You don’t need to be an experienced photographer, and you don’t need previous light painting experience. Whether you’re just beginning your photography journey or looking to take your existing night photography skills to another level, the techniques will be adapted to your experience.
You do, however, need to be comfortable spending time outdoors at night and undertaking some hiking. An intermediate level of fitness is recommended.
Five Photographers. Three-Night Adventure.
This isn’t about ticking off another photography workshop.
It’s about stepping into the darkness, exploring somewhere wild, learning new creative techniques and coming home with photographs you couldn’t have created anywhere else.
No crowds. No ordinary photography.
Just darkness, light and the night sky.
Welcome to Nightfall Expedition.
What to Bring:
A camera with full manual control, extra batteries and memory cards, a sturdy tripod, remote shutter, a headlamp (with a red-light mode to protect night vision). Dark/black clothing and shoes with ankle support.
Spaces are strictly limited to ensure high-quality, one-on-one coaching in the field.