Auroras, lightning and the Milky Way: The Ararat local capturing West Vic's stars

You don't have to drive far in Western Victoria to see an incredible night sky.

If you live a little rural, you see it all the time, and if you're in a more built-up area, it's not too long a drive to get that pristine night-time starshow that makes everything feel right and wonderful.

If you look up at the right time and at the right place, you may even be lucky enough to see the Aurora Australis — the Southern Lights. It's rare, sure, but it does happen in our parts. 

But even if you’re lucky enough to glimpse it, capturing it on camera is a whole other story. Personally, my camera roll is full of disappointing attempts to photograph the moon.

So, how can we truly capture Victoria's night sky in all its beauty? That's a question for Jacinta McLoughlan, a medical scientist by day and a night photographer by…well, night.

Jacinta is a born-and-bred Ararat local, a mother of three, and recently, a cancer survivor. Through all of this, she's been devoted to hunting down and documenting Victoria's beauty at night — its dramatic storms, elusive auroras, and iconic rural landscapes.

The Brolga caught up with Jacinta to learn about how photography has brought her on adventures around the region, kept her active in the community through rigorous cancer treatment, and to ask her top tips for any beginner night photographers keen on capturing the beauty of our night.

The Brolga: Hey Jacinta, when did you first become interested in photography, and what drew you specifically to night photography?

Jacinta: I was given my first camera for my 21st birthday, a Minolta SLR film camera. From then on, I was hooked. I upgraded to a Nikon DSLR and slowly built my lens kit from around 2005.

Around 2015, I wanted to learn the art of night photography. That June, I saw my first aurora at about 4:30am with my friend, and it was just the most amazing experience. It was a big aurora with naked eye beams, and it was breathtaking. From that moment I became obsessed with night photography, aurora hunting, capturing the Milky Way, and storm chasing.  

When you saw that first aurora, what did you feel? And has that feeling remained all these years and all these auroras later?

When I first saw the Aurora it was utter jubilation. I mean we were jumping up and down like little school girls winning the sports carnival!

I was with my new friend, Ainsley, at the time, and we forever bonded over the experience. It was so incredible to see. It’s always that sense of awe when you see it. Especially the strong ones with beams. Even when I’m by myself I usually start laughing and yelling OMG and lots of other excited words. You can’t help but feel incredibly emotional as you gaze at its beauty. It’s very special.

Could you walk us through your typical process when planning and executing a night shoot?

Planning a night shot involves some reconnaissance work. I go for lengthy drives around the back road, finding objects of interest — an old windmill, a dead tree, a rusty truck, a farm shed — and drop pins on their location into Google Maps.

With so much time spent under the night sky, you eventually learn where the Milky Way will be at certain times of the year. I also subscribe to various apps that alert me when an aurora may appear. My favourite apps are SpaceWeatherLive, AuroraAlerts, Glendale App (it's a web-based app), and Stellarium to find stars.

I always have the cameras ready (I use two cameras with different lenses attached to maximise my image capture), batteries charged and blank SD cards.

This type of prep is a must because sometimes auroras happen very quickly without much warning, so you don't want to lose time while getting your gear ready. 

Do you have favourite locations in Victoria to photograph at night? 

There are a few locations that are just my go-to places, usually south of Ararat. Lake Bolac is particularly good for viewing the aurora as it's nice and dark with little light pollution.

I generally stick to a 30-minute drive from home when I go out for night photography.  

What are the biggest challenges you face when shooting at night?

Clouds are a challenge. There have been many strong auroras missed because of clouds and it's always disappointing. I'm always envious of the photographers who live in Tasmania because they are so much further south and capture amazing auroras. The challenge for me now is finding locations that I haven't been to in this area. After 10 years of night photography, I have pretty much covered every location within my 30-minute radius. 

What has been your most memorable or rewarding night photography experience so far?

The aurora of May 11, 2024 was a memorable night! I had just tested positive for COVID but that wasn’t going to stop me from going out. The beauty of night photography is that it’s fairly isolating — you're outside and rarely see other humans. This aurora just kept on giving, after multiple X flares [the most powerful classification of solar eruptions] from the sun a few days before. 

Then there was a similar size aurora in October 2024, although there was more cloud that night.

Recently, we have had some amazing storms with many lightning strikes and that's been an adventure, the thrill of the chase.

As long as you’re at a safe distance I have never been afraid of a good electrical storm. Obviously, I don't like it when they start fires. But it’s a part of mother nature, and it’s fair game to capture at her most furious moments. 

Have you had any unusual encounters or experiences while out shooting at night?

One night I was out in the middle of nowhere, late at night, down a very isolated road and I swear a drone flew over me. That was very unsettling and I packed up and went home. I've been swooped by bats and attacked by mosquitoes. I don't like seeing other humans out late at night when I'm on my own. Sometimes spotlighters [nighttime hunters using powerful lights] get a bit too close and I'm mindful that a stray bullet doesn't come my way.

I also don't want to startle the people driving by — if you are shooting on the side of a road, you don't tend to see a photographer dressed in black until the last minute. So there are a lot of risk assessments done before I pull over to a place where I'd like to set my camera up. 

I have never seen a UFO or anything that can't be explained. Most of the time the rustling in the bush is a kangaroo or some farm animal and it doesn't bother me. The majority of the time it is peaceful and somewhat primal. It’s just you and the stars — and lots of satellites.  

How has the local community responded to your work?

The community has been very supportive, especially when I was in the midst of my cancer treatment. Some of the local farmers would take me onto their properties so I could photograph outbuildings and sheds or take me up a hill to see a better view of the horizon. It was a way to keep me active and it gave me a sense of normality and purpose. 

People generally love having something of theirs photographed at night. What looks like a rusty piece of farm junk during the day can look like a work of art with some light painting and stars to frame it. It's just a different view of an object you see every day. I have participated in a few exhibitions locally. 

Are there any specific locations or subjects in Western Victoria you're hoping to capture that you haven't yet?

Western Victoria has such rich history. Whether it be the beautifully crafted homesteads along the Hopkins River or little churches dotted around once thriving towns, any site is worth a capture.

I'd particularly like to spend more time on the western side of the Grampians. 

What advice would you give someone interested in getting started on night photography?

Firstly, know your camera. Knowledge of your aperture and shutter speed and ISO is a must. It's a manual process, take it off auto. Some cameras are more suited to night photography than others. Having a decent lens makes all the difference. 

Choose one with the lowest f-stop, such as f/2.8. One of my favourite lenses is a 14mm prime lens. You need a sturdy tripod as well. A basic setting I have my camera set to with my 14mm lens is 25sec, f/2.8 ISO 4000, focus your lens to infinity. Then just shoot up at the dark, starry sky and see what you capture, and tweak the settings from there. 

Practice, practice, practice and it soon becomes second nature. 

_{Images: Jacinta McLoughlan}