Grand Manan Island

Join me for a photography adventure on Grand Manan, a beautiful island in the Bay of Fundy off the coast of New Brunswick, Canada. I've been photographing here many times over the years, and it's one of my favorite places in the Maritimes.

Grand Manan has it all: dramatic 300-foot ocean cliffs, the colorful dories and camps of Dark Harbour, the iconic Swallowtail Lighthouse, working fishing harbours, weathered old fishing buildings, quiet beaches, and incredibly fresh seafood. With a max of only 6 students, this is an intimate workshop with plenty of one-on-one time.

Tuition is $1750 and covers photography instruction and guiding only — it does not include meals, lodging, or transportation.

Due to Canadian immigration laws I am not able to accept Canadian citizens on this workshop because I am not a Canadian Citizen. Details below.

Moderate hiking on rugged coastal trails with steep sections, hills, and loose rock beaches.

We may do a bit of hiking during some days, possibly 2-3 miles round trip depending on the schedule. This is on rugged coastal trails with exposed roots, rocks, and small hills. Other days there will be little or no hiking.

At night we do far less hiking but it can still be uneven or rocky terrain. All night spots we visit are short hikes, half mile or so one way, unless the group is up for a longer hike.

Please advise me of any mobility issues.

You'll take the ferry to Grand Manan from Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. It's free on the way over and paid on the way back, and you need reservations in both directions. You must arrive at least 45 minutes before departure. Two large ferries run in summer and fit any vehicle, including RVs. Ferry details and reservations here.

Nearby Airports with driving times to the Grand Manan ferry in Blacks Harbour:

• Bangor, ME (BGR) — 2.5 hours plus border crossing
• Fredericton, NB (YFC) — 1.5 hours
• Moncton, NB (YQM) — 2.25 hours

If you're combining this with my Lubec, Maine, workshop:

• Direct drive: From Lubec, cross the border at Calais, ME into St. Stephen, NB, then up the highway — about 1.75–2 hours depending on the border crossing.
• The scenic ferry-hop (my favorite route): Drive to Campobello Island, ferry to Deer Island (25 minutes, fee required), drive 20 minutes across the island, ferry to L'etete, NB (20 minutes, no fee), then drive 30 minutes to Blacks Harbour. Usually 2–3 hours depending on how the small ferry schedules line up. The small ferries are first-come-first-serve, no reservations. Give yourself ample extra time in case the small ferries run behind. You're welcome to follow me over from Lubec if our schedules match up.

You'll need to book your own lodging, but I'm happy to help you find a place. Here are some options — expect to pay around $100–$200 per night:

• Marathon Hotel — best rates and the most rooms, but not all have A/C (none of the Sep 4–7 rooms do; the weather usually isn't too hot then).
• Tides Inn — on the water, fairly new with nice rooms.
• Compass Rose Heritage Inn — on the water.
• Surfside Motel — right by the ocean, check reviews
• Airbnb / VRBO — plenty of options (although Airbnb might have more), many give you a whole cottage/house to yourself.

If you're traveling in an RV there are a couple of campgrounds (Anchorage Provincial Park, North Head Campground) plus boondocking options. I'll be in my RV, likely at a Boondockers Welcome spot with room for a few rigs — you could join me there.

In addition to your camera, lenses, batteries, etc, you must have the following:

• Sturdy tripod.
• If we have any editing sessions — Laptop for editing your photos. To get the most out of the editing sessions you MUST have up to date versions of Lightroom Classic (or other professional raw editor) and Photoshop installed.
  PLEASE NOTE: Lightroom is NOT THE SAME AS Lightroom Classic.
• Proper footwear — Hiking boots recommended for some outings.
• Warm clothing - It can get cold on the coast at night, expect it to drop into the 50s in the summer, and 40s or 30s in June and September.

For Milky Way Workshops:

• Night photography lens — For full frame cameras this would be a 14mm f/2.8 lens or similar, for crop cameras you'll want 12mm f/2.8 or similar. Ask me if you have questions!
• Remote shutter release with timer and extra batteries, preferably one with a programmable timer. Or your camera may have an intervalometer and/or bulb timer built in, many newer cameras have this. If you're not sure then you can ask me in your application below.
• Lens warmer to keep your lens fog-free at night — I will have enough available to loan to everyone if you don't have your own. Something like thisMove Shoot Move lens heaterwith thisAnker batteryis what you want (with velcro, gaffer tape, or some pouch to attach the battery to your tripod). You can use any USB battery pack but this Anker one is small and light and will power the lens heater for 4-5 hours.
• Headlamp with a red LED mode. Your headlamp MUST have a red LED mode on it to limit the amount of light that will get into the shots of other workshop participants and to help preserve your night vision. One like thisBlack Diamond Cosmoworks very well.

Tuition is $1750 per person, or $1150 per person when you combine it with an adjacent Bold Coast of Maine workshop. At this time full payment is required to reserve your spot.

Tuition covers photography instruction and guiding only. Meals, lodging, and transportation (including the ferry and rental cars) are your responsibility and are not included.

Please fill out the form below to request your spot in the workshop. I'll check your equipment list to see if it will work for the workshop and I'll e-mail you back with information on how to pay the tuition online.

You must be 18 years of age or older. By filling out this form you acknowledge that you understand the weather and cancellation policies.