Grand Manan Island

Join me for 4 nights on Grand Manan, a beautiful island in the Bay of Fundy off the coast of New Brunswick, Canada. I've been photographing here for many years, and it's one of my favorite places in the Maritimes.

Grand Manan has it all: dramatic 300-foot ocean cliffs, colorful dories, the iconic Swallowtail Lighthouse, working fishing harbours, weathered old fishing buildings, and fresh seafood.

The lodging package includes all 4 nights of private non-shared lodging all to yourself in private cottages on Grand Manan.

This is a landscape photography workshop with some Milky Way photography as conditions permit. The workshop starts a few days after the new moon: on our first night the sky is dark and moonless, and on the second night the crescent moon sets about 20 minutes after true darkness, so both are good Milky Way nights. On the third and fourth nights the moon sets late, so we'll focus on sunrise, sunset, golden hour, and blue hour instead, with little or no Milky Way.

With a max of only 4 students, this is a very small group with plenty of one-on-one time.

We generally do not use light painting on this workshop.

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. If you are unable to hike this is probably not a good fit.

You'll need your own vehicle on the island. If you're renting a car, confirm with the rental company that you can take it into Canada.

The ferry: You'll take the ferry to Grand Manan from Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick (about 1.5 hours). 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. The ferry has a cafeteria, lots of indoor seating, and outside access — bring your wildlife lens for possible photos of porpoise, whales, and seabirds on the crossing. 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 driving from Maine:

• Direct drive: 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: 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.

Lodging package ($3990): All 4 nights of lodging are booked for you (check-in Sep 4, check-out Sep 8) in a private modern cottage by the ocean all to yourself. Most cottages have a private outdoor hot tub, one does not. Parking is right next to your cottage's entrance. Exact details on the lodging location are provided after registration.

Base price ($2990): You book and pay for your own lodging for the same nights, and I'm happy to help you find a place. Airbnb has many options.

RV/Camping: You can also bring your own RV and camp instead of using the lodging — just choose the base price. There's Anchorage Provincial Park and North Head Campground. I will be boondocking in my RV at a private boondocking spot and you could join me (electric available at that spot if you need it). The ferry fits any size RV.

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

• 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. I would also recommend lenses in the 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm range with fast apertures (f/2 or better) for different compositions with the Milky Way core. Ask me if you have questions!
• Sturdy tripod. Don't cheap out here, you will regret it if we're shooting in the wind!
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

$3990 per person with the lodging package, or $2990 per person if you book your own lodging or bring your RV.

A $1000 deposit is required to book your spot; the balance is due May 1, 2027. Half the deposit is refundable if you cancel before then — see the FAQ for the full cancellation policy.

Meals, transportation (including the ferry and rental cars), and camera gear are your responsibility.

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.