Lubec & Grand Manan Island

This workshop combines my two favorite Bay of Fundy locations into one 6-night adventure: the Bold Coast of Maine in Lubec, and Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick, Canada. We'll spend 3 nights in Lubec, the easternmost town in the US, then "ferry hop" our way through the Fundy Isles to Grand Manan for 3 more nights.

We'll also spend time on Campobello Island, Canada, for wildlife, lighthouses, and sunset as part of the Lubec dates.

The lodging package includes all 6 nights of private non-shared lodging all to yourself, hotel rooms in Lubec and private cottages on Grand Manan.

This is a landscape photography workshop with a focus on landscape astrophotography of the Milky Way as conditions permit. The workshop is scheduled around the new moon so that we have dark, moonless skies every night. This is the Bay of Fundy after all and clear skies are not guaranteed, but with 6 nights in two locations we have a lot of chances — and the fog here makes for amazing photos too! Both places are also great for dramatic sunrises and sunsets, with lighthouses, rugged ocean cliffs, fishing boats, and weathered old fishing buildings.

With a max of only 4 students, this is a very small group with plenty of one-on-one time. I've been photographing both of these places for many years and know where to be and when.

We generally do not use light painting on this workshop.

On September 1 we'll check out of our Lubec lodging and travel together to Grand Manan Island on my favorite route, the scenic ferry hop:

• Drive over the bridge from Lubec to Campobello Island, New Brunswick (border crossing)
• Ferry from Campobello Island to Deer Island (about 25 minutes)
• Drive 20 minutes across Deer Island
• Ferry from Deer Island to L'Etete on mainland New Brunswick (about 20 minutes)
• Drive 30 minutes to Blacks Harbour
• Ferry from Blacks Harbour to Grand Manan (about 1.5 hours)

All ferry fares are included in both the lodging package price and the base price, including your return trip on the Grand Manan ferry at the end of the workshop. The ferries fit any vehicle, including RVs. If the small ferries aren't running because of weather we'll drive around through Calais, Maine, crossing the border into St. Stephen, New Brunswick, instead.

The two small ferries (Campobello to Deer Island, Deer Island to mainland) are completely open (no roof) and you can walk around on them during the ride. The Grand Manan ferry is much larger and has a cafeteria, and lots of indoor seating and outside access. Bring your wildlife lens for possible photos of porpoise, whales, and seabirds on all the ferries!

Additional ferry and timing details are provided after registering for your spot.

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.

The workshop starts in Lubec, Maine, and ends on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. You'll need your own vehicle for the whole trip. If you're renting a car, confirm with the rental company that you can take it into Canada.

Bangor, Maine (BGR) is the closest major airport and there are rental cars available there. Lubec is about a 2 to 2.5 hour drive from Bangor. You could also fly into Portland, roughly a 4 hour drive to Lubec.

At the end of the workshop you'll take the ferry from Grand Manan back to Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. From there it's a bit more than a 2.5 hour drive to Bangor, plus the border crossing.

Lodging package ($5990): All 6 nights of lodging are booked for you. Exact details on lodging locations are provided after registration.

• Lubec · 3 nights · check-in Aug 29, check-out Sep 1
  A private room with your own bathroom at an inn in Lubec. Rooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floor, there is no elevator.
• Grand Manan Island · 3 nights · check-in Sep 1, check-out Sep 4
  A private modern cottage by the ocean all to yourself on Grand Manan. Most cottages have a private outdoor hot tub, one does not. Parking is right next to your cottage's entrance.

Base price ($4620): You book and pay for your own lodging for the same nights, and I'm happy to help you find a place. There are inns, motels, and plenty of Airbnb/VRBO options in both Lubec and on Grand Manan. See the lodging lists on my Bold Coast and Grand Manan workshop pages for ideas.

RVs: You can also bring your own RV and camp instead of using the lodging — just choose the base price. There's Sunset Point RV Park in Lubec, Herring Cove Provincial Park Campground on Campobello Island, and on Grand Manan Island there's Anchorage Provincial Park and North Head Campground. There are also boondocking locations. I will be boondocking in my RV on Grand Manan at a private boondocking spot and you could join me (electric available at that spot if you need it). The ferries fit 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.

$5990 per person with the lodging package, or $4620 per person if you book your own lodging or bring your RV. Ferry fares are included in both prices.

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 (other than ferry fares), 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.