Please note that our 2024 tour is sold out. Sign up below for our 2025 tour.

Join us as on an instructional photo tour and workshop to the Maine Coast.

We will travel by land and sea to photograph puffins, seals, whales, eagles, lighthouses, and other coastal landscapes. We will also visit some great locations like Acadia National Park, Schoodic Peninsula, and Campobello Island in Canada. We will photograph some incredible landscapes. We will visit several lighthouses including the famous Bass Harbor Light and Quoddy Head Light. This photo tour will also involve wildlife, landscape, night, and macro photography.

Join us for the chance to be among the first individuals to witness and capture the mesmerizing sunrise in two different locations. The sweeping vistas from Cadillac Mountain offer a view that you will not forget. Quoddy Head Light is a candy cane colored lighthouse at the easternmost point in the U.S. Quoddy Head Lighthouse is the first to see sunrise at this time of year.

We will be there before the busy tourist season so there will be less traffic, congestion, and crowds. The region has every northern forest habitat: mature hardwood, mixed growth, and thick stands of boreal softwood. It has photogenic rivers, marsh, bogs, wetlands, rocky coasts, grasslands and blueberry barrens.

This trip includes three or four separate boat rides (weather permitting).

Wildlife
We will be taking multiple boat trips off the Maine coast to photograph puffins, razorbills, eagles, seabirds, quaint fishing, harbors, lighthouses and seals. This is weather permitting.

Why go on two puffin boat rides? Well, one simply isn’t enough. Occasionally, the boat rides may get canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions. Since these trips are booked months in advance, rescheduling becomes impossible. However, taking two boat rides increases our probability to reach the island. Besides, it’s an extraordinary experience that warrants repetition. Additionally, each day offers unique lighting conditions, adding further appeal to the idea of experiencing it more than once.

We will also be taking a third or four boat rides to photograph nesting eagles, seals, and lighthouses. This will be scheduled during the late afternoon light until sunset. One boat ride will be in Acadia and another one is possible in Lubec.

The boat rides are included in the tour fee. On the ride back, we will explore some hidden gems along with quaint fishing harbors, lighthouses, and seaside cliffs.

This trip has other wildlife opportunities including bald eagles, seabirds, terns, and seals. Moose and black bears are rarely seen on this tour. We will point out any wildlife we come across.

Landscape and Close-Up Photography
We will photograph coastal communities and fishing villages. This is an area of stark beauty and simple living. Lodging and dining opportunities are plentiful but not extravagant.

We will visit nearby Campobello Island in Canada. It is a beautiful island off the Coast of Maine but located in New Brunswick Canada on the Bay of Fundy. Campobello Island is one of three of the Fundy Islands; the "Fundy sisters" as they are sometimes called with the other "sisters" being Grand Manan and Deer Island. Campobello Island will capture your heart with breathtaking views. It is unspoiled nature at its best. To visit Campobello Island from the U.S., you must bring your passport.

We will maximize our time in the field shooting a multitude of subjects as well as incorporating classroom instruction and critiques.

We will photograph one of the last places in the busy eastern seaboard where you can enjoy tranquil pine forests and take a walk along the salt-sprayed shoreline, exploring and discovering secluded tidal inlets. Windswept coastal headlands, tidal flats, coastal islands, preserved peat bogs, beaches at low tide, boreal and northern hardwood forests, grasslands and meadows are waiting for you.

Group Size:
Our groups are small in size which allow for flexibility in our plans if interesting and unexpected photo opportunities present themselves. It also allows us to work with each participant to provide complete, informative, and helpful lessons.

Time of Day:
In June, sunrise is early in the morning and sunset is around 8:20 pm. Early morning and late afternoon have the best lighting for photography, less traffic, people and less wind. Some days there will be a long break in-between morning and afternoon shoots. This would be a great time for a nap, lunch, or shopping on your own. We will also have some classroom time to discuss photo techniques.

When:
June 2-8, 2025 (3 spaces left)

Getting There:
Fly into Bangor Airport (BGR) in Maine. We recommend that you fly in the night before and stay at our selected hotel near the Bangor airport. This hotel should have an airport shuttle. There is no need to rent a car.

Skill and Fitness Level Requirements:

Anyone with an interest in photography from beginner to professional.

The participants should have a love of nature and enjoy the company of other people in a small group setting.

There are several short hikes on this trip. All hikes are under three miles.

Participants must be able to climb in and out of boats in sometimes slippery conditions carrying photo gear. They should also be comfortable with boats with changing sea conditions.

Participants should be in good health and self-sufficient.

Price Includes:

• 6 Night Lodging.Four nights at an oceanside hotel and two nights lodging in Bar Harbor (Acadia National Park). These rooms are double occupancy. If you prefer your own private room (single occupancy). it is an additional $350. Please select the Single Room option on the shopping cart if you want your own room.

• Three or four separate boat rides (weather permitting)

• Professional photo instruction

• Entrance fees

• Transportation from the beginning of the tour to the end.

Not included:

• Flights

• If you stay the night before in Bangor, Maine

• Optional tips to boat operators and/or their assistants

• Food

Transportation:
Transportation is provided from hotel to field locations in our comfortable van. The tour will begin at the Bangor hotel and we will drop you off at the Bangor airport after the tour.

Classroom and Zoom Class:
This trip is planned to maximize time outdoors photographing. We may have classroom time to discuss photography, post processing and or give photo critiques. I will customize the program(s) to cover the wishes of our small group.

Price: $4995

Payment:

Payment can be made by check to Slonina Photography. We also accept credit cards through our online shopping cart.

Our job is to not only help you create beautiful images, but to also teach you skills and techniques that take your photography to the next level. Attendees will learn many basic and advanced principles related to nature photography.

Cancellation Policy:

Click here for Testimonials:

Tour Guides:

John Slonina (leader)

A professional nature photographer who has been photographing for several decades. During the workshop, you will receive information on photography techniques and the natural world. Understanding the natural world not only increases your appreciation of nature but also helps you become a better nature photographer.