Down East Maine Coast Instructional Photo Tours and Workshops

Atlantic Puffin

Join John Slonina and me  on an instructional photo tour to the remote Downeast Maine Coast. http://www.sphotography.com/downeast-maine-puffins-seals-lighthouses-photo-tour/
We will travel by land and sea to photograph Puffins, Seals, Whales, Eagles, Lighthouses, and other coastal landscapes.  We will also visit Campobello Island in Canada. We will photograph some incredible landscapes including Quoddy Head Light which is the eastern most point in the US. This tour will involve wildlife, landscape, night, and macro photography. Sign up at http://www.sphotography.com/downeast-maine-puffins-seals-lighthouses-photo-tour/

old tree stump west quody state park

Pitcher -plant flowers

West Quody light

West Quoddy State Park in the fog

Razorbill

 

Sundew

Atlsantic Puffin with fish

Atlantic Puffin

Washington County has everything except crowds, traffic jams, and red lights. The region has every northern forest habitat: mature hardwood, mixed growth, and thick stands of boreal softwood. It has fast and slow rivers, marsh and bog wetlands, rocky coasts and mud flats, grasslands and blueberry barrens. It has two national wildlife refuges and one of the best offshore nesting islands on the east coast. All of Maine’s most highly sought-after species are found here, sometimes in abundance.

Wildlife
We will visit the world famous Machias Seal Island. We will be taking a boat trip to a remote island off the Maine coast to photograph puffins, lighthouses and seals. This is weather permitting.  This trip includes the boat ride for the puffins $120 value.
From the blind on the island we will target puffins, razorbills, and terns. Some of the birds are just a few feet away. Can you image having hundreds of puffins within 10 feet of you. On the boat ride back we will look for seals. The Boat ride is included in the tour fee. On the ride back to we will explore some hidden gems and quaint fishing harbors, lighthouses and seaside cliffs.
We also will be taking a second boat ride to photograph whales, eagles, seals, and lighthouses. This will be scheduled during the late afternoon light to sunset
This trip has other wildlife opportunities. Bald Eagles are seen everywhere. This is moose and black bear country. We will point out any wildlife we come across.
Landscape, Close-up and Night 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. Chain restaurants are few and far between. You won’t miss them.
We will visit several lighthouses including Word Famous Quoddy Head Light. This candy cane colored lighthouse is the easternmost point in the U.S. We probably will be the first people to see the sunrise in the US
This instructional photo tour will include several different types of photography. We will have several opportunities for Wildlife, Landscapes, and Macro photography.
We even plan to photograph at night. How many people have images of lighthouses at night? We will also photograph the milky way (if the weather cooperates).
We also will have time for classroom instruction including some lessons on Lightroom which is the go to program for photographers.
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, unspoiled nature at it’s best. We will visit the summer home of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt, and a great lighthouse.  To visit Campobello Island from the US, you must bring your passport.

We will maximize our time in the field shooting a multitude of subjects as well as incorporating classroom instruction, critiques, and photographic assignments each day.
Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge is one of our planned stops. The Refuge is a highly glaciated expanse of rolling hills, large ledge outcrops, streams, lakes, bogs, and marshes. A diverse forest of aspen, maple, birch, spruce, and fir dominates the landscape and scattered stands of majestic white pine are common.
We will photograph one of the last places in the busy eastern seaboard where you can get away by yourself in tranquil pine forests, or walk for miles on the salt-sprayed shoreline, exploring and discovering secluded tidal inlets, and the uncrowded pleasures of coastal life. Windswept coastal headlands, tidal flats, coastal islands, preserved peat bogs, beaches at low tide, boreal and northern hardwood forests, grasslands and meadows.
For an unforgettable walking or hiking experience come and enjoy the tranquility and outstanding natural beauty in such abundance in our area. These towns create an unforgettable experience for travelers who long to find the traditional Maine way of life.
When:
July 25 - 28, 2014
Price:
$1295 includes Hotel (3 nights stay), puffin boat ride ($120 value) and a Whale and Lighthouse boat ride. Weather permitting
Deposit: $300
Please register early. This will fill up.
PAYMENT:
Payment can be made by check to Slonina Photography.
We also accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
If you prefer to use credit card you can call our office at (508) 736-1167 or use the online shopping cart.
Lodging:
The Rooms are included in the price
Blue Bird Motel: 231 Dublin Street Machias, ME 04654
Telephone: (207) 255-3332
Please contact us for details.
Cancellation:
If you cancel before 90 days of departure you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 90 days you will lose deposit amount.
Unless we are able to fill the spot. Then there will be a full refund.
Skill and Fitness Levels:
Anyone with an interest in photography from a beginner to professional photographer who has a love of being outdoors and nature. There are several short hikes on this trip. All hikes are easy,
Group size:
Our groups are small in size and are limited to 8 people with two instructors. That will an excellent ratio. This group size allows for flexibility in our plans if interesting and unexpected photo opportunities present themselves. Also it will allow us to work with each participate to provide complete, informative, helpful lessons.
Goals:
The entire workshop is devoted to capturing the best images and have a great time doing it.

About us:
John Slonina is a professional nature photographer who has been photographing the nature for over 25 years. He has been published in multiple books, magazines, and calendars.  He has a love of natural history as well. You will receive education not just in photo technique, but also in the natural world. Understanding the natural world not only increases your appreciation of nature but also helps you become a better nature photographer.
Myer Bornstein –Photo Bee 1 has been involved in photography for many years and studied photography at the New York Inst. of Photography.  He is now retired and photographs the natural beauty of Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island and other locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.  He also publishes a blog about his works natural history and includes, book and equipment reviews. He has won many awards including a Commended Image in 2014 Sony World Photography Awards. He understands the natural world around us and does volunteer at the Allens Pond Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary.