New England's Historic Lighthouses

August 17 - 25, 2022

The New England coast of North America has long been known to be treacherous for shipping, and as a result there has been 200 years of lighthouse construction on off-shore islands, inlets, bays, and promontories to guide ships to a safe passage. On this photo tour you will be able to photograph more than 20 of the most beautiful lighthouses. They are usually situated on cliffs, rocky beaches, and hilltops, and Jim will take you to the best vantage points to get the best pictures. Sunrise and sunset lighting always dramatizes lighthouse pictures, and there will be opportunities for night shots to include the Milky Way and star trails. In addition, we will visit very photogenic towns like Kennebunkport, Camden, and Bar Harbor, and you'll be able to capture the ambience of traditional fishing villages so typical of the New England coast. This is an exceptionally beautiful part of America that begs to be photographed!

What you will learn on this photo tour:

Why use HDR for twilight

How to shoot the Milky Way and star trails

Know the best settings for night photography

Using long exposures to smooth ocean water with neutral density filters

Correcting 'keystoning' when using a wide lens

The best way to replace a sky in a photograph

How to expose when shooting into the sun

Understanding depth of field as it relates to distance

ITINERARY

Day 1, August 17, Wednesday

Arrive in Boston and meet Jim in the lobby of our hotel at 5:30pm. Jim will discuss the upcoming tour, answer any questions, and we'll enjoy a welcome dinner followed by twilight photography of the impressive Boston skyline right from our hotel. Overnight Boston.

Day 2, August 18, Thursday

We head south this morning for a one hour drive to our first lighthouse, Pomham Rocks Light. It is on a small island just off-shore, and we can photograph it from a bike path that parallels the coast. Rocks lying in shallow water make a strong foreground. From here we have a one hour drive through Cape Cod to Nauset Lighthouse. Its red and white tower dates from

1877, and inside the cylindrical structure is a stunning spiral staircase in red. What a great wide angle shot! Heading west again we will stop at beautiful Chatham Lighthouse followed by Nobska Light which is framed by a lovely white fence. Late afternoon light illuminates Nobska beautifully. We then head north to the historic town of Plymouth and overnight.

Day 3, August 19, Friday

After an early breakfast, we drive a short distance to the Scituate Lighthouse to photograph sunrise. It was the 11th lighthouse built in the U.S., and it was constructed in 1811. The rocky shoreline provides a striking foreground. From here we drive north through Boston to Salem where we photograph the beautiful red roofed East Point Lighthouse built in 1849. Following lunch, we continue north and photograph beautiful Nubble Light. Built on a small island just off shore, you'll have late afternoon lighting to embellish the picturesque structures on the island. With a neutral density filter, you could use a long exposure to smooth the water in the foreground.

We have dinner in Kennebunkport, and then for sunset, we will photograph two beautiful lighthouses on Cape Elizabeth. Two Lights Lighthouse dates from 1828 and originally had two towers. Despite its twin beacons, there were many shipwrecks. In January, 1885, the lighthouse keeper made a daring rescue of two seamen who crashed into the unforgiving rocks

in a blinding snowstorm. We use the last rays of sunlight to capture beautiful Portland Head Light. This famous lighthouse is wonderfully photogenic from so many angles, and it will be one of your favorite photo locations of the trip. Overnight Portland, Maine.

Day 4, August 20, Saturday

We get up early to photograph sunrise on Portland Head Light. The lighting is very different than sunset. Including the sun in the frame is good reason to shoot this with HDR. We then have breakfast and drive north for one hour to Doubling Point Lighthouse. The walkway to the tower is framed by a white railing that acts as a perfect leading line. From here we drive to famous Pemaquid Lighthouse,

incredibly photogenic because pronounced striations in the rock formations just below the tower make bold and graphic foregrounds. This is a classic wide angle shot. We then take a break and have lunch, and in the afternoon we enjoy a boat trip that starts in Bath and cruises past 10 different lighthouses we haven't seen yet. This is a great way to photograph them from the water which gives an entirely different perspective. We return to Bath, and then drive an hour to Camden, Maine where we overnight.

Day 5, August 21, Sunday

We rise early this morning and drive a few minutes to a sweeping, elevated view of Camden and the surrounding landscape in Mt. Battie State Park. It's beautiful in sunrise lighting, or

in any kind of lighting, and with HDR you'll be able to capture all the detail in the shadows and the highlights. We then drive into town again to the Curtis Island viewpoint to photograph the lighthouse just off-shore on the island. From Camden we continue driving north to Bar Harbor, and in this very picturesque fishing village we have lunch. We spend some time exploring the town, photographing the quaint architecture, finding color, texture, and design on every street.

When the sun gets low in the sky, we'll drive to Prospect Harbor Lighthouse where we can find various vantage points to frame the 1891 lighthouse beautifully. For sunset, we'll drive a short distance to Acadia National Park to capture the Bass Harbor Lighthouse as it sits proudly on a rock cliff. Large boulders at the

shore make a stunning foreground. Overnight in Bar Harbor.

Day 6, August 22, Monday

After breakfast, we continue on our coastal route to Lubec, Maine. Just a short distance across a small channel called the Lubec Narrows sits Mulholland Point Lighthouse. It was built on a point that protrudes into the narrows, and it's the only Canadian lighthouse we'll see on this trip. You'll be able to take a nice shot with a lens in the 300 - 400mm range. Lubec is another quaint fishing village with colorful, historic buildings, but the main reason we come here is to photograph the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. It is unique in that its tower is painted with horizontal bands of red

and white, and it makes a striking image against the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean. It's actually photogenic from many angles, and we overnight here specifically to photograph the lighthouse at sunset as well as sunrise. If the sky is clear, Jim will show you how to capture the Milky Way as we paint the lighthouse with light. What a stunning shot that will be! We can also do star trails. Overnight in Lubec.

Day 7, August 23, Tuesday

Before breakfast, we photograph the lighthouse at dawn and sunrise. Because of the contrast involved, Jim recommends using HDR for all of these pictures. After we eat and pack up, we drive about 2 1/2 hours to the Bangor, Maine International Airport for your flight home. We will arrive at the airport about 10am. Jim has to drive back to Boston to return the van, and if you want, you can go with him and fly out of Logan Airport to your home. The drive from Bangor to Boston is about 3 1/2 hours.

Tour cost: $3550 Includes all lodging based on double occupancy, all ground transportation, all breakfasts, welcome and farewell dinners, entrance fees, lighthouse boat tour, photo instruction, and critiques on demand.

Single supplement: $550

Not included: Your flight to Boston and the flight back home from either Bangor or Boston, all lunches, 4 dinners, alcoholic beverages, and items of a personal nature.