Acadia Fall Foliage - October 12-16 2023
Sunrise, Sunset & Night Sky • 5 Day Workshop
Please read our Mission Statement for info regarding Mike's teaching style.
Visit the GENERAL OVERVIEW & ITINERARY PAGE for more information about gear specifics, clothing, weather, etc.
COVID-19: Mike & Sonia and Martin are all fully vaccinated.
While no knowledge of night photography techniques is required for this workshop, please understand this is not a Photo 101 class - you should have a decent working knowledge of your camera gear and how the Exposure Triangle (aperture, shutter speed & ISO) works. Please contact us with any questions or concerns BEFORE signing up for this workshop. Thanks.
Taylor Photography is thrilled to be teaming up once again with our good friend and photography instructor Martin Radigan to offer a 5 day fall foliage and night sky photography workshop in Acadia National Park, Maine. Acadia is not only the crown jewel of rugged and dramatic coastline in the northeast, it's also one of the most incredible fall foliage spots on the entire east coast.
The Wild Gardens of Acadia area including the Jesup Path, Hemlock Trail and Great Meadow are especially photogenic during autumn when the weather becomes more dramatic and the leaves are at their peak. Cadillac Mountain, the Jordan Pond trail, the Asticou Gardens, the Somesville bridge and all the other iconic spots like Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, Hunters Beach and Eagle Lake are at their best at this time of year.
We will be exploring these areas during sunrise and sunset to capture the essence of Maine's colorful coast during the best light of the day. This workshop has also been planned around the New Moon cycle to maximize the visibility of the late season Milky Way, stars and moonlight as time allows.
This is a comprehensive workshop with an emphasis on in the field shooting and chasing the best light that will consist of 5 days of photography which will include 1 or 2 Processing sessions. Check out our Processing page for examples.
Proposed Itinerary*:
October 12: Afternoon meet and greet, sunset photography
October 13-15: Sunrise and sunset photography, mid-day break, possible night shoot
October 16: Sunrise photography, mid-day classroom instruction and image processing & critiques, group dinner
*We will talk with all participants regarding itinerary changes depending on weather conditions & forecast
We always suggest that participants try to arrive the day before a workshop begins and stay a day after the workshop ends if possible to remain flexible with changing weather conditions - as we check local forecasts, sometimes it becomes inevitable that we will have better weather conditions just before or just after the scheduled workshop dates, in which case we will take advantage of the forecast and go shoot on those dates.
In The Field Photography: We will be covering the skill set of shooting during all times of day with our main focus being sunrise and sunset where we will be chasing the best lighting conditions in the area. We will also spend some time shooting night sky images where we will cover the techniques involved in taking very long exposures for foregrounds to blend with sky shots and how to use LED panels strategically to illuminate landscape features. Martin, Mike and Sonia will help each participant with composition, lighting, troubleshooting, etc.
Classroom Instruction: Our classroom time will consist of processing tutorials and techniques via Lightroom & Photoshop and some of our favorite plug-ins to create remarkable images. Bring your laptop with Lightroom and Photoshop installed to learn techniques for processing in the digital darkroom. We will cover Martin & Mike's digital darkroom workflow from RAW file to finished image - from the basics of adjusting highlights & shadows, white & black levels, contrast, clarity, noise reduction, color balance, sharpening, lens corrections, graduated & radial filters, etc. to the more advanced techniques involved in layering, masking, and exposure blending as time allows. We will also spend some time on image critiques. Martin and Mike will work with each participant on their images as we progress. Check out our Processing page for examples.
Home Base: We have reserved a block of rooms at a reduced rate in a local hotel. After you sign up for this workshop you will be provided with the lodging information. You are of course free to stay anywhere in the area.
We will arrange for a conference room to be used for our classroom / processing sessions.
Lodging, transportation and meals are not included in the investment amount. We will be carpooling to the photography locations.
More specific information regarding meet up time & location and a PDF covering the essentials of night photography will be sent out to participants via email well before the workshop date. All participants will receive a hard copy of the PDF handout to go over during our meet-and-greet session.
Physical Requirements: Boots or shoes with decent tread are necessary. Photography locations will be in areas with uneven terrain including sand, tree roots, rocks, seaweed & tidal pools but nothing that should bother anyone who is in decent shape. Anyone who has balance issues should contact us before signing up.
Availability: This workshop is limited to a maximum of 8 participants for a client to instructor ratio of 4:1. We will breaking up into smaller groups to photograph certain areas.
Investment: $2,299 per participant - Alumni discount of 20% if you've taken a previous workshop with Taylor Photography or Martin Radigan Photography. A non-refundable 50% deposit is required to reserve a spot or you may pay in full. The balance is due 60 days before the workshop or your reservation will be subject to cancellation. Please contact us ASAP if issues arise.
If you have a friend or significant other who would like to attend the workshop but not participate as a photographer, they will still need to register as a participant by paying 50% of the investment amount and sign the required waiver & consent form before we head out into the field. It is important that we have an accurate headcount for each workshop.
If you have any hesitation about signing up, check out the Testimonials page where clients have shared their experiences.
Payment: Use the PayPal buttons below to pay the full amount, a 50% deposit or the remaining balance.
