Lighthouse Workshop 2023
Lighthouses and more in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Maine
7 days • 6 nights • October 3rd – October 9th, 2023
Group size 7 • $2,800
single room fee $525
I love Lighthouses
In October of 2023, I will doing a new workshop to one of my favorite areas in the US. The coast of the North Atlantic is just breathtaking and we will search out some of the most iconic Lighthouses along the rugged coast. From Cape Cod, Massachusetts all the way to Portland, Maine, this will be one pretty fun and photogenic road trip! I am only taking 7 people for a small group feel and also so we only have two cars for the workshop.
This fun adventure will include driving up and down the coast looking for great photo ops all over and staying in some pretty awesome towns along the way. Not to mention the cuisine that is always amazing everywhere you look. But our main focus will be scouting out my favorite lighthouses, day and night and hope to get some stunning images from each location.
Scouting is Fun!
The itinerary below shows where we will be each day although we will be venturing all over looking for great photo ops! There also might be a lighthouse or two that might be in addition to our itinerary and we will also look for beautiful scenery as it just seems to be everywhere along the coast!
Boston
A small group
Logistics
Everyone will meet in Boston by air or car, drive in our SUV’s up and down the coast during the workshop and end up in Portland, Maine for our last shoot. People can leave for home from Portland, Maine airport that last day or if some want, they can continue on to Acadia National Park in the SUV’s for my fall and night sky workshop that will start a few days later.
All accommodations are included in beautiful hotels in different cities along the coast except our first night’s hotel in Boston, before the workshop starts. Instead of people having to rent a car for this workshop, we will have 3 drivers, including myself and will be driving in three big SUV’s.
Yummy food
We will all chip in to pay for the rental car & gas costs, which will be split 3 ways in each car and not be very much. We will also have walkee talkees in each vehicle as on a road trip like this, they are crucial.
Some breakfasts might be included but I am not sure of that as of now but you will be responsible lunches & dinners. One of the highlights of the entire trip will be the food as it is just crazy how many great places to eat are everywhere over there!
PhotoPills
I have also planned this workshop to coincide with the moon on some nights so that we can shoot lighthouses and the ocean by moonlight. Using PhotoPills, you will see when and where to be to capture the best images in the best light! We will also try to capture lighthouses with the Milky Way above them which is one of my favorite things to shoot on the east coast.
I will want everyone to have PhotoPills on their cell phones and I will also let you know which other apps will be beneficial for our workshop.
Arrive in Boston at least one day early
Everyone will arrive in Boston October 3rd, the day before the workshops starts and you will take a taxi or airport shuttle to a hotel I have chosen for our starting point. This will be booked by you for that first night but all other hotels are included in the workshop. We will hang out that first afternoon & night as a group, and if time permits, maybe venture to Cambridge to have dinner together and explore. .
Days 2 & 3 The Beauty of Cape Cod
We will leave Boston on Wednesday October 4th around 10am and head by car to the town of Truro on the coast of Cape Cod. Truro is a peaceful and beautiful part of Cape Cod that is central to everything. During the day, we will scout out two beautiful lighthouses, Highland Lighthouse, which I have not been able to shoot because of construction and also Nauset Lighthouse.
I am hoping that Highland Lighthouse will finally be finished and I cannot wait to shoot his stunning lighthouse! We will try and shoot both lighthouses during sunrise or sunset and also try and capture them after dark, which I love to do
We will also drive to one of my favorite beaches in Cape Cod and shoot from above the waves and also right on the beach. I love trying different camera techniques with slow shutter on this particular beach and we will hopefully have one fun time that day! One of the highlights of being in Cape Cod will be going to one of the coolest towns in the US, Provincetown. This is one hip town and it is just eye candy everywhere you walk and the food choices are just off the wall tasty as can be!
Day 4 Rockport and Gloucester
We will leave the Cape mid morning for the quaint little town of Rockport which is fascinating. We will stay by the water in the most quaint and gorgeous B&B around and have a fun time going to one of my all time favorite lighthouses, Anisquam Lighthouse. I have a very special place to park our cars since there is no parking allowed as it is private property. I also have a hidden trail to get to the lighthouse that will save a lot of time walking!
It is a magical area and I cannot wait to take everyone there! We will also try to capture it after the sun goes down as the entire area is stunning and we will keep our fingers crossed for great weather! We will also shoot Eastern Lighthouse, from both sides, at sunrise. This is a special lighthouse as we have access from both sides for two completely different perspectives. The harbor in Rockport is also a great place to photograph and we will try and hit it just after shooting the lighthouse.
Day 5 The towns of York, Ogunquit and Kennebunkport
After Rockport, we will head off to pretty cool towns of York & Kennebunkport and then stay in the small cozy town of Ogunquit. I have never stayed in this town but the advantages to this will be that we are super close to one of the most beautiful lighthouses on the coast, Nubble Lighthouse. This will give us more flexibility to shoot longer at night and less driving if we shoot it again at sunrise.
This lighthouse is intoxicating and we will be right on the rocks shooting this stunning lighthouse as the waves will be breaking right in front of us. When we are not shooting the lighthouse, we will venture around both towns, looking for photo ops and looking for great food! At sunrise, we will try and shoot this gorgeous lighthouse again!
Day 6 Portland, Maine
After Rockport, we will head to our last and possibly best location. Portland, Maine is home to one of the most spectacular lighthouses in the US. Portland Head Light is a very historic lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The light station sits on a head of land at the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor, which is within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. Completed in 1791, it is the oldest lighthouse in Maine and it’s history is jaw dropping.
Construction began in 1787 at the directive of George Washington, and was completed on January 10, 1791, using a fund of $1,500, established by him. Whale Oil lamps were originally used for illumination as I am guessing that they worked night and day. The tower was built of rubblestone, and Washington gave the masons four years to build it. While it was under construction in 1789, the federal government was being formed, and for a while it looked as though the lighthouse would not be finished.
Following passage of their ninth law, the first congress made an appropriation and authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to inform the mechanics that they could go on with the completion of the tower. On August 10, 1790, the second session of congress appropriated a sum not to exceed $1500, and under the direction of the President, “to cause the said lighthouse to be finished and completed accordingly.” The tower was completed during 1790 and first lit January 10, 1791. Pretty amazing back story and we will shoot this beauty twice!
We will photograph this stunning lighthouse at both sunrise and sunset, from perfect locations and I cannot say enough about this spectacular lighthouse. And we will also spend time in Portland and this is one city that I love hanging out in and also the restaurants are as yummy as they get! It will be a great ending to one fun workshop!
The last morning, after our sunrise shoot of the lighthouse, everyone can go to the Portland Airport to catch their flights. Holly and I will continue on the road trip to Acadia National Park for my next workshop.
WHAT TO EXPECT
This workshop includes a reasonable amount of walking or hiking and requires an average level of physical fitness. You can leave some camera gear in the hotel room as you might not need everything all the time but when we are in vehicles, you can bring it all with you.
HEALTH
As I mentioned earlier, it is a good idea to be in shape as we will be walking all over the place and hiking sometimes on the coast or other areas. Sometimes, our hotel rooms will be up several flights of stairs and being in shape will help with this. This is why I also recommend carry on size luggage as they are easier to manage.
I am hoping by the time this workshops starts that the Covid virus will not be any kind of factor like ti is today. Let’s hope for the best and keep our fingers crossed!
TRANSPORTATION
As I wrote above, we will be driving in three large SUV’s with myself and my friends Paul & Christina as the other two drivers. This will be a fun road trip but everyone is encouraged to bring small size luggage if possible. I will go over this with everyone who signs up but smaller luggage will be a huge bonus for going in and out of the different hotels and also making sure all of our luggage fits into the SUV’s.
LOGISTICS
The workshop will start on October 3rd, 2023 in Boston at a hotel to be determined. This is the only hotel that guests will have to book and pay for themselves during the workshop. We will drive in a 3 car caravan up and down the coast to different towns, shooting everywhere we are.
We will stay at four other charming hotels during the workshop, all in close proximity to some beautiful lighthouse
CLIMATE
The climate at this time on the east coast is usually perfect but it can get cool and also can rain during this time so be prepared for anything. Most of the time, it should be pretty mild and enjoyable although we will be hoping for clouds as much as possible. We will also be out late after dark shooting at times, so it will be cold!
CLOTHING
Shorts or long pants are good to wear most days but the weather can change anytime and nights can be pretty chilly so it’s also good to have fleece & maybe also a warm jacket to layer in case it gets chilly. Long Johns might be a good idea for cold nights when we are out late.
I would wear hiking shoes if you can as there will be a lot of walking over all kinds of terrain. A light rain jacket is a must also as the rain can pop up anywhere.
