Image by L’aura Bradford Photography
Puffins & Coastal Light: Maine’s Bold Coast Photography WorkshoP
Join us in the easternmost town in the U.S. for an unforgettable coastal photography experience! This four-day workshop is centered around the world-class opportunity to photograph Atlantic puffins on Machias Seal Island, one of the few places in North America where you can photograph puffins from blinds at eye level. We'll take two separate boat trips to the island, giving you ample chances to capture puffins in flight, perched with nesting material, and engaging in their charismatic behavior.
But the puffins are just the beginning.
Each day begins with a fiery sunrise over the Atlantic and unfolds into coastal adventures—photographing working harbors, and cliffside trails. As night falls, we’ll turn our lenses to the stars, capturing the Milky Way as it rises above lighthouses and jagged shoreline. We’ve timed this workshop to coincide with Maine’s beautiful spring lupine bloom and expect opportunities to photograph them as part of picturesque seaside landscapes. We will also be visiting near by Campobello Island (Canada) for some fun opportunities.
This workshop blends wildlife, landscape, and night photography in one of Maine’s most scenic and rugged coastal regions. Whether you're new to bird photography or looking to level up your skills in a small-group setting, this experience is designed to inspire, challenge, and delight.
Dates June 1-4th 2027. (Dates are not 100% secure until January)
$3750 / $1500 Deposit with remainder due 4-1-27
Host: L’aura Bradford Photography & Amy Ames Photography
(Authorized permittees of the National Park Service)
What’s Included
Two scheduled boat trips to Machias Seal Island to photograph puffins (weather permitting). Both boat departures and landings on the island are dependent on weather and sea conditions and cannot be guaranteed. Weather in this region can be unpredictable, but we'll have alternate photography plans in place if conditions prevent us from visiting the island. Our goal is to make the most of every day, no matter what Mother Nature has in store!
Three nights at The Inn on the Wharf in Lubec, Maine, with private rooms included. No need to share a room!
Breakfast & Lunch: Each morning, we'll meet so you can prepare your own breakfast and pack a lunch using provided items, including yogurt, cottage cheese, toast, jam, and sandwich fixings.
Daily sunrise and sunset photography sessions at beautiful coastal locations, including opportunities to photograph Maine's iconic lighthouses and rugged coastline.
Night photography instruction, including opportunities to photograph the Milky Way when weather and conditions allow.
Hands-on instruction in the field, along with supportive group image reviews to help you improve your photography skills.
Small group of just 8–9 photographers, ensuring plenty of individual attention, personalized instruction, and mentoring throughout the workshop.
What's Not Included
Airfare and Transportation: Airfare and transportation to and from Lubec, Maine are not included.
Additional Lodging: Accommodations before or after the scheduled workshop dates.
Dinners: While dinners are not included in the workshop price, we'll plan to enjoy group dinners at local restaurants each evening. It's a great opportunity to unwind, share stories from the day, review images, and ask questions in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.
Local Transportation: We'll carpool to photography locations using a combination of our vehicles and participants' vehicles.
Travel and Equipment Insurance: We strongly encourage purchasing travel insurance to protect your investment against unexpected circumstances, including trip cancellations, travel delays, or medical emergencies. We also recommend ensuring your photography equipment is adequately insured against accidental damage, loss, or theft.
Guide Gratuities: Tips for the wonderful local guides and boat captains who take us to Machias Seal Island are not included.
Important Travel Information
Passport Required: A valid passport is required for our planned visit to Canada. Please make sure your passport is current and bring it with you to the workshop.
Itinerary
Please note: While we’ll aim to photograph sunrises, sunsets, and even the Milky Way, our schedule will remain flexible. Conditions, boat timing, and group energy will guide our daily flow—rest assured, we’ll make the most of every opportunity the coast gives us!
Day 1: Welcome to Lubec
Arrive and check in at The Inn on the Wharf. We’ll meet at 3:00 PM to get acquainted and review the plan for the days ahead. Then we’ll enjoy dinner together and, weather permitting, head out for a relaxed sunset shoot to kick things off.
Day 2: Puffins + Milky Way Possibility
Our first boat trip to Machias Seal Island! - Depending on conditions, the day will include image review to refine our approach for the next day, sunset shooting, and Milky Way over the rugged Bold Coast if weather cooperates.
Day 3: Puffins & Golden Light
We’ll board for our second puffin adventure today! - Exact timing will be confirmed the night before. If conditions align, we’ll begin with sunrise photography and spend the rest of the day exploring the area, reviewing images, or relaxing before sunset.
Day 4: Optional Sunrise & Departure
We’ll offer an optional sunrise session for anyone who wants one last coastal moment, followed by goodbyes and check-out.
This workshop is rated moderate in terms of physical activity. Participants should be comfortable walking on uneven terrain, climbing in and out of boats, and crawling or kneeling on rocky coastal areas to get low-angle shots. While hikes are short and paced for photography, a reasonable level of mobility and balance is important for your safety and comfort.
If you have any concerns about physical accessibility, feel free to reach out—we’re happy to talk through the details.
Camera Gear
This workshop is for photographers using DSLR or mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. These are suggested options - you don’t need every lens listed.
Seabirds: A zoom such as a 70–200mm with a 1.4× teleconverter or a 100–500mm offers versatility. Long 400mm or 600mm primes can be restrictive in the blinds, especially when birds are close. My favorite lens here is a 100-300mm with 2x teleconverter.
Landscapes: A 24–70mm and/or 15–35mm provides a useful range.
Milky Way: A wide-angle lens around 15–35mm with an f/2.8 aperture is ideal, but we can work with other options.
Tripods and monopods: For puffins neither is practical in the cramped blinds or on the moving boat. Plan to handhold; the blind windows offer a resting place for your lens. Bring a sturdy tripod for night photography and long-exposure seascapes.
Rain protection: If you have a rain cover for your camera and lens go ahead and bring it, but if not we will have some plastic and gaff tape.
Optional filters: A polarizer can be handy if you like using them to help manage water reflections and can add definition to clouds. Bring ND filters if you enjoy experimenting with long-exposure seascapes
Questions about your gear? Reach out to L’aura or me - we’re happy to help you decide what to bring.
About L’aura & Amy
L’aura Bradford is a nature photographer, educator, and Registered Maine Guide with over a decade of experience behind the lens. What began as snapshots on backpacking trips evolved into a deep passion for the wild world. She’s photographed from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle and with a recent move to Washington State, L’aura spends her days exploring all the treasures the Pacific Northwest has to offer with several visits a year back to Maine and other photographic destinations. She’s equally at home under dark skies, along coastal cliffs, and deep in quiet forests.
Amy Ames is a wildlife, landscape, and adventure photographer based in Pittsboro, North Carolina. With a deep love for remote, rugged environments, she spends much of her time exploring wild places—from snow-covered peaks to coastal shorelines. Known for her ability to capture both the quiet intensity of wildlife and the expansive beauty of natural landscapes, Amy is most at home in cold climates and mountain terrain. When not traveling or leading workshops, she continues to hone her craft through personal projects and time in the field.
If you have any questions or are ready to reserve your spot, please email us at hello@amyamesphotography. We look forward to hearing from you!
We understand that attending our workshop requires advance commitment, and also that things can happen in life that may force you to cancel from a workshop. Based on the cancellation date, the following apply: • Before final payment has been made: full refund of any payments made minus payment fees. • Once final payment has been made: No refund. We will do my best to try and fill your spot. All refunds will be made by the same method as the original payment. We reserve the right to cancel, modify, or make changes at any time due to insufficient bookings and/or any other reasons we deem valid and/or reasons beyond my control that might create unsafe or undesirable travel conditions for the participants. We strongly encourage you to purchase trip insurance to protect yourself in the event of unexpected circumstances preventing you from attending the workshop.