Acadia Workshop 2023
This was the biggest group I’ve had since my first Acadia workshop in 2018- eight photographers from all over the country and one international photographer… New Hampshire, New Jersey (x2), New York, Illinois, Florida (x2) and the Bahamas. Our skill levels ranged from seasoned amateurs with their own photography websites to beginners bringing along shiny new gear and a hunger to learn. We all had a shared passion for beautiful landscapes though and that’s what kept us going all week.
We began each day with a 5:30am meetup by the hotel lobby, and drove off to a different sunrise location in the pre-dawn darkness, after which we made one or two more stops before heading back for some breakfast. Every day consisted of about 5-6 locations with a rest for an hour or two most afternoons. We were fortunate this year to have a good friend of mine join us– Adam Pratt, who worked for Adobe for 20+ years and has recently started his own photo-related business. Adam has taught Photoshop and Lightroom to thousands and thousands of people and knows the software inside and out, and he had some ‘insider’ tips to share with us, as well as some tips on getting the most out the software. It was great to be able to ask him any question and get expert answers- some of which I didn’t even know… and I use both PS and LR every single day!
Acadia is known as a sunrise location, and less of a sunset place. It can be hard to find a good spot to see the sun go down. At most places, you’ll only see the sun disappearing behind a distant mountain, so as a workshop leader, it’s always a challenge to find a place to take my groups. We had one really amazing sunset though, and we were in perfect spot for it– right at the Bass Harbor Marsh– and the sky didn’t disappoint. When we arrived a little before 5:30, the clouds were gathering- which was a good sign that we might be in for a treat. The clouds were all high- no low ones that could’ve obscured our view, so when the color started to paint the sky at sunset, the clouds turned a beautiful fiery orange and yellow. Just a few minutes later, the color drained from the sky and the show was over, but it was a beautiful sight for those brief few moments.
Unfortunately for us, there was little in the way of strong winds. Normally I don’t prefer heavy winds, but when we do get them, then it’s time to head for the coast and photograph the waves battering the shoreline. But in place of waves, we spent a lot of time searching for great autumnal color on the island, making stops in several woodland areas where I’ve had success before.
In the evenings, we either headed into Bar Harbor for dinner, or visited the restaurant right next door to our hotel– a welcome convenience after a long day of shooting. We all got along well and it was nice to see connections being made and emails exchanged at the end of the workshop.
The plan is to do it all again during the second or third week of October 2024. If you’re interested in joining me, send me an email and I’ll add you to the list of photographers to notify once I’ve nailed down the dates. In the meantime, enjoy these images from this year’s participants.
Front row: Me (Illinois), Dave (New Hampshire), Mike (Illinois). Back row: Andy (New York), Pratibha (New Jersey), Jay (Florida), Clement (Bahamas), Bharat (Florida), Jim (New Jersey)
