Milky Way in Acadia National Park Tour – May 30-June 4, 2025

Description

Milky Way in Acadia National Park Tour 2025 [Main Tour May 30-June 4] Registration is open!

Private Tours: April 15 to October 15. To schedule private tours, please contact me.

This photo tour is meticulously designed for flexing your photographic creativity while basking in Northeastern natural splendor. A bombardment of opportunities will lay themselves before you to create daytime long exposures, some ICM, and in-camera multiple exposures to create impressionistic images of the scenes. All of this serves as the appetizer to capturing the main character of the tour, the timeless wonder of the night sky, the Milky Way.

New England weather can be fickle. In May, it can be quite warm during the day and colder than a polar bear’s butt at night. You can expect a wide range of conditions, from partly cloudy, to sunny, rain, fog, and if Mother Nature wills it, snow!

Overall, temperatures could range from low-mid 70°F down to 35°F, so be prepared. It can become windy as well. Dress in layers, wear comfortable hiking boots, a warm hat and gloves are recommended. Night shoots can be quite cold. Plan to clothe accordingly. A rain poncho that can cover your backpack is recommended. Rain will not stop us!

We will be driving to each shoot. Within 2 weeks of registering, you will receive information on specific locations and lodging options. Online sessions will be held (live and recorded) before and after the photo tour

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Here’s a sample subset of the schedule:

We will meet in Bar Harbor, have dinner, and map out shoots as a collective. After dinner, we will head out for.. you guessed it, a shoot. Depending on the clarity of the skies, we may begin our tour chasing the stars.

If we weren’t out for the Milky Way until the wee hours of the night, we would go for a sunrise shoot. Otherwise, we will sleep in, meet midmorning and plan our day which would most likely see us heading into Acadia National Park. Following shoots we would disband for naps or whatever folks would like. We will meet up for an early dinner and then head back into the park for sunset. and hopefully more starlight!

As you might expect with weather-dependent excursions, the itinerary will be determined day to day, based on the forecasted nightly conditions. On clear nights, Milky Way astro landscapes are the cream crop goal. As weather is unpredictable, we may not have clear conditions for night photography, but we will have plenty of photographic euphoria to capture. The galactic core is visible starting around 10:30 PM. We will plan on several hours of night photography or until the clouds roll in!

Physical Requirements: Most of the shoots will be close to our vehicles. You should wear sturdy footwear. Trekking poles are helpful as well.  Some locations have steep stairs to rocky beaches. For those not inclined to this, I will have an alternative for you to photograph.

Airports to Fly Into: Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park
If you’re coming from further away, there are a few options for airports, depending on your travel plans:

Bangor International Airport (BGR): 50 miles from Bar Harbor, this is the closest international airport to Mount Desert Island. It’s typically a little over an hour drive, but be aware that summer traffic may add time to the trip. From here, there are a variety of taxi services, limousines and a bus to Bar Harbor.

Bar Harbor Airport (BHB): This smaller airport has connections to/from Boston, and is the closest to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Rental car services and taxi services are available.

Portland International Airport (PWM): If you have interest in exploring southern Maine before traveling up the coast towards Bar Harbor, this could be a good option for you. About 175 miles from Bar Harbor, you can enjoy a scenic drive up from this airport. Alternatively, there are buses from PWM that go to Bangor, where you can then get ground transportation to Bar Harbor.

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS): The largest airport within a half-day’s drive of Bar Harbor, Logan may be a good choice for international travelers or people wanting to explore Massachusetts before driving up to Maine. Driving from Boston to Bar Harbor is about five hours. Alternatively, you can easily get to North Station or South Station in Boston (through public transportation or a mobility app), where you can catch the train or bus to Portland (South Station has the bus connection, North Station has the train connection). From Portland, you can rent a car.

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Gear Recommendations

Camera: DSLR or Mirrorless camera required. It must either have a shutter delay or a remote trigger. Participants are expected to know how to operate their equipment. If you have any new gear, it is important to become acquainted with it to get the most from the photo tour.

Lenses: Wide and super wide angle (approx. 14-24mm (full frame f/2.8 or faster, or 11-16mm f/2.8 for crop sensor) and a telephoto zoom (example: 28-300mm, 100-400mm, 200-500mm)

Tripods: A sturdy tripod is essential for night and long exposure photography. Please note that a travel tripod is not recommended.

Accessories: Neutral density filters, camera raincoat, red flashlight, headlight, and dew heater recommended. Contact me for suggestions.

Software: All post-processing will be done using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Using another tool? No problem, the same techniques apply.

Pre & Post-Tour Zooms: An overview and orientation will be held online prior to the photo tour. Afterward, I will share editing techniques ranging from basic image adjustments to more advanced applications of layers in Photoshop.

Image Reviews:  Feedback will be offered in the field. Reviews of fully edited images will take place by Zoom after the photo tour and online editing sessions are completed.

What is included?

Pre-tour orientation	1 hour overview of the tour. Expectations and goals and any wish list items!
The Tour	5 days of guided photography in beautiful Downeast Maine
First Night’s Dinner	We will kick off our tour with a dinner in Bar Harbor and get to know the members of our group.
Post-Processing Session	3-hour online astro-landscape post-processing session (the date to be selected a week after the photo tour).
Snacks	We will have snacks on hand throughout the day to keep our energy levels up. Fruit, chips, power bars and the like will be at your disposal..

What is not included?

Lodging	A list of recommendations will be provided.
Transportation	Transfers to Bar Harbor from the airport and transport around the park are not included.
Park fees and passes	A park pass is required to enter the park during the day. Information on how to get one and options will be provided. Cadillac Mountain now requires reservations.
Drinks
All other meals.	The first night’s dinner is covered.
Excursions	Sunset cruise tickets, garden entry fees/donations, parking, and the like.

Tuition $1799.00.  The amount listed ($1,870.96) includes the 4% credit card convenience fee. Other payment options are below.

To register, fill out and submit this form. Additional payment links are below.

Kindly note that a 4% convenience fee is added to credit card payments. 

I also accept Zelle and checks. Contact me if you wish to use either of these.

Full payment is required for all workshops, photo tours, or classes (hereinafter known as the “Event(s)”) with a total cost of less than $300. For Events that are in excess of $300, there will be an Event-specific deposit price listed on the website to lock your spot in the Event. Full payment is required 3 months prior to the start of the Event. A separate invoice will be sent for the remaining balance 3.5 months prior to the start of the Event.

Refund Policy: Deposits are non-refundable. Additional payments toward your balance are fully refundable up to 90 days before the tour. If you withdraw from the tour and we are able to fill your spot, we will refund your payments (including deposit), less a $200 administrative fee, and any discounts given to fill the space. Cancellations for an Event where an entrance fee, lodging payment, vehicle, tickets, or another segment where the payment was incurred before the start of the Event by Silvana Della Camera Photography to reserve that segment the attendee will forfeit reimbursement for those fees.

Event Cancellation Policy: There is always the possibility that we may choose to cancel a workshop, photo tour, or class, and we reserve the right to do so at our discretion. This tour requires a minimum of 2 participants. In the case of under-subscription, we reserve the right to cancel the tour. Should that be the case, your registration fees will be refunded in full.

We strongly recommend purchasing gear and trip insurance to cover your costs in case of cancellation, illness or withdrawal. Cancellations, for any reason, must be in writing (e-mail or regular mail). If we cancel the Event for any reason, a full refund will be given to each participant.

Milky Way photography is the goal of this tour. However, nature decides the weather thus Milky Way captures are not guaranteed. 

By registering for the photo tour, you accept these terms and conditions.

Photography Adventures