In July 2024, Amanda and I embarked on a bucket list photography trip to Newfoundland. Our shared love of nature was matched only by our knack for finding ourselves in hilariously awkward situations beginning with booking the flights. With her pure excitement to see Puffins, Amanda booked the fastest route to St. John. Much to her dismay, St. John is in Nova Scotia and St. John’s is in Newfoundland. After a teary, pleading call to Air Canada to beg for forgiveness to rebook the non-refundable tickets she got us squared away and landing on the island of Newfoundland as originally planned.
Using a rental vehicle we dubbed ‘The Jelly Bean’ because of its comical size we swung by Walmart to do an online grocery pick up order. Amanda doesn’t mess around with planning details. She pre-ordered everything from home a few days prior and we simply pulled up and loaded it into the back of ‘The Jelly Bean’. Bringing a soft sided cooler from home and using hotel ice we were able to keep cold things cold during our journey.
Speaking of the journey, it was not a smooth ride… literally not smooth. There were potholes the size of the Atlantic Ocean that were not visible until you were diving into them hood first. We have been on some pretty famously rough roads (Trans Pantanal Highway) and they had nothing on the holes in Newfoundland. Some spots felt like we were soaring through the air like the General Lee on the Dukes of Hazzard. We had no idea potholes like this existed.
Our adventure began with a hike to capture the elusive Atlantic Puffin who only comes to land during the nesting season. I was brimming with excitement, packed my gear with the precision of a military operation. Amanda, meanwhile, was busy gathering her binoculars and snacks. When we finally reached the cliffside, the rock was overflowing with hundreds of Puffin couples working their burrows and gathering nesting materials. Perched on the grassy cliff top, we simply sat and spent time with the little charismatic creatures. Their awkward waddle, dramatic yanking of grass for their burrow and awkward landings that would never pass pilot training were something we could watch for days and days…. So that’s what we did.
Along our hike to the Puffin colony we had some gorgeous views of a singing Savannah Sparrow. Savannah Sparrows love to perch up on top of tall grass or fence posts giving us great opportunities to photograph the bird while belting out his insect like song.
White-throated Sparrows are usually not something to write home about in our area in the winter. They hit our feeders and land at our bird banding station daily. However, a White-throated Sparrow’s ‘Oh Sweet Canada, Canada, Canada’ during the month of July is unnerving to birders who relate the bird directly to winter. Capturing this species on bayside cliffs with ocean like surroundings is unique in of itself.
At sea, our whale-watching adventure was extremely eventful. Led by our enthusiastic, fun, knowledgeable captain, Sperm Whales, Minke Whales and Humpback Whales were tracked using sonar, spotted and photographed. Even though we didn’t see any Orca Whales, they were surely in the area as they were spotted only a day or two later.
We went on 2 three-hour whale expeditions that were impressive and awe inspiring. The highlight for Amanda was surely when our captain spotted ‘Stella’ the rogue Steller’s Sea Eagle that has been out of her range (Russia/Japan) cruising up and down the east coast of North America for the last several years. Even though photography opportunities for this beauty were not optimal, we were lucky to see her through the dense foggy conditions.
Speaking of fog, it was no joke! The beauty of the low clouds was awe inspiring. The challenge the fog created for photography opportunities made things exciting and kept me on my toes.
We were also lucky enough to find some nearby Cross Fox kits. The sunset opportunities these canine beauties provide were not to be missed.
After days of Puffins, whales, foxes and passerines we shifted locations to give ourselves an opportunity to watch and snap the Northern Gannet colony.
With the Gannet colony population rising again after being it hard by the Avian Flu a few years ago the sounds (and smells) of tens of thousands sea birds was unbelievable. We not only saw the Northern Gannets but had great shots of Razorbills, Common Murre and Black Guillemot.
Photographing the Milky Way is not for the faint of heart. We had timed our trip during the dark of the moon because I had hoped to photograph the Milky Way above the Gannett nesting colony. Patience and vision are vital to just getting an opportunity to snap a photo. After analyzing the night sky, weather conditions, pre scouting the locations and packing all the gear, I made my way to the spot I thought would give me the best opportunity. Late sunsets and early sunrises means your timing for night shots has to be spot on with the most perfect weather conditions. I had been thinking about this shot for over a year and got lucky when the clouds cleared and I was able to take a few quick frames. Future trips will be timed to coincide with the same opportunity. Fingers crossed.
Circling back to St. John’s we stayed an extra night so we could spend an afternoon exploring the seaside port city. The shops along Water Street are touristy, but fun to poke around in. The unique houses of Jellybean Row, the historic Saltbox Houses and the use of bright colors on all of their buildings bring fun and happy vibes to the whole experience.
We spent a glorious two weeks on the island. Upon further research, we found that it would be a great spot to hold a workshop. So Amanda and I are headed back and taking those wanting to experience the adventure of Newfoundland with us! It will be slightly different from most of my trips mainly due to accommodations. There are very, very limited accommodations available in each of our two locations outside of St. John’s. I decided on Air B&B’s, rental vehicles and a combination of restaurants and eating in for future workshops. The meals will be oddly timed. Sunrise being at 4:30am and sunset at 9:00pm means the good light is at breakfast and dinner time. Following the evening shoot there are no restaurants open. Clients will provide their own breakfast (probably grab and go) and late snacks at the houses. We can go out for lunch/ early dinner or make something bigger at the house. We will host a virtual meeting a month or two in advance to handle those details.
For the workshop, we will meet in St. John’s at a hotel on the evening before the adventure begins. We’ll depart for our first destination early the next morning. We are waiting until the morning to make the three-hour trip to our first spot because of the potholes mentioned earlier and the moose population. We’ll spend days photographing puffins, cross-foxes, whales, sea birds and more before moving south. We have chartered a zodiac for two private outings to photograph whales instead of just getting a ride along on a public sightseeing tour. At our second destination, we will focus on the Gannet colony and the other sea birds sharing the space. There may be opportunities to shoot the Milky Way weather and enthusiasm permitting.
We will be back at the St. John’s airport around 11:00am on the last day, where the workshop will end.
2025 NEWFOUNDLAND WORKSHOPS:
July 6-13, 2025: spots available (There will be a full moon during this session for other unique
opportunities weather permitting.)
July 15-July 22, 2025: FULL
As always feel free to ask any questions using the contact form. If you’re interested in the details or to reserve a spot visit https://www.shootthelight.com/Wokshops-2025/New-Foundland,-2025/1
