Maine’s Acadia NP in Autumn Regional Event (October 9-12, 2025)

Registration is now open

PRICE: 

Early Registration: $875 NANPA Members, $ 1075 non-members by July 9, 2025

After July 9, 2025: $ 975 NANPA Members, $ 1175 non-members

Maximum number of attendees: 10

Last date to register: September 9, 2025

DATES:

• Thursday October 9, 2025 at 7 pm to Sunday October 12, 2025 at 10 am
• October 28 7-9 pm (Eastern Time) (optional) Post event Image Sharing and Feedback Webinar for participants

On-site Event Check-in and Meet & Greet
Thursday October 9, 2025 at 7 pm at the hotel breakfast room

EVENT OVERVIEW:

In early to mid-October, Maine’s Acadia National Park comes alive with autumn colors and has become one of the most popular places for landscape photographers seeking autumn beauty. The great thing about Acadia is that it’s one of the most diverse and compact of all the national parks. It has everything a landscape photographer wants – mountains, beaches, ocean coastline, woods, lakes, and streams, all within a few minutes’ drive. It’s hard to match the wealth of photo opportunities in Acadia. Leading this event for NANPA is Michael Hudson, author of “The Photographer’s Guide to Acadia”. While there are a few locations in Acadia that can become crowded at this time of year, Mike Hudson knows the best locations to shoot and will avoid the hotspots so we can enjoy the serenity of Acadia and avoid the crowds.

NANPA is an authorized permittee of the National Parks Service.

 

YOUR EVENT LEADER:

Michael Hudson–

Michael Hudson is an award-winning artist-photographer with 35 years of experience as a professional photographer. He first visited Maine in 2006 to photograph Acadia National Park and in 2014 he published “The Photographer’s Guide to Acadia,” (now in its 3rd edition). His popular coffee table book, Under October Skies/ Autumn in Acadia was published soon after. Prints of his work have been sought after by collectors in the United States and internationally, and posters of his photography are sold in the Acadia Visitor Center.

Michael’s photography has also appeared in magazines like COLOR (a magazine for collectors of fine art photography), National Geographic Traveler, Conde Nast Traveler, Washingtonian, f/11, Opal Magazine, Bangor Metro, Elements Magazine and most recently, Medium Format Magazine (the December 2024 issue), among many others. He has been leading workshops in Acadia since 2017.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT: 

The group will meet up Thursday evening, shoot all day Friday and Saturday, and depart on Sunday after a sunrise shoot. Friday and Saturday schedules will be fluid, but the general plan would be to meet at about 5:45 am to head out for a sunrise shoot, and return to the hotel for breakfast around 8-ish. We will head out again after breakfast for more photography. Where we go will depend entirely on the weather and where the best foliage is. We might find some dramatic lighting down by the ocean or some beautiful autumn colors by the still waters of one of Acadia’s lakes or ponds. If it’s sunny, we’ll try including the blue skies in our shots, but if not, we might be lucky and see some mist or fog to add some atmosphere to our images. Some of our images will include the big vistas around the park, but more often than not, we’ll also be photographing some intimate scenes of color reflected in the water, tight shots of glowing leaves, or smooth round boulders along the coast with waves rushing over them. Photographers can walk or drive into town for lunch on their own, then we meet up again around 2 pm to shoot until sundown (about 6-ish). On the final day we’ll meet around 5:45 am to head out for a sunrise shoot, then return to the hotel at about 8 am, have breakfast together, then say our goodbyes and checkout afterwards. If we have extended periods of rain, we could meet at the hotel and process pictures or Q&A time.

NEAREST AIRPORT:

• Bangor International Airport (BGR) about a 1.25 hr drive to Bar Harbor, ME
• Hancock County – Bar Harbor regional airport (BHB) is 10 miles from Bar Harbor and offers flights to/from Boston
• Portland Maine International Airport (PWM) is 3.5 hours from Bar Harbor.

EVENT TRANSPORTATION:

Transportation to and from the airport and during the event is not included and is the attendees’ responsibility. Car rental is available at the airport. A car with 4-wheel drive or extra clearance is not necessary.

Ride Sharing: We will depart daily from the motel. Ride-sharing is encouraged to reduce the size of our vehicle presence and improve the traveling/following experience.  You are welcome to either drive or ride with someone. This is a great way to meet and have fun with fellow photographers during the event. If you are a passenger in another participant’s car it is customary to offer the driver some gas money and chip in towards any vehicle admission/parking fee as a courtesy.

Note that NANPA, and Mike Hudson, do not have insurance for carpooling arrangements and assume no liability for them. Carpooling, ride sharing or anything similar is strictly a private arrangement among participants. Participants assume the risks associated with this travel.

LODGING:

Our base for the event will be in Bar Harbor, Maine. Note this is peak season.

NANPA has a block of motel rooms being held for participants.

The room rate is $264 + 9% tax per night.

Details about the event motel and procedure for reserving rooms will be provided to registered participants.

The last date to reserve in the room block is September 9th, 2025.

MEALS:

All meals except a group meal on Saturday October 11^th are on your own.  The group meal location will be announced at the Meet & Greet.

The motel offers free continental breakfast from 6:30 am until 10:30 am. The continental breakfast includes everything from hot food options, to gluten free, to meats and cheeses.

PARK PASS:

Anyone entering the National Park will be required to have a park pass.  If you have an Annual, Senior, Military or Access Pass, bring it with you. If you don’t have one, please buy one in advance.

PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS:

Your leader is familiar with the areas that you’ll be visiting, and locations will be based on what’s most photogenic at the time, weather conditions, etc.

Some of the locations that we will most likely photograph include:

• Jordan Pond
• Eagle Lake
• Duck Brook
• Ocean Drive
• Otter Point
• Jesup Path

Streams, rivers and ponds and anywhere we can see beautiful autumn foliage.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE:

Please note schedules are fluid due to weather conditions and other variables.

Thursday October 9, 2025

• Plan to eat dinner on your own before the meet and greet (there are some options within walking distance of the hotel)
• “Meet and Greet” at 7 pm in the breakfast room at the motel

Friday October 10 – Saturday October 11, 2025

• Depart daily around 5:45 am for sunrise returning to the hotel at around 8 am for breakfast.
• Depart for morning shoot after breakfast
• Return back to the hotel for lunch and mid-day break, downloading, etc.
• Depart around 2 pm for afternoon photo shoot returning after sunset around 6 pm
• Dinner on your own (your choice of many restaurants within walking distance of the hotel)

Sunday October 12, 2025

• Depart around 5:45 am for final sunrise shoot returning to the hotel at around 8 am for breakfast.
• The event wraps up after breakfast.
• Hotel checkout at 11 am

HEALTH AND FITNESS

There will be no stressful hiking unless required by the site itself. Most shooting locations will be very close to where we park. Some locations will require a walk. The length of the walk will be up to the participant and how much they wish or are able to explore, there will be photographic possibilities along the way.

WEATHER

October weather in Acadia is generally pretty nice. Temperatures range from the 50’s to the upper 60’s during the day, possibly topping 70 at times. Be aware it does get cold in the early mornings and later in the day as the sun goes down.

CLOTHING

It is preferable to dress in layers starting in the early morning and shed through the day as needed for rising temperatures. For example, a T-shirt underneath, next a flannel shirt or fleece jacket, and a lightweight winter coat on top. Jeans or other long pants are fine. Lightweight hiking pants, like those available at LL Bean, dry very quickly if they get wet – perfect if we get caught in some rain or get splashed by the ocean. For most mornings, it’s recommended that you bring a warm winter coat, gloves and a good hat. Bring a rain coat too in case we get caught out.

Bring a good pair of hiking boots, which you’ll probably wear throughout the event. We’ll be climbing over large boulders down by the coast and a solid pair of boots are invaluable. Michael wears waterproof boots for those times when he’s walking across a dewy field or when the water washes over his boots while he’s shooting a sunrise at the coast. Mike also suggests bringing a pair of normal shoes which you can change into at night for walking around Bar Harbor.

CAMERA GEAR:

• Camera – DSLR or mirrorless, full frame or cropped sensor. Also, bring the camera manual should you need to consult it. Cellphone camera as backup is better than no camera and good for snaps of your group.
• Lenses – There will likely be photo opportunities for your full range of lenses, from extreme wide angle to telephoto and macro. Long telephotos are seldom needed so if you’re trying to pack light, leave those at home. Michael generally finds he’s happy with no longer than a 70-200mm lens. The chances of spotting wildlife are slim in Acadia, apart from the occasional deer, squirrel or, on rare occasions, a barred owl.
• Lens Cleaning Cloth and Wipes.
• Non-abrasive Lens Cleaning Cloth and Wipes.
• Tripod – Sunrise, sunset, twilight and nighttime light levels are too low to photograph properly without a sturdy tripod. A lightweight carbon fiber tripod with a ball head is recommended.
• Lots of Memory Cards for 1/2 day to full day of shooting in the field.
• Camera Battery Charger and Extra Batteries.
• Sensor Cleaning Tools
• Polarizing filter(s) to fit each of your lenses.
• Neutral Density Filters, Graduated Neutral Density Filters
• Shutter Release – You can use a locking cable release, a wireless remote, or the camera’s self-timer.
• Rain Cover – For camera and lens protection
• Laptop Computer – for downloading, processing and viewing your images.
• Image Processing Software – Good choices include Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or Elements.
• Back-up device – Such as an external hard drive.
• Flash Drive – For sharing images (for those unfortunate times the weather is just too awful to be outside.)

ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

• Flashlight &/or Headlamp – preferably with a red light, or cover with a red filter, to limit distracting others if doing night photography on your own.
• Battery-powered Alarm Clock/Watch – In case cell phone service isn’t available. It’s better to bring your own alarm than miss a morning shoot!
• Cell Phone
• Water bottle/snacks/medicine
• Energy bars or other snacks

GENERAL:

This event is designed for all levels of photographers – amateur, intermediate, advanced and professional – interested in improving their photography skills or looking for location guidance to capture images of Acadia National Park.  If you are new to photography, Michael will be available to answer questions, show you some new techniques and help you improve your photographic skills.  If you already have plenty of photography experience, Michael will ensure that you’re in the best locations at the best times for great shots. Other participants are also great about sharing techniques, tips and ideas.

Please keep in mind this NANPA Regional Event is designed to be a photo tour, not a photo workshop. In other words, there are no formal instruction sessions planned, there are no assignments, you will not be receiving any handouts or the like. That being said, your leader Michael has experience as a photography workshop leader. If you need help, please advocate for yourself and speak up and ask for help – Michael is happy to help. Be aware that many of your fellow participants may also be accomplished photographers and may be able to help you too.  Part of the regional event experience is the camaraderie that comes from sharing experiences and lessons learned among participants. If you notice someone with the same or similar camera, perhaps they can help you with an issue you’ve been wondering about, and maybe you can return the favor.

Attendance and participation at NANPA Regional Events is limited to registered attendees only.  Anyone wishing to participate in any portion of, or travel with a registered attendee during the group event must contact the NANPA office and pay the full registration fee.

RESOURCES:  Acadia National Park Link https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm

Regional Event Cancellation and No Refund Policy:  

NANPA will not offer any refunds for registrations for this event regardless of when the cancellation is made or the reason for the cancellation. NANPA reserves the right to cancel any event or activity due to insufficient registration or any unforeseen circumstances. NANPA will offer refunds if NANPA has to cancel the event. It also has the right to substitute presenters if those originally scheduled cannot attend. Registrants may purchase event insurance as part of the registration process through NANPA’s partner, Allianz. More information on this option will be shown during the checkout process for the event registration.

NOTE:  If you do not purchase event insurance at the time that you pay for your registration, you will NOT be able to go back and purchase it with Allianz later.

If you choose to purchase travel insurance separately, you can do so with your own insurance carrier, or NANPA members can receive a special travel insurance rate through USI Affinity/Travel Insurance Services