Monhegan Island

June 5-8, 2025

  • Monhegan Island, Maine, USA

  • $1895 per person

  • Benjamin Williamson and Kurt Budliger

About Monhegan

Monhegan Island has been a destination for artists for centuries. It’s easy to see why. The island is small, just a mile and a half long by a mile wide. Vehicles are restricted and most everyone gets around by simply walking.

The harbor side of the island features a small working fishing village. The tiny main street is lined with homes from the 19th and late 18th centuries, most with beautiful, well-loved gardens and dooryards. The cliff side is wild and rugged, without a sign of human habitation. Some of the tallest cliffs on the east coast of North America can be found here, rising some 160 feet straight out of the ocean.

Even in the height of summer, peace can be found in many places on the island. There are over 17 miles of hiking trails that lead through the famous Cathedral Woods, down to Lobster Cove, and to the dramatic promontories such as Whitehead, Blackhead, and Burnt Head, among many other special spots on the island.

Perhaps the most beautiful place to stand is on Lighthouse Hill, where you get a panoramic overlook of the entire village, along with the rugged, impressive profile of Manana Island just offshore. The lighthouse itself is striking in its collection of interconnected wings and outbuildings, with a shapely dory parked beside it.

Being 13 miles out to sea and surrounded by ocean on all sides makes the light on Monhegan a wonder. You’ll see artists out at all times of day, most of them with easels and paintbrushes, trying to put down what makes this place so special. We invite you to come and find out for yourself.

About the Workshop

We’ve timed this workshop to coincide with the height of the spring bloom. You’ll see beautiful dooryard gardens, as well as plantings along the roads that are full of spring flowers. A few patches of lupines have sprung up around the island, and we hope to point you to them.

We work with participants at all levels in their photography journey. In addition to copious amounts of field instruction, we also provide classroom time to cover special techniques to help your images utilizing the latest advances in digital darkroom technology.

Our favorite parts of the workshops have to be the times where we share images from the group. It helps to see how others see and just to appreciate the wonderfully unique points of view we all have. We celebrate that and want to help you hone your own unique point of view.

Instructors

Benjamin Williamson is a full-time professional photographer and photography educator living in Maine. From 2016 to 2022, Ben was the staff photographer, photo editor, and adventure leader for Down East Magazine. He has moved to freelance work to focus on teaching, working on his own photography, and spending more time with his young family. Prints of his work can be seen in major institutions such as Maine Medical Center, Intermed, Bangor Savings Bank, and many others. Ben loves sharing his passion for photography through teaching. He especially likes to highlight the relationships between humans and nature, and believes we can find ways to live more sustainably and in harmony with each other. You can see his portfolio at benjaminwilliamson.photoshelter.com

Kurt Budliger is a professional landscape and nature photographer and educator based in Vermont. He has been a professional educator for over 25 years. His photographs and articles have appeared in numerous books, calendars, advertising campaigns, magazines and are routinely used by non-profit conservation organizations working to protect wild lands. His clients have included Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography, National Geographic Adventure, Outside Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, Vermont Life Magazine, Eastern Fly Fishing, the Drake, Patagonia, 1% for the Planet, Trout Unlimited, Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservancy, and many more. You can see his work at www.kurtbudliger.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lot of experience or expensive gear to take this workshop?

  • No! You can make great images right away with simple equipment, and that’s what this workshops aim to teach you. If you have photographed before and aim to update yourself on the latest techniques in digital photography, this is definitely for you. If you are just starting out and have a new camera you want to learn, this is for you, too. If you are a seasoned veteran who doesn’t need much help, just wants to go to great locations and have fun with like-minded individuals, well, this is for you, as well!

What does the itinerary look like?

  • Our itinerary can and will change due to the weather and other factors. Our goal is to get you in the best possible locations to match the conditions. Over the course of just a few days, you will see almost the entire island and even re-visit a few spots for deeper insights.

  • Day 1: We meet in the lobby of Monhegan House at 4:00 PM for orientation and Q&A before having dinner and then going out for an evening photography session.

  • Day 2: Sunrise/morning field session, breakfast, afternoon presentations and image reviews, dinner, and sunset field session.

  • Day 3: Sunrise/morning field session, breakfast, afternoon presentations and image reviews, dinner, and sunset field session.

  • Day 4: Sunrise/morning field session, breakfast, group image review, debrief and conclusion before 12:30 PM ferry departure.

What are the fitness requirements?

  • A basic level of fitness is necessary for participation in this workshop. There is a good amount of walking required, with some ups and downs on short steep hills. Because the island is small, none of these walks will be extremely long distances. Participants should be comfortable carrying their camera gear and personal items a minimum of two miles.

What equipment do you recommend I bring?

  • DSLR or mirrorless camera

  • Lenses to cover 16-200mm on a full frame sensor are recommended, 10-150mm on a crop sensor.

  • A sturdy tripod and head

  • Circular polarizing filter and neutral density filters

  • Waterproof camera bag (a shoulder bag is not recommended)

  • Waterproof covering for your camera and lens or a packable umbrella

  • Laptop Computer with editing software

  • Card Reader if your computer doesn’t have one

  • Extra Batteries

  • Extra Memory Cards

What about transportation?

  • Flying: We recommend flying into Portland, Maine (PWM). From there you have the option of renting a car (our choice), taking a bus or hiring a taxi to get to the ferry terminals in Port Clyde, New Harbor, or Boothbay Harbor.

  • Ferries: There are 3 different ferry services to Monhegan Island. Monhegan Boat Lines in Port Clyde is the one we recommend. The other ferries leave from Boothbay Harbor and New Harbor. At all locations you will either need to get a ride to the terminal or leave your car in a lot for the duration of the workshop.

  • On the Island: Most of the major lodging establishments offer help getting your luggage from the ferry to your lodgings. While on the island, you get around by simply walking.

What about lodging?

  • We’ve partnered with Monhegan House for the past 6 years of running workshops on the island. They offer great rooms and even better meals. Rooms are private, bathrooms and showers are communal but plentiful. There are special suites with private bathrooms available by request. Full breakfast is included with the room rate, an incredible value. You are welcome to stay elsewhere on the island, but be aware that we often enjoy meals together and enjoy the convenience of being in one place for meeting times and classroom sessions.

What should I wear?

  • Temperatures on Monhegan in June range from cool 50’s to sometimes very warm days near 90 degrees. For that reason we recommend bringing a range of clothing from shorts and short sleeves to long pants and long sleeve shirts along with sweaters and a light jacket.

  • Hiking Shoes and Sneakers

  • Waterproof and windproof Shell

  • Light Insulating Hat

  • Headlamp

What happens if the weather doesn’t cooperate?

  • Bad weather is good weather to landscape photographers. If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes. There are many idioms that apply to the weather, and if you don’t already know, being out in all weather usually leads to great photo opportunities! Safety will remain a top priority.

What does my tuition cover?

  • Your tuitions covers all fieldwork, group instruction, and classroom time. We will also stock emergency first aid kits. It does not include travel insurance, transportation, meals and lodging.

What are your terms and conditions?

  • A $500 deposit is due at the time of booking to hold your spot, the full payment is due 60 days ahead of the workshop start date.

  • Cancelations: Cancelations made 60 days in advance will receive a full refund. Cancelations less than 60 days before the start of the workshop will receive no refund. If a canceled spot is able to be filled before the start date of the workshop a full refund will be given, including the deposit.