Maine to Canada Travel Photography Article
Travel the coast of Maine and Canada.
Hover over each image to see one of the best photography locations. Photographing Maine is insanely good when you know where to find some of the best photography locations in the United States.
Maine is one of the most breathtaking states in the nation. The rugged rocks of the coastline draw us there for photography. Take a look at some of the most incredible locations on the planet. Acadia National Park, of course, is one of our favorites. The list goes on. We will show you some of the best places we photographed in Maine. Acadia National Park is one of the most photographed National Parks globally. When you get there, you will see why. The rugged coastlines allowed us to do long exposure photography galore and some of the darkest skies in the world for astounding Milky Way photography.
We love to photograph lighthouses, so Maine is at the top of our list of destinations for photographing them. Lighthouses and Milky Way skies are an unbelievable combination to focus on when creating dynamic photography. This state has many lighthouses, and the opportunities are boundless at the right time of the year and month with clear skies for Milky Way photography. See our Dark Sky and Milky Way Photography Information to ensure you go at the right time.
Maine is a stunning state with plenty of opportunities for fantastic photography. Here are some of our favorite places to photograph in the state.
Acadia National Park: Acadia National Park is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. The park has different areas to explore, each with its unique features. Photography opportunities abound, whether you’re capturing the rocky coastline, forests, or even lakes and ponds.
Portland Head Light: The Portland Head Light is one of the most iconic lighthouses in America. This lighthouse is located in Cape Elizabeth and offers stunning ocean views. It’s a great place to photograph both day and night.
Kennebec River Gorge: The Kennebec River Gorge is a hidden gem in central Maine. The gorge is home to wildlife, including eagles, ospreys, and hawks. It’s also a great place to photograph the fall foliage.
If you’re looking for great photography locations, check out our top picks! There’s something for everyone, from Acadia National Park to Portland’s Old Port.
Acadia is one of the most popular national parks in the United States, and for a good reason! With its stunning rocky coastline, picturesque lakes and woodlands, and historical sites, it’s no wonder that this park is a favorite among photographers.
Located in Cape Elizabeth, just south of Portland, the Portland Head Light is one of the most iconic lighthouses in Maine. The light is beautiful, but the surrounding area is also great for photography. There are plenty of rocks to climb on for a different perspective, and you can even glimpse the light from the nearby Fort Williams Park.
Kennebunkport is a charming coastal town located in the southern part of the state. Its beautiful beaches, quaint shops and restaurants, and stunning ocean views are known for their beautiful beaches. The city is also home to the Bush family compound, so you never know who you might see when taking photos!
Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in Maine and is gorgeous! Just remember, it’s hard to create genuinely dynamic pictures at lakes. Sunrise and Sunset shots are the exceptions.
Maine has a stunning coastline and picturesque mountains. And with so many beautiful places to explore, you will indeed find some fantastic shots.
This dark sky state is an excellent place to photograph the Milky Way. Here are some of the best locations to do so:
1. Acadia National Park – Our top pick
2. Baxter State Park
3. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
4. Camden Hills State Park
Months: The Milky Way Core can be seen from March to October, disappearing below the horizon for the rest of the year. In March, it appears in the early morning hours and becomes visible earlier each month. The best time to catch a glimpse of the core is during summer when it can be seen immediately after sunset, providing an ideal viewing opportunity for stargazers and photographers.
New Moon: Timing is crucial to catch a glimpse of the Milky Way. This celestial event can only be seen on clear nights without a visible moon, limiting the window for viewing.
Light Pollution: The best way to experience the full wonder of the Milky Way is to escape from areas with heavy light pollution. However, it may be possible to see some faint traces of the galaxy from places with mild artificial lighting; the most spectacular views can be found in remote locations far from cities and civilizations. Check out our How to Section for more details, including using a light pollution map to guide you to dark sky locations.
Warm clothes and bring a backpack with all your camera equipment. You might need to do some hiking in the sand, so wear appropriate shoes. And if you have an extra hand, consider bringing a thermos of coffee. It can also be helpful to bring a headlight, extra batteries, or a portable charger for your trip.
We loved Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park so much that we did two articles (by accident). Why delete hard work?
Maine is a great spot for photography, especially taking pictures of the Milky Way at night. It has some of the darkest skies in the entire country. Don’t forget to take advantage of this and capture some beautiful dark sky photos while you’re here.
We were unfamiliar with Milky Way photography when we were new at this long ago (old as dirt). Unfortunately, we missed many opportunities in Acadia National Park for Milky Way photography.
Maine has some of the darkest skies on the planet and the most unbelievable subject matter is right there in Acadia National Park. Combine the two for explosive jaw-dropping, crazy good photography images.
You will need a camera to manually control your ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.
A fast, wide-angle lens of 1.4 – 2.8 is ideal. If you use a 3.5 or higher (slower lens), you must increase the ISO. The higher the ISO, the more grain or digital noise or grain will appear in your photos.
A good, sturdy tripod is essential for night photography. If it gets windy, you will need a sturdy one. Remember that when you buy one, it should be sturdy enough to withstand the wind but small enough to fit in your suitcase.
Sky Guide is available through the iTunes Store for $1.99. It has a 5 out of 5-star rating on both the current (3.2) version (1200+ ratings) and all previous versions (8600+ ratings).
Our choice is Coast brand for flashlights. The ideal flashlight will have high lumens, and you can zoom in and out on the light emitting from the flashlight. Get the HP7, PX45, or the G50. Ideally, go with the HP7.
The best time to go is during a new moon; you want to be in the darkest area possible. The week before the new moon, when the moon has not risen, is a perfect time to go, so be sure to check the moonrise chart to see when the moon will be up.
When painting with light and over a 30-second exposure, you must have a shutter release to use your bulb mode. When exposing your pictures in general, you can use the remote release or use your camera’s built-in two-second timer.
Start with ISO 1600 – 3200. This is just a common starting point, and you will adjust from here.
Shutter Speed – Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. We want crisp, non-star trail images. Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.
Depth of field isn’t critical on these shots, but letting the light into the camera is; therefore, you should shoot wide open if. If the depth of field is essential to you, try not to go too high. (wide open =the lowest aperture your camera will allow). You will have to increase the ISO some, giving you digital noise.
Now that the ISO and aperture are set in manual mode, roll your shutter speed until your meter reads (0) zero. Take a test shot and adjust from there. Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. You can make star trails specifically, but that’s not what we are going for here since we started with Milky Way photography. We want crisp, non-star trail images when doing this.
Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.
In live view mode, you can change your white balance settings and see what it will look like. You can shoot in shade or cloud mode as a standard setting and adjust things later when editing.
To focus in the dark, use your camera’s live view, hit the zoom button, and focus on a bright star. You can also use the infinity setting on your lens but do several test shots to determine accuracy. It can be off a little on some lenses. You can also light it up with a flashlight, focus, then gently, without touching the focus ring, put the camera in manual focus so it will not search for the focus. You must do this each time you move your camera to take your next angel.
The best images are usually of the dense part of the Milky Way. We can see this part of the milk way in the southern sky. During March, April, and May, the Milky Way rises above the horizon in the pre-dawn hours. In June, at about 10:00 p.m., you will see the Milky Way. From July until October, you can see the Milky Way as soon as it sunsets, and it becomes dark enough to see about an hour after sunset. In November, the Milky Way no longer comes above the horizon. You will have to wait until March if you want to stay away really late or get up early to see her again.
See our Milky Way Hot Spot Locator and our Night Photography Information.