Trip Report - Western Newfoundland - June 2019
Another Western Newfoundland is now behind me. This time I had a group of friends with me that had traveled with me before. And, my brother-in-law, Brian, was with us as well.
Western Newfoundland is one of those areas very few people have conducted workshops in. Some have dabbled in specific areas of this side of the island, but I don’t think anyone takes in this whole amazing coast in one trip. And it ALWAYS ends up being a trip with lots of laughs, great photo ops, good home cooking and some pleasant surprises. I have made lots of friends her over the years. They tell me about a new hidden photo stop we should check out - more on this year's surprise photo stop later on in this blog post.
A trip here is always like stepping back in time. But you have to know where to look. Having had the benefit of traveling the backroads through this entire coastline over the years has allowed me to uncover old fishing villages, abandoned boats and fishing stages that time has forgotten.
Our weather this year did was looking like it was going to be a challenge. But we made lemonade from lemons everywhere we went. With a bunch of dedicated photographers that trusted I would get them the shots, we bonded together and went out each day with a positive attitude, ready to capture whatever mother nature decided to throw at us.
As you can see from the photos below, we dressed for the weather, prepared for every condition, and had some fun along the way. Although, I am not so sure Michael Bailey was embracing that kiss on the cheek from Greg Cook in that photo below. HA!
Sea fog, mist, sun, clouds… we had every condition you would imagine from Spring in Newfoundland. I say, “spring” because summer seemed to be stalled this year on the west coast of the island. But, as I said, it didn’t stop us.
The special treat this year came when Greg spotted an iceberg in the rearview mirror. A large pointed berg hidden around a bend in the road just offered a glimpse to us from the road. We drove the back roads to try and get a better view, but it wasn’t looking like it was meant to be.
Stopping and walking out to the water's edge gave us a view at 400mm and 500mm, then a local fisherman came out of the store. He saw what we were doing, then offered to take us out in a fishing boat.
Below you will see a photo from Michael Bailey from our fishing boat trip out to see that iceberg.
We got lucky with icebergs this year on this trip. Between the one I just mentioned and one other, we got some great photos of ice on this trip.
While up north, we always stay on a private island in a Lighthouse Inn. The cove right outside our lighthouse had a massive iceberg that was lodged on the rocks. It served as a great photographic subject from a variety of angles.
The photographic highlights did not stop at ice. We made stops at five lighthouses — each with their own appeal. And while I see these lighthouses each trip I make there, the conditions change, and the photo ops are always unique.
For the wildlife lovers, this trip did not disappoint. We came across a cross fox, moose, and caribou in our travels.
For the bird lovers, we saw Bald Eagles and Arctic Terns at a few different locations.
The sea fog ended up being a photographic bonus. Patience at a variety of locations wound up making moody photos, while at other sites it allowed us to work on minimalism. Examples of both can be seen below.
I hope you consider joining me on a future Newfoundland workshop. I will be headed back in 2020 and 2021.
2020 Eastern Newfoundland Workshop #1 - https://muenchworkshops.com/workshops/newfoundland-4
2020 Eastern Newfoundland Workshop #2 - https://muenchworkshops.com/workshops/newfoundland-photo-workshop-1
2021 Western Newfoundland Workshop - Will be announced in October of 2019. See all our workshops here or contact us to get more information on our next Western Newfoundland trip. Contact us here