Milky Way and Airglow Over the Coast of Maine
That green glow isn't always the aurora
The Milky Way and airglow over the coast of Maine in 2019.
The green color in the sky is from airglow, a natural phenomenon that occurs all over the globe. It is caused by various chemical reactions happening in Earth’s atmosphere. It is very hard to ever see with the naked eye, but the camera has no trouble capturing it. Some nights it is so strong that the entire sky is green in photos and can really effect the color of the Milky Way.
Jupiter is the large bright object between the trees in the mid-right of the frame. Saturn is the smaller bright object just above center frame to the left of the Milky Way.
Nikon Z 7, FTZ lens adapter with NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 14mm. As with almost all my Milky Way landscape photos this a blend of multiple exposures for low noise and depth of field.
Sky: Star stacked result from 20 exposures at f/2.8, ISO 3200, 8 seconds each which were stacked in Starry Landscape Stacker (Mac only but you can use Sequator on Windows) for low noise.
Foreground: Two separate 10 minute exposures each at f/2.8 and ISO 1600 with different focus distances to capture more depth of field.
The star stacked sky image and the two foreground images were then blended in Photoshop to create a final image with low noise and and good focus from the foreground to the stars.
This was taken on the last photography workshop that I taught that year. Join me on the coast of Maine to capture the Milky Way next summer during my 2026 Maine Workshops!
2026 Maine Milky Way Workshops
Join me under the stars on my 2026 Maine Milky Way workshops! These are all held in Lubec, Maine, 2 hours east of Acadia National Park.
Jul 14-17 (3 nights)
Aug 11-14 (3 nights)
Sep 8-11 (3 nights)
Come explore the Bold Coast of Maine! These workshops focus on Milky Way photography but we will also capture dramatic sunsets with rugged coastline, lighthouses, and lobster boats as our foreground. There are also opportunities to photograph wildlife including bald eagles, seals, porpoise, and whales.
You’ll get 10% off lodging as part of the workshop.
I’m holding my first ever winter workshops! These are also held in Lubec, Maine, 2 hours east of Acadia National Park.
Very Late Season Milky Way & Maybe Winter Landscapes
Dec 12-15, 2025 (3 nights)
For this workshop the Milky Way Galactic Core will not be fully visible but we will be able to get the fainter part over West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. We will also focus on other daytime landscapes. See the workshop page.
Jan 12-15, 2026 (3 nights)
Feb 11-14, 2026 (3 nights)
The Jan/Feb workshops are my first ever fully winter workshops where we will focus on lighthouses, landscapes, and fishing boats. Hopefully we will have snow and sea smoke! This is for hearty folks who can stand being out in the cold! Dress warm! See the workshop page.
2026 Newfoundland Iceberg Workshops!
I only have one spot left on each of my May 2026 Newfoundland workshops!
Join me for the adventure of a lifetime on the Canadian island of Newfoundland during peak iceberg season. Each spring icebergs from Greenland and Labrador show up along the northern coast of Newfoundland after making the two year journey. We’ll also photograph dramatic landscapes, iconic fishing villages, puffins, and more.
I have two different workshops scheduled:
Twillingate - Fogo Island - Bonavista
May 25 - June 1, 2026 (7 nights, 8 days)
5 spots total, 1 spot remaining
This workshop will start in Twillingate, one of the regular hot spots for icebergs in Newfoundland. We’ll then spend a couple nights on Fogo Island capturing more icebergs and iconic red fishing sheds, then head over to Bonavista for a lighthouse, icebergs, and puffins that can be photographed from land!
Learn more here!
Iceberg Chaser RV Trip
May 11 - 18, 2026 (7 nights, 8 days)
3 spots total, 1 spots remaining
For the truly adventurous, follow me around in your own RV or rent one! We’ll have an open schedule and go wherever the best icebergs are and catch some amazing landscapes. We will likely visit the Great Northern Peninsula, Gros Morne National Park, and probably Twillingate or other spots on the north coast. Maybe we’ll even head over to Labrador for a night or visit the massive gannet colony in Cape St. Mary’s!
Learn more here!
Night Sky Photography Book
My book Night Sky Photography: From First Principles to Professional Results is an Amazon best-seller and has almost 500 ratings! Thanks everyone!
Last Chance Sale on Calendars - 30% Off Until Dec 1st
Save 30% on my 2026 calendar until Dec 1st! Order now to get them before Christmas, after this and it may not arrive in time. Use code BOOKGIFT30 (use all capital letters). Link in the comments below!
All orders, printing, shipping, and goofy sounding coupon codes handled by Lulu.