Galápagos 2026 Photography Workshop - Dates Released

For the third year in a row, Jay Fleming will be co-leading a photography workshop to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands with Emily Carter. The workshop dates are January 21 - 31, 2026. The ten-day workshop starts on the mainland of Ecuador with one full day exploring the area around Quito with a visit to a working rose farm, the Otavalo textile market and the equator. This day on the mainland of Ecuador acts as a buffer day to allow for any travel delays, issues with baggage, etc… On day two of the workshop the group departs the airport in Quito for Baltra in the Galápagos. After arriving at the airport in Baltra, the group will board the TIP TOP II for the eight-day cruise around the islands. During the eight day cruise onboard the 105 foot catamaran, the group will be visiting different islands on land based (hiking) and snorkeling excursions. The itinerary includes up to four excursions each day.

Jay and Emily have worked with the Galápagos National Park and the local guide on the TIP TOP II to have early access to each of the islands each morning allowing them to take advantage of the best light. This trip is designed for photographers - the group will take time on the trails and in the water to hone in their skills and ensure the each participant is getting the best possible shots. During any down time and in the evenings on the boat, Jay and Emily will take time to critique the work of the participants.

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To be among the first to receive the full itinerary for the 2026 Galápagos Photography workshop and a link to register, fill out the form below:

Galápagos Islands Photography Workshop - January 2025

In early January I co-led my second photography workshop in the Galápagos Islands with Emily Carter and 14 photographers from the the United States and New Zealand. The trip was organized by Holbrook Travel - a family owned and operated travel agency that has been working in Latin America since the 1970’s. Our group cruised around the Eastern route of the Galápagos for eight days under the expert guidance of licensed national park guide Harry Vargas. We had incredible encounters with a diverse array of wildlife both on land and in the water. Enjoy the photographs of the group and the crew from the Tip Top II.

Emily and I are in the process of scheduling the January 2026 trip to the Galápagos Islands with Holbrook Travel - stay tuned to my blog and social media for more information!

The group on day six of the photography workshop at Punta Suarez on Española Island. We had an incredible shoot on Española island with the nesting blue footed boobies and nazca boobies.

Heading back to the TIP TOP II on the zodiac after a shoot at South Plaza Island.

The group enjoying the dinghy ride on the first outing in the Galápagos at playa Bachas on Santa Cruz Island.

Photographs of each photographer/participant on workshop and our National Park Guide - Harry Vargas (4th row, second from right) and the Captain of the TIP TOP II Pasquale (4th row right corner).

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On the workshop we did up to two snorkeling outings each day. We swam with and photographed sea lions, Pacific green sea turtles, dozens of species of tropical fish and sharks.

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Photographs of the group from outings on the islands in the Galápagos that we visited - Genovesa, Santa Cruz, Española, Floreana and San Cristobal.

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Fresh seafood from the commercial fishermen working in the Galápagos was prepared by the chef on the Tip Top II and served to the group.

10th Annual Holiday Party - December 6, 2024

Tickets currently SOLD OUT for my holiday party on December 6th from 6-9pm at the Annapolis Maritime Museum in Eastport! This is the 10th year that I have hosted the event and is bound to be the best yet! Space is limited to 300 guests, so get your tickets before they sell out! Use the links below to purchase tickets. Admission includes all you can eat oysters (raw and grilled), beer/wine and rum drinks, samples of locally harvested blue catfish and light appetizers. This is a fundraiser for the Annapolis Maritime Museum - 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the education and outreach programs!

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Thanks to our generous Sponsors!

• Tilghman Island Seafood - locally harvested Blue Catfish filets

• Jimmy’s Famous Seafood - Blue Catfish samples and Old Bay Butter for grilled oysters

• Maryland’s Best - Blue Catfish samples

• Von Paris Moving - Wild caught Maryland Oysters

• Oyster Recovery Partnership - Oyster Shell Recycling

• Orchard Point Oyster Company - Grilled oysters

• Forward Brewing - Locally brewed beer

• Lyon Rum - Locally distilled Rum

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Photographs from years past

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VENUE / Parking

The museums waterfront location and historic buildings provide the ideal location for this event. The party will take place in the bay room, the exhibit space and the waterfront deck.

Street parking in Eastport is the best option for guests bringing their own vehicles. Street parking is limited and this is a residential area - please be respectful of the people who live there. DO NOT block someones driveway. The museum is within walking distance from public parking garages in downtown Annapolis. Guests are also encouraged to use uber, lyft or take a taxi to the event.

723 Second Street
Annapolis, MD 21409

 

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18' Privateer Rebuild - back up from the bottom

The classic Privateer hulls were popular in the Chesapeake region in the 1980’s and 1990’s. These North Carolina built fiberglass boats were perfect for small scale commercial fishing operations in the shallow waters of the bay and Virginia’s seaside. Until recently the only way to get a ‘new’ privateer was to find an old hull and rebuild it. Over the past decade I have rebuilt three hulls to give me unparalleled water access to photography subjects in the Chesapeake and on the Atlantic Coast.

Six years ago I had a 22’ Privateer Roamer rebuilt to accomodate larger groups on my Chesapeake based photography workshops. Prior to the 22’ I was operating my workshops out of a 16’6” Privateer Bay Boat - the upgrade to the 22’ increased the capacity on my workshops by 60% and made for a safer ride. I kept the bay boat even after the upgrade - it was easier to trailer to different sites, it had the ability to get in very shallow water. One of my friends - Missy Evans, a Smith Island resident and longtime water-woman advised me “never sell your skiff”, I think she was right. I kept the boat and used it for different purposes in different bodies of water than I would use the 22’.

When the unexpected opportunity to purchase a classic 1981 retriever hull came up - I jumped on it. The sunken boat in the picture below was owned by the Marshall family on Smith Island - they used it for crab scraping, bank trapping and gill netting. It was a true workboat. The boat had always caught my eye while I was out on the island but Cal Marshall was never willing to sell. It wasn’t until the boat sunk during a nor’easter in June 2023 that Cal was willing to sell the boat. I made Cal an offer that he couldn’t refuse and the boat was off to the railway (local slang for boatyard) to be worked on.

The sunken boat tied up at Cal Marshall’s wharf in Ewell, Maryland on Smith Island after the nor’easter in June 2023

After hauling the boat out at the Smith Island Railway, it was clear that the boat would need a complete rebuild from the stringers up - all of the original wood in the stringers, the deck and the transom was rotten.

To offset some of the costs that were going to be involved with rebuilding and repowering the boat, I sold the 90hp mercury for parts. In order to get it to the buyer, I had to carry it across Tangier Sound from Smith Island to Crisfield, Maryland on my 22’ roamer.

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Open deck to maximize the boats utility

I wanted to keep the design of this hull simple - an open deck just like my privateer bay boat. This advertisement from 1981 showed the boat just like I wanted it with a few minor changes. I wanted a tiller handle outboard and open space up to the bow so that I could keep all of my gear in movable coolers/pelican cases that would also act as seats for passengers.

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Rebuilding the hull

The boat was towed from Smith Island to Crisfield and then picked up by Ronnie Carman of Carman Custom Boats. Ronnie has 40+ years of boatbuilding and restoration work and had the ability to get the job done quickly so that I could use the boat for a workshop in July 2024. Within three weeks Ronnie had the boat completely rebuilt using all composite material for the stringers, transom, floor and the additional storage locker in the bow for the gas tank. The stringers and the transom were rebuilt with marine coosa board and the floor was rebuilt with corelite - both of these materials will never rot like wood. This project was designed to last for decades of hard use.

A modification was made to the layout of the hull from the photographs seen in the Privateer advertisement from 1981 - we built a hatch in the bow to house the 18-gallon gas tank. The logic behind this is that it would free up deck space and also distribute the weight in the boat more evenly when I was operating it solo.

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Re-powering the boat

The boat was re-powered with a brand new white 75 hp Suzuki outboard purchased from Danny’s Marine just outside of Cambridge, Maryland. A tiller handle package added to the outboard. The tiller handle only came in the black color - this will be repainted in the future to match the color of the outboard.

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boat builder Ronnie Carman

The rebuild of this boat would not have been possible without boat builder Ronnie Carman in Public Landing, Maryland. Ronnie has a reputation as one of the best and fastest in the mid-Atlantic. Ronnie and his crew have built dozens of boats for the seafood industry, charter fishing and recreational boating. I was lucky to get a space with Ronnie - he is usually booked.

You can follow Ronnie’s work and get in touch with Ronnie through his facebook group linked below:

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Putting the boat to work

Almost immediately after the rebuild was completed, I picked the boat up in Snow Hill on the way to my July 2024 photography workshop in Wachapreague, Virginia. This boat is more set up for navigating the shallow waters around Virginia’s barrier islands than my larger 22’ Privateer Roamer. The boat is perfect for carrying three passengers and photography equipment - everyone had plenty of space to comfortably spread out with their gear on the open deck. The low freeboard of this rig is also ideal for photographing wildlife, workboats and different subjects on the water. The boats speed and maneuverability is also incredibly useful when navigating winding marsh creeks. This boat will be my go-to rig for small group photography workshops and for my own personal photography outings.

In Bradford Bay near Wachapreague, Virginia on my first photography workshop with the new boat.

Holding on tight to the tiller while running through the tidal marsh creeks near Wachapreague, Virginia. While underway the boat drafts approximately 12” of water - dependent on the amount of weight onboard.

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Thanks to James Ronanye, Bill Mish and Tracey Richardson for contributing photographs to this blog article.