Maine summer 2014 photo shoot

Wells Maine beach drive

I made a trip up to Wells-Ogunquit Maine last year for my vacation. I was fascinated with the coastal rock formations along the beaches that other photographers had posted throughout the web. I wanted to try my hand at capturing the dawn light and the sunlight reflecting off of the rocks with a long exposure time. In addition, some much needed away time to ride my bike and read.

Marginal Way

Day one consisted of scouting locations. Perhaps a quick bike ride or beach outing followed by a lobster sandwich. After unpacking I took my bike out through the streets of Wells Maine. I was struck by how similar it was to the town in the movie Jaws Martha's Vineyard.
Wells is a small town with narrow streets and older homes. The beach drive featured a fantastic stretch of road just perfect for biking.
After a great seafood dinner I scouted the Marginal way.  A combination of site seeing and shooting with the iPhone.  I really underestimated the amount of tourists on the walkway. This could be problematic for a dusk shoot, but will not (should not) be an issue at sunrise. The views were astounding, and being caught up in the moment allowed me to reflect on why I was here to begin with, a vacation!

Marginal Way inlets

Marginal Way inlets

6D tripod 5:30AM

My first mistake was not taking the time to think about the angle the sun would take at dawn and dusk. There must be an app for that (mental note). I do rely on my "sunrise sunset" app. A must for all photographers. The ideas for shooting the various Marginal Way inlets with their odd angles began to take shape. I began making notes on my phone. Check the next day's weather for 5am and I'll be off!

The Marginal Way offers numerous areas between the rocks that potentially could offer a long exposure time to capture that silky smooth water effect. At this point in the evening the sun was at my back and to the left. At dawn, the sun would be directly in front of me, not a good position. I needed to find an inlet that was off the direct angle of the sun and would allow the diffused dawn light to really enhance the shot. Always up against the clock at dawn.

When shooting around my hometown, I return numerous times throughout the year and am aware of the time, the sun angle, and the terrain. This is something I really need to be aware of when shooting in a new location. Doing a better job of scouting and returning numerous times to the same area to get the most out of the shooting sessions.

These iPhone shots of my first day in some ways remain my favorite as I was capturing the moments as they unfolded before me. I was so struck by the beauty of the shore and the rocks jutting out into the Atlantic. Arriving at 5am, I shot with my 17 to 40 mm lens. As you can see in my Flickr portfolio I was barley able to get the low light and a long shutter speed. I tried multiple shots of the same scene with an over exposed and under exposed setting intending to blend them in post processing. I tried to grab some of the flowers along the path, but the sun was up by then and the shadows were too harsh. Nothing gave me that wow factor. Sadly, that was the only morning that was not cloudy and I was unable to return at dawn again. To see the results please visit my Flickr 2014 Maine photo shoot.

Cape Neddick Lighthouse at dusk

The Cape Neddick Lighthouse was also on my agenda on this trip. I arrived at around 7pm and intended to shoot until after sunset. There were numerous people in the area shooting the lighthouse most with phones, some DSLRs. It wasn't until the golden hour after sunset that all the serious photographers began arriving with their tripods in tow. Apparently you're a few hundred yards from the iconic structure as it is on its own island. I used my trusty 70 to 200 mm telephoto and got some great 6 to 8 second exposures with the red light at the top of the lighthouse really illuminating the scene. I enjoyed the area that was open to the public to walk around and shoot the scene or just sit on the numerous benches provided. I shot in portrait and landscape generally around ƒ/22 @ 8 seconds.

On the last night I was walking through the Marginal way one last time when a major storm came up. I did a few shots with the iPhone and captured this awesome storm cloud before it reached me. Naturally the DSLR was resting comfortably in my trunk! Another lesson learned! Never be without the heavy lens! Grab the spontaneity of the moment and with a level of quality that can be worked with in post processing. Still the iPhone is the go to camera of choice for spontaneity. With all the new features and apps for post processing it makes for a more enjoyable shooting process.

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

I also got a chance to hike the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. Great hike and the beautiful surroundings. I highly recommend a walk through if you're up there. I brought my telephoto and wide angle lenses with me for this outing, but didn't capture anything interesting on the hike. There were a few stopping points along the way that over look the marsh area. Very beautiful!There is something oddly fascinating about hiking an unknown area so far away from home.

I also made a quick trip out the Kennebunkport and did a really nice walk around. Basically, it's Cape May on steroids but nice. Lots of great food and sports memorabilia shops. A great harbor with some awesome boats moored in the marina. If I had more time I would return and do some shopping and street photography.

Storm

Storm

I really enjoyed my Maine vacation. The area was beautiful, the people were all nice and friendly, the food was fantastic, biking around was sublime. I got a chance to unwind and sight see. My take a ways from a photographic perspective:

• Take your time!
• Scout the area first.
• Take notes while scouting.
• Determine the sun's path and rise and set times.
• Return multiple times to the same location.
• Never be without the DSLR armed and ready at all times.

To see the results please visit my Flickr 2014 Maine photo shoot.