Common Loon, by Ray Yeager

DE’s Picks: Our Favorite Maine Photos

Down East staff photographer Benjamin Williamson highlights some of his favorite shots from around the state.

Pemaquid Lightning

Pemaquid Lightning, photographed by Jack Boak
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JACK BOAK

June 30, 2022

Want to know my favorite thing about photography? Is it chasing the weather? Dramatic light? The gear? Nope, none of these are my favorite things.

My favorite thing about photography is and has always been the people it brings me into contact with. I was reminded of that on a recent Sunday morning when I crossed paths with Kimberly, who was watching the sun come up at Pemaquid Point Light while I was there leading a Down East Adventures photo workshop. I said hello, and she asked if I was a professional photographer. When I said I was, she went on to explain that she had been out earlier and seen an amazing sight with her friend, Jack Boak. She showed me her phone, with this image on it. The best part? It was captured with Boak’s cellphone! Amazing!

I could wax on about the technical details and what makes this an awesome capture, but I don’t have to. Anyone can appreciate an image like this, captured at just the right time in the right place, showcasing what has made photography special from its inception. I am so glad to share these connections and to share this image with you. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

A little about the photographer: Jack Boak, born in Bath, currently living in Bremen, is a retired master mariner who sailed on merchant ships for 41 years. He is a volunteer fireman, elected planning-board member, docent at Pemaquid Point Light, singer with the Nor’Easters Barbershop Chorus, and board member for the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust. Hats off to you, sir!

Common Loon

Common Loon, by Ray Yeager
PHOTOGRAPHED BY RAY YEAGER

May 27, 2022

In the past, I’ve shared some shots of interesting loon behaviors, such as adults feeding or fuzzy chicks doing adorable chick things. This image doesn’t capture any special behavior, but I love it just the same. I think the crispness of the loon and the shallow depth of field at water level really drew me in. The red eye creates the perfect focal point and contrasts so nicely with the green foliage reflecting in the water. The overall effect is mesmerizing. Plus, the framing is perfect — neither too much nor too little negative space around the loon. Ray Yeager takes great photographs of wildlife around MDI, and I always look forward to seeing what he’s snapped lately. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Halfway to Spring

"Halfway to Spring," by Isaac Crabtree
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ISAAC CRABTREE

April 8, 2022

Simplify, simplify, simplify. This is a mantra that often comes to mind when looking through my viewfinder or offering advice to our workshop participants. Photography is a reductive art. Instead of adding materials, as is the case with most visual arts, our role as photographers is to take things away. This capture from Isaac Crabtree is a great example of how just a few strong visual elements can make a big impact. That dividing line between ice and open water is one of the best leading lines I’ve seen. It’s dynamic, but it’s also poetic, insofar as there’s a story being told, reflected in the title Crabtree has given the image: “Halfway to Spring.” The placement of the setting sun on the right balances the more opaque, and therefore visually weighty, ice on the bottom left, and the contrail, which I don’t always love seeing in images, really works here. And that lone island as a subject is just perfect — I never get tired of the aesthetic appeal of our spiny, piney islands. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Snowy Pemaquid from Above

Snowy Pemaquid from Above, photographed by Terri Mongeon
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TERRI MONGEON

March 25, 2022

Winter is waning in Maine, and I, for one, will miss its beauty. Everyone knows I’m a sucker for lighthouses, and Pemaquid Point Light is one of Maine’s most striking. Having walked every square inch of the grounds surrounding it, I can honestly say I’ve never seen this angle. Photographer Terri Mongeon used a flying camera to gain a bird’s-eye view looking south, with the lighthouse framed perfectly. The striations in the rocks lead the eye out to the open ocean, instead of the more common views, looking north from those rocks, with the striations leading us to the lighthouse. The snow makes a nice composition like this even more striking, with the cool hues setting a wistful mood, a relaxing meditation on the sea. I’d love to be there, even if it means holding off on spring a while longer. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Snowy Portland Head Light

Portland Head Light by Jack Bjorn
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JACK BJORN

March 4, 2022

I love a great graphical approach to a subject. Just look at these shapes! An assortment of rectangles and triangles and the circle of that perfectly placed wreath on the tower. The tower’s strong vertical lines are off-center from the mostly horizontal rectangles of the keeper’s house, so there’s a great sense of dynamic imbalance. It works so well, the way it’s put together — not by the builders of the lighthouse but in the eye of Jack Bjorn, the photographer, who lined up all the elements just so. The white and grey tones are lovely, and the few dark objects make a great contrast. This image reminds me of why I love winter photography. White is such a great simplifier of scenes! — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Morning Shower

Portland Head Light by Chris Lawrence
PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHRIS LAWRENCE

January 28, 2022

It’s a tall order to make Portland Head Light look small. The tower sits at a little more than 100 feet above sea level, meaning these are some pretty substantial waves. You can see not only the people between the photographer and the lighthouse but also the tiny figures below the tower, about to get quite the soaking from these walls of water. To get the shot, Chris Lawrence stood farther back away than many photographers do at this site, and he compressed the scene using a longer focal length. That creates some great layers and helps show a more natural relationship between the waves and the lighthouse than one might have gotten with a closer, wide-angle perspective. Not much to be done with camera settings in a situation like this — it’s all about waiting for the right moment, keeping your camera and lens dry as possible, and pressing the shutter! — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Dark Harbor 20 in Gilkey Harbor

Dark Harbor 20 in Gilkey Harbor by Tricia Ladd
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TRICIA LADD

November 22, 2021

There’s such a variety of subjects and scenery around the Maine coast. While we see a lot of lighthouses and lobsterboats in many photographers’ images, one subject I don’t see as much interest in is the amazing sailboat culture we have. This makes me grateful for Tricia Ladd. Tricia has been capturing these scenes on the water around Islesboro for years, and has a special gift for bringing this tiny part of the world to us. Andrew Wyeth’s advice to artists is to go deep, and that’s exactly what I see Tricia doing here. I love the way the composition crops in very close to the sailboat, a Dark Harbor 20, cutting off the bow and top of the sail, so the focus is on the occupants. Seeing Grindle Point Lighthouse across Gilkey Harbor in the background is the perfect touch and really places the viewer in this unique spot, just off the boat launch on Islesboro, which you can make out near the mast. The bright light and blue sky with puffy clouds work perfectly here, placing us on the water in the heat of the day, no doubt exactly where these sailors want to be. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Underwater

Ram Island Ledge Light, photographed by Tyler Kimbar
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TYLER KIMBAR

September 24, 2021

I love seeing different perspectives of familiar locations. To get this neat shot of Ram Island Ledge Light — half underwater, half above — Tyler Kimbar used a GoPro with an underwater housing. The buoy and rope in the foreground really tell a story: this isn’t just a static seascape, it’s a place where lobstermen come to work, and they’ve left a tether that links the surface and the seabed, these two worlds.  I love the layers of blue sky, puffy white clouds above, and familiar sea green below. I can’t imagine it was easy to take this shot, which Kimbar got by draping his arm out of a kayak. I like imagining an adventurous soul out here in scuba gear, seeing this view through her mask as she comes to the surface. These unique perspectives of the world around us, that’s what it’s all about for me. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Puffins, Mirrored

Puffins, Mirrored, by Linda Cunningham
PHOTOGRAPHED BY LINDA CUNNINGHAM

August 13, 2021

This image caught my eye in a big way. It’s a great example of a wildlife photographer waiting for the moment. It took me a second to realize I wasn’t looking at a true reflection. These are two different birds. Their synchronized poses remind me of the wonder and joy of the animal world and of these amazing denizens of our outer islands. I like the blank background, the lack of distracting elements — it’s all about the connection between these two. Linda Cunningham has a great eye, and this image speaks to that. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Fireworks from the Katahdin

Fireworks from The Katahdin, by Isaac Crabtree
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ISAAC CRABTREE

July 16, 2021

One of my favorite uses of photography is to document shared cultural experiences. Isaac Crabtree does that beautifully around his home in the north woods of Maine near Greenville. We are privileged to have a window into this wonderfully scenic area through his lenses. This drone image of the Katahdin and fireworks on the Fourth of July is well planned and executed. I know from experience that it’s difficult to get clear drone images in such low light, but when you are as skilled with them as Isaac is, you get shots like this. Who wishes they were there after seeing this? I know I do. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Boon Island Eclipse

Boon Island Eclipse, by Jamie Walter
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JAMIE WALTER

June 21, 2021

Not everyone knew about the June 10 solar eclipse, but a lot of die-hard photographers certainly did. Count Jamie Walter in this group, a Maine photographer well known for going to extremes to get the shot. In this case, he was able to get out on the water with his father and capture this spectacular view of the eclipse above one of the most interesting sites in Maine, Boon Island, home to the state’s tallest lighthouse. I’ve certainly done my share of simply shooting from the roadside, but lately I appreciate more and more how adventure and photography go hand in hand. The best part of journeying and/or sweating to get a shot is that even if you don’t come away with a great image, you’ve had a deeper and more satisfying experience than just pulling off the road. In this case, Walter got both: an experience to remember and a breathtaking image. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Capitol Glow

Maine State House
PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAVE DOSTIE

May 17, 2021

My inner weather nut was pretty excited to see this image by Dave Dostie, taken as a storm was departing Augusta last Tuesday evening. These are mammatus clouds, very rare to see, especially at sunset, which causes them to glow with these incredible orange and purple hues. Dave knew that he could improve his chances of making a strong image by putting something interesting underneath those clouds, and he chose this great composition featuring the Maine State House in Augusta. I like the dome pointing toward the heavens; the rows of windows on the building on the right side of the frame create interesting shapes, while the top of the building forms a nice diagonal line that points us back into the frame. The firs on the left also work to frame the image. I imagine that the folks who work in these buildings will love this one! I sure do. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Boulder Beach at Night

Boulder Beach at Night
PHOTOGRAPHED BY DEAN BUGAJ

May 3, 2021

Night photographers are a special breed, out there in the wee hours of the morning to capture an image like this one. It takes a lot of technical skill to create a high-quality, printable photograph, often requiring multiple exposures over several minutes (or even hours!) to gather enough light and detail for a single image. Some photographers use tracking devices to help a camera move along with the Earth, panning to keep the stars in the same relative position during extra long exposures. It’s not easy, but when it’s done well, as in this stunning shot by Dean Bugaj, we forget about what went in to creating it and just appreciate its impact. For me, this shot takes me right to this amazing boulder field next to Acadia National Park’s Otter Cliffs, gazing up into infinity and the countless points of light that fill the sky. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Intrusion

A magma intrusion and polished cobbles formed from the same granite on the coast of Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOHN K. PUTNAM

April 16, 2021

I’ve loved a lot of the images John K. Putnam has made in this spot he calls “Intrusion Beach” because of the geological formation you see in the foreground. This one really stood out for me because of the impeccable control of the color palette and mood. The deep blues of twilight, reflected in the sky, water, and rocks, contrast perfectly with the pink-orange “intrusion” and matching boulders at bottom left. If you pulled out a color wheel, you would see that those colors are directly across from each other. The lines are also fantastic. There are three distinct diagonals — the pink line extending from bottom right to center left, the inlet in the foreground extending from bottom left to center right, and the tree line extending from upper left to center. These lines create a strong sense of dynamic interest across the frame and keep our eye moving within it, generally leading back to the center of the composition. We call these leading lines. The dark sky works perfectly to set the mood, as well as to keep the eye moving down from the top of the frame. Sometimes we get lucky, and create images that make sense visually through chance or even intuition. But great photographers, and I certainly place John in this group, are intentional in their use of visual language to create one compelling image after another, just like this. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Kettle Cove

Kettle Cove
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEAN COUSINS

April 1, 2021

It can be tough to tell a story or capture a mood with a click, but Jean Cousins does it masterfully — the billowing skies paired with the contorted forms of the silhouetted trees. I love the red on the trees, from the light of the setting sun. The light also sets the clouds aglow and emphasizes the house, which I’d say is the main subject. I think capturing that human element really creates a story — shelter from the storm, refuge in an ominous time. An important technical note: This image would have been much brighter if the settings were left in auto mode. Your camera wants to see a middle-gray tone, but this shot is considerably darker. Brightened up, it simply wouldn’t have the same impact. The camera is just a tool, and you get to use it to whatever ends you hope to achieve. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse

Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, by Linda Cunningham
PHOTOGRAPHED BY LINDA CUNNINGHAM

March 24, 2021

Something about certain locations just keep us coming back as photographers. We love the place, and we want to get to know it better than we can on a one-time visit. It’s exciting to see these places in a new light, and that’s the beauty of outdoor and nature photography — the light isn’t controlled by us. It’s always changing, and we just have to react. I know Linda Cunningham frequents this spot because I’ve actually stood next to her and chatted with her there. Many of my favorite photographers return again and again to their favorite places. That love of place combines with knowledge from experience to become a depth of vision. It pays off here in this stunning shot of crepuscular rays coming down behind the breakwater lighthouse. Thank you for showing us what you know and love, Linda. I can’t wait to see what you show us next. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Sea Smoke

Sea Smoke in Bristol, by Nathan Johnson
PHOTOGRAPHED BY NATHAN JOHNSON

March 2, 2021

I didn’t see a lot of sea smoke this winter, which has been a mild one, by Maine standards. Although we had some nice cold and snow in early February, we never got below zero on the coast. But it was cold enough to produce some sea smoke the morning Nathan Johnson took this image, in Bristol. This one caught my eye because of the striking composition. Instead of framing this as a horizontal shot, with the two land masses at the top, Johnson threw us a curveball and went vertical, and I love how, instead of filling the frame, he provided a big swath of negative space in the foreground with just a couple of moorings and a waterfowl. The high-key exposure really works in this image too. I like how bright the sky is in the background, and of course, the mist provides a great sense of depth, since the darkest part of the image is in front, fading into white. There’s something classic and muted about both the boathouse and the home, and there’s the subtlest contrast with that hint of yellow and magenta where the sun hits the sea smoke. There is so much to look forward to in Maine in the summer, but I will miss winter. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Sugarloaf Inversion

Mount Bigelow from Sugarloaf Mountain
PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHRIS BENNETT

February 12, 2021

The mountains are calling and I must go. — John Muir

The mountains have been calling me this winter, and my appreciation of photography taken in our high peaks has grown. This shot, taken by Chris Bennett, on Sugarloaf Mountain, shows a winter landscape with snow-covered firs and the profile of Mount Bigelow above a sea of clouds. Those familiar with the legend of the Bigelow Range know the mountain closely resembles the figure of a sleeping person lying on his or her back — imagine this figure resting on soft, white bedding, in this case. The layer of clouds is caused by an inversion, where cool air is trapped in a valley and warm air comes in above, creating condensation but keeping the clouds low. Beautiful light on the clouds shows great texture, and the cool blue hues contrast nicely with the warmth on the horizon. Winter in Maine is so spectacular. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Moose Pond Halo

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ERIC STORM

February 3, 2021

Talk about a “wow” moment! This incredible capture by Eric Storm pretty much takes the cake for the most exciting shot I’ve seen this winter. The sun rising behind the small island on Moose Pond, in Bridgton, creates several beautiful atmospheric phenomena. All of these are caused by tiny, hexagonal, rod-shaped ice crystals reflecting and refracting the light of the rising sun. The crystals, which usually occur in the extreme cold, are sometimes known as diamond dust, and the atmospheric optical phenomena we see here have equally lovely names: there’s a sun pillar, a 22-degree halo, and two prominent sun dogs (sometimes called mock suns). We also see rare upper-tangent arcs above the sun pillar, which look like downward-pointing arrows when the sun is low on the horizon. Learning the science behind all these phenomena can deepen your appreciation for the view, but I think we can all appreciate this as a beautiful moment in nature, filled with wonder and awe. I’m so glad Storm was there to capture it. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Curtis Island Light

Curtis Island Light
PHOTOGRAPHED BY NATE JOHNSON

January 13, 2021

Find an interesting subject in good light, fill the frame, and eliminate distractions: you’re likely to come away with a nice image every time. I love Nate Johnson’s shot of Camden’s small, proud harbor light in part because it breaks a few rules of photography. Instead of putting the horizon at the top third of the frame — following the “rule of thirds” — he fills the top two-thirds with a beautiful, warm pastel sky, full of soft cirrus clouds, providing just the right amount of texture and contrast. What’s more, we hardly even see the ocean. It reminds me a lot of the Edward Hopper paintings of lighthouses that don’t include water. Check out Johnson’s Instagram feed for some nice backstory about his adventure finding this little lighthouse. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Barn in Kingfield

Barn in Kingfield
PHOTOGRAPHED BY GARY R. SMITH

December 10, 2020

There are many reasons why winter is my favorite season for photography. The simplicity, the starkness, the light, the mood, the story of resilience in the face of adversity — all of these appeal to my nature. This image highlights many of those qualities. For starters, I love the mood. The way the blue clouds cascade over the ridgeline behind the barn is incredibly awesome. The dark muted tones of the foreground allow this to stand out. The bare branches of the trees and rusted metal roof of the barn all contribute to the narrative, and together, they make this image just sing. Kudos to Gary R. Smith to this wonderful photo. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Thanksgiving

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
PHOTOGRAPHED BY BENJAMIN WILLIAMSON

November 25, 2020

I’m thinking of all of the things I’m grateful for this year, and the fact that I live in Maine is a big one. We recently moved from Brunswick to Bath — big jump, I know — and are looking forward to raising our family in a place that’s, well, sane. I’m not a native Mainer, and that perspective gives me even more appreciation of how good we have it here. From the obvious opportunities for me to do what I love, which is take photographs of scenic and beautiful places, to the less quantifiable properties, such as our resilience and steadfast (if sometimes grudging) optimism, I’m proud of my home. So even if you are missing Maine this year, as many of you are, know that when you do return, it will be waiting with open arms and perhaps a soft breeze to ease you into a peace of mind that’s hard to find elsewhere. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Sitting in the Fog

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DARYLANN LEONARD

November 13, 2020

I think the skill that sets great landscape photographers apart is patience. This means recognizing the potential for something special to happen in a particular location and either waiting for the right moment or returning again and again, until the conditions match the vision. Darylann has this skill, and many others, in spades.

Here’s how Darylann describes her image:

“A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable.” — William Wordsworth

I was eyeing this shot all summer, waiting for the right conditions. The cold nights we have been having provided a beautiful display of fog, allowing for the feeling of staring into infinity and of being at peace, tuning into the sounds of the lake waking up to a new day. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

The Power of Water

September 22, 2020

The remnants of Hurricane Teddy brought huge surf to the coast of Maine yesterday. Staff photographer Ben Williamson was out in Kittery, taking in this view of Whaleback Lighthouse from Fort Foster. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

30+ WOW Photos of Comet NEOWISE

Auroras at Grafton Notch, by Dean Bugaj
Auroras at Grafton Notch, by Dean Bugaj

July 30, 2020

Hopefully everyone has been able to see Comet NEOWISE with their own eyes over the past month. What started as a smudge on the eastern horizon at dawn morphed into a large, beautiful comet that stretched up to 20 degrees across the night sky and became visible for most people in the evening by mid-July. With the waxing moon and the comet receding from the sun and Earth, it has now started to fade. I wanted to commemorate the celestial visitor by putting together this gallery of images made across the state. Maine is lucky to have some of the darkest skies in New England, and Maine photographers took full advantage of that by capturing these stunning images. I’m always amazed at the work I see on a daily basis, and these photos prove that there are more than a few very skilled people wielding cameras across the state. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

See all 34 photos!

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl
PHOTOGRAPHED BY LAURA ZAMFIRESCU

July 8, 2020

The best photographers are usually the most dedicated, and the most tenacious. A lot of planning can go into getting the shot, but it all comes down to reacting to the scene in front of you. Laura’s reactions always amaze me. Her wildlife images are full of wonder and curiosity, and it’s clear she has a deep passion for what she does. This Great Horned Owl would be amazing on its own, but putting the nearly full moon behind it is just awesome! — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Comet NEOWISE Over Katahdin

Comet Neowise
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JAMIE WALTER

July 14, 2020

We can usually count on Jamie Walter to bring back the goods from wherever he points his camera. The spectacular appearance of Comet NEOWISE is no exception. Although I have seen and photographed the comet myself, my captures are nowhere near as impressive. I’m so glad Jamie got up to Katahdin for this capture! — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Clouds Over Pemaquid

Clouds over Pemaquid
PHOTOGRAPHED BY BENJAMIN WILLIAMSON

July 9, 2020

There are only a few spots where there is a clear view of both the lighthouse and the rocky shore below at Pemaquid Point. While this vantage is well-known, the weather is always changing, and I took advantage of the sweeping cirrus on this morning to lead the eye right into the scene. I just love it here. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

New Harbor

New Harbor
PHOTOGRAPHED BY BENJAMIN WILLIAMSON

June 26, 2020

It’s not always about the grand view. Finding more intimate vignettes can be satisfying, as was the case on the morning in New Harbor. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Port Clyde

Port Clyde
PHOTOGRAPHED BY BENJAMIN WILLIAMSON

September 6, 2019

This was captured during a Down East Adventures photography workshop last summer. I was overjoyed that our group got to experience this stunning sunset. This was only the beginning of what turned into a 360-degree canopy of colorful clouds. It was simply awesome. I’m always telling my students to look for subjects that tell the story of a place. Well, it couldn’t have been clearer with these boats and the prominent red lettering “Port Clyde” on the side of the blue skiff. Lining them up in the foreground and having the sun as the main focal point helped to make this a successful photograph. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Kit with Acorn

Kit with Acorn by Nancy Campbell
PHOTOGRAPHED BY NANCY CAMPBELL

May 28, 2020

This is a stunning image. That it took much patience and careful observation to capture it is understood, but that’s not the primary reason I love it. What I love is that it takes me into a world that I wouldn’t otherwise see. The perfect profile of the fox kit with an acorn in its mouth is just wonderful. The kit’s burnt-orange coat contrasts nicely with the green background. While I might have been tempted to boost the colors, Nancy rightly resists it — it’s not necessary. The razor-thin depth of focus helps eliminate distracting elements in the background, and I can only imagine how hard it was to get a sharp image with all of the movement going on here. It all comes down to design and composition: Nancy has composed a simple, striking portrait — one of my favorite wildlife captures. If you’d like to see more images of this kit and its adorable brothers and sisters, check out Nancy’s Instagram. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Shells

Shells by Karen Kurkjian
PHOTOGRAPHED BY KAREN KURKJIAN

May 7, 2020

Color and texture are tools at the disposal of every visual artist, and Karen Kurkjian makes masterful use of both here. This is a unique, well-seen image. At first, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. As the outlines of the seashells came into focus, I delighted in the abstract nature of their arrangement. The green seaweed, which some might have dismissed as marring the beauty of the shells, nicely complements the pinks and oranges. I always admire photographers who find more intimate scenes by paying close attention to their surroundings. Karen certainly does that here, and she also captures some spectacularly grand sunrises and sunsets around her home. Be sure to check out her account for more beautiful images. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Brunswick Moonrise

Brunswick Moonrise by Maine Mountain Media
Photographed

April 15, 2020

This beautiful image of the moon rising behind the Bowdoin Mill and the Green Bridge connecting Brunswick and Topsham immediately caught my attention. I have a strong connection to this place, having worked in that mill for a good part of my adult life. The composition is strong. I love how the forms of the building and bridge are reduced to an almost abstract representation. The star on top of the cupola and the moon beside add a sense of awe and wonder. The level of detail is also nice, considering the difficulty of getting sharp images at this focal length. A lot of folks wonder how you make the moon appear so large in an image without resorting to Photoshop. You do it by using a long (zoom) lens and superimposing other objects over the distant moon, which makes it appear unusually large. The view is outside of our everyday experiences, so there’s often skepticism about how it’s achieved. I always enjoy seeing the work of Maine Mountain Media, and I’m glad we have such talented photographers seeing familiar landmarks in unique ways. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Constance

Constance
Photographed by Benjamin Williamson

April 8, 2020

April’s full moon is nicknamed the pink moon, but it was looking orange when staff photographer Benjamin Williamson got this shot on his evening walk last night. The name of the lobsterboat caught his eye. “It reminds me of the word ‘constancy,’” Ben says. “The dictionary defines it as ‘steadfastness of mind under duress.’ I think we could all use some of that.” — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

The Pier at Old Orchard Beach

The Pier at Old Orchard Beach
Photographed by Mark Jones

April 3, 2020

As winter transitions to spring, many of Maine’s scenic photographers find themselves by the ocean because the landscape is drab brown, with neither fresh white snow to cover and simplify it nor green to liven it up. The rocky, sandy coastline is reliably consistent, and Maine has blessed us with a great diversity of scenery. Perhaps with this in mind, Mark Jones created this inspiring capture of one of Maine’s most beloved icons, the pier at Old Orchard Beach. A lot of photographers stand back to get the entire structure stretching out across the beach. A much harder challenge is standing underneath the pier and creating a well-balanced composition featuring the wooden pylons that support it. It’s like working a puzzle to make sure that everything lines up and no distractions cross the frame. Mark has used the sun star as a focal point in a scene that otherwise wouldn’t have one. Mark has spearheaded Shutterbugs4Charity, an amazing group of photographers who dedicate their resources to helping others. There are a lot of folks in need right now, and this group will be lending a hand in many ways over the coming months. More information can be found at shutterbugs4charity.org. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Bath

March 30, 2020

Staff photographer Benjamin Williamson captured the beauty of downtown Bath during this month’s spring snow. “The streets were empty, and the quiet was hauntingly beautiful,” he said. “These are strange times we’re living through, but there’s still beauty to be appreciated.” — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Sea Cave, Popham Beach

Photographed by Benjamin Williamson

March 23, 2020

Not many people get to glimpse this sea cave at Popham Beach, where staff photographer Ben captured this beautiful sunrise shot this morning. It’s only accessible at low tide and only about 14 inches tall — just a large rock supported on its sides by other rocks, forming a small opening. The camera’s perspective makes it feel larger, thanks to clever placement and a wide-angle lens. Always use caution exploring Maine’s beautiful coast — consult a tidal chart and don’t go alone. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse in South Portland
Photographed by Benjamin Williamson

March 19, 2020

After a day of rain and clouds on Tuesday, the light broke through for just a minute at sunset and cast a beautiful glow on Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse in South Portland. — Benjamin Williamson, staff photographer

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