Isle au Haut Lighthouse, Maine

With winter’s full grasp on us now, I thought it was the appropriate time to share a photograph that reminds me of a warmer time. I made this photograph while in Maine exploring Acadia National Park and some of the surrounding areas. Isle au Haut is a relatively small island off of the coast of Maine, and a section of the island is part of the Acadia National Park system.

The only way to the island is by boat, and the vast amount of tourists or locals who do not own their own boat will take the mail boat which has a limited schedule out of Stonington Harbor, a place that has its own history and is the subject for a whole different story and photograph. The mail boat takes about an hour to get from the mainland to the island. While the National Park system has primitive accommodations for those wishing to camp in the park, we decided when we planned the trip to stay in a Bed and Breakfast
I have always enjoyed the view of the ocean from a rocky cliff, as well as watching the surging waves crash against the cliffs. The part of the island that contained the National Park exhibited this exact scene, so upon arriving on the island, we set out hiking for this area. This day was very calm and there was barely any ocean action, however the view and scenery was spectacular. Eventually, we turned and headed back on our hike to the B&B. The hike there and back took us through areas of forest that ran along the coast line, with some sections bringing you onto a rocky beach, where a lobster trap or buoy would lie, victims of a previous storm.

Arriving at the B&B, we set our gear down and began to explore the property and its most prominent feature, the lighthouse. I quickly noticed that the sun would set just behind it and I planned for a photograph later in the evening. As nightfall came, I set up my camera and tripod, composed and the scene and then waited for the color which I hoped would emerge. I have always been a fan of waiting until the sun is just beyond the horizon to make a photograph of the sunset. When conditions are just right, they bottoms the clouds will light up in reflected light that is much softer and usually more saturated than that from the direct sunlight. That day was one of those days when conditions were just right!

Later that night while having dinner, we were joined by a few other people, locals on the island that enjoy the cooking of the chef at the B&B. As we all sat around the table, I thought one of the women looked familiar, only to find out it was Linda Greenlaw. For those who do not know who that is, recall the movie “The Perfect Storm”, her character was played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and she was also the main subject in the Discovery series “Swords, Life on the Line”. She was a commercial fisherman, or perhaps fisherwoman in a largely male dominated profession. Oh, add to that very successful sword-fisherwoman. It turns out that the lighthouse and property had been in and out of her families possession for around 200 years, relinquishing it when the government needed the land to build the lighthouse initially only to be bought back years later once the government had updated the lighthouse so that it no longer required a keeper to be present. Linda was there with her husband, as well as her mother and father, along with, Bob and Nancy, two people we befriended.
All in all, this was a great day. The clouds worked with the sun and made for a great opportunity for a photograph, and I got to meet some of the people that helped write some of the history the beautiful property had seen.

This and other photographs are available on my website, www.colinseitzphotography.com. Recently, I added is the ability to purchase my prints on canvas, which allows you to avoid the costs of framing and just mount the canvas print on the wall. Each canvas print comes ready to hang and sells for less than a matted print. There are only a few days left to see the two prints I have in the Tides Hotel in Asbury Park, with other shows just down the road.

I hope everyone has a good week,

Colin