Portland Head Light Station

The highlight of a trip to Portland, Maine for any photographer has to be the Portland Head Light Station on Cape Elizabeth, because the lighthouse is one of the most photographed in the country.

I had seen some of the spectacular shots of the lighthouse before we left on the trip, so I wanted to get over there as many times as possible to take pictures under varying lighting conditions. This wasn’t much of a problem since our hotel was only 20 minutes from Cape Elizabeth, and the weather during the two days ranged from cloudy and rainy on Saturday morning to bright and sunny (and windy) on Sunday afternoon.

Moon over Portland Head Lighthouse (Click on photo for info)

According to a number of sources, the lighthouse has an historic past. George Washington engaged two masons from the town of Portland in 1787, while Maine was still part of the colony of Massachusetts, and instructed them to take charge of the construction of a lighthouse on Portland Head. They were Jonathan Bryant and John Nichols.

The tower was completed during the year 1790 and first lighted January 10, 1791. The old tower, built of rubblestone, still stands as one of the four colonial lighthouses that have never been rebuilt. Today Portland Head Light stands 80 feet above ground and 101 feet above water, its white conical tower being connected with a dwelling. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a native of Portland, often visited the Portland Head Lighthouse and was friends with the keepers. It is believed he received inspiration at the lighthouse for his 1849 poem, The Lighthouse.

Clouds over Portland Head Lighthouse (Click on photo for info)

Portland Head Lighthouse sits majestically on the rocky Maine coast adjacent to Fort Williams Park. The park is a popular destination for picnicking, barbecuing, hiking, all types of sports, and spectacular views of the ocean. Kids love exploring the remains of the old abandoned fort and battery on the grounds. It’s a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon. I understand it’s also a great place in the winter for cross-country skiing, sledding, and ice skating. The lighthouse itself is not open to the public, but there’s a small museum and gift shop attached. The beauty of photographing this lighthouse is that you can shoot from so many different angles and elevations.

Portland Head Lighthouse in the Fall (Click on photo for info)

Portland Head Lighthouse (Click on photo for info)

On our drive from Plymouth, Massachusetts up to Portland, Maine, we took a side trip to the scenic fishing village of Rockport, Massachusetts, which will be the subject of my next post.

If you have a chance, please check out my ImageKind Galleries and Flickr Collections.

Portland, Maine

We took a trip up to New England last week. Although the weather wasn’t that great, I’ll use my next few blog posts to show some of the photos of that trip.

We spent three nights of the trip at the Marriott at Sable Oaks in South Portland, Maine. The last time I visited Portland I was a teenager in the summer of 1964. I took the bus from Philadelphia to Portland to visit friends of the family. The main memory of that trip for me was taking the ferry out to the islands in Casco Bay and exploring old abandoned military fortifications.

This time we didn’t do any exploring through abandoned forts, but we did do some exploring around the streets of Portland. The main part of town is divided into three districts: the Old Port; the Arts District; and the East End. We spent a little time in the Arts District with its many galleries, but we spent most of our time walking around the Old Port area which extends up the hill from the busy port of Portland.

The Old Port is filled with shops, restaurants, and cafes, and has something of a 19^th century European feel to it thanks to its many narrow cobblestone streets and old brick buildings. Commercial Street runs along the harbor at the foot of Old Port which has docks for the Casco Bay ferry to the islands and The Cat high speed ferry to Nova Scotia, as well as countless yachts and fishing boats.

A stay in Portland wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the LL Bean flagship store located in Freeport, Maine, a short 15 minute drive north of Portland. Besides the LL Bean Flagship Retail Store, which is huge, there is also an LL Bean Hunting & Fishing Store, an LL Bean Bike, Boat & Ski Store, an LL Bean Home Store, and an LL Bean Outlet Store, all within two blocks. The town of Freeport obviously exists because of LL Bean, but there are also many other shops and restaurants to explore along Main Street, plus a small outlet mall. We stopped for lunch at a small restaurant just off Main Street called the Corsican Restaurant. I had a bowl of clam chowder that was the best I’ve ever tasted.

The highlight of a trip to Portland for any photographer has to be the Portland Head Light Station on Cape Elizabeth, south of the city. The lighthouse is one of the most photographed in the country and will be the subject of my next post.

If you have a chance, please check out my ImageKind Galleries and Flickr Collections.