Photographer's Journal (Maine)

Welcome to my online journal, otherwise known as a blog. Here I'll be sharing pertinent information, inspirational stories, trip reports, behind-the-photo stories, photography tips and techniques, and various random thoughts that you might find interesting. If you have any questions or comments regarding the opinions and information shared here, feel free to contact me. Thanks for your interest in my work!

Categories:
Nature's Fury: Photographing in a Tropical Storm
Nature's Fury: Photographing in a Tropical Storm
September 18, 2023  |  Acadia National Park, Maine

As a photographer, I appreciate a good storm for the opportunities it can provide for interesting photos. But I'm also torn. Because there's nothing like a stormy day spent at home curled up on the couch all cozy and warm, as the wind and rain whip around outside...

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Rick Berk's Guide to Acadia National Park
Rick Berk's Guide to Acadia National Park
June 14, 2023  |  Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine

It should be no secret that Acadia National Park is one of my favorite places to photograph. Now that I live just over 2 hours away, it’s much easier for me to get to, and I still find there are plenty of places to photograph there that I’ve never photographed before...

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Location Spotlight: The Nubble Lighthouse
Location Spotlight: The Nubble Lighthouse
April 16, 2023  |  Cape Neddick, Maine

My first time in Maine was over New Year's Eve 1998 and New Year's Day, 1999. My ex-wife and I had decided to get away for the holiday and found a cute bed and breakfast in York Harbor. When we arrived, we asked the innkeeper about nearby lighthouses, and she directed us to Cape Neddick Lighthouse, known by many as The Nubble Light...

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The Mystery Dory of Ogunquit
The Mystery Dory of Ogunquit
March 27, 2023  |  Ogunquit, Maine

Did you know that different types of dories are specific to the region they were built in? The Ogunquit Dory is one such dory. Popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Ogunquit Dory was built to handle the strong tides and rocky coastline of Maine...

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Smoke on the Water: Braving Frigid Temperatures to Capture an Amazing Phenomenon
Smoke on the Water: Braving Frigid Temperatures to Capture an Amazing Phenomenon
February 5, 2023  |  Portland, Maine

Living in northern New England offers a wide variety of benefits for photographers such as myself. Beautiful landscape that includes mountains, rolling hills covered in flowers, thick forests, rivers, lakes, dramatic cliffs dropping hundreds of feet into the ocean, lighthouses, and picturesque fishing harbors to name several...

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Location Spotlight: Wells Beach
Location Spotlight: Wells Beach
January 4, 2023  |  Wells Beach, Maine

Located on the coast of southern Maine in York County, is a popular summer destination called Wells Beach. Wells Beach is somewhat of a rarity on the Maine coast, as one of a handful of sandy beaches on an otherwise rocky coastline...

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2022: My Year in Pictures
2022: My Year in Pictures
December 30, 2022

“Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” - Ansel Adams

Well, to be sure, I've shared more than 12 photos in my year-end review here, but to be fair, using a digital camera allows me to produce many more photos than Ansel Adams using a view camera that took one sheet of film at a time...

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Behind the Image: Capturing A Long Exposure Sunset on Deer Isle
Behind the Image: Capturing A Long Exposure Sunset on Deer Isle
November 15, 2022  |  Deer Isle, Maine

This past weekend, eager to avoid spending the day at home doing nothing, I asked my wife if she'd like to take a drive. I'd been looking at weather reports, tide reports, and sunset positioning for a few different locations I've been wanting to photograph, and everything seemed to line up well for a sunset at Sand Beach on Deer Isle, Maine, near the village of Stonington...

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My Favorite Maine Harbors
My Favorite Maine Harbors
October 13, 2022  |  Maine, USA

Maine is a state with a lot to offer and explore. There are over 5700 lakes. 65 lighthouses. 14 mountains over 4000 feet tall. Many people visit to see lighthouses, to go hiking, or just eat seafood...

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Lighthouses of the Kennebec River
Lighthouses of the Kennebec River
August 28, 2022  |  Bath, Maine

Recently, another local photographer, Dave Cleaveland of Maine Imaging, invited me out on the Kennebec River on his boat for a morning of talking photography and exploring the Kennebec. Dave picked me up at the town dock in Bath just after sunrise, and we decided to head south down the river...

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A Quiet Corner of Maine's Midcoast: Lookout Point
A Quiet Corner of Maine's Midcoast: Lookout Point
August 21, 2022  |  Harpswell, Maine

On the north shore of Harpswell Neck, half way down the peninsula that makes up the contiguous land portion of the town of Harpswell, sits a spit of land known as Lookout Point. Harpswell is also made up of several islands, the most notable being Orr's Island and Bailey Island...

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Autumn, The Golden Time
Autumn, The Golden Time
August 19, 2022

With roughly one month of the summer left to go, I find myself already thinking about the Fall. I've already stacked all my wood for the colder weather, in piles taller than me in my shed. I'm anxious for the cooler weather, lighting the fire in my wood stove, and of course, the autumn foliage...

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Personal Journey: Starting Over in Maine
Personal Journey: Starting Over in Maine
August 12, 2022  |  Bath, Maine

It's hard to believe, but I'm coming up on the six year anniversary of my move to Maine. I've often said relocating to Maine was one of the best things I've ever done, but the circumstances that precipitated the move were the most painful of my life...

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Subject Spotlight: Portland Head Lighthouse
Subject Spotlight: Portland Head Lighthouse
January 16, 2022  |  Cape Elizabeth, Maine

One of my favorite subjects (and that of many other photographers) to photograph in Maine is Portland Head Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth. Standing majestically atop the headland at the entrance to the main channel into Portland Harbor in Casco Bay, the lighthouse was completed on January 10, 1791, after being commissioned by George Washington in 1787...

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Off the Beaten Path in Acadia
Off the Beaten Path in Acadia
October 20, 2021  |  Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia National Park has many well-known and iconic locations, which I love to photograph. Places like Boulder Beach, Otter Cliff, Jordan Pond, and Cadillac Mountain. But as the park has become more crowded in recent years, it's been more difficult to photograph in those places with more people around...

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Downeast Adventure
Downeast Adventure
August 8, 2021  |  Cutler, Maine

This past weekend, I had planned to head down east to Lubec, Maine, and take a puffin tour to Machias Seal Island, where these adorable seabirds nest during the summer. This was my second attempt. Spots for the season are very limited and reservations for the entire summer are typically gone within three days of being made available...

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