East of Bar Harbor, Maine

[Acheron Photography]

Folks

In about a month I am going into coastal Eastern Maine - the stretch from the Canadian border/Eastport down to Winter Harbor. (I know most of the rest of the coast of Maine pretty well, but the area around Machias is new to me.)

Any suggestions for shooting locations? Any other advice?

Many thanks

David.

[Dakotah Jackson]

Try the coast. A lot of people like photographing that kind of stuff.

[Acheron Photography]

Try the coast. A lot of people like photographing that kind of stuff.

Really? How surprising. That really is an insight.

[cowanw]

Is that Macchias Island that you mentioned.
A limited number of people can go there from either the US or Canadian side, by boat. You are limited to blinds to view the puffins. But get very close. This island is an agreed apon border dispute between The US and Canada.
You can catch the "3 hr tour" from Cutler, Maine

[Terence Falk]

I am only speaking from personal experience and interests; I don't know what you are looking for. I lived in Maine for 2 years, and I would go to Eastport every year, which is on the bay between the US and Canada. I shot in the town in early morning, then went up route 1 and shot in towns along the way. It is very remote in this part of Maine after Machias, with long stretches of nothing but pine trees. It is very different than the coast from Bath to Camden, for example, with towns and various sights. You may want to go to Lubec, south of Eastport, and visit the famous lighthouse there. The coast is of course beautiful. It can be a little difficult to get down to the water with a view camera, but I guess with a field camera in a backpack it could be done. Good luck.

[jp498]

David; what do you want to shoot? Lots of coastal scenes, small villages, boats, on the peninsulas. I'd suggest you pick a place based on what you like to shoot and stay there for a week.

It's a beautiful area of the coast. I saw enough driving from ellsworth to cutler to keep me busy for days if I had time to stop and setup. Last winter, my brother had his boat repaired in Cutler and I rode back with him to Owls Head after it was fixed. http://jason.philbrook.us/gallery3/i...r-to-Owls-Head There was a lot I couldn't photograph because it was too rough.

You could spend weeks visiting little islands and areas if you had a boat.

If you like lighthouses, there are websites cataloging/documenting them to make your visit a little easier.

[Nathan Potter]

Washington County east of Bar Harbor is classic Maine coastal scenery. But what you shoot depends on what you are interested in. I photograph a lot in this area and have some spots that I favor because of the kind of photography I do. So here are some suggestions.

The shoreline at Grindstone Neck in Winter Harbor is fascinating, with great dark basaltic dikes cut through glacially polished granite ledge. An interesting assortment of cobbles can be found at tide level. Open to public. It's a kind of eastern challenge to Weston's pacific rocks.

The Schoodic subsection of Acadia Park is just east of Winter Harbor with a classic Maine rocky coast at the tip and maybe the best cobble barrier beach in ME at the right on the way out to the point.

Just a bit further east is the fishing village of Corea with an exceedingly picturesque harbor with old harbor architecture in the environs. Nearby the village of Prospect Harbor has an abandoned cannery (abandoned 2 years ago) that is interesting.

Inland from Milbridge ME. is Cherryfield and to the north over gravel roads is a huge area of blueberry barrens often littered with glacial erratic boulders and in summer areas of wildflowers - use your imagination - sort of a moonscape in places. Some of the buildings along the Narraguegus river in the town of Cherryfield make a good study.

Continuing up along the coast Columbia Falls on the Pleasant river has a bit of old architectue worth shooting but further along and down the peninsular Jonesport is a gem of fishing village shorefront. You need to wander around a bit to absorb the scene.

Machais and east Machias has some early New England architecture which may be of interest but the shore village of Cutler I find more interesting for old fishing village scenery. It is small and compact but visually interesting.

Perhaps my favorite area is West Quoddy Head where there is a lighthouse which is OK but the short walk southwest along the cliffs is quite spectacular and quintessential Maine coast. You can get to the cobble beach via stairs. Following the road out to the lighthouse on South Lubec Road and immediately after a sharp left turn there is a peat bog which has be eroded by the ocean on the bay side (almost right beside the road). It is a fascinating view. 10 to 12 feet of peat has been sectioned for several hundred feet in length baring 9000 years of peat deposition. Maybe not too photogenic but nevertheless an incredible view of post pleistocene history and not publicized at all.

Both Lubec and Eastport are worth looking at as active fishing villages with early architecture.

Worth getting the Maine Atlas by DeLorme Mapping Co. to easily find these locations.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Acheron Photography]

I am only speaking from personal experience and interests; I don't know what you are looking for. I lived in Maine for 2 years, and I would go to Eastport every year, which is on the bay between the US and Canada. I shot in the town in early morning, then went up route 1 and shot in towns along the way. It is very remote in this part of Maine after Machias, with long stretches of nothing but pine trees. It is very different than the coast from Bath to Camden, for example, with towns and various sights. You may want to go to Lubec, south of Eastport, and visit the famous lighthouse there. The coast is of course beautiful. It can be a little difficult to get down to the water with a view camera, but I guess with a field camera in a backpack it could be done. Good luck.

Many thanks Terence. It sounds like picking the right spots to actually get down to the coast is going to be key part.

David; what do you want to shoot? Lots of coastal scenes, small villages, boats, on the peninsulas. I'd suggest you pick a place based on what you like to shoot and stay there for a week.

It's a beautiful area of the coast. I saw enough driving from ellsworth to cutler to keep me busy for days if I had time to stop and setup. Last winter, my brother had his boat repaired in Cutler and I rode back with him to Owls Head after it was fixed. http://jason.philbrook.us/gallery3/i...r-to-Owls-Head There was a lot I couldn't photograph because it was too rough.

You could spend weeks visiting little islands and areas if you had a boat.

If you like lighthouses, there are websites cataloging/documenting them to make your visit a little easier.

Thank you JP. I'm not sure I fancy getting an LF camera onto a boat and off again too frequently, delightful though the islands sound. Many thanks for the link - that gives me a better sense of the kind of scenery. I think I'll try a few Sugimoto style seascapes while I am there.

Thank you too for the tip about lighthouses. I might try those at dusk or a little after.

Washington County east of Bar Harbor is classic Maine coastal scenery. But what you shoot depends on what you are interested in. I photograph a lot in this area and have some spots that I favor because of the kind of photography I do. So here are some suggestions.

The shoreline at Grindstone Neck in Winter Harbor is fascinating, with great dark basaltic dikes cut through glacially polished granite ledge. An interesting assortment of cobbles can be found at tide level. Open to public. It's a kind of eastern challenge to Weston's pacific rocks.

Wow, thank you very much for a most comprehensive and helpful reply Nathan.

Grindstone Neck sounds wonderful - I will definitely check that out.

Just a bit further east is the fishing village of Corea with an exceedingly picturesque harbor with old harbor architecture in the environs. Nearby the village of Prospect Harbor has an abandoned cannery (abandoned 2 years ago) that is interesting.

In truth it is the abandonned canneries that persuaded me to make the trip. Apparently there are some in Eastport too. Thank you for the tip.

Inland from Milbridge ME. is Cherryfield and to the north over gravel roads is a huge area of blueberry barrens often littered with glacial erratic boulders and in summer areas of wildflowers - use your imagination - sort of a moonscape in places. Some of the buildings along the Narraguegus river in the town of Cherryfield make a good study.

Ah, so a little like Iceland but with an extra helping of wildflowers? That sounds amazing. Dan Holdsworth did some amazing shots of Icelandic bounder fields - definitely inspirational.

Perhaps my favorite area is West Quoddy Head where ... the short walk southwest along the cliffs is quite spectacular and quintessential Maine coast. You can get to the cobble beach via stairs...

Worth getting the Maine Atlas by DeLorme Mapping Co. to easily find these locations.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

Excellent, thank you, another great tip. It sounds like that is a perfect spot for getting the camera down to the sea.

Kind regards

David