Travel | Lighthouses of Maine

The day after my shoot with the Fox children, I headed off to New England to do some traveling and also second shoot for the amazing Gwyneth Colleen. I started my trip off in Kennebunkport, Maine at The Cottages at Cabot Cove. I wish I could show you JUST how awesome that place was, but I somehow lost the files of all the pics I took inside !@*(!@&#*(!@&!. First time I’ve EVER done that. I booked the trip through Jetsetter and the whole experience was wonderful. If you love to travel, you need to keep Jetsetter in your sights, great place for deals and discovering new places!

Since the end of my trip was based around activities in Boston, I decided to fly in/out of Boston and drive up to Maine for the beginning of my trip. I have never been to Maine and I was crazy excited to add a new state to my growing list of states that I’ve been to. However, I was NOT excited to drive through the CRAZY amount of fog on the way in. We get fog quite often here in Ohio but it’s NOTHING like Maine fog. I literally couldn’t see much more than a few feet in front of me. Then… I saw deer. Lots of deer. Since I have a crazy weird fear *every* time I drive at night that deer are just waiting to dash in front of my car the rest of my trip was spent with a death grip on the wheel, feeling like at any moment one of those suckers were going to run in front of my car. Then… THEN! THERE WAS A SIGN FOR MOOSE. WHAT!? MOOSE??? Holy MOOSE batman… those suckers would KILL me. So my death grip grew ever more tighter as I took the turn off of the turnpike and onto wandering roads through the woods. I swear, I was waiting for either a deer, moose or an elk wearing a striped sweater with knives for fingers to jump in front of my car. I am tensing up typing this post out, it was that scary. Luckily I made it to my cottage safe and sound and was greeted with the most amazing scent I’ve ever smelled in my life upon arrival: the scent of salt air mixed in with the scent of leaves with the teeny tiniest hint of a woodfire. On top of that decadent elixir, I could hear the gentle crash of the waves against the nearby shore. Heaven was worth driving through that fog. I opened EVERY window in my cottage and froze to fall asleep wrapped in the heaven sent sensory decadence that greeted me.

The next morning the fog hadn’t lifted at all so I waited around Kennebunkport and popped into a few stores in downtown Kennebunkport waiting for my dear friend Kate to arrive (do go check out her site, she’s brilliant!). We then were off to what was to be a day that will be one of the happiest I had of the year: exploring the coast and taking pictures of a select few lighthouses along the coast of Maine. The colors of the leaves were SPECTACULAR and while I know I was there a smidge past peak season, it was still a completely magical experience for me. I was in Corey Heaven. This was just the FIRST day of what was to be one of my favorite vacations ever… I hope you enjoy reliving it with me!

view of tidal river at cabot cove

The view from my cottage dining room on the first morning, so foggy!

 

cottages at cabot cove

The cottage that was my home for the week!  Isn’t it charming?

 

cape neddick lighthouse in york maine

My first Maine lighthouse and one of the most popular lighthouses in the US, Cape Neddick “Nubble” Lighthouse in York, Maine!

 

nubble lighthouse in york maine in black and white

Kate had her tilt/shift lens with her and allowed me to play with it during our excursion.  I really loved it and this was my first shot with it!

 

nubble lighthouse reflection

I posted this image before but I love it so much I’m posting it again.

 

nubble lighthouse in york maine

I could have easily played here for HOURS taking pictures.  I am jealous of those that live nearby and can visit often!

 

portrait in front of cape neddick

One fun thing about having a fellow photographer with you is that you can hand over your camera and not worry that it’s a bit too much for them!  I didn’t have to do a selfie, yay!

 

kennebunkport maine during october

After York, Kate and I stopped for lunch at Hurricane’s in Kennebunkport and we both were quite in awe of our view from our table.  Isn’t it stunning???

 

Goat Head Island Lighthouse

We hit the road again and found another lighthouse just down the road.  This is Goat Head Island and I was playing with the tilt/shift again.  I have some more “normal” shots of it but this one is more fun!  Fun Fact: during George H. W. Bush’s terms in office, secret service agents lived on this island due to its excellent vantage point of Bush’s Estate at Walker’s Point.

 

Woods Island lighthouse

The next lighthouse on the tour on the list from Cabot Cove was NOT easy to find and their directions weren’t the best.  Between some wrong turns and assistance from Tom Tom and our iPhone GPS, we finally arrived at the spot to see Woods Island Lighthouse.  Fun Fact:  the most famous resident at this lighthouse wasn’t a human but a dog named Sailor whom learned how to ring the fog bell with his mouth.

 

Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse

Cape Elizabeth Light, one light of the original Two Lights for which the nearby Two Lights State Park is named.  It was nearing sunset when we arrived (after going to the park assuming that was where the lights were, silly us!).

 

Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse at sunset

Another view of Cape Elizabeth Light (which is the East light).  Fun Fact:  the now defunct second light (west tower) was once owned by Gary Merrill (Bette Davis’s ex husband).

We met up with my friend Gianina, whom helped us find the next (and final) lighthouse of the day.

 

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse at night in Portsmouth Maine

Spring Point Ledge Light was the final lighthouse of the day.  It was pitch black by the time we arrived and both Kate and Gianina thought I was a bit batty for trying to take shots.  I am so excited that ANY turned out from here to be honest. I hand held all of these shots and I’m still pretty stunned that they were remotely in focus.  This image was taken at ISO 6400, f 2.8 and 0.5 shutter speed.  HANDHELD.  For the non-photogs, that’s holding perfectly still for a half second.  While there is noise, I’m still pretty proud of this shot, even if it’s not award winning.

Fun Fact: Keepers trying to stay fit while working at this lighthouse found out it takes 56 laps around the main deck to make a mile.  During one of these jogs, a keeper fell through an open trap door and luckily caught on to a ladder saving him from the 17 foot fall into the waves beneath.

After this lovely lighthouse, Gianina took us to one of her favorite restaurants in downtown Portland, Bull Feeney’s and we wrapped up a lovely day.

Next…. a shoot with Gianina and her ridiculously adorable family and COVERED BRDIGES!  WOO!

10 comments
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  • GianinaJanuary 17, 2011 - 10:15 AM

    even though I was only with you for the final 2, it was just a great evening!! The pictures are just proof to the pudding!!!ReplyCancel

    • Corey AnnJanuary 17, 2011 - 10:20 AM

      Awww thank you!!! I’m so glad that you were able to join us even for a bit! 🙂 I can’t wait to come back and do it all again!ReplyCancel

  • KateJanuary 19, 2011 - 8:39 AM

    Lovely! It was so much fun hanging out with you in beautiful Maine, and the photos are gorgeous of course. 🙂 See you soon! xReplyCancel

    • Corey AnnJanuary 20, 2011 - 6:49 PM

      Thank you kindly! Thanks SO much for going along, seriously one of my top days of the year, it was just perfect!!!!ReplyCancel

  • Dan RemingtonFebruary 1, 2011 - 9:29 AM

    Awesome shots. I too love taking pics of lighthouses. I tgink it is phenomenal that you hand held that shot of Spring Point Ledge. If you are interested, I could send you some of my faves of a couple lighthouses at night. Also if you ladies are up this way during the spring/summer, I would love to take you up into the tower at Portland Head Light. I volunteer there and am allowed to do this every once in a while. Keep up the great workReplyCancel

    • Corey AnnFebruary 1, 2011 - 1:25 PM

      Thank you so much Dan, I’d love to see your night images!!!

      I may have to take you up on that offer, how nice of you! That’d be wonderful! I missed that lighthouse b/c it was closed 🙁ReplyCancel

  • […] take a quick trip somewhere that I loved and wanted to share with my husband that didn’t get to go last time I was in Maine.  I fell in love with the state quickly and have been eager to return since then. […]ReplyCancel

  • […] fall.  I’d been to the area many times before but never during peak leaf season and while that trip was just a bit after the peak, it gave me enough of a preview that I was determined to come back […]ReplyCancel

  • […] started a few years ago with a trip to New England to second shoot for a wedding and ever since then I’ve been making a yearly pilgrimage to the […]ReplyCancel

  • […] to check out his work, he’s a photographer as well and he has some great work online.  I visit this lighthouse a fair bit but every time it makes me […]ReplyCancel