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Photography on Home Ground...
Waterfront from Portland Breakwater Lighthouse Park - South Portland, Maine
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Canon 1Ds Mark III/EF 70~200 F/2.8L at 70mm on tripod, varied exposures at f/16, ISO 100
Around Ocean Gateway Terminal - Portland, Maine...
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Ocean Gateway Terminal is located on lower Commercial Street near other ferry and shipping terminals, an active spot in summer. Much of the working waterfront around here is a fenced area and gaining access is problematic for security reasons. The day before I returned with my cameras I inquired in the terminal, there was zero activity this time of year, about getting behind the fence. I was kindly informed to check with the Harbor Master’s office up the street, but it was closed when I arrived there. The next morning’s weather forecast called for cloud cover – overcast with a chance of morning rain showers. I prefer cloud cover and the subsequent low light for High Dynamic Range (HDR) imagery. Of course if it were raining this could be an issue. I decided to get up early and to investigate the scene shortly after sunrise. HDR View on the Water - Portland, MaineCanon 1Ds Mark III/TS-E 17mm f/4L on tripod, varied exposures @ f/18, ISO 200 |
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The architecture of the Ocean Gateway building is such that it resembles the prow of a ship. This building can be rented as event space for auctions, parties,
etc. – I recently photographed a Chowderfest 2010 function sponsored Maine Maritime Museum here. During
warm weather the building serves as a ferry terminal. It is a
beautiful facility in a picturesque setting…
Ocean Gateway - 14 Ocean Pier...Canon 1Ds Mark III/TS-E 17mm f/4L on tripod, varied exposures @ f/7, ISO 200 |
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At Spring Point/Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse - South Portland, Maine
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Near the end of the week I selected another day, forecasted to be overcast with partial clearing, to investigate two of our local harbor lighthouses. Crossing the Casco Bay Bridge into South Portland, I started with a visit to Spring Point Ledge Light. This is one of those locations with a good deal of activity during warm weather and I hoped getting there early on a not so great morning would find minimal activity. I arrived on the rising tide, not long before high water, so had a bit of the rocky beach below the seawall exposed. I made a gear selection, set up a tripod and climbed over the wall… There wasn’t much light this morning as I experimented with various shutter speeds in manual settings. I’d have to shoot at lower f stops to accommodate the shutter speed. Unlike exposing subjects for my Bird Photography Index, where shutter speed is usually a primary consideration, landscape photography can be conducted with more care pursuant to composition with constricted apertures and slower shutter speeds – these subjects aren’t prone to fly away or move out of view. No wonder people like doing this so well. View Below the Sea Wall - South Portland, MaineCanon 1Ds Mark III/TS-E 17mm f/4L on tripod, varied exposures @ f/5, ISO 200 |
Casco Bay Bridge Photographed from the Water
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Spring Point Views...
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Spring Point, the lighthouse and Fort Preble at the site, are now part of the campus of Southern Maine Community College (SMCC). This is a site I’ve visited many times and
back in the days when I was active with Civil War re-enacting, we had quite a few living history weekends on the parade grounds. Many people visit this location for the sheer
beauty of the place, as tourists viewing the lighthouses, as a recreational venue, students, and a plethora of other reasons. However, few know much about the history of the surrounding forts
and batteries that protected Portland Harbor. Like Fort Scammell on House Island, which has a battery facing Fort Preble, Fort Preble was constructed of granite in the same era,
the early 1800 hundreds. The advent of rifled ordnance during the American Civil War period doomed the stone forts – they no longer could sustain siege with the improved weapons
that were developed. There are bunkers and former military installations in many locations around Spring Point from the pre and Civil War period to World War One and Two – it’s
all interesting and I learned the bunkers make outstanding subjects for High Dynamic Range imagery…
I spent a wonderful and interesting August day last year, Touring Fort Scammell on House Island, serving as a photographer with a Maine Maritime Museum group accompanied by excellent historians - if you’d like to view some of the details of this fort in photographs please check it out. HDR View from the Jetty...Canon 1Ds Mark III/TS-E 17mm f/4L on tripod, varied exposures @ f/14, ISO 200 |
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There many points worthy of remembering about Fort Preble - named after Commodore Edward Preble of USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) fame; besides this fact, two I’ve retained and have informed others about, although they probably think I’m strange to know such things – most people simply have no sense of history or simply do not care. Jefferson Davis – yes, the same one who became the ill-fated President of the Confederate States was a Senator from his native state of Mississippi both before and after serving as the Secretary of War in the cabinet of Franklin Pierce. In 1858 he and family spent the summer in Portland, where among other duties he served in the commissioning of Fort Gorges. He also gave a well-attended speech on the grounds of Fort Preble during this time. Davis was well liked by the people of Maine and the period accounts were glowing in his praises – who was to know what the future held… The second fact was that along the stony beach that people walk with wonderful views of the Portland waterfront daily in warm weather, a man was executed during the American Civil War. On July 15,1863 (in context, Gettysburg was on July 1, 2, 3rd followed by the New York City Draft Riots in the same month of the same year), Billy Laird from Berwick, Maine, a private in the 17th Maine Infantry Regiment, was executed by firing squad, having been found guilty of desertion in wartime. President Abraham Lincoln, always concerned about such matters, had issued a ‘rescind of sentence' order with a pardon. Unfortunately, the telegram was delayed and poor Billy was shot, the only Maine soldier in the war executed for desertion… HDR View from the Parade Ground - South Portland, MaineCanon 1Ds Mark III/TS-E 17mm f/4L on tripod, varied exposures @ f/5.7, ISO 200 |
A Brief History of the Lighthouse and Jetty...
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A look towards the battery at Fort Scammell indicated the sun was starting to break cloud cover. Once it got over the walls of Fort Preble this imaging session would change accordingly. I decided to try some
creative exposures around the granite blocks and gun ports facing into the channel.
The following images represent this effort... I like this series of shots and the aged gun doors at the ports. Using my 17mm prime lens I got in close and shot wide. Exposing for HDR accommodated the exposure
issue with the light on the other side of the gun port and wall, so there was a view of the water beyond…
HDR View through the Gunport - Fort Preble...Canon 1Ds Mark III/TS-E 17mm f/4L on tripod, varied exposures @ f/14, ISO 100 |
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Exposures Around Fort Preble...
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With the sun now flooding the scene I decided to pack up. The Portland Breakwater Light wasn’t far and I drove to the site to check things out… Spring Point Ledge Light & Jetty...Canon 1Ds Mark III/TS-E 17mm f/4L on tripod, varied exposures @ f/5.7, ISO 200 |
Portland Breakwater Lighthouse Park - South Portland, Maine...
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Known locally and generally referred to as Bug Light, the Portland Breakwater Lighthouse is another site visited often by tourists. Actually it’s visited often by locals as well
and the walking path around the grounds is used for recreation and views across the harbor to the Portland waterfront – it’s a nice park to enjoy a pleasant day. However, it was
still on the chilly side when I arrived on this particular Friday morning - it was about 0900 hours and the wind was up a bit. This is another one of those places people
frequent in present times with little sense of history of the place.
The next image below in HDR is my favorite from several sessions photographing around the park - it produced a beautiful 16X24 inch print which I'm having mounted to display. The architecture of the lighthouse is Greek in style with six Corinthian columns surrounded by the cast-iron plates of the tower. HDR View of Portland Breakwater Lighthouse - South Portland, Maine...Canon 1Ds Mark III/24~105mm f/4L on tripod, varied exposures @ f/13, ISO 100 |
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Portland's Waterfront Viewed from Bug Light Park - South Portland, Maine...
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The morning was progressing and soon I packed up to leave the park. As I end this part of the account and imaging session from the day, I’ll add a brief description of the history of Portland Breakwater Light… Present 250 Millimeter Optic - Portland Breakwater Lighthouse...Canon 1Ds Mark III/EF600mm f/4L + 1.4X = 840mm on tripod, 1/800 second @ f/10, ISO 200 |
A Brief History of Portland Breakwater Lighthouse and Jetty...
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Spring Point and Portland Breakwater Lighthouse Park Revisited...
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I had plenty of computer time upcoming with the recent image groups. As I rendered the recent data I thought about things I’d like to re-shoot and new subjects I’d like to photograph
in these interesting locations. A few days later, once I was caught up for the most part on archived files, I packed up for another visit. It was another chilly day and the wind was
up, plus the sky was actually nicer than I hoped for, quite blue actually. But once warm weather arrived, these sites would be inundated with people – it has been a long winter… Now
was the time.
One of the things I wished to do was to shoot more across the harbor into Portland from the park. I probably would not be allowed to get behind the fence to photograph the harbor tugs, mentioned in this account’s first section, so decided to do this from the South Portland side. I accomplished this with my 600mm lens and also exposed several composites at shorter focal lengths. The initial composite at the start of this article was exposed at this time. As you view the shot at right keep in mind how far this is across the harbor… The Observatory on Munjoy Hill - Portland, Maine...Canon 1Ds Mark III/EF600mm f/4L + 1.4X = 840mm on tripod, 1/100 second @ f/22, ISO 200 |
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Around Spring Point...
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There were some subjects at Spring Point that I had an interest in investigating further. In the previous times I’d walked the grounds the bunkers and other former ordnance installations always caught my attention. Today I planned to see about photographing these in High Dynamic Range imagery. These subjects turned out to be ideal in this regard. It wasn’t the day I’d hoped – the sun was getting high and was bright with little cloud cover. Unlike many photographic endeavors, I’ve found HDR better to expose with cloud cover and dimmer light. Plus my 17mm tilt/shift lens, my choice for the bunker images, has a bulbous front element that projects beyond the casing making it prone to flare if anywhere near the direction of the sun. As usual though, I adapted and overcame… Sea Wall at Spring Point - South Portland, Maine...Canon 1Ds Mark III/EF 70~200mm f/2.8L on tripod, various exposures @ f/22, ISO 200 |
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My available time was coming to an end but I continued to find more subjects of interest to photograph as I walked out. However, I had things to do and finally packed up and
re-loaded my equipment to depart the site. I’m planning to return again soon - on an early weekend day when classes aren’t in session in anticipation that less people will be
around. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed my views around the harbor. I’ve been out with my cameras often in various places since these image groups were obtained and I’m planning more time
around the harbor – there’s the Old Port section of Portland and a plethora of other places yet to investigate - so many subjects and so little time…
Fort Scammell Battery from Spring Point - South Portland, Maine...Canon 1Ds Mark III/EF70~200mm f/2.8L on tripod, various exposures @ f/22, ISO 200 |
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Kiro
April 2011
April 2011