A Portrait of Coastal Maine

Maine: The Way Life Should Be is the state’s marketing slogan. In this romanticized view—rural, salt-of-the-earth people, tightlipped, taciturn, yet humble folk—live in harmony with their inner natures and the rugged outer beauty of their land. A place where you can establish your life’s course and where you set your own boundaries. Welcome to “the way life should be,” at least from a State of Maine marketing perspective. This workshop with Reid Callanan, long-time Maine resident and Director of Santa Fe Workshops, examines the myth and the reality of the state of Maine from the eye of a visual artist’s perspective. Together, we discover a true sense of place through a creative photographic adventure.

The dramatic coast from Portland through Harpswell to Popham is our playground during this workshop. Explore the backroads, sand beaches, fishing villages, waterways, and revitalized small cities, along with the jewels and gems that Reid has uncovered since he first set eyes on this coastal region of Maine as a teenager. Join him and use the power of photography to reveal truths about a place—about Maine. The small village of Freeport is our home for the week. It’s also the home of LL Bean’s retail empire, which in itself is an interesting myth builder. 

Photographing the coast’s unique landscape, light and color, architecture, history and culture, its people, and spontaneous moments all combine to create a unique portrait of Maine. Photographers with intermediate-level technical ability (iPhone users too) are welcome; for we are all—in some form—reaching for a higher level of seeing the world. To do so, we need to transcend our equipment and return to a childlike sense of wonder, and observe the world around us with clarity and excitement.

Our days together are filled from first light to star-filled evenings. Classroom sessions include presentations on the important building blocks of image-making by looking at the icons and little-known photographers from the history of the medium, daily photographic assignments, image reviews, and group discussions. Making new images of coastal Maine to better understand and appreciate “place” fills the rest of our time together.

The historic and gracious Harraseeket Inn is our home base for the week. Only thirty minutes north of Portland’s Jetport, the Inn offers comfortable accommodations, meals, and a great classroom space. Rick Berk, a photographer and resident of nearby Bath, is in charge of logistics and provides technical support for all cameras, lenses, and software concerns. Rick is also an instructor at Santa Fe Workshops, and he and Reid have worked closely together for several years. 

Travel and photograph the fabled coastline during a colorful autumn week with Reid and Rick as your guides and benefit from their knowledge and long history with the state of Maine.