Articles in the Category: Stonington

Still At It

Submitted by David Middleton on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 3:07pm

You would think that after two mostly unsuccessful times chasing winter storms on the coast of Maine that I would have had enough. This winter is not winter on the coast. The Maine coast was stuck in November until January and now it jumped ahead and is stuck in March. Either way the result is the same- cold, dreary, wet and no snow. All in all the perfect mix for miserable photography.

But last week I tried once again, this time with Brenda, and this time trying to get out in front of the storm so I could be at a location when the Nor’easter hit. That all worked out fine. The only problem was that the storm was all rain, not a speck of snow. It was some storm- 60 mph winds, driving rain, 36 degrees- and it made for truly dreadful photography conditions but it wasn’t wintery.

Boat stranded in a foggy Maine Harbor

So what do you do when you are somewhere looking for a particular kind of shot and it just doesn’t work? You do the best you can. We shot November scenes, March scenes (they are the same) and some conceptual winter scenes. What does that mean? It means photograph scenes that could only be taken in winter even though it may not look like winter. In a Maine harbor that means photograph lobster boats with stacks of lobster traps in the background or photograph people in heavy winter clothing. Both of these imply winter even though they are not obviously so. Are these pictures as good as a winter wonderland harbor scene? Nope. but if the Gods eventually do smile on me and I get the shot I dream of then these other pictures will fill in rest of the winter story. It is the old lemon/lemonade deal. You just have to learn to appreciate lemons.

Lobsterman with traps

More on Steve the Lobsterman

Submitted by David Middleton on Mon, 01/18/2010 - 3:30pm

Okay, here is the full story. I have just gotten a contract to do another book. This one is going to be on lobstering in the Gulf of Maine. I have been photographing the harbors and the lobstering detritus of the Northeast for 20 years but this is the first time I am doing so with a purpose so I am very excited. My friend, Brenda Berry, came up with the idea while we were teaching a workshop in Acadia. I have no clue why I didn’t think of a book on lobstering, but I didn’t. _dsc7814

Brenda and I have just started seriously exploring the Gulf of Maine coast and making contacts with the local lobster fishermen (yes, there are women lobsterers but they prefer to be called either fishermen or lobstermen). This wonderful gentleman we found in Stonington, Maine. He gets up at 2am every day to work in his shop cleaning, repairing, painting, organizing his gear. (Okay, maybe not so much on the organizing.) We walked in, introduced ourselves and sat there of 45 minutes as he told us stories and kept us very entertained. He is a piece of work and I can’t wait to get back and visit and photograph him again.

I have to say that I have never found a more friendly and universally generous group of people as the lobstermen of the Northeast. Everywhere we went, always unannounced, always barging in making a nuisance of ourselves we were welcomed and made to feel at home. Perhaps it is how we go about it, perhaps it is because Brenda is with me and she is enthusiastic and happy to the point of justifiable homicide but I think it is because lobstermen are just plain friendly._dsc7833

The gentleman’s name is Steve. His son runs one of the local fishing co-ops. He suggested that we go and talk to his dad. He was probably just trying to get rid of us but he did us a huge favor. Not only was his dad a character but he was sitting in a ridiculously photogenic place. Brenda and I both commented on how no one could design this workshop, it wouldn’t look right. This is from years of ‘just is.’ It was perfect!

Look forward to more, much more, stories and pictures on lobstering. We have set up a website on the book: www.thelobsteringlife.com. We are going to post pictures and keep you abreast of the progress of the book.