wide angle photography Archives - Cape Ann Photo Tours

Bailey Island Maine Lobster Shack

May 30, 2021 by Kirk

Maine is such a huge state it’s almost impossible to see every part of it. One place I have never visited is the Bailey Island lobster shack. This island is located south of Brunswick and Harpswell and is a quintessential coastal Maine location. The main resource is lobstering and it is in evidence everywhere. A friend showed me a photograph of a lobster shack that sits out on a rocky point in Mackerel Cove on Bailey Island. I knew right away I had to photograph it. This proved to be a little more difficult than initially thought. It was low tide and the access was very tricky. From the road I had to climb over a guard rail and down a steep embankment to get onto the tidal plain. But it was worth it. The sun was in and out and I had to wait for the right light before making the photograph below.

Luckily the rocks and seaweed added a foreground element leading up to the shack. The calm water added just the right element, a mirror like reflection! I now have several wonderful images of this iconic lobster shack and can’t wait to bring our tour group up here in June. There were many other fabulous images around Mackerel Cove. One of them was this derelict lobster boat which was pulled up on the beach at the head of the cove with the name “Full Throttle” which was appropriate for an abandoned boat.

Cape Ann Photo Tours will be leading another group up to Mid Coast Maine in September so be sure to click the link and check it out. This tour takes in Boothbay to Camden which is a pretty large area. If we have time we might even make it down to Bailey’s Island. My co-leader for this tour is Jim Scouletis a well know photographer here in Massachsetts check out his website here.

Wide angle landscape photography

October 15, 2020 by Kirk

Wide angle landscape photography can be described in two ways. 1. Getting in an entire grand landscape and 2. Emphasize the foreground as much as possible. In these two images I have tried to emphasize the foreground using the foreground to lead the eye into the frame and up to the lighthouse using the striations of t he rock below the light. I tend to use method #2 more than the first one because that is how I have always used my wide angle lenses. Using the foreground method you are able to use compositional elements to your advantage more than with any other lens. You are also able to get the most depth of field using wide angle lenses. Distortion can be your enemy or your friend depending on how you look at it. I love the distortion a real wide angle lens, eg; 15-21mm can give to your foreground. It’s always been a favorite technique of mine. In the vertical position especially, with the camera pointed downward the foreground just jumps right out at the viewer. The image above is just such an image. The rock formations take center stage and draw the viewer into the image.

With this image the opposite is true. Tilting the camera to one side or the other distorts that side. As you can see in the image above, the left side is is much larger than the rest of the image and draws the viewer into the image and up to the lighthouse. To me this is the best way to work with extreme wide angle lenses. Now if the distortion is too much then you can correct it your processing software.

While working on compositions at this location I was very cognizant of the fact that foreground distortion was important. This prevented me from looking for other types of shots which I regret. Nothing really with longer lenses which is a problem. Working the scene is one of my mantras.

I did get the shot above using my Fuji XF 16-80 but I cropped it up from the bottom to make the composition tighter. So as you can see, wide angle landscape photography can be used in many ways I have given you just a couple.

Documentary Photography – Sylvina W. Beal Project

June 3, 2020 by Kirk

Harold Burnham looks over plans for the Sylvina W. Beal.

I am a history and vintage sailing buff! So when I get the chance, I am all in when it comes to documenting a project that involves both. Wooden schooner builder Harold Burnham of Essex is working on a long term project rehabbing a wooden schooner that is over 100 years old. So back in February I was over at his shipyard working on a video about the beginnings of this project as he cut red oak planks. After he was finished cutting planking we ventured up to the third floor of his house to look over the plans for the Beal. I was using my Fuji X-T3 and the Fuji XF 16mm f 1.4 for the tight space he was working in. This lens was perfect for shooting in the tight confines of his office.

Half models, ducks and whales — A half model of the Sylvina W. Beal and naval architectural tools wait to be used.

This lens is beautiful for this type of work it’s f1.4 aperture is wonderful for dimly lit scenes. In this case the lighting was not bad as there was a window and a lamp providing some great lighting. The image above was made at f 5.6 which is optimum for this lens. I just love how the depth of field flows out into the background. The close focus ability of this lens is another outstanding feature as you can see above. The whale weight used in holding splines in place is only about three or four inches long so I was pretty close.

Initials of naval architect William Duggan — Harold Burnham reveals a story about how he obtained his naval architectural tools.

the image above was made at f4 and also shows the closeup ability of this lens. It was a great couple of hours with Burnham over at his shipyard and some of the images I made are very nice. Photographing documentary projects is a great experience for folks to learn to use their gear in varied circumstances. Problem solving while working in a fast paced environment is something all photographers need to learn. In the video below Harold tells a wonderful story of how he obtained the naval architecture tools he uses for every boat he works on.