Chasing Lighthouses in Maine

Jones, Cramer, and I went looking for lighthouses in Maine.

Back in 2017, I had just bought my first DSLR camera. At the time, I was still working as a fabricator for a NASCAR team, but one of the unexpected gifts that came with that job was the ability to turn race weekends into opportunities to explore places I otherwise never would have seen.

That year we were racing in New Hampshire, and I had one location on my list that I desperately wanted to photograph: Cape Neddick Light, better known as Nubble Lighthouse.

The conditions that evening were unreal. The sky went from completely forgettable to one of those “holy crap” moments photographers chase for years. That night stuck with me because it sparked something much bigger than just a single photograph. It started an obsession with photographing lighthouses and coastal landscapes whenever I could while living in the Carolinas.

Fast forward seven years.

Jen and I recently moved to Quincy, Massachusetts, and ever since the move I’ve been looking forward to exploring everything New England has to offer for landscape photography. Between unpacking, organizing the house, and adjusting to life up here, we really haven’t had much time to get out and explore yet.

A couple weekends ago, Jen went to Ohio to watch her oldest niece graduate high school. If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you probably know that our 14-year-old American Foxhound, Cramer, is scared of people and doesn’t do well with others watching him. My aunt is really the only person he trusts enough for us to travel together, so while Jen headed to Ohio, the dogs and I decided we needed our own little adventure.

We packed up the 1996 Chevy camper van and headed north to Wassamki Springs Campground outside Portland, Maine.

I’ll admit this now — I didn’t research Portland nearly as much as I should have.

For some reason, I pictured a smaller coastal town. Instead, I found a beautiful city that was much bigger and busier than I expected. It made things a little difficult trying to find places where the dogs could really relax and enjoy themselves, but we made the best of it.

One of our first stops was Portland Head Light.

To my surprise, much of the area around the lighthouse was fenced off. Coming from North Carolina, I’m used to lighthouses feeling almost completely open and accessible. If you wanted to photograph them at night under the Milky Way, you usually had the freedom to roam and create.

Before the trip, I had searched online and found several photos of Portland Head Light under the stars, so I never expected the fencing or restricted access. I had specifically planned the weekend around the Milky Way.

Still, I didn’t want to break rules, step on toes, or do anything disrespectful. So instead of forcing the shot I had imagined, I pivoted and focused on the sunset that was unfolding in front of me.

And honestly, I’m glad I did.

The clouds and light just kept getting better and better throughout the evening.

I walked back to the van, made sure Jones and Cramer were comfortable with the fans running, grabbed my Gitzo tripod, and headed back out to some compositions I had noticed earlier while walking the shoreline.

This was also my first real chance to use my magnetic Kase filters, and I absolutely loved them. Being able to swap from a 10-stop to a 3-stop filter in seconds made it so much easier to adapt creatively as the light changed. That kind of flexibility really opens up possibilities when conditions are changing fast.

The next morning, I found myself scouting again — searching for compositions, viewpoints, and anything that felt inspiring. Eventually I ended up at a rocky beach near the twin lighthouses south of Portland.

The sky was completely clear. No clouds. No drama.

And honestly, I knew immediately the photos probably weren’t going to be portfolio-worthy without some atmosphere in the sky.

But that morning still reminded me why I love landscape photography in the first place.

Sometimes it’s less about coming home with an incredible image and more about slowing down enough to appreciate where you are. The sound of the water, the cool air, sunrise over the coast, the quiet moments before the world wakes up — those things matter too.

After realizing I wasn’t going to get the Milky Way conditions I originally hoped for, I decided there wasn’t much reason to stay another night at the campground. So we headed south and spent the day exploring the Maine coastline.

Instead of taking the interstate, I followed smaller coastal roads through a bunch of little towns and fishing communities. I found some really beautiful places, but I also quickly discovered one thing about Maine: parking.

If there’s one thing I wasn’t prepared for, it was how much of the coastline relies on paid parking. Honestly, that’s probably on me for not realizing how heavily Maine leans into tourism during the warmer months.

Before heading home, I made one final stop at Nubble Lighthouse — the place that unknowingly started this entire journey years ago.

It felt fitting to end the trip there.

It may not have been the exact weekend I originally envisioned, but it reminded me why I fell in love with photography in the first place: exploration, weather, atmosphere, storytelling, and the simple excitement of seeing someplace new.

I can’t wait for Jen and I to continue exploring Acadia, the Maine coast, and everything else New England has waiting for us.