Maine Lighthouses and a Surprise

knapph

Last September I was making a panorama of the view seaward from Portland Head Lighthouse as a way to become familiar with a new camera body (Nikon D800E with a Sigma 150-500 @400mm). I was shooting some of the islands and Ram Ledge Lighthouse just offshore from Portland Head. Off on the horizon I could just see a dot that is Halfway Rock Lighthouse. The air was clear but there was quite a wind blowing and I was not expecting too much when it came to getting a shot of Halfway Rock Light. When I was looking at the shot of Halfway Rock on the computer I was surprised to see two lighthouses instead of one. A quick look at a map let me know I was also seeing Seguin Island Lighthouse. This was a big surprise, I had never seen it in other photos I had made. Ram Ledge Light is about a mile from where I was shooting, Halfway Rock is about nine miles out and Seguin Light is twenty-three miles out. Since then I have managed to see Seguin Light once on an extremely clear day with no wind blowing. Sometimes it helps to know where to look. I talked with a friend who shoots many photos in this area and he said he has gotten a shot of Seguin Light only once and that was when the sun was rising behind it.

This shot of Ram Ledge is about a third of the entire pano. Halfway Rock is near the right edge at the horizon. Any spots you see in the water are buoys used to mark the location of lobster traps.


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This is Halfway Rock Light on the right and Seguin Island on the left.



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With the addition of Seguin Light to the list, I now say you can see seven lighthouses from this location: Portland Head, Ram Ledge, Halfway Rock, Seguin Island, Spring Point ledge, and the East and West Cape Elizabeth lights. Sometimes you have to look real careful though.

Knapp
Portland, Maine

superduckz

Amazing shot(s) and REALLY amazing camera. I guess there is something to all those megapixels after all.

knapph

Yep, there is something to them but you have to work to get the best out of the camera. It does not allow for sloppy shooting.

I see you are in Jax. I was born down that way in Fernandina. With the sub-zero temps we are having in Maine this week, I feel like it would be a good time to visit my former home town. Need to get some photos from a beach that is not frozen.