One Boat,Two Boat, Red Boat, Blue Boat

There are sailing harbors and there are fishing harbors. It was never something I thought about until I started photographing them. Go to a Maine sailing harbor in June, and it looks like you're in a ghost-town. Many of the boats are still in dry dock or in their owners driveways until the 4th of July or so.

But go to a fishing village in June and you'll find a buzz of activity. The boats are in the water year-round, but now the fishermen have finished repairing their gear and are putting it out to catch lobsters. Multi-colored lobster traps are piled on the piers and the boats leave their moorings at sunrise to place the traps and catch the lobsters. By late afternoon, they're all back in place, making the harbors look like a postcard.

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In some villages, all the lobster boats are the traditional Maine white. It's the propah color for a boat, don't ya know. In other harbors you'll find hulls in red, blue, and even yellow. Which is prettier? I can't decide.

I like shooting harbors on sunny days. The primary colors go with blue sky, and I can play with the reflections in the water.

If you'd like to find these scenes, go to Stonington, Jonesport, Bass Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and Port Clyde. Be respectful of working fishermen and don't trespass without permission. You'll find plenty of subjects to keep you occupied, from reflections to piers to boats to fishing shacks to the fishermen themselves.