4 Magnificent Maine Lighthouses Nearby

Maine has over 60 lighthouses.

While some lighthouses on islands take preparation to access, many are easily accessible.

Four of the most famous lighthouses are 15-45 minutes from Caponigro Arts, and they’re all quite different.

(Click on the images or titles to locate them on Google Maps.)

Rockland

Rockland Light is accessed by walking the massive one-mile-long stone breakwater. It’s magical at sunrise, sunset, and in thick fog.

Owlshead

Owlshead Light is reached by a long wooden stair, just beyond the keeper’s house, because it’s perched high on a hill overlooking the Rockland harbor (including Rockland Light) and beyond to nearby islands.

Marshall Point

Marshall Point’s light and the house are separated by a long elevated walkway over a rocky beach pointing to the surrounding islands. Made more famous by the movie Forrest Gump, it rests near Port Clyde (where you get the ferry to Monhegan Island).

Pemaquid

Pemaquid Light towers over the magnificent slabs of granite, which are constantly tossed in wild surf, but always accessible no matter what the tide. It offers 180-degree views of the open ocean, which are stunning at both sunrise and sunset.

Find a complete guide to all Maine lighthouses here.

Find more Maine resources (from museums to breweries) here.

The 7 Best Beers & Breweries In Maine

Maine’s rocky north Atlantic coast may be short on wineries but it’s rich in breweries. With the most breweries per capita of any state, as of early 2020, Maine is home to 155 active, licensed breweries, representing over 100 unique brands with a deeply independent strain (like its people) ranging from classically elegant to off the hook inventive. It’s become a beer drinkers paradise currently applying for its own internationally recognized style.

Many Maine breweries have tasting or taprooms. A disproportionate number are in Portland. Stop by and try what you can’t find even in the best stores with their limited batches and seasonal varietals.

No store could possibly carry them all so finding specific ones requires considerable hunting and gathering, which just adds to the fun. One of the best selections in the state can be found in Freeport’s Bow Street Market.

Whether you’re a Maniac or ‘from away’, with riches that could be an embarrassment (but we’re not) it’s hard to know where to start. Here are my top picks. (My taste tests are ongoing, so check back for new additions.)

 

1

Allagash

They excel at Belgians.

Their White is a staple cloudy wheat.

Their Curieux is a stellar bourbon barrel tripel.

 

2

Boothbay Craft Brewers

They do it all without overdoing it … or is it overdoing it just the right amount?

Savor their lush Thirsty Botanist.

 

3

Foundation

They’re playful, richly rewarding, and sometimes even sweet.

Enter their radiant list with an Epiphany.

 

4

Lone Pine

Their flavors are so in step with the independence of the pine tree state.

Taste the place in their evergreen Brightside.

 

5

Bissel Brothers

Their creativity runs deep.

Ease into a wild ride with Substance an IPA with an understated name.

 

6

Maine Beer Company

They excel at IPAs.

Start with their beer Lunch.

 

7

Rising Tide

Though their list is deep, with plenty of range, they excel at lighter classic IPAs.

Try their Maine Island Trail Ale.

 

Discover more Maine resources.

Join me during my Maine photography workshop.

Maine’s 9 Best Oysters & 5 Places To Find Them

I find it mysterious and wonderful! The same oyster species grown in different places taste different. When you eat oysters you taste the seaweeds and kelps that surround them, the minerals in the rock and mud they grow on, and the salt in the waters they breathe. You even taste the temperature they live in. How is that possible? You’ve got to taste it to believe it.

Today (2021), about 150 oyster farms in Maine, extending from York to Washington counties, raise over 11 million oysters per year for the white table cloth market (an industry worth over $8 million). The Damariscotta River estuary in Maine is the largest site for oyster growth. Most Maine oysters have strong, hard shells, plump full meats, and a beautiful briny sweet flavor of a cold fresh clean ocean.

Maine offers a savory adventure with an impressive variety of oysters to choose from.

 

Pemaquid Points burst zaftig and briny.

Winter Points remain firm with brothy umami.

Taunton Bays offer a complex minerality.

Belon Rivers glide coppery smooth.

Dodge Coves supply sweet and sour tanginess.

Bagaduce Rivers balance bouquets in small creamy packages.

Glidden Points achieve an unusually crisp density.

North Haven Islands have a hint of honey.

Gay Islands share a touch of sugar.

Find more at Oyster Finder.

 

Find the best selection in Portland at Eventide.

Find the best selection in Boothbay at Mine Oyster.

Find the best selection in Rockland at North Beacon.

Find the best selection in Rockport at 18 Central.

 

Follow the Maine Oyster Trail here.

 

Want them shipped to you? Try Maine Oysters Company.

 

Discover more Maine resources.

Join me during my Maine photography workshop.

Things To Do In Maine

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There are lots of things to see and do in Maine.

Here are some resources to help make your visit even more special.

 

6 Great Maine Museums To Visit

The Best Breweries & Beers In Maine

Maine’s Best Oysters & Where To Find Them

15 Colorful Things To See During Maine’s Fall Season

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Places To Explore

 

Acadia National Park

Monhegan Island

Reid State Park

Popham Beach

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

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Places To See

 

Portland, Portland Museum of Art, 207-775-6148

Brunswick, Bowdoin Museum, 207-725-3275

Waterville, Colby Museum, 207-859-5600

Rockland, Center For Maine Contemporary Art, 207-701-5005

Rockland, Dowling Walsh Gallery, 207-596-0084

Rockland, Farnsworth Museum, 207-596-6457

Rockland, The Strand Theatre, 207-594-0070

Owls Head, Owls Head Transportation Museum, 207-594-4418

Camden, Bay Chamber Concerts, 888-707-2770

 

Places To Eat

 

Southwest Harbor, Red Sky, 207-244-0476

Bar Harbor, Havana, 207-288-2822

Camden, The Waterfront, 207-236-3747

Camden, Natalie’s, 207-236-7008

Camden, Long Grain, 207-236-9001

Camden, Wolf Peach, 207-230-8315

Maine Destinations To Photograph

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Get this ebook free.

 

From the solitary summit of Katahdin, to the deeps of more than 22,000 lakes and ponds, to the 3,500 miles of tidal coastline, the wild beauty of Maine is irresistibly beautiful. Inland you’ll find sweeping mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, and farms. Along the rocky coast, you’ll find countless islands, beaches, lighthouses, and fishing villages.

This ebook collects images of Maine made in the locations that I have returned to photograph most often for more than 25 years.

Each image is accompanied by a short description of the location.

Interactive links access Google Maps and additional resources.

This valuable resource will help you make the most of your explorations of Maine.

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22 pages

 

Find my Maine workshops here.

What People Are Saying About John Paul Caponigro’s Workshops

 

I love teaching because I love helping other people find inspiration and ways to express themselves.

I also love learning and I want to thank my participants for teaching me, about art, craft, and communication.

Here are some of the responses participants in my workshops have shared.

 

“John Paul is the best teacher I’ve ever had – and I studied with Richard Feynman.”
– Steve Scheele

“John Paul is hands down one of the best creative and technical communicators of our generation.”
Michael McLaughlin, commercial photographer, Ireland.

“For me, the only joy greater than taking a picture, is seeing that image printed to it’s highest form… the photograph. When asked by colleagues and students who I turn to for advice, technique or guidance on printing, there’s only one person I recommend and that is John Paul Caponigro. JP is to digital inkjet printing what his father is to traditional silver gelatin printing… a true master craftsman and artist.”
– Arthur Meyerson, award winning commercial and fine art photographer.

“As with any endeavor, the first 80% is relatively easy; it’s the last elusive 20% that makes all the difference. I wanted to learn the “secret” to attaining the highest possible level of quality in my digital printing, so I enrolled in “The Fine Art of Digital Printing,” the only workshop personally taught by the two pioneers in the field. Both Mac Holbert and John Paul Caponigro have been recognized as the premier innovators and masters of the medium since its inception.

Mac Holbert essentially invented the medium of digital printmaking as a fine art, using the predictable and repeatable nature of graphic arts prepress tools available at the time and bending them to his will. With great finesse and efficiency he continues to produce digitally-generated prints of unparalleled quality. John Paul Caponigro has not only been a pioneer in the use of digital technology to create and print his own fine art images, but is perhaps the leading educator in the field as well, lecturing, teaching classes, and writing extensively on the subject.

Together, Mac and John Paul cover all aspects of fine art digital printmaking in a logical, easily understood format. They generously share their time-tested techniques, sure-fire shortcuts and invaluable personal observations while patiently demystifying the process of digital printmaking at its highest level. Yet they never lose sight of the ultimate goal: to realize the vision of the artist. The image remains paramount. So in the end, there are really only two reasons to take the Fine Art of Digital Printing workshop – R Mac Holbert and John Paul Caponigro.”
– Gregory Heisler , multi-award winning portrait photographer, prepared a large-scale commission during the week.

“Rarely, if ever do you get the opportunity to have a teacher show you something that changes the way think and create. Even rarer is when lightning strikes twice. I have never had workshop experience affect me and my work as profoundly as the workshop taught by John Paul Caponigro and Mac Holbert. I thought I knew what I was doing when I attended the first day, I walk out at the end of the week knowing more than I thought possible. Let me put it another way…. If you pass on this opportunity to learn from these two master artists then you’re just a big silly.”
 Vincent Versace, Photoshop guru and Acme Educational DVD entrepreneur, assisted during both 2007 workshops.

“For those hoping to take their digital print-making skills to the cutting edge and beyond, look no further than the FADP workshops offered by John Paul Caponigro and Mac Holbert the “dream team” of digital photography. It would be difficult to imagine a duo better suited to slash through today’s briar patch of confused and conflicting approaches to fine art printing than Mac and John Paul, but hold on to your hats, with these two, the classroom experience is very much like drinking from a fire hose of vital information.”
– Chris Noble, internationally renowned adventure/travel photographer

 

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“This is a workshop that really does not need improving. It is superb – among the best instruction I have ever received in anything in my life.”
– Matthew Belge, Massachusetts

“[JP asks] the questions that lead to answers.”
– Ken Carl, Illinois

“JP’s discussion on landscape styles and follow up in the field, crystallized for me my understanding of what makes a well structured (landscape) photo.”
– Ed Bacon, Pennsylvania

“The variety and building of exercises were great. (JP) created a great foundation to start to understand how to see!”
– Daniel Gregory, Washington

“This workshop was an eye-opening ‘deep dive’ into the creative process that provides a foundation for ongoing creative inquiry. The tremendous range of ideas will apply to my work long into the future.”
– Tina Elkins, Ohio

“I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop, especially the free flow of information. There was nothing pedantic about the structure, just an open atmosphere conducive to the learning experience.”
– Walter Smith, Alabama

 

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“John Paul… showed me the way…how to see, how to plan and how to get results!”
– Steve Lumpkin, Kansas

“This has been the most professional workshop facility I have ever attended!”
– Marc Koegel, Vancouver

“It made me think in new directions I didn’t expect. These are the ‘right’ directions, and I’m very grateful.”
– Daniel Oppenheim, New Hampshire

“Life-changing experience! I am so grateful…to have had this experience of learning, camaraderie, and self-discovery.”
– Jerry Wyman, California

 

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“JP’s Artistic sensibility as it applies to Photoshop is unique and unparalleled!”
– Linda Sandow, New York

“Great theory and practical hands-on work make for a valuable in-depth program. The course increased my confidence and competence.”
– Sam Krisch, Virginia

“The material was presented in a manner that was so easy to understand, and… the supporting materials re-enforced what (I) learned.”
– Ellen Slotnick, Massachusetts

“John Paul presents and demystifies the software making it a more pervasive tool.”
– Joanne Cody, New Hampshire

Visiting Our Gallery & Studio

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You can visit Caponigro Arts during exhibits, workshops, or by appointment.

You’ll arrive at a newly renovated farmhouse, in a rural setting, on the beautiful coast of Maine.

Upstairs, you’ll see the current exhibit in the gallery.

Downstairs, you’ll see the high-tech studio with many works in progress.

You can view many portfolios of finished works as well as boxes of studies.

Plus you can view masterworks by other famous photographers from John Paul’s personal collection.

 

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While the gardens and woods surrounding Caponigro Arts are picturesque, the landscape along the Maine coast is stunningly beautiful all year round. Consider spending a little extra time before or after you visit to explore Maine’s beauty.

 

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6 Great Art Museums To Visit In Maine

There’s lots of great art in Maine!

Here are six great museums presented geographically from north to south.

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Waterville

Colby Museum of Art 

A collecting and teaching museum focussing on American art. It houses and displays the largest collection of John Marin and Alex Katz’ paintings as well as Richard Serra’s works on paper.

 

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Rockland

Farnsworth Museum

There’s always something new and old on view at the Farnsworth. The museum has one of the nation’s largest collections of works by sculptor Louise Nevelson. Its Wyeth Center features works of Andrew, N.C. and Jamie Wyeth, which is extended by the Olson House (Christina’s World) in nearby Cushing.

 

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Rockland

Center For Maine Contemporary Art

A contemporary arts institution, presenting a year-round program of changing exhibitions featuring the work of emerging and established artists with ties to Maine.

 

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Brunswick

Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Assyrian reliefs in Maine? And much more! The Bowdoin art collection includes Antiquities, European,and American collections including memorabilia from Winslow Homer’s nearby studio.

 

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Portland

Portland Museum of Art

Significant holdings of American, European, and contemporary art, as well as iconic works from Maine, the museum brings it all to life with unparalleled programming, from special events, family activities, and community conversations to PMA Films, curator talks, and tours of the Winslow Homer Studio—it’s all happening at the PMA.

 

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28ogunquit - The view from the lobby sculpture gallery at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art has captivated artists--and visitors-- for many years. (Dan Gair/Ogunquit Museum of American Art)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ogunquit

Ogunquit Museum of American Art

Celebrating its origins in Ogunquit’s art colonies it acquires, preserves, exhibits, and interprets American art.

Looking for more fun things to do?

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Rockland

Maine Lighthouse Museum

One of the largest lighthouse museums in the United States.

 

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Thomaston

Owl’s Head Transportation Museum

Its mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit and operate pre-1940 aircraft, ground vehicles, engines and related technologies significant to the evolution of transportation for the purpose of education. Special events offer car rallies and air shows.

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Bath

Maine Maritime Museum

It sits on a 20-acre campus on the banks of the Kennebec River in “The City of Ships”. Daily cruises visit some of Maine’s most iconic lighthouses from the water and get an up-close look at Navy vessels under construction at Bath Iron Works.

15 Colorful Things To Look For During Maine’s Fall Season

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Maine is beautiful! And it’s never more beautiful than in the autumn during harvest season. The air is crisp and the place comes alive with color. It’s extraordinarily picturesque. Here are a few highlights to look for this fall.

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Mountains of color

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Color on the water

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Color in the air

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Color on the ground

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Fields of late season wildflowers

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Blueberry fields so red they look like they’re on fire.

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Sometimes they actually set the fields on fire.

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Rocky quarries

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Tumbled beach stones

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Playful cairns

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Quaint lighthouses

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Working harbors

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Rugged island life

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Mysterious misty mornings

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Rich evening afterglow

And this is just the beginning. There are so many more reasons to visit Maine in autumn! Who knows what you’ll find.

Find out more about my Acadia Maine Fall Foliage Photography Workshop here.