Another Sunrise Lighthouse Photography cruise is in the books and we have the photos to prove it. Weather had been a concern considering the thunderstorms and heavy fog that have been lingering in the region but instead folks aboard were treated to a beautiful sunrise at sea as well as some of the best light bathing the lighthouses that we went to see. In all the years we have been doing this Sunrise cruise, the weather has always been very cooperative.

Most Maine Lighthouses face East and since the sun rises in the East it is natural that morning is the very best time to see and photograph lighthouses along the coast of Maine. In addition to the local lights Burnt Island, Cuckolds light and Ram Island the attendees aboard also got to see Pemaquid Light from the ocean for the very first time in this Sunrise cruise. The vessel Balmy Days was captained by Bill Campbell who maneuvered the boat to get the very best look angles of all of the lights including the “two-for-one” shot of the Ram Island light and the Cuckolds in the distance nicely framed under the catwalk. This year a local lobsterman ended up getting the picture which added a nice element to the scene.

While cameras are not a requirement to join the photography cruise most people aboard did have some form of camera and they all got to see and to make some spectacular shots of the lighthouses under some very nice morning light. About 30 people joined including a handful of folks who were also participating in a Down East magazine daylong photo retreat what was also hosted by Mike Leonard. After the cruise those folks continued on to make pictures in the region and then later in the afternoon Leonard conducted an Adobe Photoshop processing session using the participants image files.

A mention of doing this cruise again next year has already been spoken and if you missed this one mark your calendar now for what is typically the 2nd Saturday in September which coincides with Maine Open Lighthouse Day. Just remember the boat leaves the dock at 6 a.m. sharp.

Also, if lighthouses are an attraction for you, Mike Leonard is the host photographer aboard the Friendship V out of Bar Harbor on Sept. 24 for what is being called a Grand Slam Lighthouse tour where participants will get to see 20 lighthouses in about eight hours. Many of the lights on this cruise are only able to be seen by boat and because this is also a photography cruise you will be able see and make your best shot of all of these lights. The boat will stop at each light for about 10 minutes and will rotate around to insure you get the best view and you make your best shot of each light. Tickets are available for that day long cruise by calling 207-460-9575.

You can see other photography happenings that Mike is doing including a WorldWide Photo Walk on the morning of Oct. 7 in New Gloucester by visiting his website www.phototourismbymike.com and by clicking on the Photo Events tab.

Mike Leonard is a frequent photo contributor to the Boothbay Register and enjoys taking pictures of many different subjects including lightning, aurora and landscapes.