I love boats, especially wooden boats or working boats. Maine is full of them, and we see our fair share every time we come here for our workshops.

Getting up early has its rewards. I hear the first throaty thrums of the diesel engines in the harbor just outside our window as the fishing boats load up bait and head out around 4:30 or 5.

There is light in the sky and more color than one might imagine. The sun bathes everything in a soft, golden light. It even sparkles off the sunny side of the hulls.

As the sun rises and begins to warm up the air, more fog comes off the colder water. The light gets a little cooler, but it still picks out the wake of a boat.

There are other things to photograph as the sun gets higher. Reflections are ever changing. A house perches at the edge of the water by a swing bridge in a nearby village, the oil slick on the water adding subtle interest.

Never far from boats, I seek out one of my perennial favorites, a lapstrake dory. Not the fake fiberglass type, but a solid, wooden one that has seen some years but is beautifully tended. These boats always remind me of The Old Man and the Sea, of Winslow Homer, and of so many of the wooden-boat building places I have visited over the years from Newfoundland to the Florida coast.

In contrast, in another fishing village, I come across two flimsy fiberglass dinghies casually stacked. They provide an interesting, graphic design for me, the paint peeling off one and accented by early-morning dew.

And I must not forget the lighthouses. Boats rely on them, even today with GPS. While they may no longer need them for navigational purposes, there is nothing quite as reassuring to a sailor or fisherman as a friendly beacon in the fog or at night.

There is one I have sailed by hundreds of times. In the fog. At night. This was in the days long before Loran and GPS, and it holds a special place in my heart.

I can’t count the times I have photographed it, and every time, I come away with something different.

This time, the moon was a sliver that quickly dipped over the trees, leaving the night sky to us. Arnie gave some instructions to our workshop participants on how to cope with the light while getting the stars. I modified the settings needed for this evening shot and showed people some practical techniques. They got some great shots, and I was quite pleased with mine as I clicked the shutter between helping others.

It was a magnificent night, our last one of this workshop.

We always love to get comments.

We also hope you will LIKE this blog (just above the blog title above) and SHARE it (below) with those interested in photography and travel along with the following:

• Barefoot Contessa Photo Adventures
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn