What an amazing, amazing trip. When trying to figure out a location for our annual team meetup (for a company I no longer work for), I got the idea in my head to suggest somewhere in Maine - I started doing some research and thought that Portland was a great mix of coastal town and "big city" enough for our group to get the best of both worlds, and I turned out to be right.
I had learned a lot about what I wanted out of my photography from my trip to Chicago just a few weeks before, so I went in with a fresh set of eyes and the experience served me very well. I love getting to spend a day or two getting my bearings for how a new location feels, and the fact that we walked everywhere really helped me hone in on the general vibe of Portland, one that I fell in love with and would love to revisit someday with my partner.
On our second day there we did a fantastic excursion with Portland Discover Tours around Portland Harbor and Casco Bay (highly, highly recommended!) so I was able to get some great pictures of the wildlife that would have otherwise been out of view (though I do have an odd fascination with city birds like pigeons). Getting to photograph around the boat itself and seeing more birds such as the Long-tailed Duck to add to my life list was a great way to spend a few hours.
From there, I spent the next few days honing in on my street photography - there's something about it that gives me such a rush and such joy when I get something that I really love, and there was plenty, plenty to see around the city.
(I still clearly have a fascination with bird photography that sneaks up here and there)
On our last full day we went up to the Portland Headlight and it was pretty surreal for me - not necessarily the lighthouse itself (my favorite was actually the Spring Point Ledge lighthouse) but the rocky cove that we got to go down and explore for a while. Watching the waves crash onto the rocks and seeing people fishing from boulders was something else, an insight to the everyday lives of the people who live here - it was a very special time that I wasn't expecting.
Truly, I can't wait to go back with my partner - she has never been to the New England area, and I just know that she'll fall in love with it ❤️
As always; stay curious.
