Picture of the day

With the sun rising around 5:40AM these days getting up and out to catch the beautiful rays takes some dedication.  Sunday morning I had it all dialed in and luckily I played my cards right to catch this beautiful scene.  This is the part of the Eastern Prom in Portland overlooking Casco Bay and the Islands.  

Saint Joseph's College

Saint Joseph's College in Standish, Maine has been a client since 2007.  The majority of the work I do for them is covering their Alumni, Board of Directors and special events.  The campus is a beautiful place to work as it is situated overlooking Sebago Lake.  The views from many parts of the campus are stunning.  I recently photographed an event for the the College attended by the Board of Directors that was hosted by the administration and faculty.  Having photographed the majority of the Board on numerous occasions, it is nice to have that feeling of being "part of the family".  I often receive the compliment that I am hardly noticed while doing my work.  To be as unobtrusive as possible during these occasions is my goal.  At the end of the evening I walked outside to my car to pack up and noticed a beautiful evening sky.  I quickly grabbed the tripod and starting clicking away.  I photographed for another 45 minutes until all of the color the sky had disappeared.

The President in Portland

This afternoon the city of Portland was treated to a visit by President Barack Obama.  He came here to discuss his latest health care bill with an intimate group of about 4000 people at the Expo Center on Park Avenue. The weather was beautiful, the security was intense and the crowds were an interesting mix of supporters and those who appose his policies.  A Coast Guard Helicopter hovered overhead the entire time he was in town and sharp shooters could be seen on the roof of Maine Medical Center.  All of this made for a little bit of an intimidating experience but once the huge presidential motorcade rolled up Park Ave toward the Expo Center, the crowd cheered OBAMA!  It was great moment! He waved to the crowds and then in an instant was quickly whisked inside the building - armored limo and all.  

Mountain Bike Season

There is still plenty of snow in the mountains to the West, but here on the coast we have not seen measurable snow in quite some time.  With a relatively "warm" winter behind us I am happy to report that my mountain bike has seen more use this Winter then in previous ones.  Besides, having a little bit of a jump on the season fitness wise never hurts.  Now that we are rolling into the official beginning of Mountain bIke season it is time to tune up the Salsa Rapid Moto and replace those parts that are tired and did not function up to par.  The pedals are one component I have been quite unhappy with. For the past two years I have been using a pair of Shimano M515 Pedals.  When it comes to mud, wet leaves, snow and ice they do a pretty lousy job of clearing themselves. Finally frustrated enough with their lack of performance I decided to upgrade to a pair of Shimano XT Pedals.  I have an old pair of these on my backup mtn bike that have served me well for over 10 years.  When I got the new Salsa frame I transfered the kit from my old Jamis and rolled with what came attached to the cranks.  I think I will be much happier now.  Time to hit the trails!

Maine Boat Builders Show

Just like the crocuses in the front yard (although they are early this year) the Maine Boat Builders show is a sign that Spring and Summer will eventually arrive to the Coast of Maine.  This is a great event for me to catch up with old friends, research new stories and see the latest and greatest in boat building, marine related products and support from Maine, New England and Canada.  Working with Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors Magazine, my assignment was to search for images that defined the character, quality and diversity that this show is known for.  Some of the highlights for me included the French and Webb 29' Hybrid Diesel / Electric Launch, a beautiful 20' Wooden West Point Skiff built by Nichols Boat Building and a 13'6"Ram Island Peapod outfitted with a sail rig crafted by Bay of Maine Boats.  There were over 100 boats in the show and one could easily become a fan of each and every boat over time.  This is the kind of show where you could walk the floor three or four times and see something different with each pass.  The details that go into each of these hand crafted vessels is mind blowing.  As a photographer it is a visual feast for the eyes to have all of these boats on display in a series of buildings that were once used to build trains in.  Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors is running a gallery of my images on their web site here.  I have also posted all of the select images from my time at the show on my jeffscher.smugmug site here.