Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth has been described as the most photographed lighthouse in the world. Whether or not this seemingly unverifiable statement is true, it is indisputable that PHL is a photographer's delight. It is also clear that most of the pictures taken of PHL are snapshots, tourist mementos taken from one of the handful of obvious photo points in whatever conditions existed at the moment of opportunity. This is not the best way to capture the true character and beauty of this famous lighthouse.

In contrast, living a short distance away (not to mention being a cold-tolerant morning person!) has allowed me to explore the amazing photographic potential that PHL offers. So many factors can affect the results of shooting on any given day that it is impossible to predict beforehand what you might see. PHL can be shot from so many different points that choosing the best one for the conditions can actually be quite difficult. The combined variations in season, time of day, weather, tide, sun and moon, plant life, human events, and other unpredictable factors can make the results of any day's shooting quite unique.

Some of the images here may elicit the standard "Oh, that's Photoshopped" reaction I've heard so often, but in all cases, it will be wrong. The sky colors are real, the positions and shapes of sun and moon are real, the birds are real, the fireworks are real, the reflections and rainbows are real, the sea smoke is real, etc. And yes, the spiderweb superimposed over the lighthouse is real- it did indeed look like that through the viewfinder. The weather was so dismal that no one else came by in the half hour it took to find and capture that wonderful image. Spend as much time as I have wandering all around PHL under an incredibly wide range of conditions, and you might see views like those captured in these photos.