2024 Favorites {Scenic Version} | Maine Photographer

Yesterday I shared my top client images of 2024 – one of my most favorite posts to put together each new year. Some years I’ll include a few scenic images in my “favorites” post, but 2024 was so beautiful, that I decided last year’s new images deserve it’s own post.

Over the past few years I have been working hard to grow the fine art side of my business. My calendars have proven to be a popular way to enjoy my scenic images throughout the year, and I’ve seen steady growth in both my Fine Art Collection and my Etsy store. I’ve had the extreme pleasure of participating in Art in the Barn here in Yarmouth for a few years now, creating really incredible close friendships with other artists here in town, and this year I was lucky to be a vendor at the NYA Home for the Holidays fair as well. My relationship with the incredible staff at Lisa Marie’s Made in Maine grows stronger each year, and I love working with the staff to figure out which of my fine art images are a good fit for Mainers and vacationers alike. And a very special thank you to my friend Mary Post who opened her own store, From Sea to You Designs, in Kennebunkport last year and brought some of my work into downtown Kennebunkport as well.

Unlike many of Maine’s incredible fine art scenic photographers, I don’t often go out looking for the photo – the photo often comes to me. Yes, on occasion I’ll grab my camera and go gin search of something incredible to photograph, but for the most part, my images are taken at the end of my client sessions, as the light dips just a bit too low for human photos without a flash, and just perfect for those last few minutes of incredible light on a gorgeous day. Sometimes I’ll stop to snap a quick image in the middle of a session if the light is just right, and sometimes I walk away from my evenings empty handed.

For a traditional scenic photographer, my method is probably crazy. But I believe that art is whatever you make it – tripod or no tripod, filter or no filters, edits or no edits. And as my skill behind the camera continues to grow, so does my own way of creating scenic art. I love watching what may have been a quick snapshot become full of light, color, and emotion, and sometimes the photo I work really hard to capture while on location falls flat while I’m editing. It’s a different and fun kind of challenge, and it’s been really exciting watching this side of my business grow over the past few years.

This year I had ten favorite scenic photos, many of which made it into my calendar, and all of which are available for purchase in my Fine Art Collection. I hope these images and the stories behind them bring you feelings of peace, hope, joy, and reflection as you begin your 2025.

1. “Totality” – Total Solar Eclipse, Bingham Maine, April

Unless you were living under a rock in early April, you’ll know Maine was able to witness a total solar eclipse. Here in Yarmouth, we were looking at a partial eclipse, with about a 96% totality. I decided NOT to travel into the path of totality, not wanting to deal with traffic or risk getting stuck somewhere. I was very secure in this decision – until about 8:30 am on April 8th. I knew I would forever regret not making the 2-hour trip west, and so I packed quickly, surprised my kiddo at school (who, as it turns out was not terribly surprised 😂), and we hit the road and headed to Bingham, Maine. Because of this last minute decision, I was 100% NOT prepared to photograph this event. I had my camera with me and took a few photos as the light began to change. But as the sun “set” behind the trees in the field once the totality began, I knew I needed to capture SOMETHING, and so I raised my camera and took a few pictures. I love that while this image focuses on the eclipse, it is more about what happened to the world around us – the light, the sunset, the plane in the sky, the single star. This moment was one of the single most incredible moments of my entire life, and I am forever grateful that I took a second to capture it.

2. “Skyward” – Higgins Beach, Scarborough, April

We have good friends who visit Higgins Beach each April, and stay at a home overlooking the marsh at the back side of the Higgins neighborhood. We had all decided to take a walk to the beach, and the light was just fabulous over the marsh, so I took a quick minute to capture the scene. As I was looking at the water, I noticed a flock of geese begin to take off, and so I aimed high and waited. About 10 seconds later they flew directly in front of me and I was able to capture the moment exactly as I envisioned. I love the pastel sky and the way the birds are silhouetted in front of it. I took many silhouette photos of my clients this year – maybe this is where my 2024 silhouette inspiration began?

3. “Tidal Harmony” – Higgins Beach, Scarborough, May

Fair warning, many of these photos come from Higgins – because it is just so.darn.magical. I’ve photographed at Higgins in every kind of weather and it just simply never disappoints. On this May evening, the sky was so soft, and the waves held this beautiful teal tint that happens pretty regularly when the light is right at Higgins. It’s been a few years since I’ve had a wave photo that looks straight out to sea, but this photo so totally represents the peace I feel when I stand at the end of the tide at Higgins at the end of my sessions. An instant favorite.

4. “Island Retreat” – Birch Island, Harpswell, June

In June, I traveled with one of my families by boat to their camp on Birch Island, off the coast of Harpswell. I had never been to Birch Island and loved exploring the paths on the way to their camp, as well as soaking up the incredible sunset on their section of the island. As we headed back to Brunswick on their boat, the light went from incredibly bright, to incredibly soft, making the greens and blues pop – in the sky, water, and on shore. As we rounded the point, I was taken by the camp on the edge – the color so perfectly matching it’s surroundings. I knew this photo would make my calendar the second I edited it, and it is just stunning in print as well.

5. “Where The Sky Meets the Sea” – Higgins Beach, Scarborough, June

This might just be – ok, this IS – my favorite scenic photo of the year. I took this at the end of a family session. I’ve photographed this spot a thousand times by now, and really wanted to frame this one in a new way. The clouds were so dramatic and leading, that I decided to make them the focus, putting the rocks and shore in the bottom third of my photo. I get just as lost in the sky as I do the waves, and the whole photo totally represents how I feel standing on the edge of the sea – a small piece of a world much larger than those of us below.

6. “Higgins Oasis” – Higgins Beach, Scarborough, June

This photo is actually taken on the same night as the one above, just moments later. When I park at Higgins, I usually park at the municipal lot on Ocean Ave – mostly so I have a foot wash, and can visit the Little Free Library on the way. 🤩 At the end of Ocean Ave sit two Adirondack chairs, overlooking the sea from the tall wall above. I’ve always loved these chairs. I spend a great deal of time photographing towards the ocean, but when I turned around and saw the sky behind one of my favorite Higgins “landmarks” I knew I needed to capture the moment. I don’t often do vertical scenic shots, but this one totally works as a vertical, and is one of my most favorite images of the year.

7. “Midcoast Retreat” – South Bristol, July

Early July brought me to a town I had never heard of – South Bristol, located about 20 minutes south of Damariscotta. South Bristol sits on a peninsula between Boothbay and Pemaquid and is just about as quintessential coastal maine small town as it gets. The family I was working with that evening wanted to finish our session on their rooftop porch, and I was literally speechless watching the last of the light set over the peninsula. They were kind enough to let me take a moment to capture the scene in front of me. This photo is so new and different from many of my coastal shots, but to me it totally captures the beauty of the midcoast section of our state.

8. “Acadia’s Edge” – Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, August

In August, I headed to Acadia by myself for a few days of respite and a family session, too. My hope on this trip was to capture some new scenic photos of the island, and I was totally bumming when the weather was not really in my favor. The forecast threatened rain off and on, and the fog was set on hanging around. I decided to take my book – and my camera just in case – and go sit at Otter Cliffs, reading and enjoying some quiet time in my favorite place. What I stumbled upon instead were huge waves, and waaaay-too-daring tourists (seriously thought I was going to watch someone die that day – stay away from big waves on rocks, you guys!! 🤦🏻‍♀️). Relaxing wasn’t going to happen, so I snapped some photos where I was, and then threw my chair and my book in the car and decided to take a walk down the shore path. I’ve walked parts of this area many times, but at one point I hit the end of where I’d traveled before, and decided to keep going (HUGE perk to solo travel – I looove being in control of how much I walk haha!). After a few minutes, I came upon this little cove, and it was so ACADIA that my jaw was on the floor. The fog, the green, the blues in the water – oh it was just perfect. I have several shots of this spot, but at the end of the day, this one is my favorite of this special moment that is one of my favorite memories, too.

9. “Pondside” – Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, August

After not getting much reading done on the cliffs, I decided to take myself to Jordan Pond. If you’ve been to Jordan Pond in August, you know parking is a total nightmare, so I told myself I could have two passes around the lot, and then I’d head somewhere else. Miraculously, I got a spot immediately (and right by the path!), and decided to walk the path a little to get away from the crowds. I found a quiet little beach, where I settled in to read, and as I was reading the fog gently lifted on the mountains around me, making all of the colors of the water, sand, rocks, and mountains vibrant and even more beautiful than on a sunny day. My foggy photos of Jordan Pond are some of my most favorite, and this was my top pick of the bunch.

10. “Reflected Radiance” – Ogunquit Beach, Ogunquit, August

My final favorite scenic image of the year comes from an evening that was full of surprises. I was photographing the O Family, and our time began with a rainbow over the ocean (a favorite image in yesterday’s post!). As our session went on, the rainbow eventually evaporated, and the sky blew up into this insane mix of pastels, storm clouds, and sunset, all reflecting into the tide below. We all could not believe what we were looking at, and as I gave my hugs and said goodbye to my clients, I knew I had to hold on and capture more of the magic in front of me. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how this one would print, but oh my goodness is is beautiful and vibrant in print. I am actually planning to get this one up in my own home in the coming weeks. 😊

If you’ve taken the time yesterday to take a peek at my favorites, I want to say thank you. And a huge thank you to all who purchased from my Fine Art Collection in 2024. Having my art in people’s homes and lives is such a huge honor – one I actually can’t really wrap my head around fully – and every time you like, share, and purchase my work, it tells me I’m doing something right – even if it’s in my own unique way of capturing the world around me. Here’s to more sunsets, more fog, more surprises, and more beauty ahead in 2025. ✨