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2013 PSA Annual Conference: Photo ToursThe 2013 PSA Conference Photo Tours in and around the Portland, Maine area are planned for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, September 15 through 17. The tours being offered during the conference include four tours on Sunday, three tours and an evening welcoming social on Monday and three tours on Tuesday. This year we are extremely excited to be offering special aerial photography tours on all three days. Tour 1 - Kennebunkport Trolley and River CruiseSunday, September 15 (Morning Half Day Tour) Kennebunkport was historically a shipbuilding and fishing village, and now has a reputation as a summer haven for the upper class and is one of the wealthiest communities in the state of Maine. The town center, the area in and around Dock Square, is located along the Kennebunk River about a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. This tour is a land and sea based experience: A narrated sightseeing tour will provide an interesting and informative orientation to the Kennebunkport area, with two photo stops; Cape Porpoise Lighthouse and St. Ann's Stone Church. You will also cruise the river to view the oceanfront estate of President George Bush (41), potentially see seals in their natural habitat on Bumpkin Island, and learn how Maine lobsters are caught. The captain and mate will be happy to answer your questions and fill you in on the lore of the Kennebunkport coastline. Tour 2 - Portland City Tour, with an extended stop at the Victorian MansionSunday, September 15 (Afternoon Half-Day Tour) Enjoy a fully narrated tour as our informative guides treat you to Portland's diverse history and architecture. The childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Victoria Mansion, and the bustling Old Port are just a few of the landmarks you'll see as we travel from city streets to rocky coast. This trip includes an extended stop to tour the exquisite Victoria Mansion, which you will be able to photograph on the outside. The significance of this beautiful home extends far beyond Maine. Distinguished for its architecture and its extraordinary original interiors, it is among the most important historic homes of the 19th century anywhere in the nation. Tour 3 - Tour of Old York, Cape Neddick, and the Nubble LighthouseSunday, September 15 (Full Day) Old York is one of New England's oldest towns. The area was first settled in 1624 and eventually called York, after York, England. Old York still retains many examples of the Gilded Age of architecture, and in York Village there are many historic museum buildings, including: Jefferds Tavern (1754), featuring colonial era elements and Georgian style doors and paneling; the Old Schoolhouse (1745), the only one room schoolhouse in York; and the Old Gaol (1719), which served as a prison from 1719-1860 and is now recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The tour will continue to Cape Neddick, home to the Nubble Lighthouse. Built in 1879 and constructed of cast iron lined with brick, the tower stands 41 feet tall, but the light is actually 88 feet above sea level due to its placement on the rocky islet. Nubble Light is one of the last eight lights in Maine to still have its Fresnel lens, which was last updated in 1928. You will find the lighthouse keeper's house, oil house, storage building, and boathouse in the vicinity. Bring tripods, wide angle to medium zoom lenses, and lots of memory cards. Tour 4 - Sunset at Portland Head Light, followed by Astral Photography / Light PaintingSunday, September 15 (Evening) The Portland Head Light sits on a head of land at the entrance to the Portland Harbor, and is the oldest lighthouse in the state of Maine. On this photographic excursion, you will enjoy this very special after-hours access to get some great images of this icon. Today the light station is automated and monitored by the US Coast Guard. We will continue shooting after dark, and your tripod will be needed. Exposures of 30 seconds or more will be employed. We will experiment with different apertures and ISO's. We will discuss the Noise Reduction setting and potential focus issues with your camera, Light painting will also be implemented as well as expanding your knowledge base with our experienced astral photography guide. Bring a flashlight, extra batteries, tripod, and remote release if you have one. Tour 5 - Portland Head Light, Bug Light, Narrow Gage RailroadMonday, September 16 (Morning Half Day) Cape Elizabeth is the home of Portland Head Light, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the country. Participants will gain access to the grounds for sunrise shots prior to the public being able to enter. This lighthouse is situated along the spectacular shores of Fort Williams Park, and the popular landmark provides a setting for iconic sunrise images from numerous vantage points. The adjacent ninety acre Fort Williams Park offers historic fort structures, and ocean views. We will continue to the Portland Breakwater Light (Bug Light) that was built in 1875. It is one of Maine's most elegant lighthouses. It was dubbed Bug Light due to its small size, and is located in Bug Light Park in South Portland. The group will then continue the Portland adventure with a ride on the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad and a railroad museum visit. You will board the antique train and chug along Portland's working waterfront, enjoying views of Casco Bay along the route. The museum was established in 1846 as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the connection between Portland and Montreal. Tour 6 - Bill Johnson Museum and Well’s Nature CenterMonday, September 16 (Afternoon Half Day) Nothing can prepare you for the Johnson Hall Museum. This 15-acre property on Route 1, outside Wells, Maine, has everything: Multiple buildings that were dragged from the four corners of the earth; a Depression-era gas station; an 18th century blacksmith shop; a weathered train depot waiting for a train, all jammed with stuff: moose heads, remnants of an old-fashioned soda fountain, player pianos. The main centerpiece is the former Elsie Libby Colonial Tea Room. It's a cavernous building, over spilling with treasure. Music boxes sing songs from another era and the kitchen's lined with vintage Garland stoves. This is an HDR goldmine. We continue to the Well's Nature Center, where you will be able to photograph the historic Laudholm Farm and 2,250 acres of salt marsh, Tour 7 - Costal Maine Botanical Gardens and Booth Bay Harbor CruiseMonday, September 16 (All Day) The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens opened in 2007. Since then, the Gardens have become one of Maine's top attractions and one of the most distinguished botanical destinations in the country. The 250-acre garden features over 350 native species in a dozen diverse gardens, impressive stonework and waterfalls, and waterfront and woodland trails. In September the gardens boasts approximately 129 blooming plants. (Note: All photographs and other images taken or created by visitors must be for their own personal use and enjoyment. Any use, reuse or reproduction by any means for commercial use without the express written consent of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is strictly prohibited). The water portion of the day will allow you to see everything Booth Bay Harbor has to offer. You will see lighthouses, sea life, the rocky shores of Maine, boats of every kind, and many other sights and sounds that make up the feelings people take home that you can only find in Maine. Bring a diversity of lenses including macro equipment. Tour 8 - Freeport, Maine: Visit L.L. Bean, Cruise to Eagle Island.
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