A Sense of Place | Maine Media Workshops
In 1973 in Rockport, Maine, an entrepreneur named David H. Lyman founded what would become America’s first large-scale photo workshop. Offering summer seminars in this picturesque harbor village, Maine Photographic Workshops soon drew students from around the world, who came to learn from such luminaries as Ernst Haas and Mary Ellen Mark. Today the program […]
By Heather Marcus|Jun 18 2018|
“I’ve struggled with landscapes, so photographing this Stonington shack—which drew my eye with its mix of colors and tones—meant I had to push out of my comfort zone. But it helped to remember the advice that our instructor, Eliot Dudik, gave us: Feel the space, let it speak to you, and you will find your shot.” —Heather Marcus, Peterborough, NH
Credit: Heather Marcus“I’ve struggled with landscapes, so photographing this Stonington shack—which drew my eye with its mix of colors and tones—meant I had to push out of my comfort zone. But it helped to remember the advice that our instructor, Eliot Dudik, gave us: Feel the space, let it speak to you, and you will find your shot.” —Heather Marcus, Peterborough, NH
Credit: Heather MarcusCredit: Heather Marcus
“Our teacher challenged me to photograph people in my landscapes to create that ‘sense of place.’ These children, fully engaged in a Damariscotta tide pool, bring to mind the timelessness of summer play on the Maine shore.” —Leslie Hankey, Jasper, GA
Credit: Leslie HankeyCredit: Leslie Hankey
“We stumbled on this scene in Lincolnville, close to sunset, after chasing down a stream of smoke in the distance. The family allowed us to watch and photograph the controlled burn of an old turkey barn on their property, which had also attracted one of their young sons as an onlooker.” —Julia Bennett, Los Angeles, CA
Credit: Julia BennettCredit: Julia Bennett
“This family from Connecticut was spread out on a quiet part of Popham Beach, and I took some photos of them fishing separately before asking if I could take their portrait. I love the idea of this father with his teenage children, each with their own unique expression and stance, poles askew, but connected to each other and to this vacation that’s become a tradition for them.” —Heather Marcus
Credit: Heather Marcus
Thanks Heather for the mention. It’s been 11 years since I turned over The Workshops to the non-profit. After 34 years of running there place, or the place running me, the absence does leave a hole in my life. I miss the people, the heated and meaningful discussions about art, process, mission in life, fate and romance. But I do not miss the stress of running a multi-million dollar enterprise. I sold out just when I needed to. I’m writing a series of memoirs now on my creative life. Growing Up In New England is one, my memoir of a year in Vietnam with the Navy’s Seabees is what I’m working on now.
I enjoyed reading of your deferent discovers about “seeing,” and the images you found and captured. Keep getting out of the office and looking around. The light is great!